“5...4...3...2...1....Happy New Year!” The strains of Auld Lang Syne being played on the bagpipes floats through the air. Why, you ask, would anyone spend $50 each to ring in the New Year when one saw them at the Jewish Mother just a week before for only $7? Because there is something slightly addicting about the Richmond-based band, and no, that has nothing to do with Carbon Leaves... The world has now been exposed to the phenomenon that is Carbon Leaf, and crowds at recent shows make it apparent that thousands of new fans are hooked.

When asked to describe the Carbon Leaf sound fans are often at a loss for words. They don’t sounds like anyone else, they are distinctly Carbon Leaf. The band dubs their sound, “Ether-Electrified Porch Music.” This successfully merges their Celtic, Bluegrass, Rock and Pop influences with great vocal harmonies, lyrical insight, and diverse instrumental choices and arrangements to create a refreshing new rock sound. The past eight months have been a whirlwind of craziness as the band entered a contest sponsored by Coca-Cola and the American Music Awards. They began as one entry among almost 800 unsigned bands. The selection was quickly narrowed down to 50, and then 10 contestants. Those ten contestants competed in New York in October and Carbon Leaf made the cut to the final five. Those five bands began their first nationwide tour on October 17. The tour took the musicians through Berkley, California, Los Angeles, and Texas, among other cities and states. Finally the word got out that Carbon Leaf would be joined by two other bands in Los Angeles, California in January to compete for the opportunity to perform on national television during the annual AMA presentations.

While Carbon Leaf was caught up in the shows and appearances required for the contest, the didn’t neglect their local fan base in Virginia. They continued playing at the Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach, Alley Katz in Richmond, and Whitlow’s on Wilson in Arlington. This band has deep roots in the Old Dominion. Terry Clark, vocals and guitar, was a Navy brat who lived in Virginia Beach and Fairfax County among many other locales. Another local boy is Jordan Medas, the Bass player extrordinaire. Medas is the only band member who did not go to Randolph-Macon College with the rest of the band. He received his musical training at James Madison University and joined the band when he answered an advertisement for auditions for a bass player. Barry Privett, a Norfolk native, placed that ad because he is not only the lead singer, bagpiper and “tin-whistlest”, he has also served as the band’s impromptu manager over the years. Privett writes the majority of the band’s lyrics. According to the bio page on their website he, “always writes with the 200-page, marbled, black-and-white Mead notebooks.... They all look nice stacked on a book shelf, the ones that are ‘done’ or ‘retired.’ They become a growing measuring stick of sorts, or personal trophies of observation, stacked neatly--and black--on the bottom shelf.” Privett usually adds the words to music written by other band members. Carter Gravatt, of Blackstone, Virginia, most often composes this music. Carter’s musical talent spans a variety of instruments including mandolin, bodhran, bouzuki, guitar, and vocals. Scott Milstead rounds out the sound that enthralls Carbon Leaf fans by providing all-essential percussion. One of the most exciting events to witness at a live Carbon Leaf show is when the band jams out. These live improvisations flow with energy. The jams sessions allow Privett to catch his breath for a minute without stopping the show. Then, he returns to the stage and breaks into his bagpipe routine.

It is not often that you can raise a pint and sing Amazing Grace in a bar, but it is hard not to be swept away by Privett’s rendition on the bag pipes. At every show his talent on the pipes seems to reach new heights. Last week at the NORVA Privett was joined by Milstead for a little snare vs. pipes; it was a draw, both were amazing! New music is being added to their repertoire all the time. Along with covers of Charlie Daniels “Fire On the Mountain”, featuring a behind the back solo on the guitar by Gravatt, Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”, John Denver’s “Country Roads” and an a cappella version of Ralph Stanley’s “Glory Land” they are working on their own new songs. “One Prairie Outpost” debuted at Virginia Beaches own Jewish Mother, it’s an original inspired by the bands recent tour across the country. Even if you missed out on the New Year’s Eve celebration its not too late to join the Carbon Leaf fan base! Check out their website at www.carbonleaf.com for information on joining their fan discussion list, check tour dates or to download free MP3s of their songs. You can also find Carbon Leaf info, lyrics, bios and whatnot at www.carbonleaf.com, an unofficial website. Carbon Leaf and their die-hard fans are always welcoming newcomers. Don’t be shy, come out to the next show, bob your head, jump, clap, stare in awe, and prepare yourself for something completely different.

For those of you who didn’t rise before the sun on Feb. 1 for the Limp Bizkit guitarist auditions, the end result was a huge disappointment. The members of multi-platinum rap-rock band Limp Bizkit are holding auditions for a new guitarist at 22 Guitar Centers throughout the country, and Virginia Beach was number 17 on the list. The band is seeking to replace former guitarist Wes Borland, who left for personal reasons. In an interview with MTV News Borland said, “If I was to continue, it would have been about the money and not about the true music, and I don’t want to lie to myself, or to them or to the fans of Limp Bizkit.” The auditions began with much hype from local radio stations such as FM 99 WNOR and 96X WROX. FM 99 held their own pre-auditions, promising the winner a chance to audition for Limp Bizkit.

