Almost like a scene: the Johnson City Sound, 1985-1993

Author #1
Author #2

No information is given about individual presentations because this is session is a single, collaborative multimedia presentation.

Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary

The late 1980’s and early 1990’s in Johnson City, TN saw a tight-knit group of musicians spawn a surprising variety of bands, including Brian and the Nightmares, the Pleztones, Stinky Finger, Floyd Eats Mayberry, and more, playing original music in the bars and clubs that had hosted nothing but cover bands and recorded dance music for years, perhaps even decades. This presentation—part cultural study, part listening session, part picking party—will explore the music of this time and place and the conditions that gave rise to it through documentary research, oral history, and a little bit of musical performance as well. Often crossing over from band to band, the members of this subculture mashed up aspects of classic, alternative, underground, bluegrass, country, rap, r&b and funk rock, all literally undergirded by the landscape and life of East Tennessee. The Appalachian influence was less any particular artist or instrumentation (as one associates Athens, GA in this era with REM and jangly guitars) as it was a holistic, ambient quality, the sound of young people kicking against the constraints of a place they deep down really loved (and sometimes loved to hate). In this presentation we will study the place and its people, play some tunes, recount some stories, and ask some questions about this robust but decidedly un-famous music scene—why did it happen, why did it end? And what could have been?

 
Mar 29th, 10:45 AM Mar 29th, 12:00 PM

Almost like a scene: the Johnson City Sound, 1985-1993

The late 1980’s and early 1990’s in Johnson City, TN saw a tight-knit group of musicians spawn a surprising variety of bands, including Brian and the Nightmares, the Pleztones, Stinky Finger, Floyd Eats Mayberry, and more, playing original music in the bars and clubs that had hosted nothing but cover bands and recorded dance music for years, perhaps even decades. This presentation—part cultural study, part listening session, part picking party—will explore the music of this time and place and the conditions that gave rise to it through documentary research, oral history, and a little bit of musical performance as well. Often crossing over from band to band, the members of this subculture mashed up aspects of classic, alternative, underground, bluegrass, country, rap, r&b and funk rock, all literally undergirded by the landscape and life of East Tennessee. The Appalachian influence was less any particular artist or instrumentation (as one associates Athens, GA in this era with REM and jangly guitars) as it was a holistic, ambient quality, the sound of young people kicking against the constraints of a place they deep down really loved (and sometimes loved to hate). In this presentation we will study the place and its people, play some tunes, recount some stories, and ask some questions about this robust but decidedly un-famous music scene—why did it happen, why did it end? And what could have been?