Craig Brown of Canago performed for the Starry Nights Pre-Show at Tidballs in Bowling Green, KY. Photo by Pennman 6/19/2010.

Where can you get 8 1/2 hours of music and fun all in one night, and all right downtown? That’s exactly what we got tonight at Tidballs, which was hosting a benefit for the Starry Nights Festival, a local music event here in Bowling Green. This was a very early preview of six of the 25 + bands that will appear at the event scheduled for Oct. 1 & 2 out on Morgantown Road. The event’s website at www.starrynightsfestival.com reveals that the first year was 2008 and five bands are listed. The 2009 line-up posts ten bands. So obviously this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever, and already confirmed is a big name in the person of Keller Williams. That got my attention, so I think you might want to check this out if you haven’t done so before.

The bands that played tonight were all local, starting off with Downtown Handshake at 5 PM. I didn’t catch them but I did find their CD lying around – not bad. They play some straight forward rock and roll, and it’s injected with a fair amount of youthful energy. I made a note to catch them soon and will be giving the CD a good listen shortly. They have a MySpace at /downtownhandshake.

Next up, in what I’ll call the informal part of the evening, was 00 the Rabbit. The boys left the amps, electric, and drum set home and played some of their material acoustically. As I’ve stated in a past review, the material is a little eclectic and oh so interesting, and there’s a good bit of humor in it as well. So the transition to unplugged worked quite well. Acoustic guitars, a single marching band drum, some really nice bongo percussion by guest Troy Mimms, and the distinctive trombone of Ryan Doughty created a mood that was just perfect for a lazy, hot, summer afternoon. One of the many tunes that came off well was “Naysayer”.  Their set was a real nice change of pace.

Around 7:15 Fat Box took the stage. If you like jam-style originals (with some Widespread Panic covers), a little Frank Zappa (“Cosmic Debris”), a little Rush (“Tom Sawyer”), and a bit of Beatles (“Come Together”, but not at this show) you will want to see this band. They are very good at what they do. One of my favorites of their originals is “Iguana” with its’ reggae beat, great Ryan Stiles sax, and Kevin Woolen’s hopping bass. “Space Case” was also a standout. Once again, Troy Mimms sat in and added even more interesting percussives into the mix. This boy is getting around. “Escape in D Minor” was not too shabby either. They announced a few future dates besides Starry Nights, including the Grateful Gathering on July 31st at Wha Bahs.  Check out their full schedule on MySpace at /thefatbox.

Next was the first band this evening that I had not heard before, Minimum Wage. They have been playing as a group for about a year. These guys brought out the heavy guns, and they know how to use them. They are a four piece consisting of Vernon Roach (Kuntry Twang) on vocals, Derek Cardwell on bass, Justin Radcliffe on guitar, and Charles Webb on the skins. Whether performing their own tune “One Door Closes”, ZZ Top’s “Jesus Left Chicago”, or Black Sabbath, they are loud, tight, animated, and energetic. They put on a really good show that you might want to see for yourself. They are working on a CD that has been recorded and now needs some mixing, and it should be out later this year. Find out more about them on MySpace at /minimumwage09.

By now it was fully dark so it was time to move inside for the last two bands. The first one up was Thee Japanese School Girls, who I’ve been trying to see for some time. So this was the other band tonight that I had not seen yet. Brandon Burchett, formerly of Consuming the Airplane (another band I thought was really good), shares lead and rhythm guitar duties with Andrew Danderville, and they play off each other really well. Vocalist Lucas Goularte puts a lot into the singing, and is a good front man visually as well. He moves a lot, dances robotically, jumps up and down and howls out some cool vocals. The rhythm section, including Joseph Gregory on drums, keeps everyone on track, and the overall effect is good tunes, lots of fun, and a crowd that can’t stand still. “Angel” was a standout tune on this night, and I never expected to hear “Jailhouse Rock”, which was a nice surprise. Their info can be found on MySpace.com/theejapaneseschoolgirls.

I lost track of time, so I must have been having fun, right? But sometime around 11:30 Canago took the stage. Vocalist Craig Brown had a lot to do with the organization of this preview benefit, so I guess that will get you the prime time spot. As usual, Tidballs was packed now (and really had been consistently since everyone moved inside). This band just seems to be so together right now it’s electric. The audience gets right into them as soon as they start, and the floor never empties until it’s all over (in this case, say around 1:30). They played lots of tunes off their new album “Fun”, which has sold out the initial CD release and is currently only available for download via iTunes. There will be more CDs soon. They also threw in a Talking Heads and Beatles cover. The aura they create is exactly like my mental image of the good time, shoulder to shoulder, smoke-filled room where the temperature is hot and the music is hotter.  My memory of Steve Winwood’s video “Roll With It” comes to mind; just a different kind of dance groove. All these guys are very good, but I really take notice of the rhythm section of Jason Williams on bass and Chris Smith on drums. They are a solid, consistent core with pop that provides the platform for the niceties added by Craig Brown’s clever keys and guitarists Danny Mitchell and Robbie Neighbors rhythm and riffs. I highly recommend you get to one of their shows. Check out their MySpace at /Canago.

If this night was any indication of what’s in store for two full days in October, I think it’s time to take advantage of the early bird price of $49 for the 2-day pass, and that includes camping. Promoter Bryan Graves said this is a temporary price that will go up as more bands and other additions are announced, so don’t delay. And he promises this will be the best one yet. I think my job is done here. Go get tickets at www.starrynightsfestival.com, along with lots of other info you might find useful. And check there for updates.

The Starry Nights Pre-Show was at Tidballs in Bowling Green, KY on 6/19/2010.

About the author: Pennman bought his first 45 at age nine and has been hooked on rock ever since. He has spent much of his disposable income on music, especially live performances. He writes reviews of the shows he sees and keeps a keen lookout for upcoming shows in or near Bowling Green. He has a BA in Communications, specializing in journalism, and has dabbled in music himself, both as a player and instructor. Find more of Pennman’s work at www.associatedcontent.com/user/165511/pennman.html or visit him at www.myspace.com/pennman_bg or www.facebook.com/pennman