Four bands. Four sounds. One venue.
The Square Room is welcoming its Square Room Showcase back for a new season of sounds this Thursday night, and new bands are rushing in to give their own piece of Knoxville culture.
This week welcomes Subtle Clutch, Pale Root, Zack Miles and The Squirrel Skins; who will mesh their different sounds into the single venue. Each from very diverse backgrounds, these bands are taking their individual goals and forming together to give Thursday night a taste of Knoxville’s ability to bring different corners of the city together.
Zack Miles will present his singer-songwriter brand of folk music, playing with nothing more than his voice and his guitar.
Then, Subtle Clutch will play up their key diversity factor: their age. With all members at 15-16 years old, Thursday is an opportunity for these young men to prove they aren’t just kids.
“Being asked to play The Square Room is a dream come true,” guitar player Devin Badgett said. “I am so excited I want to punch holes in the walls.”
This band is presenting their take on the Americana sound and are excited to get involved with their audience.
“Interacting with the audience is the kick in the rear that gets us going,” banjo player Eli Fox said, “and we want to deliver our message to get out and go for your dreams to them.”
The Squirrel Skins will also be playing The Square Room for the first time in their musical career and are eager to showcase their own version of traditional bluegrass.
“We call our sound pop-grass,” vocalist Matt Dixon said. “We think it is cool to use bluegrass instruments to do different things with.”
Named after actual squirrel skins lying around a friend’s room, they are currently working on an album they plan to title, “Christ Haunted South” and plan to perform some of this material. The Christian-rooted group is ready to deliver their religious message.
“It’s about looking for happiness in different things and only being able to find it in Jesus,” Dixon said. “We are excited to share our meaning with the audience and get them riled up.”
Pale Root, a three-piece folk band, is happy to be playing at The Square Room and delivering their own personal message as well.
“We are about honesty, especially in our music,” guitarist Jordan Burris said. “We write about things that we actually feel and have been through.”
Kent Oglesby of Knoxville Music Warehouse is the man responsible for selecting and booking the bands who play in the showcase. His goal is to expand people’s musical horizons past the bands they normally listen to.
“We are trying to bring all of those audiences together in one night to hear four different bands so that they hear the ones that they already know and three new ones,” Oglesby said. “The whole idea is to get new eyes and ears in front of the groups.”
Looking to add to the budding diversity of Knoxville’s culture, Oglesby is giving a once a month opportunity for audiences to expand their musical palate. For him, there is thought and care which goes into every lineup for every showcase as he looks to create a diverse show each month.
“I am really excited for this showcase,” Oglesby said, “and if you haven’t seen it before, it is definitely worth checking out.”
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the sound starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door.
