It was one of those nights; cold drinks, hot foods, and even hotter music as The Michael Gough Group performed at The Twisted Tap. At the time of this writing they were scheduled to play the first and third Friday of every month at the Tap, so you will have plenty of opportunity to catch them live. And trust me on this; you will want to check them out. What you’ll get is blues, blues, and more blues done right. But that’s no surprise considering the lineup of fine musicians in this band. And they’re all Bowling Green long-timers and favorites.

With most bands you’re lucky to be treated to one killer guitarist. Well, in this one there are two. Long-time member Brad Masden just shreds up the fret board, and Joe Roberts takes his at bats too, and makes it cry and sing. Michael Hildreth plays a mean harmonica and occasionally doubles up on bass guitar. There is no finer drummer in town than the inimitable Chris Hardesty; I’ve never seen the man give less than his all. And then there is Mr. Gough, who’s strong, soulful, bluesy vocal style will blow you away while most of the time laying down the bass lines too. When Gough is just concentrating on the singing is when you’ll hear Mr. Hildreth on bass. These are the kind of blues you’ll want to get; the feel-good kind.

But why just take my word for it? You’ve got the dates above, so just get there.  The Twisted Tap’s sound system will not let you down either. For more info you can find The Michael Gough Group on Facebook.

After two sets of Michael Gough we were treated to a late night performance from Nashville’s Kara Clark. I will confess, after having heard so many good things about her in the recent past, she was the reason I got myself in gear and got out to see all this great music. And I’m glad I did. Her Facebook page emphasizes her genre as alternative country, but from where I was sitting this is unadulterated rock! Taking the stage just a little shy of midnight, the band came out swinging and didn’t miss a beat. Ms. Clark does all the singing and plays an energetic acoustic guitar.  Providing a mean lead electric guitar is Charlie Joseph Abbot. Filling in the gaps on keyboards is David Walker, and a tenacious rhythm section is made up of bassist Matt Shively and drummer Johnny McCormack.

Clark is a prolific songwriter and rarely does a cover tune. But leave it to Bowling Green to coax her into playing a Skynyrd tune! Her originals are gritty, heart-felt, and authentic. What came to mind as I was watching all this was singer-songwriter on steroids. Her passion makes it clear the music is hers and it all means something to her. And you can tell she will always play it just the way she likes – did I fail to mention she brings attitude as well? So yeah, she’s from Nashville and there’s some country influences in the music (the bad-assed country influences like Johnny Cash), but man does it rock. So if you’re in the mood for something off the beaten path, do yourself a favor and get to one of her shows; if not here, then Nashville.  Hopefully she’ll come back to Bowling Green. Go to www.karaclark.com.

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