Higher ground Slugworth elevate on 45 Gallup; plus, the Rose Garden turns 15 BY BOB GULLA

It’s tough making noise in a trio. Yeah, I know lots of bands do it, but most who do it well spend thousands in the studio to beef up the sound. On a local level, where musicians have to scrape up the scratch to even get through the studio gates, it ain’t so easy. The key is you have to be able to play. You have to know when to fill the space up, and with what, and when to let the space have some space. Slugworth, led by guitarist, writer, and freedom fighter Satyr, knows how to fill up that space. He proves it on 45 Gallup, the band’s third release since forming back in 1995, following ’99s Myriad and 2001’s Elevate.

This time out, Satyr is flanked by Jay Quinn on bass and Mark Ray on drums. "The new bass and drums is about the best I feel this band can be," says Satyr, who has played with his fair share of capable musicians, including his longstanding lineup of Dave Avery and Rick Miller, now out West with Ruin the Ending (formerly Freakshow).

"What was a good thing before turned into an even better thing," says Satyr. "This new release really marks a culmination of my experience in the local scene."

Consisting of five songs, 45 Gallup picks up where Elevate left off soundwise, but is a much more mature songwriting effort. The opening tracks, "Breathing Underwater" and "Twisted Luck," help the project roar out of the gates, with intelligent lyrics, aggressive tempos, and really cool production courtesy of Joe Moody at Danger. Satyr’s voice is coming into its own, too, and the heavy approach allows it to resonate. "Twisted Luck" has a slight punk edge with a chunky, chugging riff at its core and an angry chorus.

The disc stalls in the middle with the relatively bland "Piss Poor." The acoustic guitar track deep in the mix sounds extraneous, and the rhythm at the song’s outset lags. The song cranks it up, but not before interest is somewhat lost. Still, one transgression out of five makes for a pretty good percentage.

"It’s time to push it now," says Satyr. "I’ve put in my time and have a realistic view of when to move on. I want to go out gracefully and not be the aging local rocker who’s still trying to make it years from now. That motivation to succeed creates a ton of excitement. Make it or break it. Do or die."

The Slugworth CD release party is on Friday, April 16 at the Green Room. Jon Tierney, Broken Ground, and Betty Finn open.

ROSE GARDEN PROMISES. This week Mac McLanahan, the artistic director of the Rose Garden Coffeehouse, explained how he’s been able to present live shows for 15 years, an extraordinary achievement by any measuring stick. The idea for the Rose Garden came from then-Mansfield, Massachusetts resident Charles Colella, a member of St. Mary’s Church, who needed to develop a fund-raising idea for the local Knights of Columbus. The church building to be used for the first concert was already called the Rose Garden, so named because the three men who built it each had a wife named Rose. The name stuck even as the coffeehouse outgrew that location and moved to the Orthodox Congregational Church at 17 West Street in Mansfield, which has hosted the series since 1992.

Phoenix: What is the key to longevity in this market?

McLanahan: The key seems to be building trust among your audience members. If they have a good experience and tell others, the audience will build. They’ll also come back to hear someone they’ve never heard of because they trust our judgment in booking quality performers.

Another element, I think, is the welcoming environment. Although we do the Rose Garden in a church, we act like it’s our home and we welcome people just the same way. They respond to this. They walk in the door, settle in, start conversations, have a cup of coffee, and get ready for a good night of music. It’s a very congenial atmosphere.

Q: What are your rules about booking acts?

A: I’ve been handling the booking for about 12 years and have two simple rules: Always see the performers live before you book them, and always really, really like their music before you book them. I don’t think we’ve gone wrong yet using this formula. Our tastes generally run in the Americana vein that includes some roots music, bluegrass, singer/songwriter, and country/folk. Shows are once a month, which keeps our volunteers and audience from burning out.

Q: What keeps you going personally?

A: After all this time, I remain in awe of the talent many of these performers possess and love the fact that we, and our audience, can experience the music in such an intimate environment. Some of the best times have been going back to a volunteer’s house after a show and having the likes of Northern Lights, Pete Kennedy [guitarist for Mary Chapin Carpenter and Nanci Griffith], or April Verch [star Canadian stepdancer and fiddler] backing us up in a jam session.

Q: What is your take on the local acoustic music scene?

A: I think this music is alive and well, although many venues have found it very challenging this year to bring people out in the same numbers as before. We are all committed to the music and are working harder than ever to produce the best shows we can and spread the word to as many potential live music fans as possible.

Q: How do you plan to celebrate your anniversary this weekend?

A: Let’s just say that the music won’t be the only thing that will have people talking about this show. There will be some special surprises for all those in attendance.

Advance tickets and more information are available at www.rosegardenfolk.com or by calling (508) 699-8122.

