When I saw a listing for a Nine Pound Hammer CD release show I had to wonder if I’d fallen through a hole in the space time continuum. This would’ve been fucking fantastic, since there are many mistakes in the last few years I’d love to go back and avoid, but alas time marches on, as does, somehow, Nine Pound Hammer. I would not make the mistake of missing this show!
First up, The Pits, a Cramps-flavored psychobilly band done up in monster makeup.
Good stuff, with Jimmy of Jimmy and the Teasers playing 2-string bass and playing comparatively sedately, unlike when he plays guitar in his own act.
But it was no great surprise when, in the end, he and the drummer ended up in a heap of scattered drum kit bits.
After a few seconds they staggered to their feet and hobbled off the stage, though the crowd shouted for more.
Speaking of, there were quite a few familiar faces in the room, Star Bar regulars past and present, as well as Nine Pound Hammer fans from out of town. A good crowd for a band that has played Atlanta maybe twice in 10 years.
But next up, JJ & the Hustlers.
They do honky tonky country, with JJ’s voice perfect for the genre and Paul’s guitar pushing the boundaries. Damn fine stuff.
To say there were folks happy to see the return of Nine Pound Hammer would be a bit of an understatement.
If you grew up with this band, or perhaps just grew up in the South, this sound grabs you deep inside, maybe in a place you don’t want to visit often, due to physical and mental health issues, but letting those demons run loose now and then feels pretty damn good. Obviously lead singer Scott feels the same way.
It’s a little bit country, it’s a tractor trailor full of rock and roll. Blaine is a brutal guitarist, Scott points around the room like an auctioneer on crank, and the rythm section keeps the train rolling.
A mosh pit broke out at random, sometimes getting a bit out of control, but I managed to stay out of the way. Not everyone was so lucky and some of the female fans got knocked about.
But for the most part the show went off without a hitch, even during the country covers by the likes of Gordon Lightfoot done Nine Pound Hammer style, off their new album. The band wrapped it up and began to walk off stage but the fans yelled for an ecore. “Shit, what else do we have?” Scott mumbled, “Oh! Hayseed Timebomb!”
The other members shrugged and picked up their instruments and belted out the tune while the crowd thrashed around in appreciation.
Heck of a show.
