EPIC SOUNDTRACKS * MIDTOWN MUSIC HALL, ATLANTA * MAY 27
LIZARD AND SNAKE CAFÉ * CHAPEL HILL * MAY 28
(reprinted with kind permission from Kenneth Aguar)
“Once we expect artists to do specific things, we put our perceptions of them before who they are.” –Casey Monahan, Texas music archivist
Epic Soundtracks is a composer, producer, and arranger who plays guitars, organ, bass, and drums. He1s a seasoned multi-talented instrumentalist who had collaborated and collaborated and been associated with creative artists worldwide - most notably the English experimental punk-art-noise-rock band Swell Maps, which he formed with brother Nikki Sudden back in the late 70s. Since then, he has been involved with musical projects including the Jacobites (also with Nikki), and more recently These Immortal Souls, formed by Rowland S. Howard from the Birthday Party.
In 1992, Epic divorced himself from that name to pursue a solo career. His most recent tour brought him to Atlanta and Chapel Hill, his only Southern appearances on the tour agenda. Epic sang and played a Roland (but he had covered up the brand name) keyboard, and he also took turns playing acoustic and electric guitars. The lengthy 15-18 song set relied heavily on selections from both of his solo CDs and a few new songs such as “There’s a Light Up In The Sky,” “Wishing Well,” and “Baby I Can Be So Mean,” which he said would be recorded for his next release.
In Atlanta, he opened with the hauntingly Twin-Peaks-sounding “Tonight’s The Night” (Rock & Roll Lullaby) and proceeded to crank out more up-tempo numbers, such as “I Believe,” which he dedicated to Aretha Franklin (although she hasn’t recorded it yet), and “Fallen Down,” on which he
thanked Todd Rundgren for the borrowed chords. His band then walked off stage while Epic played his trademark, quiet, slow songs such as “There’s Been A Change,” “Sad Song” (which contains lyrics from the Brian Wilson-penned Beach Boys classic “Caroline No”), “Everybody Else Is Wrong,” and his newest anthem “Don’t Go To School.” He also took requests, although he refused to play “Love Fucks You Up.” (”I will never play that song again . . . too depressing”) but he did settle on “Tired Eyes.”
When his band reappeared, they played a medley of Alex Chilton tunes, which included Big Star’s “Nighttime” and “Thirteen” (also covered by a well-known Georgia band). The small crowd in Atlanta (of about 20) was very polite and quiet while Epic appeared to be a little nervous, flipping the pages in his black lyric book and carrying on an amusing dialogue with the audience. Although Epic comes across as being sincere and appreciative, he has a very dry wit.
He seemed to have much more confidence the next evening in Chapel Hill, where he played to a rowdier, near-capacity crowd. For encores, he played
John Lennon’s “I’ll Be Back” and Bob Dylan’s “Is Your Love In Vain.” Epic behaved like a true professional and created an intimate setting and
provided an entertaining performance. He took time afterwards to talk to fans, sign records, and mingle. Epic is as real as it gets. It is the fragile human imperfections and twisted relationships he sings about that make him so refreshing and believable.
-Kenneth Aguar
Page 23 of “Flagpole” on June 7, 1995