rock

Candy Truck
Greta O and the Toxic Shock
Chipper Bones
Wednesday March 26, 2025.
@ Moodright’s – Savannah, Georgia
Show review and photographs by Jeffrey Howard

A friend of mine recommended Moodright’s to me when I was down in Orlando. It was a place they had visited on vacation and had a really good time there. I was new to Savannah and was always looking for new places to try out. They said it was a bar but also mentioned they had weird bowling. I didn’t know what that meant until I would wander in one evening. They have what they call Duck Bowling, which is like bowling but with small ball, small lane and small pins. Key word — small, obviously.

The bar has three pool tables, a Photo Booth that I would end up making out in several times and a long hallway that turns into a whole different bar called Over Yonder. Now that side is more of a Texas western themed bar with a small stage and a kitchen for food. It’s really such a cool place and vibe. I took to both these places immediately.

Maybe the most important thing to me is they serve Lone Star beer from Texas. I’ve never even seen it outside Texas and definitely nowhere in Florida. I’m sold!

While there are bands regularly playing throughout the week and weekends on the Over Yonder side, it doesn’t happen too often on the Moodright’s side. Though I have seen some and seen pictures from past events. When they do they lay out a stage over the bowling lanes! It’s lifted a little high so you can see even from the back of the room.

Now this show was announced like a day or two before it was to happen. It was billed as a “secret” show for new Savannah band Candy Truck along with a couple of other Savannah bands, Chipper Bones and Greta O and the Toxic Shock. According to both bands Instagram accounts neither haven’t been very active for a few years. It seemed like a rare treat to take in some old “new to me” bands.

I walk over from my house to Moodright’s. I feel good so I wear my favorite all-time corduroys, a multi-colored horizontal stripe by Tilt made in the 1990s. I’ve owned three pairs of them so far in life. Once when I was a size 0 in ladies size. I outgrew them and been chasing that high ever since. I literally have an Ebay alert set up so if anyone ever lists these pants I will know right away! I finally have one that fits me as I am now. I paired it with a 1980s Chuck Berry vintage wax iron on I placed on a modern American Apparel raglan shirt. I love love love iron-ons if you didn’t already know! Sorry I did not take a photo of this outfit [Edit: found one!]. I am an outfit repeater so this one may show up again.

I arrived at the back end at Over Yonder, grabbed a Rolling Rock as they are out of Lone Star, greeted some friends and headed down the hallway to Moodright’s.

I could already hear a band playing walking into the room. There were a lot of people! Maybe the most I’ve ever seen. I zig zagged my way up through the crowd to the front to see Savannah band Chipper Bones for the first time. I recognized the singer/guitarist, Kyle Brown, from booking shows under the name Dog Days Presents.

They are impressive!— they rock and roll with a bit of swagger — part indie rock and part bar rock. A good combination if you’re into both Thee Oh Sees and the Bob Seger Sound System.

A beer or two later Greta O and The Toxic Shock come onstage and start the mosh pit. This band is fast punk, kinda hardcore, led by Greta Odrezin, a powerhouse singer. Their songs are quick, short and to the point. They ruled!

I’ve seen Candy Truck back in September at perhaps an early moment in their band life. I am a big fan of weird shows in weird places and that show was at a seafood restaurant down called Dockside Seafood Bar & Grill on River Street, of all places. I passed this place many times thinking it was a fancy place. Well, it was not!

For those not familiar River Street is the touristy strip along the Savannah River. Some locals may call it a hellscape but I kinda love it — me being from a tourist city myself, even owning a vintage shop on International Drive, one of the world’s most known tourist strips.

Tonight the band was on fire and super fun. They call themselves skate punk which roughly means they have amalgam of influences from pop punk with a little garage rock. It’s Drake on vocals and guitar, Lily on guitar, Audrey on bass and Anthony pounding out on the drums. They get better every time I see them.

Links:
Candy Truck
Greta O and the Toxic Shock
Chipper Bones
Moodright’s
Dog Days Presents

Extra Photographs

Story and photography by Jeffrey Howard.
Friday January 17, 2025.

This is a love letter.

Is it really true all good things must come to an end?

