Honky Tonk Happy Hour October 1st!

The Tin Hearts and The Songbirds at Honky Tonk Happy Hour

The Honky Tonk Happy Hour at The Shrunken Head enters its seventh consecutive month of delivering outstanding neo-traditional country music to Columbus roots music lovers on Friday, October 1st. This happy hour is bound to please, featuring The Tin Hearts at 6pm and The Songbirds at 7pm. As always, we’ll be raffling off one of Jamie Lyn’s homemade pies, and the Shrunken Head offers the Honky Tonk Special: a Budweiser and a shot of Jack Daniels for $4.

The Tin Hearts play the happy hour hot on the heels of their new album, “No Good Deed” which debuted on September 10th at the Independent Spirits showcase. The Tin Hearts feature the intricate guitar work of Andy Frederick and Ryan Combs’ strident bass. Angela Sutton (keyboards) reels from sensitively rendered melodies to rollicking barrelhouse stomp, with Mark Sims moving it all forward on drums, bringing Honky Tonk Happy Hour fans a solid Americana Country sound that is infused with lively electric blues.

The Songbirds’ delicious blend of harmonies have served to establish a solid following for this band among Columbus country fans. They specialize in toe-tappin', sing along originals with a few covers thrown in for your listening pleasure. Their cover of “Jolene” is a crowd-pleasin’ favorite, as they move the crowd from soul touching melodies to rowdy, drunken hillbilly hoedown tunes.

The Shrunken Head is a full-service restaurant and bar located in the heart of Columbus, Ohio, offering happy hour specials daily: half price draft beers, $1 off top shelf liquor, $1 hot dogs, and $5 prime organic hamburgers. Admission to this event is free, and all ages are welcome, although those under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Chris Bingman of Springfield Special: Great Gobs of Goose Feathers....

SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR SONGWRITERS


What makes you write?
well sometimes i just get an idea in my head and if i think its good enough to make a legitamite song then i write it down and start adding little structural pieces until there it is: a new song!

Who is the greatest unknown influence on your music?
well i do more than just bluegrass, i'm in a couple bands, but i'd say for bluegrass probably charlie lily of the lily brothers and for everything else tiny moore (he did a lot of solo stuff that's not very well known but he made it big w/ bob wills & the texas playboys)

What is your most closeted, secret, guilty and humiliating musical pleasure?
well i don't know that its humiliating per say, but i get a real kick out of stealing licks that people do, especially when i'm playing with them at the time haha it makes me feel good knowin i can pick up on something like that that quick but i also like to do it to sort of "challenge" the other player like "is that all you got?" haha in one of my last groups, in fact, i was known as "the lick stealer"

What established artist made you want to write songs, and why?
well ever since i heard of bluegrass i was immediately drawn to bill monroe, i think in part because he was a mandolin player as well.. and i would study his stuff and learn the patterns, etc. and one day i got an idea in my head and kinda used a familiar pattern to write that first song and though i definitely think its a unique song (not trying to rip off the old stuff!) it does hint back to old bill songs.. and i suppose the why is because if you're going to play a particular style of music, why not play like the original artists played?

Advice for just-starting songwriters?
i don't know if i'm enough of an established songwriter to be giving advice, but i guess if i were to i'd say just write what comes naturally to you and have fun doing it.. and if people don't like what you do then screw em, cause there are people out there that will.. "don't get discouraged" is the nicer way of putting that i think haha

Why country?
why not? haha country music (including bluegrass) has that deep rooted old-timey tradition to it that just really speaks to me.. in a lot of ways its very relatable to the listener even stuff written 50 years before you were born (in my case at least).. plus i just thoroughly enjoy it.

Favorite backwoods expression?
well my grandpa myron always would exclaim "great gobs of goose feathers!" in exchange for "hot damn" or the like and i always liked that.. but i'm also very partial to "i'm feelin rougher than a corn cob" to describe bein hungover

Lydia Loveless answers 7 Questions for Songwriters!

LYDIA LOVELESS ANSWERS SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR SONGWRITERS
1. What makes you write?
Usually things that amuse me in private. It sounds cheesy, but generally I am really "moved to write" at random times. It's more like being possessed than consciously writing something.

2. Who is the greatest unknown influence on your music?
Todd May

3. What is your most closeted, secret, guilty and humiliating musical pleasure?
I am really shameless...I am listening to Enrique Iglesias as I type this.

4. What established artist made you want to write songs, and why?
Cliché, but Hank Williams. I had a record of his songs that just kind of opened a dam for me.

5. Advice for just-starting songwriters?
Be yourself. Hold back on the "cooooountry" clothes and over the top accents, unless of course you're being honest. And don't let people knock you around on show line-ups, money, or anything at the last minute, or you will get a reputation as a pushover.

6. Why country?
Because it's simple, raw, and everyone likes at least one country song.

7. Favorite backwoods expression?
So-and-so is so ugly she/he could make a train take a dirt road

Lydia Loveless, ladies and gents. Catch her Friday afternoon at 7pm at the Shrunken Head, 251 W. 5th Avenue!

love,
Jamie Lyn