L. KENT WOLGAMOTT / GZO | Posted: Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:00 pm
The last time I saw Scott H. Biram, he was wailing and stomping up a storm at the Bloodshot Records showcase at the South By Southwest Music Conference in March.
Normally a tightly marshalled event in which sets are 40 minutes long, period, Biram had so captivated the crowd in the packed Bourbon Rocks that it became the First Church of Ultimate Fanaticism and his set ran an extra 10 minutes or so.
That’s evidence of the power of the testifying, preaching, howling, foot-pounding, guitar-hammering one-man band. And his raw, gutbucket combination of hard-core country, dirty blues and underground punk has been near perfectly captured on “Graveyard Shift,” his new record.
Alternately spooky and moving, rocking and melodic, the disc is all the more impressive because Biram played all the instruments, save a pedal steel solo on one tune. But that’s nothing new for him. On the road, it’s just Scott, his 1959 Gibson guitar and his miked-up, stomping left foot.
An entirely captivating performer, Biram turns any show into a twisted hillbilly revival meeting. That means Saturday night at Duffy’s Tavern should be a blast.
Biram, who lives in Austin, has already developed a strong local following, and he’ll be joined by The Monroes, the Omaha cowpunk outfit led by the one and only Gary Dean Davis. Much mayhem is guaranteed to ensue when the show kicks off at 10 p.m. Cover charge is a mere $5 — one of the best entertainment deals of the year, guaranteed.
More fun on Saturday
There are couple of other shows of note Saturday.
The Zoo Bar has a last-minute change in its calendar which sounds pretty cool.
Mark Stewart of the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash will play a solo set there as part of the American Songwriters Showcase. Then The Melody Wranglers, a group made up of members of the Fabtones, Resonators and other local bands, will wrap up the night with a fine set of country music.
Meanwhile, there’s something completely different over at Knickerbockers.
Since 1990, P.M. Dawn has been blazing its own musical trail, combining hip-hop with R&B, pop and even some rock. Prince Bes has a great voice, both rapping and singing, and his cousin Dr. Giggles makes a perfect fit, particularly with his hilarious live performances.
P.M. Dawn’s now out touring behind its new album, “P.M. Dawn Loves You,” a disc that combines new versions of the duo’s originals with takes on classics such as Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge.”
Saturday’s 18-and-over show will kick off at 9 p.m. with openers The Awkwords and Thoughtless Poetz. Tickets are $15.
On screen
Three Hollywood pictures open in Lincoln today — none of which is likely to do anything to budge “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” from the top of the box-office heap. “Little Man” is a brain-free Wayans brothers comedy, “You, Me & Dupree” a “guess who’s moving in?” comedy that’s been seen many times before, and “Waist Deep” is an urban action fantasy that opened in other markets a couple weeks ago.
MoPix movies
The MoPix movie at the Douglas Grand Theatre this week is “Superman Returns,” the excellent superhero movie starring Brandon Routh. MoPix is a system that allows access to films to the deaf and blind and is available in one of the Grand’s auditoriums.
Documentary debut
Thursday night, “Shooting Henry Hill,” a documentary film about the Mafia turncoat whose life was immortalized in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” and who ended up in North Platte, will have a pre-premiere screening at the Ross Media Arts Center.
Produced by Ron and Heather Silver and directed by Luke Heppner, the documentary was shot during a time in which Hill and his seedy associates found themselves in the middle of a federal undercover drug investigation. The 53-minute film is an honest depiction of a man who seemingly wants to do right, but whose alcoholism and tendency to associate with the wrong kind of people keeps him from getting on the right road.
There’s a shade of overdramatization in the on-camera narrative from the filmmakers, but Hill’s story is a sad but compelling one — especially since he landed in what is supposed to be a conservative town in the middle of the Great Plains.
The free screening is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Ross. “Shooting Henry Hill” will have its official world premiere at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in Los Angeles on Sept. 16.
Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or at kwolgamott@journalstar.com.