Music

by Frank Etheridge Every year, William J. Bullock, Ph.D., finds a new way to tell an old story. “I’m a professor at heart, so I really enjoy the research,” Bullock (called Bill by those who know him) says of finding music to fit into Cantus Christmas, an annual highlight of the holiday season in Columbus and gold-star event on the city’s cultural calendar now in its 18th year.    “I start with four parts,” he…

Sorry No Sympathy at The Estate Columbus’s only DIY music venue presents Sorry No Sympathy, Dec. 4. $7, doors open at 7 p.m., band starts at 8 p.m. Dec. 4, 7 – 11 p.m., The Estate, 1231 Midway Drive, Columbus Caroling at Old Town with Sola Voce Sola Voce, Voices of the Valley’s auditioned chamber ensemble, invites you to Old Town Dec. 5 for three sets of caroling. Dec. 5, 6 – 7:30 p.m., Old…

Guitar prodigy Jontavious Willies pushes forward an old-school sound by Frank Etheridge “I learned myself,” Jontavious Willis explains of how he learned to play the blues. Sitting at a table in a break room inside Jordan Hall on Columbus State University’s main campus, Willis wears camo shorts and a black t-shirt from the legendary Washington, D.C. venue the 9:30 club, a gift he received while in the nation’s capital at the prestigious Lincoln Theatre as…

Alabama Avenue at Soho Playing southern rock, classic country and party song favorites, Alabama Avenue brings their soulful southern review show to Soho Bar & Grill, a classic venue in its own right. Come for the music, stay for pool, darts, sing-along and dancing. $5 cover. 10:30 p.m. – 1:45 a.m., Nov. 3, Soho Bar & Grill, 5751 Milgen Road, Columbus Nearly Normal String Band Join musicians Vivia and Neil Araki for a lively performance…

Dulcimer Jam Listen to the wonderful musicians from the North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association as they play for your enjoyment. Bring a chair or enjoy bench seating. Event will be at the wooden amphitheater in the campground below the dam. The even is free except for $5 parking fee. Oct. 7, 1 – 2 p.m., Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, 2970 GA Highway 190, Pine Mountain, Georgia October Artist Showcase Join Everything Musical for their…

“As for me, I’ll hit an Alia Torres gig whenever I can.” by Tom Ingram Editor When I first saw Alia Torres perform, I had no idea who she was. Before a magazine hits the stands, there’s a lot of work to do, and my team was coming off an energizing week of meeting with local business owners, so many of whom support this magazine today. To celebrate, we went to The Loft. My friend…

Jeff Crosby and the Refugees at The Loft Born and raised in Idaho, Jeff Crosby has been sharing his unique perspective of Americana throughout the US and beyond for the past decade. His songs collect his experiences of growing up in a small town in Idaho, living in a shoebox apartment off Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, and living on the road while playing 250 shows a year. After spending the last two years splitting…

In the 1600s, immigrants from Ireland, Scotland and England brought with them the basic styles of music that are thought to be the roots of bluegrass music. As settlers began to move away from the coast and into the mountains of the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia, they wrote songs about everyday life in the remote regions they called home. It wasn’t until the early 1900s, with the invention of radio, that this music made…