Some say yes. Some say no. Some say what is meant to be is meant to be. I think I know an answer or two. I may be confident but also know all can crumble faster than an English rusk biscuit.

One of the first places I saw a show at where I wasn’t performing at in Savannah, Georgia was at Southbound Brewing September 2023. I remember when I was actively trying to relocate from Orlando to Savannah I would drive up, take care of business and afterwards try to grab a taste of this new city.

One miserable, heartbreaking trip I found myself sitting in a parking lot with a van load of items I wanted to drop off at a storage unit until I had a place to live lined up. I had been talking to some people online about a room and was to meet up with them but they ghosted when I arrived. Brutal. I was questioning everything.

Am I doing the right thing? Is this a sign I should not do this? Why am I opening myself up to the universe? What is it trying to tell me right now?

I had no answers, just growing doubt creeping into a rage. Rather than tuck my tail between my legs I wanted to reach out to the city. I don’t go down in a fight. I was recommended a show from a new friend who was giving advice about moving there, since they had done the same and they thought I was interesting enough to help. The kindness of strangers.

It was an all day show fundraiser for a local DIY startup, Big Blue, that was raising money to open an all ages event club. I had run an all-ages club back in Orlando way back so could totally relate and know that I would feel welcomed. Step one, find your people, right?

I remember driving and parking, noticing there was a police station directly across the street on one side and the other a sketchy looking field with run down, abandoned houses. Attached to the building was one of those axe throwing places. Sure let’s mix alcohol with handling dangerous tools. Let’s do it!

So, that day I saw a bunch of bands. I almost can’t remember who all I saw. I looked up the flyer and don’t even recognize the names but I did see them as I was just taking everything in. I did feel like this was all going to work out even if it looks really, really hard. I’m taking such a chance,

The next time I attended a show at Southbound was about a month later and it would be quite an evening for a number of reasons. It was The Maxines record release show with Bastardane, Girlfriend From Hell and several other bands. I really really really liked Bastardane. One cool thing this show was I met some new friends in person I had only talked to online before. More importantly, this was the night I put my arm around HER and left it there. I admit feeling both bold and dizzying in that moment.

Fast forward to right now. This nights show was going to be a doozy! Instrumental surf rock band Daikaiju, based in Houston Texas, was going to come in hot. It’s what they do! They literally light things on fire. I did not want to miss it. Three local Savannah bands were opening. Also, SHE was going to be there but without that bold arm holding replaced with only a brief hello before parting into the loudness of the music.

First was Savannah two piece experimental doom metal band Doof and switch up between total camp and real passionate true metal. They are having fun and if you aren’t having fun then you’re just not getting it. They were quite fun.

Next was prog rock spazzout outfit Pink Peugeot. Members Robert Melton and Joe Kapcin play between synths, drums and electric guitar. It’s pretty groovy and when the two really dial in to each other they make magic.

Next was a band called Measurement, also hailing from Savannah. They’re a four piece band riding the line between post punk and artcore. Vocalist Jenn Carroll really holds it down behind their bandmates tight interwork. It is an understatement to say they are blistering through every song. Very cool!

Daikaiju closed out the night in style. I’ve seen them several times so I know what to expect. They play raging surf punk while riding the interplay between themselves and the full audience. Concert goers are just as likely to be in the band by the time the show ends. Their music demands closeness. People descended upon the band from all sides. Glorious!

Yes, they did set fire to their drums. Yes, they did set their guitars ablaze. Yes, a ladder appeared out of nowhere while the drummer played their drums high in the hair, held up piece by piece by the audience.

Sure enough, audience members were passed instruments and something new happened. A new collective of like minds melding from flames to ash and back to sparks until the walls are covered in soot. Instruments changed hands again around back to the band where they ended the show. Amazing!

So now, Southbound Brewing is closing two weeks after this show. What will become of it? The original space will be gone. They will continue on doing what they do, brewing beer. Just someplace else perhaps. Without bands or events. They’ll sell off equipment and move to a smaller location to regroup. Will they keep it going? Will they, by strange windfall, find a new opportunity? Someplace new? Will they come back even stronger than before?

I like the last option.

More Photos: