Uncorked & Unplugged, the new singer-songwriter series at the Melting Point hosted by Ken Will Morton, provided a chance to see some of the Athens area’s best singer-songwriters armed only with the accompaniment of their own acoustic guitars. And that’s exactly what it was—―a real intimate affair.
The Uncorked part of the evening referred to a half-off sale on wine. The wine connoisseurs sat in the back of the room while the music lovers hovered around the stage, but by the end of the night some of the winos had redirected their focus to the music.
Age-wise, most of the small crowd that had gathered in the auditorium for the 8pm show, like the performers, were in their late-twenties. College students and senior citizens were also well-represented.
The Melting Point is the most intimate of Athens’ mid-size venues. At one point I was in a restroom conversation with the main performer, Morton. The men’s restroom downstairs has a sink awkwardly positioned over a urinal and a stall with no front door. Being the third person to walk into the tight quarters, Morton said, “Is this the lingering piss-hole?” That same level of bizarre intimacy was consistent throughout the evening.
The format of the show held the listener’s attention. Morton, the singer-guitarist, would play a couple of songs and then introduce each new artist. The atmosphere was similar to that of a VH1 Storytellers taping. The songs were often mixed with lengthy dialogue by the different singers.
Morton’s songs were the obvious highlight of the evening. He had a rootsy sound and a battered, rustic voice that seemed to be herding ghosts into the room. He’s often categorized as an alt-country singer, but his songwriting is unmistakably influenced by blues and folk music. He has a couple of self-released records out that I am familiar with, but I didn’t recognize any of the songs he played. All the material seemed to be new or unreleased. His best song was one he said he had co-written with one of the members of the country group Sugarland.
Morton’s guitar playing was particularly strong and his harmonica accompaniment was adequate. His songs were uniquely well-crafted and he seemed to live in each of them. The lyrics were also well-constructed and enjoyable.
Morton also has the best image of any Athens act I’ve seen. He’s reminiscent of a seventies Dylan, but it’s clear that his influence spans broader toward a who’s who of Americana. For most of the night, he wore an old-fashioned hat that added even more mystery to his hobo troubadour stage persona.
Morton’s sense of humor made his performance all the more compelling. One of the funnier parts of the evening was when Morton introduced a cover song about trains. He said if anyone could guess who wrote the song he would pay off their credit card debt. Some bald guy in the front row mumbled the name of a writer, and Morton’s eyes got big and he cursed at the man. He said the guy was the first person in two months to guess the correct writer’s name. I’m fairly certain Morton was able to weasel his way out of paying the guy’s debts since he began publicly negotiating the payment down as soon as the man had guessed correctly.
In between all of Morton’s sets were a host of other performers including Fester Hagood, Caroline Monroe, and Christian Lopez. These performances had their bright spots, but they couldn’t help being overshadowed by the superior performer, Morton.
Uncorked & Unplugged is a success thus far. Morton will continue to host different performers each week. Locals should come witness this spectacle before Morton outgrows our town.
The Uncorked part of the evening referred to a half-off sale on wine. The wine connoisseurs sat in the back of the room while the music lovers hovered around the stage, but by the end of the night some of the winos had redirected their focus to the music.
Age-wise, most of the small crowd that had gathered in the auditorium for the 8pm show, like the performers, were in their late-twenties. College students and senior citizens were also well-represented.
The Melting Point is the most intimate of Athens’ mid-size venues. At one point I was in a restroom conversation with the main performer, Morton. The men’s restroom downstairs has a sink awkwardly positioned over a urinal and a stall with no front door. Being the third person to walk into the tight quarters, Morton said, “Is this the lingering piss-hole?” That same level of bizarre intimacy was consistent throughout the evening.
The format of the show held the listener’s attention. Morton, the singer-guitarist, would play a couple of songs and then introduce each new artist. The atmosphere was similar to that of a VH1 Storytellers taping. The songs were often mixed with lengthy dialogue by the different singers.
Morton’s songs were the obvious highlight of the evening. He had a rootsy sound and a battered, rustic voice that seemed to be herding ghosts into the room. He’s often categorized as an alt-country singer, but his songwriting is unmistakably influenced by blues and folk music. He has a couple of self-released records out that I am familiar with, but I didn’t recognize any of the songs he played. All the material seemed to be new or unreleased. His best song was one he said he had co-written with one of the members of the country group Sugarland.
Morton’s guitar playing was particularly strong and his harmonica accompaniment was adequate. His songs were uniquely well-crafted and he seemed to live in each of them. The lyrics were also well-constructed and enjoyable.
Morton also has the best image of any Athens act I’ve seen. He’s reminiscent of a seventies Dylan, but it’s clear that his influence spans broader toward a who’s who of Americana. For most of the night, he wore an old-fashioned hat that added even more mystery to his hobo troubadour stage persona.
Morton’s sense of humor made his performance all the more compelling. One of the funnier parts of the evening was when Morton introduced a cover song about trains. He said if anyone could guess who wrote the song he would pay off their credit card debt. Some bald guy in the front row mumbled the name of a writer, and Morton’s eyes got big and he cursed at the man. He said the guy was the first person in two months to guess the correct writer’s name. I’m fairly certain Morton was able to weasel his way out of paying the guy’s debts since he began publicly negotiating the payment down as soon as the man had guessed correctly.
In between all of Morton’s sets were a host of other performers including Fester Hagood, Caroline Monroe, and Christian Lopez. These performances had their bright spots, but they couldn’t help being overshadowed by the superior performer, Morton.
Uncorked & Unplugged is a success thus far. Morton will continue to host different performers each week. Locals should come witness this spectacle before Morton outgrows our town.
—Greg Sullivan
1 comment:
Thanks for your piece on Ken Will Morton. I have been on the verge of going to one of his shows ever since a friend recommended him. I am a big fan of blues and folk music and was interested to hear that he is influenced by them as well as indie rock. After reading your description of his style, I am excited about catching his next performance. Hope to see you there.
-Jeff McLennan
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