Thanks to everyone who is cool enough to
loyally support local music, Rock Bottom Music
and what we are ALL about! You ROCK!
Thanks to the readers of Augusta Chronicle & Augusta Family Magazine
for voting Rock Bottom Music BEST PLACE to TAKE MUSIC LESSONS!
The Metro Spirit and Rock Bottom Music Present Band Aide 1
Businesses team up for new "no-contest" that aims to support and promote local
bands!
AUGUSTA,
GA. - The Metro Spirit
and Rock Bottom Music
have teamed up to present Band Aide 1 on Thursdays at Coyotes.
Band
Aide was designed to feature the abundance of talented local rock bands in the area
through a miniseries of rock concerts. A minimum of 12 and a maximum of 16 bands will
participate.
The idea is to put on a series of shows over a five-week period. Starting Oct. 22 and
continuing for five weeks, Coyotes will host Band Aide 1.
Each night there will be a minimum of three bands showcased at Coyotes. Each night a band
will be chosen based off of a *set criteria, and that band will move on to the final week.
The final night will consist of each chosen band from the four previous weeks.
The Metro Spirit will feature all bands that participate in the event through a
full-length story to begin the event and every week the 3-4 bands performing will receive
additional coverage.
All bands will receive T-shirts designed specifically for the event. All bands will be
included on a compilation CD from tracks submitted by the bands. All bands will receive
multiple copies of the CD. Video and photography will be shot and posted on
metrospirit.com.
Band Aide 1 will be marketed using a variety of media. The Metro Spirit will
promote the event using full- and half-page ads leading up to, during and following the
event. The Spirit will use web marketing and an e-mail database of over 11,000
people. Rock Bottom Music will utilize its own database of contacts. Radio and television
will be utilized to some extent. Social networking sites and other methods of marketing
will also be a key component to getting the word out. Each band participating will also be
expected to use all means possible to get the word out.
A winner, selected from the final night’s performance, will be a band that the judges
believe is ready to make it big and with a little Aide could get it done. The Final 4 will
also receive prizes. One will be acknowledged for overall performance, one for how tight
the sound is, one for best crowd participation and the Band Aide Winner for being so close
they can taste it.
Prizes will include:
• $2,000 store credit from Rock Bottom Music,
retail value for items in-stock at either of the Rock Bottom Music locations.
• A complete promotional package from The Metro Spirit that will include
banners, photo shoot for posters, T-shirts, bumper stickers, one year’s worth of
Constant Contact e-mail database support and continual follow up marketing from the
Spirit.
• More prizes will be added. The items mentioned above have a value of over $5,000.
To be considered for Band Aide you must drop off a demo to
Jonathan Karow at Rock Bottom Music by the deadline of Oct. 2. A committee will choose the
bands, who the band performs with and what week the band will perform.
Set criteria
- The
criteria taken into consideration for the band to be chosen to move on to the final week
is:
- The
band has solid sound and delivers a good stage performance.
- The
crowd is into the show.
- The
band is tight, vocally sharp and in sync.
- The
performance is strong and with some new equipment and a marketing/PR campaign should draw
big crowds.
Some
bands may already show and have the abilities listed. Maybe marketing and PR is the only
thing missing. Bands participating in the show the final week could be the recipient of
one or more of the above-mentioned prizes.
Greg Koch live at Rock Bottom Music Augusta, GA Oct
8th 7:00 PM
All Ages, FREE!
Check out Greg Koch with his Fender Guitars and Amps!
Check out his many Hal Leonard books and DVD's
INCLUDING the
Stevie Ray Vaughan DVD's!!!
These are some of the world's best sellers and ALL by Greg Koch!
Let All Your Friends Know about this fun show Brought to you by
FENDER!
Greg Koch
Greg Koch has been called a “twisted guitar genius” and
“eclectic virtuoso” by guitar pundits. Tucked away in Midwestern obscurity, Greg
Koch was a diamond in the ruff, the best kept secret in the guitar firmament. But nine
years ago, Koch decided to make his move and conquer the world with his unique brand of
guitarmaggedon.
Koch’s fascination with all things
guitar began early. After getting his first guitar at age 12, Koch learned by copying
records. He studied jazz guitar at the University of Wisconsin and his Milwaukee-based
band, Greg Koch and The Tone Controls, has
become one of the region’s most popular and acclaimed bands. The release of his 2001
Favored Nations debut, The Grip, was met with a
flood of rave reviews which alternately described Koch as “a twisted guitar
genius” and “fiendishly talented.” And suddenly the Milwaukee guitarist was
obscure no more.
In the last nine years, the
towering Koch has moved well beyond local hero status in the upper Midwest by becoming an
internationally renowned guitarist, session ace, top-selling guitar instruction book/DVD
writer, magazine columnist, radio personality, and comedian.
