Blues Caller: Wednesday Night Honky Tonk Gospel
By Berry Anderson in Blues Caller
Thursday, May. 21 2009 @ 9:17AM
Have you ever felt the spirit at Knuckleheads?
In the back of the biker-friendly blues venue in the East Bottoms, there is third stage, back behind the bathroom. In this small, intimate, three-room area, Reverend Carl Butler hosts Gospel Lounge every Wednesday from 7:30 to about 8:45 p.m.
"We play some Jesus music, we play some other stuff," says Butler while he's on stage speaking to the 12 people in the room. He calls it "a church geared toward service-industry people."
It's definitely free-form and definitely honkytonk, and when Butler and his crew played Merle Haggard's "I'm Always On A Mountain When I Fall," I felt the spirit.
Butler is a pastor at New Song Christian Fellowship in Gladstone and was offered the Wednesday night spot in Knuckleheads' Retro Lounge by the club's owner -- a churchgoer himself -- Frank Hicks.
The small room has a couple of couches, a hightop table and a few chairs, but Butler says it's best that way. "I kind of like that vibe. 50 people in here is a success. I like the crammed-in thing."
In the back of the biker-friendly blues venue in the East Bottoms, there is third stage, back behind the bathroom. In this small, intimate, three-room area, Reverend Carl Butler hosts Gospel Lounge every Wednesday from 7:30 to about 8:45 p.m.
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| Carl Butler gets down with God. |
"We play some Jesus music, we play some other stuff," says Butler while he's on stage speaking to the 12 people in the room. He calls it "a church geared toward service-industry people."
It's definitely free-form and definitely honkytonk, and when Butler and his crew played Merle Haggard's "I'm Always On A Mountain When I Fall," I felt the spirit.
Butler is a pastor at New Song Christian Fellowship in Gladstone and was offered the Wednesday night spot in Knuckleheads' Retro Lounge by the club's owner -- a churchgoer himself -- Frank Hicks.
The small room has a couple of couches, a hightop table and a few chairs, but Butler says it's best that way. "I kind of like that vibe. 50 people in here is a success. I like the crammed-in thing."
Butler simply plays with whomever is available, like singer-songwriters
or bands that have come to play at Knuckleheads, such as last week's
guest, Oriole Post.
At the end, Butler has a message. He'll speak for about ten minutes, but he likes to keep it simple and universal. Last night, he told the story of Bartimaeus and asked the group, "How do you view people?"
Good stuff.
Later this week, Knuckleheads will also host harmonica virtuosos Lee McBee and R.J. Mischo, with the Confessors playing back up. Billy Ebeling opens with a Bob Dylan tribute. Tickets are $10 at the door and the show starts at 8:30 p.m.
At the end, Butler has a message. He'll speak for about ten minutes, but he likes to keep it simple and universal. Last night, he told the story of Bartimaeus and asked the group, "How do you view people?"
Good stuff.
Later this week, Knuckleheads will also host harmonica virtuosos Lee McBee and R.J. Mischo, with the Confessors playing back up. Billy Ebeling opens with a Bob Dylan tribute. Tickets are $10 at the door and the show starts at 8:30 p.m.
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