Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina • Page 68

is to 40 a on and am of unit of of of UC to si to or AUG. 4, 2000 TAKE FIVE ASHEVILLE CITIZEN -TIMES MusicWatch Accelerators pump out rock 'n' roll By Jonathan Price SPECIAL TO THE CITIZEN-TIMES Accelerators know it's only rock 'n' roll, but they like it, like it, yes they do. And this Friday night at The Basement, Raleigh's premier rock quartet hopes that you'll like it too. Strutting their sounds with the two guitar, bass and drums setup that is the Cadillac of classic instrumentations, The Accelerators remind us that good old rock 'n' roll is alive and kicking in the Carolinas and it doesn't even smell funny. Founding Gerald Duncan has seen the band through a few lineup changes over the years, but when the discussion shifts to his current band mates, Duncan gushes like Old Faithful.

"We're all on the same page," he said. "It's the best thing that ever happened to me." On stage, expect The Accelerators to turn the amplifiers up to 11 and blast through sweaty, spirited renditions of original tunes that will recall rock influences as diverse as Elvis Presley, Alice Cooper and the Beach Boys. Ron Bartholomew has been an Accelerator since the early 1990s, and he too feels nothing but love and respect for his partners in musical crime. The Accelerators Gerald Duncan (from left), Ron Bartholomew, Mark Auble and Michael Batts play night at The Basement, under Almost Blue records on ner of Coxe and Patton avenues. "Listen to us practice when one member of the band isn't there," said Bartholomew.

"We sound like teen-agers, but the fire gets turned on whenever the last guy arrives." The two newest members of the band, drummer Michael Batts and guitarist Marc Auble, stepped into their roles almost immediately after The Accelerators finished recording their latest album, "Nearer." Aside from his unadulterated passion for all things that rock, Bartholomew's dedication to the band actually reaches into more familiar that is, familial territory. Batts is One of the Best Kept Secrets in the Smoky Mountains The SWAG Country Inn On the Edge of Great Smoky Mountain National Park Fabulous Food with Fifty-Mile Views Hemphill Road in Waynesville, NC Sunday Brunch: $20 Wednesday: Chef's Gourmet Picnic atop Gooseberry Knob: $16.50 Thursday Night Cookout: $30 Dinners Nightly Seven Days a Week one seating only Hors d'oeuvres at 6:00 Dinner at 7:00 Sunday through Wednesday: $40 Weekends: $45, BYOB Please call for Information 926-0430 Reservations Required Friday the cor- married to Bartholomew's younger sister, making the two men brothers-in-law. "It keeps me into it, keeping family involved," said Bartholomew. "From; a family and music standpoint, it couldn't have been more beautiful." On top of that relationship, Bartholomew flat-out credits Batts as being "one of the greatest rock drummers I've ever heard." According to Bartholomew, Auble's lead guitar contributions extend into the realm of him being the "really accomplished musician" of the group. "Marc added life and chemistry to our new lineup," said Bartholomew.

The new record, which hit bins in April, features a dozen Duncan-penned originals as well as an unexpected cover of George Gershwin's classic "Summertime." And if red hot rock 'n' roll in the summertime is what makes your blood boil, The Basement will be the place for you to cut a rug. But whether you're dancing, shaking your long-haired head or sidling up to the bartender for another round, the band hopes that their down to earth approach will be evident from any vantage point. "We're only in it for the music because it just feels great doing it," said Duncan. "But it is important not to confuse personalities with music." The fundamental power of rock 'n' roll is what keeps these guys excited, together, and excited about being together. They get off on the sheer joy of playing.

They feel rejuvenated by breathing new life into an old form. And it tickles their collective spine to know that the music is always there, giving them one more good reason to get out of bed each day. But perhaps Bartholomew explains it best by not explaining it at all: "It's hard to put into compelling words, but that's what is so beautiful about it." Satellite TV Save $20000 by Subscribing Today! PROFESSIONAL Programming starting at Over 210 digital-quality channels available, including local ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS stations. No monthly contract. or Local Toll-free 828-236-2225 R52077-300 DIRECTV.

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