Koch has travelled all over the
world and has grown to become an in-demand, world class guitar clinician for both Fender Musical Instruments, and Hal Leonard Publishing Co. As a premier clinician
for Fender, the world’s largest and most
prestigious guitar and amplifier manufacturer, Koch has developed an exceptionally
effective clinic style by bringing together world class chops and a humorous ability to
articulate sounds and techniques with a genuine devotion to all things guitar.
Koch’s relationship with
musical publishing giant, Hal Leonard Corporation,
has resulted in an extraordinarily successful catalog of guitar instructional materials
including the rewrite of the Hal Leonard Guitar Method with the original author, Will
Schmidt, which has become the top selling guitar method in the world. His latest Hal Leonard guitar instruction book,
“Guitar Clues: Operation Pentatonic,” is geared towards guitarists of all levels
where as his latest DVD, HLGM “Guitar Licks: Lead Lines and Phrases in the Style of
25 Great Guitarists” demonstrates tricky licks by everyone from Albert King to Steve
Vai. Koch’s many books and DVDs that are published by
Hal Leonard sell hundreds of thousands of copies each year.
Getting back to his roots, Koch
is currently fronting The Greg Koch Trio, taking
on the role of lead blues vocalist and maniacal guitar showman. Once again, Koch exhibits
not only his versatility, but his raw vocal talent, clever song writing, and commitment to
the blues genre. Koch succeeds in playing out his vision of pushing the blues to new
limits, while at the same time remaining mindful of its past.
Over the years, Koch has released
11 CD’s. Five have been released internationally and feature predominantly original
material; 2 with Steve Vai’s Favored Nations
label, 2 with Europe’s Mascot-Provogue Records,
2 currently out on Peppercake/ZYX Records,
including the recently released CD Nation Sack,
which was a collaboration between the Greg Koch Trio
and Texas vocal legend, Malford Milligan.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
“Greg Koch is one those
players with chops to spare. But he’s also got a wonderful sense of humor and despite
his talent, doesn’t take himself too seriously. Great chops, great imagination, and
again, his sense of humor. It doesn’t get much better than this.”- Vintage Guitar Magazine,
John Heidt, Editor
“It seems Greg Koch can do
the impossible. Not only can he rotate your head in a full Linda Blair 360 with his
fiendish guitar chops, but he can also render spot-on imitations of favorite players while
managing to assert a powerful artistic identity all his own.” - Tom Wheeler (Former
editor-in-chief, Guitar Player Magazine, author “American Guitars,” “The
Stratocaster Chronicles” and “The Soul of Tone.”)
“Greg Koch is one of those
rare guitarists that can blend various styles with a light hearted approach and a
tremendous amount of technique. Hearing him play is inspiring to a guitar player to try to
achieve greatness on the instrument.” - Steve
Vai
“I
believe Greg Koch is pound for pound the best guitar player in the world today. His tone,
feel and style are unrivaled in today’s guitar playing community. He is scary good.
It was a true honor to do shows with him.” - Joe Bonamassa |
Uncrowned and
Shotgun Opera Acoustic Show/Autographs and CD Release Party! Saturday, August 29th, 2009 3:30 PM at Rock Bottom Music
Augusta FREE All Ages.
Uncrowned, Dear
Enemy and Shotgun Opera CD Release Party Saturday,
August 29th, 2009 at Sky City. Doors open at 8pm, Music at 10pm 21+ only.
Advance tickets are on sale for $5 at Rock Bottom Music and $8 day of show.
“Get ready to rock harder than
a ton of concrete”! Rock Show Booking, Augusta Custom Concrete and Rock Bottom Music
present SHOTGUN OPERA, Saturday, August 29th, 2009 at Sky City, Official CD
Release Party with national recording artists…UNCROWNED and special guests DEAR
ENEMY.
Doors open at 8pm, Music at 10pm
21+ only. Advance tickets are on sale for $5 at Rock Bottom Music and $8 day of show.
Join your friends at Rock Bottom Music on the corner of Broad
and 8th at 3:30pm
day of show for a FREE all-ages acoustic performance with Shotgun Opera
and Uncrowned. Plus be the first to get
autographed new release
CD’s, band merchandise and $5 advance ticket sales. For more information
visit rockbottommusic.com
July 24th 2009! Do not miss this event at Sky City Presented
by Rock Bottom Music
and The Metro Spirit!!! Four great bands and PARTY till you....... need a cab!
God Bless everyone who supported our Fender Guitar Bench
Check & Golden Harvest Food Drive at
Rock Bottom Music in Augusta, GA! Together we generated about 750 Pounds of food (550
Meals) in just 6 hours! This will help the people in our community who are in need of
food! THANKS!
Jonathan Karow Owner/Founder/CEO.
