this one

The Lexington Scene
By Steve Nall

Hello Louisville music fans, it's time for another installment of The Lexington Scene. This month I want to talk about a new club in town - The Rockzone. The Rockzone is actually a club-within-a-club. The Rockzone is the live band part of the larger club, Varsity Blue, located at 1030 S. Broadway just outside of downtown Lexington. The stage area is more than enough for your average 4 piece band, and really isn't that cramped for a 5-piece group. There is plenty of room in front of the stage for adoring fans, and lots more table space for those that just want to watch the action from a comfortable seat. The men behind the success of The Rockzone are Ruel Davis and Josh White of the local band Psycho Bitch Magnet (www.pbmrocks.com). These guys have both put an enormous amount of time and energy into the club and it shows. Every gig I have been to has had great bands and most importantly, lots of fans. The sound system could use something extra, but I'm sure that will be taken care of in time. Ruel and Josh have gotten the word out online via the Lexington musician's board (www.lexmusicnews.net), and of course, thru good old-fashioned word of mouth. They recently acquired Budweiser as a sponsor of the venue and every Tuesday night is for local bands to show their stuff. It has gotten so popular with the bands and fans that local radio station WXZZ recently used the venue for the annual "battle of the bands". If you want your band to be booked for a show, or just want to find out more about the club, you can email The Rockzone at RZBooking@hotmail.com.

Speaking of the "Battle of the bands", I'd like to take a moment to tell you a little about the winners of this years battle - Stego. Comprised of only 3 members (Jason Poff - bass/vocals, Jay Henning - guitars/vocals, and Dwight Dunlap - drums), Stego has, to me, a very laid back feel. The band was started in 1999 and has maintained the original lineup (not an easy feat as any musician can attest to) for the last 4 years. Their style is not very easy to pin down. On their website (www.stegorocks.com) there are some samples from their latest release "Bull In A China Shop" that prove my point. The song "Shuga" lays down a solid funky, blues (almost SRV in style) riff, while "Triplethreat Tina" has an island sound that would be perfectly at home on a beach in Jamaica. They then turn around again and show off their hard rock chops on the song "Happily Ever After". Stego is a great sounding band whose songs not only keep the clubs jumpin' but also show what a talented musician each member is. I heartily recommend catching Stego the next time they come to a club near you.

In other Lexington band news, Perennial (www.geocites.com/perennialrocks) is hosting free all ages shows at the UK "Cat's Den" on Wednesday nights from 8 to 10. All styles are welcome and you can email the band about getting a gig thru their website. Nu-metal/alternative band Circlefour (www.circlefour.com) is gearing up to go on tour this summer with Chip Roop, and the "roots rock" group Three Wheel Motion (www.shaneseals.com), will be traveling to Louisville on May 8th to play with The Simple at the Main St. Lounge. If any Lexington bands have an announcement you'd like to see here, you can email me at thelexscene@hotmail.com. That's about all for now. I'll be back next month with more insight into the clubs and bands that make up the Lexington Scene.