Dave Lavender: Despite recent water hazards, live music still flowing

A sure-fire way to kill a good concert ... a TV announcement saying all downtown bars and restaurants were shut down.

In spite of the water main break in Huntington last Friday, many shows did go on with patrons taking one for the team and drinking cervezas instead of H20.

Metal meisters Zeroking soldiered through last Friday night for a show at Club Echo. If you weren't among the 60 or so that hit that show, the foursome, which will be traveling to Rocklahoma next Thursday for two big shows, will be rocking the river at 10 p.m. Saturday, as they play The Fuzzy Duck on Ironton's waterfront.

Back to Club Echo for a second, Mackie Robertson and the Echo crew are bringing in a whole lot of rock this summer.

They've got some serious heavy metal thunder tonight with a five-band bill that includes X Factor 1. A couple of the big shows just announced for Echo include on Aug. 15, Nebula, the L.A. rockers that have supported such acts as Mudhoney and Queens of the Stone Age.

On Aug. 29, Echo welcomes in former Drive-By Trucker, Jason Isbell and 400 Unit, which has chalked up three well-received CDs.

Tickets are $17 online now at www.myspace.com/clubechorocks. Opening that show will be Bud Carroll's new scorching three-piece band and Ladybird, a band not afraid of trombones, well at least one not afraid of one trombone.

Isbell is playing the next night (Aug. 30) at 7 p.m. at the Cultural Center Theater in Charleston on Mountain Stage. That show also includes Poco, Ben Sollee and Jill Sobule.

Tickets are on sale now for that show as well as for a Sept. 29 Mountain Stage featuring Indigo Girls. That show went on sale Wednesday.

Go online at www.mountainstage.org to see the host of shows coming up late July through September.

Heating up for some harp

The Harmonica Club usually plays the second Tuesday of the month but with a bunch of the players trucking to Elkins for Augusta Blues Week here soon, they'll be jamming a week early -- that'll be 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 7 at Pullman Square.

All jammers are welcome.

You might not want to show too many hot licks though, since the West Virginia Harmonica Championship is just a few weeks away.

It's set for 2 p.m. Saturday, July 25, during the 5th annual West Virginia Hotdog Festival at Pullman Square.

There's $350 in prize money up for grabs. Registration fee is a $10 donation to the Cabell Huntington Hospital Children's Oncology unit.

After the championship, the harmonicas will be taking it to the river as the Huntington Symphony Orchestra has invited some of the club members to stroll the lawn blowing some train songs since the July 25, show has a railroad theme.

For more championship details go to www.theharmonicaclub.com or e-mail jrumbaug@marshall.edu.

If you love blues harp, mark the calendar for July 17, that's when Mississippi Heat and harmonica player Pierre Lacocque are rolling into Pomeroy, Ohio's amphitheater for the Rhythm on the River show.

That free 10th annual concert series, sponsored by the Pomeroy Blues and Jazz Society (PB&J's) starts tonight (at 8 p.m.) with Moanin' Michelle Malone.

That's a great road trip just an hour and change from Huntington up the Ohio River.

For more info, call 1-877-MEIGS-CO or contact the PB&J's directly at 740-416-4016 or pbjs@pomeroyblues.org.

Dave Lavender writes about music for The Herald-Dispatch. Contact him at 304-526-6686 or by e-mail at lavender@herald-dispatch.com.