For the first time ever, Fender had a Bench Check (Guitar Set-up) day HERE in Augusta, GA
at Rock Bottom Music 758 Broad Street! The event was FREE but we did ask patrons to bring
at least 10 non-perishable food items for the Golden Harvest Food Bank. Thanks for
supporting our sponsors on this successful event: Fender Musical Instruments, Rock Bottom Music, Eagle
105.7 Classic Rock Radio, Metro
Spirit and the Golden Harvest
Food Bank.
| METRO SPIRIT
Issue #20.41 :: 05/06/2009 - 05/12/2009 |
Rock Bottom
The long and winding
road that led Jonathan Karow to create one of the best-known businesses in the area
|
| BY Josh Ruffin |
| AUGUSTA, GA - Your standard initial
encounter with Jonathan Karow may lead you to mistakenly interpret his calm, laid-back
demeanor for a reflection of his true persona, one of a man who runs his business in much
the same way that he seems to walk from one place to another: with only a loosely-defined
purpose, and just enough of an attention to detail to avoid stepping on any cracks.
Because, you know… why take chances? Jonathan, however, does not roll this way.
Underneath that surface-layer calm lies the soul of a man who is nearly hyperactive in his
passion and drive for music, his business and life in general.
His mind is constantly ping-ponging back and forth from one concern to the next, and
while one might be tempted to label such constant divisions of attention the downside of a
scatterbrained psyche, Jonathan somehow manages to focus on everything with equal amounts
of intensity, scrutiny and care; it’s as if he has tunnel vision, but is able to
somehow work with about nine different tunnels.
And if he worried about taking chances, he’d have never been able to open up Rock
Bottom Music, downtown Augusta’s mainstay equipment dealer and one of the
cornerstones of the area’s increasingly vibrant music scene. That, however, comes at
the end of our story; to really get the full scope of RBM and how personally invested
Jonathan is in it, we must start at the beginning — which, according to Julie
Andrews, is a very good place to start.
Jonathan Karow with Duff McKagan and his band LOADED
with Jeanie Goodwin, Chris from Capitol Records, and
Chuck Williams of 95Rock.
Unlike most of us, Jonathan had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do for
the rest of his life, and credits his early upbringing with catalyzing his near-obsession
with music.
“I definitely didn’t just fall into this,” he says, fidgeting behind a
desk in his backroom office. “As a child, even when I was around 3 or 4, my father
had very eclectic listening habits, and just generally a very good taste in music. The
Beatles were obviously around a lot, though we did tend to disagree on Sabbath and
KISS.”
Here, his ever-present grin slightly widens: “Though I guess that was to be
expected.”
His formative years also fostered a formidable work ethic that has yet to wane. His father
(who passed away in 2007) ran a business that he had started from the ground up, and while
the Karows’ table was never wanting for food, their financial situation was
nonetheless such that, in Jonathan’s words, “I spent a lot of time wondering why
so many other kids in my neighborhood got new bicycles every year and I didn’t. I
started mowing lawns pretty early on to earn money. We didn’t have very much but,
believe me, I had great parents.”
Not that bicycles were typically high on his list of priorities; while other boys his
age were finding their interest in sports piquing, or staging mock battles with plastic
army men, Jonathan was pretending to be a radio DJ as early as 7 years old. It was pretty
shortly thereafter, however, that he would discover his first true creative — and
later inventive — outlet.
“When I was 7 or 8, a kid in my neighborhood went off to college. He had a blue
sparkle drum kit and, in exchange for sweeping their driveway and whatnot, his parents let
me borrow it and play it whenever I wanted. Thanks to my mom, though, that kit disappeared
pretty quickly.”
Undeterred, Jonathan worked long hours at a Japanese restaurant, eventually saving up
enough money to buy his own used drum kit and continuing the love affair that has lasted
to this day. The motivations, appropriately enough, hinted at the kind of man he would
become.
“I was attracted to drums, I guess, in a way similar to how other kids were
attracted to toy stores; no two kits were set up the same way. Every one was unique.”
That gravitation towards uniqueness and resourcefulness is partially what led him to
invent the first-ever two-ply Kevlar electronic drum head, on which Roland now officially
owns the patent. Oftentimes, however, inspiration is born as much out of demand and
practicality as it is out of whims and hunches; this occasion was no different.
“I was playing in this band at the time,” he says as he rummages through a
couple of boxes, “and I needed something I could practice on in a hotel room without
disturbing anybody. Clint Black’s drummer happened to need something similar.”
As if this is no big deal.
As he’s talking, Jonathan fishes something that looks like a prototype for a Nerf
product out of a nondescript cardboard box, and hands it to me: the original Kevlar drum
head, still in pristine condition. The material is distinctly trampoline-like, but with
much less give and the color of neglected gold jewelry. I turn it over and over in my
hands, press my fingers against the material, its intricate weavings belying its capacity
for punishment. Jonathan takes it back when I’m done and returns it to its corner
among the clutter, where it will stay for the remainder of our conversation.
