Music INSIGHT
ShakedowN
JACK S ON TOW N
By Ben Nunnally
October brings cool air, autumn leaves and a massive earthquake: the Jackson Town Shakedown
is hitting Brothers Bar, a two-day “sampler” of the best that the underground music scene has
to offer, featuring seven of the greatest independent performers in the region, organized by
local rock bands for local rock fans.
“The idea behind this entire thing is to serve two purposes,” said Noah Holt, lead guitarist of Kill, Baby…
Kill!, and one of the key organizers of the Jackson
Town Shakedown.
“The first is to help revitalize the once legendary
Brother’s Bar, and then there is the desire to bring in a
new audience, with the student population,” Holt said.
Holt has been a part of the local music scene for years,
performing with various bands before settling into
Kill, Baby… Kill! a few years back. He was around to
watch the rise and fall of 1213 Rock Shows, a small
club at 12 West 13th Street that brought out underground giants like The Parasites and Cancerslug, and
bands that broke big like Motion City Soundtrack and
the Plain White Tees.
“The old crowd that supported live, original music in
the area is now much older,” said Holt. “They’re tied
down by responsibilities and unable to attend shows
or are no longer interested in live music as a regular
thing. New blood has to be introduced.”
The bands playing aren’t what you’d expect from a local rock show. Daikaiju are an instrumental surf band,
with a dark bent and an obsession with Japan and
giant monsters, performing in Kabuki masks. According to Holt, they’re “the best live band in existence”
thanks to their incredible stage presence. They tour
constantly, and have been through China, South Ko-
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October 2013
INSIGHT