With spring in full swing, many artists around the city are booking shows and releasing albums to showcase their hard work over the dull winter months we had with the seemingly endless barrage of rain. At Smith’s Olde Bar, Atlanta’s own Half Hot hosted a release party on April 27 for their debut album Whiskey Tango. To support the endeavor, fellow locals the Ides of June and Wet Jeans joined in with the addition of emcee Jackson Heaton, the host of the Scoped Podcast and a DJ for Rock 100.5, along with his assistant Michael James.
When the tunings ceased and doors were opened, a flood of people packed into the Atlanta Room, some finishing off a bite and others replenishing their empty beers. To warm up the crowd, Heaton got the audience hyped and mentioned his ties with the bands through his podcast and friendships. He really set the vibe for the night with his lively demeanor.
As a very pleasant surprise (and something that blew my mind as I have never seen this at a local show), a group of sign language interpreters from the Sign Language Interpreting Program at Georgia State University were trading off signing what was said onstage. It was inspiring to see some degree of access provided to the hearing impaired, who are generally overlooked and neglected at local shows. Many thanks to Krystel Jones for being a sign language interpreter for Heaton.
Wet Jeans
As the first band of the evening, Wet Jeans adorned the stage. A classic three-piece with all members on vocals, the band plays their own version of rock with a little bit of blues, country, and pop mixed in, not unlike the Strokes. The trio didn’t seem to take themselves too seriously on stage, with their slogan being that “wet jeans are the worst.” If they are the worst, then I guess I have bad taste in music for having them in my music library. Shout out to Judie Zervic and Lexi Doan for being sign language interpreters for their performance.
The Ides of June
Next up were the Ides of June, who intertwine their blues-based rock with heavier elements, including grunge and stoner rock. Typically, the group performs as a four-piece consisting of two guitars, a bass, and a drummer, but added a keyboard player for the night. The interplay between both guitarists with their wicked licks and the keyboardist’s hammering solos were soul-grabbing. One of their tracks titled “Wasted” was impressive as the band created a psychedelic soundscape using weirdly pleasant harmonies that transformed a single interlude into an endless moment of bliss. The band finished their set with “Stop, Rock & Roll” off the album of the same name. It’s a solid headbanger with breaks from gritty blues vocals to crushing waves of rock and roll. Many thanks to Andy Angulo and Angelo Butler-Ricks, a deaf performer and the host of ASL Jams Night Atlanta, for being sign language interpreters for the Ides of June.
Half Hot
I have followed Half Hot since they were called Whiskey Tango, searching for their footing in the Atlanta music community. I can recall them playing the Atlanta Room back then to a sparse turn out. However, even with few in the audience, the band gave that show all that they had as the vision for their group became clear: to be THE glam rock band of Atlanta. There was considerable work that had to be done and changes were made, such as the new name and the replacement of their bass player. But the band kept pushing, and the vision kept growing and taking shape. Now here we were, a once empty room full to capacity. The city had finally caught up with the dream.
Half Hot came out swinging, both figuratively with their polished, arena-ready sound, and literally with their onstage antics. Their set was filled with stage dives, epic guitar solos, and ridiculousness all around, turning the entire venue into a rock and roll dance party. Guitarist and vocalist Andrew “Goosey” Hughes conversed with the audience between songs with his usual one liners and occasionally got echoes back on some inside jokes amongst his peers. For their new song “Higher Ground,” he whipped out his double-necked guitar and kept on jamming for the majority of their set until the last song “Wild” faded into the night. If you missed the manic ride that was this show, or are jonesing for a hit of pure, uncut rock and roll, make sure to check out Whiskey Tango on your preferred music platform. Special thanks to Liz Jarnagin and Jennifer Messer for being sign language interpreters for Half Hot.
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