RIP, DJ STONE. It is with deep regret that we heard recently of the passing of our good friend and Warwick native, singer/songwriter DJ Stone, who died on April 4 in San Antonio due to complications from a heart attack. Some of you may know that DJ suffered the loss of his 21-year-old son, Matthew, last May, and his touching song, "Eddie," became an anthem of healing for his personal tragedy as well as for victims of the Station fire, for whom the song was written. It seems like just yesterday that DJ, a.k.a. Danny, came and sang "Eddie" for an intimate gathering of the local press corps, gladhanding all the way. A percentage of the profits from the project went directly to the Station Family Fund. "Danny was a terrific guy, and a great songwriter," says local musician Tom Ferraro, a member of Dave Howard’s High Rollers. "We are all in shock." Stone had just completed an album in Nashville with producer Bob Johnston (Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel) at the helm. "We have recorded his tunes in the past," adds Ferraro, "and just finished recording his ‘Yolanda,’ which will be on the new [High Rollers] CD." Our thoughts are with DJ, who is now, inevitably, in that great rock and roll barroom in the sky, scribbling down more great songs.

STAR SEARCH. Brick by Brick: A Community Organization will host its third annual major fund-raising event, Searching for the Stars Teen Talent Showcase, on Sunday, May 2 at the Hawthorne Country Club (970 Tucker Road, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts), starting with a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. and a show immediately following. Designed for the whole family, the event will feature music by outstanding students from Finding the Music Within, Brick by Brick’s free after-school music program, and poets from The Link, Brick by Brick’s magazine. "Our students have spent the past year writing lyrics and music that asks questions about their society and their lives," said Jeff Lambert, music director and founder of Finding the Music Within. The program’s purpose is to foster creative expression and also to provide stepping stones for teens who are seeking to advance their personal and career goals in the music field. To help sponsor Searching for Stars Teen Talent Show, for ticket information, or more about Brick by Brick, contact (508) 990-9090.

BAND NEWS. Immune’s EP, Fading In the Sun, has sold more than 5000 copies since being released in September, and the band anticipate sales continuing at a brisk pace as they prepare for a possible NEMO showcase and a headlining performance at Brown University’s Spring Weekend on April 22. Having their music show up extensively on the current seasons of MTV’s The Real World (San Diego) and Real World/Road Rules Challenge sure hasn’t hurt, helping to drive online sales of the EP.

If you’re a rock and roll drummer-type, Transparent needs a new stoolie. Go to www.transparentband.com and cast your stone.

The folks over at the Water Street Café in Fall River are eager to get their live music situation rockin’. There are open jam/mic nights on Thursdays and open R&B jams on Sunday. Live music happens there every Friday and Saturday nights, too. Check out www.waterstreetcafe.com.

WANDERING EYE. Providence’s monthly roots-twang-Americana music series at the Century Lounge this Friday (the 16th) features ex-Savages frontman Barrence Whitfield in his new country blues incarnation, the Mercy Brothers, a collaboration with Mike Dinallo (ex-Radio Kings) on guitar. Also appearing on the bill will be alt-country faves the Coal Palace Kings, from Albany. This will be one of the last area shows for quite some time as Barrence and Mike will be heading to Europe for an extended tour that will take them through Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and a few other countries. Dinallo is also producing William Hut, a Norwegian pop star.

ZOX will take the name of their Best Music Poll-nominated Take Me Home album literally this week. Their hectic schedule has taken them up and down the East Coast, to the Midwest, Southeast, and beyond over the past six months. ZOX will perform at Hempfest at URI this Saturday (the 17th) at 9 p.m. The all-ages show is free and open to the public. For more information, call 874-1000, and check out ZOX at www.zoxband. com.

Also on Saturday, the Becky Chace Band and Winterboy (from Boston) play the Blackstone, while the debut of the howlin’ blues and primitive rock of the Ooga Boogas happens at Jake’s. The band is an Itchies offshoot with Brian Dardeen, fellow Itchie Jack Hanlon on bass, and Andy Tokarz on drums. Also on the bill are two other quality local acts: the Tim Heroux Band and the Traps. Tim is a rootsy guitar man who kills in the jump-blues/rockabilly style, and the Traps are trashy, young blues punks a la the Gories and other Crypt label-style ass-kickers. Miniwatt will also hit the stage on Saturday night, opening for the Unicorns at the Green Room. T.K. Webb shares the bill.

On Sunday (the 18th) at the Blackstone, it’s the second installment of the Sunday Punk Series, featuring Jenn Kitten’s new pop-punk band, For What It’s Worth, along with Best Kept Secret and Leah Stargazing.

Click over to www.extremeelvis.com to see a few ribald pics of none other than Extreme Elvis, who visits the Living Room this Sunday night in all his hi-res grisly glory. Say no more. Supporting him is San Francisco quartet Hattattak, featuring Rhody native son Evan Martin.

The Devil Music Ensemble will perform their original score to a classic silent Western comedy, Big Stakes, on Tuesday (the 20th) at 7 p.m. at AS220. This will be the premiere of their new soundtrack in Providence. The DME has played numerous rock shows in Providence’s DIY loft scene, playing the Munch house on two occassions and Redrum before that. Formed in Boston in 1999, the DME is comprised of Tiverton native Brendon Wood on guitars, lap steel, and synthesizer; Jonah Rapino on electric violin, vibraphone, and synthesizer; and Tim Nylander on drums and percussion.

Send info to big.daddy1@cox.net.