181 musicians showed up for the auditions, arriving at all hours of the night in hopes of being one of the first to audition. Lindsay Fonner and Mark Oldbering left Goldsborough North Carolina at 7:00 Thursday night and arrived in Virginia Beach at 2:00 Friday morning. VWC junior Zack Jahnigen arrived at Guitar Center 6:50 Friday morning and waited to audition until 2:00 that afternoon. Jahnigen explained the process saying, “They lined us up, made us get numbers and herded us in.” Jahnigen explained the audition room: “You walked in and they had an “x” on the floor, your amps were behind you and the pedals were in front. There were two guys in the room. They were video recording us. I don’t know who they were. They could have just worked for Guitar Center.” Jahnigen decided to play 6 original songs and splice them together, 10 seconds a piece. While Jahnigen was auditioning, the guitar connection messed up.

“I just kept playing since I only had a minute. Some guy came over and fixed it but it really pissed me off.” The video recording and a waiver that each musician had to sign discouraged several from auditioning. Corey Archer, a student at Christopher Newport University, said “ I care way too much about what I write. I can’t see playing something I love and giving it to someone I don’t even know.” According to Art Hedgepeth, store manager of Guitar Center in Virginia Beach, “Because the media was here it [the waiver] was just standard procedure. The waiver was just saying that by appearing they could use your personality.”

After a grueling 12 hours for many people, the auditions ended and there was supposed to be a jam session with the band, but that never happened. The band had promised to play with the person who was selected from Hampton Roads, but Limp Bizkit’s stage manager announced outside of Guitar Center that the jam session was called off. After the announcement, many FM99 listeners called in placing their complaints against Limp Bizkit wondering if the audition was nothing more than a scam, but Hedgepeth explains, “Because this is a very serious audition, they didn’t feel that anyone from this area was what they were looking for. They are not guaranteeing that anyone will get picked.” When asked if he thought if the entire ordeal was simply a publicity stunt, Jahnigen replied, “I wouldn’t call it a publicity stunt because there wasn’t much publicity. Guitar Center really didn’t have anything to do with it. I think they got pissed off at something and they just left.” Hedgepeth also remarked, “According to people from Limp Bizkit it went well. The crowd was well controlled. They thought it was very successful. . . We had a great time today. For anyone who didn’t come out, they missed a great time.” Perhaps.

The Wesleyan Singers were busy this winter touring Virginia. While many of us were enjoying time off from school, they came back early to practice on Jan. 7, and went on tour Jan. 10 to 17. “We had intense practices all day long,” said junior Genna Stargell. “Everybody had to buckle down.” “The choir was fun to work with,” said Dr. Clayton. “They were so responsive to suggestions.” Before they went on tour they performed in Onancock, Va., which is the hometown of junior Sherri Shumate, a member of the Wesleyan Singers. Clayton said, “The concert showed us how ready we were.” The choir performed in churches in Lynchburg, Harrisonburg, Scottsville, Charlottesville, Richmond, and Alexandria. They also performed at Hollins University and in assisted living homes.

“My grandmother recently died, and we got to sing at her assisted living home,” said Stargell. “That was really special to me.” “We met a lot of interesting people,” said Clayton. They sang in three churches, of which alumni Andrea Dukes, Roy White, and Scott Davis are members. They also performed at the church where the mother of Susan Torma, member of the Board of Trustees, attends. “The largest crowd we had was in Richmond,” said sophomore Sean White. The choir performed a variety of music. They would first perform classical, then sing a cappella, then hymns, and end with light spiritual and jazz arrangements. A clarinet player, junior Stephanie Dodgers, accompanied some of the music. “Nobody will enjoy everything,” said Clayton. “But everyone will enjoy something.”

The programs lasted about one hour each day. “We keep them at an hour so we can keep people with us,” said Clayton. “It was great when people came up to us after the concert and they wished we sung more.” The importance of a tour is no other experience a choir can have. “Each day is a different experience,” said Clayton. “The benefit is good.” Some days the choir would have more than one performance a day, making things more hectic and stressful. “It’s hard to have to sing in a different church every day,” said Clayton. “It’s hard to muster up energy when we had a double booking,” said Stargell. “But we come together when we do what we love.” White said, “I think that brought us closer together.” “They performed well night after night,” said Clayton. “They exemplified high level.”

“We had no down time,” said Stargell. “We were with the same people all the time, but it did bring our group closer.” “Their best concert was their last concert,” said Clayton. “It was really magical.” After their tour, they came back to regular practices. “It was an intense tour,” said White. “Going back to college was weird,” Stargell said. “We got away from what we were used to doing, but we were working at what we liked.” “Since it was my first time, I had a lot of fun,” said White. “I think the freshman got a good experience,” said Stargell. “Singing is a good outlet for me. Being a Wesleyan Singer is an honor and a challenge. Singing is my passion.” “They came through with flying colors,” said Clayton. The Wesleyan Singers are made up of three men, ten women, a clarinet player, a pianist, and a director, Dr. Clayton. The music they sang on tour was selected during the summer, and prepared in the fall semester. They will be having a concert on Friday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hofheimer Theater. “This will be the Wesleyan Singers’ gift to Wesleyan,” said Clayton.