Prison blues and barbecue

Posted by Stephen Centanni | Jul 15, 2015 | Music Briefs | 0 |

Band: Scotch Hollow
Date: Friday, July 17 at 6 p.m.
Venue: Moe’s Original BBQ, 701 Spring Hill Ave.,
www.moesoriginalbbq.com
Tickets: Free

Scotch Hollow has an interesting history. The band formed at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, after guitarist Mark Verbeck and vocalist Carley Martin bonded over their love of traditional roots music, ranging from traditional country to blues.

The band took an unusual turn in 2008, when it changed its name to Bandit Runner and delved into funk-rock. But when Verbeck developed an extreme case of tendinitis, the duo’s music career came to an abrupt halt. Verbeck continued to write songs using his iPad. His friend Albert Dingus helped add instrumentation to these songs, and Scotch Hollow was revived as a trio.

The band’s latest album, “Raging Bull in a Chicken Wire Pen,” sets its tone with “Burn Cruise,” an acoustic blues track forged in the hot fields of Parchman Farm — the Mississippi State Penitentiary. The tracks that follow show Scotch Hollow’s passion for old-school blues with elegiac lyrics and plenty of acoustic slide work.

About The Author

Stephen Centanni

With the exception of two years spent at Auburn University, Steve Centanni has spent his life in Mobile County while focusing on his two passions: music and the written word. As soon as he was issued his driver’s license, Centanni began to explore the local music scene in the early ‘90s. He filled his weekend with visits classic local venues such as the Four Strong Winds Coffee House, Vincent Van Go-Go’s and Culture Shock, all of which welcomed those who had yet to reach 18. After high school, Centanni traded Mobile for Auburn to complete his B.A. in English with an emphasis on general writing. While at Auburn, he had the honor of studying under the Pulitzer-winning poet Natasha Trethewey, who served as the nation’s Poet Laureate in 2012 and 2014. After receiving his diploma, Centanni quickly moved back to Mobile and completed the University of South Alabama’s graduate program with a M.Ed. Eventually, he was tapped by the nationally distributed Volume Entertainment Magazine to serve as the magazine’s managing editor/senior writer. His time with Volume allowed him to exercise his love for both music and writing. As Volume began to fade, Lagniappe recruited Centanni as their Music Writer and later their Music Editor, where he has remained for a little over a decade. As far as his involvement in the local music scene, Centanni organized Cess Fest at the Langan Park, which was a mini-festival focused on original local music in a time when original local music was veritably taboo in Downtown Mobile. For a short time, he brought original music to Downtown Mobile as the in-house promoter for the now deceased venue Cell Block. He managed local underground powerhouse Fry Cook, until the members parted ways. Centanni has lent his bass to bands such as Keychain Pistol and The F’n A-Holes, and he toured nationally as a member of Abstract Artimus & the Torture Children. Currently, he provides vocals for the garage blues rock outfit Johnny No. Ultimately, Centanni’s experience in the local music scene as both a participant and an observer has allowed him to witness the ever-changing persona of Mobile’s enigmatic music scene, which continues to leave him with more questions than answers.