Monday, July 3
Flip Flop Republic, with Stoney Banks
The band’s name may suggest guys in beach wear singing breezy tunes about summer nights, cocktails and boats.
While the Gulf Coast-based quintet’s sound is rooted in Trop Rock – Jimmy Buffett is the patron saint of the sub-genre of island music – they embrace reggae, blues, country, punk, rock and pop, drawing on influences ranging from Bob Marley to Sublime and Police.
“It’s got a Southern-fried vibe,” says Joe Lowder, who’s the band’s lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, main songwriter and spokesman. “But we’re all in to different genres.”
“And we really like to mix up the rhythms.”
The five-piece band – two guitars, bass, drums and keyboards – makes its Outer Banks debut Monday, July 3, at Roadside Bar and Grill in Duck.
They’re on the road in support of their latest CD “Physical Science,” which they’re releasing one track at a time on iTunes and Amazon.
It showcases Republic’s daring diversity, from the pop-reggae gems “Sunrise and “Lost in the Fire” to the yacht-rock-ish “Girls from Cali” and “Time and Space” to the atmospheric, swaying “Mockingbird,” which addresses the subject of copycats on social media.
Jams from the band’s deep vault include the roots-reggae “Let Life Flow” and “Two to Tango,” which should have you reaching for a cold one, as well as the slightly twangy “Sunny Kind of Feeling.”
The Nashville-based singer-songwriter Stoney Banks will offer up a set of original country-reggae tunes.
When: 7 to 10 p.m.
Cost: No cover
Where: The backyard at Roadside Bar and Grill, 1193 Duck Road, Duck
Info: Flip Flop Republic on Facebook
Thursday, July 6
Gypsea Souls
Nothing seems out of reach for the Southern Shores-based duo of guitarist-vocalist Brad Privott and vocalist-multi-instrumentalist Amanda Clare Williams.
The Souls, playing every Thursday at Mimi’s Tiki Hut at Blue Water Grill and Raw Bar in Manteo, traffic in remakes of classic soul, rock, reggae and country tunes.
Privott and Williams, who are both top-notch vocalists and musicians (Williams plays keyboards, guitar, mandolin and ukelele), tinker with tunes to add their own flavor.
“We dive in the best we can,” says Williams, noting the duo uses recorded rhythm (drums and bass) tracks on most songs.
On the playlist are, among others, Martha and the Vandellas (“Heat Wave”), Fleetwood Mac (“Dreams,” “You Make Loving Fun”), Bob Marley (“Buffalo Soldier”), Prince (“Kiss”), Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks (“Stop Dragging My Heart Around”), Bill Withers (“Ain’t No Sunshine”), The Black Crowes (“Hard to Handle”), Chris Stapleton (“Tennessee Whiskey”), The Supremes (“Where Did Our Love Go”) and Michael Jackson (“The Way You Make Me Feel”).
“If we feel like we can do the song justice,” says Williams, who’s been performing with Privott since 2016. “We’ll give it a shot.”
When: 5 to 8 p.m.
Cost: No cover
Where: Mimi’s Tiki Hut at Blue Water Grill and Raw Bar, 2000 Sailfish Drive (Pirate’s Cove Marina), Manteo
Info: Gypsea Souls Facebook page
Fundraiser for Scott Sechman
In a show of support for a fellow musician, singer-guitarist Monte Hooker of Kitty Hawk has started a GoFundMe page for singer-songwriter Scott Sechman.
The Southern Shores-based Sechman (a former Coast columnist) recently was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and is receiving chemotherapy.
While he has insurance, there is a need for travel expenses and lost wages.
Sechman, who moved to the Outer Banks from southern California in 2015, is well-regarded on the local music scene for his inventive guitar playing, unique remakes (The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Traffic, among others) and emotive vocals.
Hooker, who himself is undergoing radiation treatments for squamous cell carcinoma on his vocal cords, wrote this (he’s not talking or singing as he recovers) in Facebook Messenger:
“Scott is the real deal musician, (he) loves music, loves family and friends and, most of all, enjoys making people happy by using his skills.”
To donate, visit GoFundMe.com and search for Scott Sechman Cancer Relief Fund.