“Roland (Drums & Percussion) now officially owns the patent for a two-ply
electronic drum head,” he continues, settling back in behind his desk and unwrapping
a Snickers bar. “And I gotta say, it’s pretty cool to open up a magazine
nowadays and see the drummers for Linkin Park and No Doubt playing the products I
developed!”
Pretty cool indeed.
Our main concern, however, is Rock Bottom Music; still, we can’t even discuss the
origins of that particular institution without drums coming into the picture. By the early
’90s, Jonathan had already created his first Web site — Electronic Drum Web
— during what was basically the Paleolithic era of online evolution, and it was
through this that he got his first break: coming into contact with the then-owner of
Pintech Drums (a company that now makes a name for itself through simple, easy conversions
of acoustic drums into electronic) Larry Easterday, who discovered Karow through the Web
site.
In Jonathan, Easterday saw a man whose diligence was propelled not by a desire to get
ahead or make a buck, but by a true passion for the industry. Similarly, Jonathan saw in
Easterday a kindred spirit, though one that could really help him hoist his business
further off the ground.
“I convinced Larry that, as a secondary income, he could front the money and
I’d build the site. You have to remember, too, that this was 1998, and the Internet
was still pretty new, so the prospect was a novel one. So I built the site, along with the
online catalog, and came up with the name ‘Rock Bottom Music.’”
The moniker was appropriate enough; Jonathan had essentially built the business from
the ground up, assisted by a good number of connections, but with only $247 of real
capital and no inventory of which to speak. Still, within 24 hours of beginning the
site-building process, he was already taking orders. Essentially a phone-in mail-order
service at the time, he had plenty of opportunities to deal with customers one-on-one,
thereby establishing a rapport. Amusingly enough, however, Jonathan admits that the
business at first was a little misleading for the customers.
“Everyone thought that this was a multi-departmental outfit, that there was a huge
warehouse and a full staff. The reality was that these companies I was working with were
drop-shipping stuff and trusting me, personally, to pay them once a month.”
To be sure, it’s a definite testament to the efficiency and dedication with which
Jonathan ran, and still runs, his business that that sort of perception was projected
without any kind of subversive marketing. It’s this same work ethic that led to the
purchase of a small shop in downtown Augusta, various expansions and the opening of a
second location in Aiken.
Today, Rock Bottom has garnered enough of both a regional and nationwide reputation
that it has become a must-visit location for collectors, musicians and just general
aficionados alike.
“We’ve had people come from places like Las Vegas and Memphis just to stop by
our store,” Jonathan says, still nearly unable to believe it himself.
“We’ve been compared to a lot of the well-known West Coast retailers, too.”
Then, after a moment’s contemplation: “Y’know, I should’ve grown up on
the West Coast.”
The Augusta location has also become a magnet for artist appearances and performances;
Sevendust and Duff McKagan are two such high-profile examples.
“They get excited about it, man. Rock musicians seem to want to have us on their
r?sum?, as much as singer-songwriters like to have the Bluebird Cafe on theirs.”
That reputation is evident in the d?cor as well. In case you were wondering, yes, all
of the signed instruments and memorabilia is either one-of-a-kind or came from the artist
firsthand. There are autographs from the Beatles, the Doors and Avenged Sevenfold, as well
as guitars signed by Toby Keith, Melissa Etheridge and Zakk Wylde (of Ozzy/Black Label
Society fame); this writer is particularly enamored of a cream-yellow Gibson Les Paul Jr.,
autographed by members of Buckcherry.
And what of the product quality? While it’s everything you’d come to expect
from an inventory that resides in a store of that obvious caliber, Jonathan points out
that RBM and other independent stores actually have a leg up over chain stores on quality
control.
“It’s a market fact that independent stores like us receive higher-quality
products than the big chains; the companies’ warehouses are actually divided up like
that. And if we get what we think is a sub-par product, we send it back at their
cost.”
The history of Rock Bottom Music is a short but charmed one, and while Jonathan takes
his success in stride, he can’t help but be occasionally awed by the opportunities
that his hard work, not to mention that of a dedicated and knowledgeable staff, has
afforded him.
“I remember stuff like hooking up with Eddie Van Halen to talk about a product he
was developing, or meeting with the Gretsch family. It’s all quite surreal. Believe
me, I’m very aware of my blessings.”
|
| METRO SPIRIT Issue
#20.41 :: 05/06/2009 - 05/12/2009 |
Why
local retail is better
|
BY TOM GRANT
|
| AUGUSTA, GA - Jonathan Karow began
his business as an Internet operation — rockbottommusic.com — back in 1998. With $250 in capital plus his
own Web site and eBay, Rock Bottom Music was up and running. Every day he filled his
Mustang with boxes and drove them to UPS to be shipped. Little by little, it grew. He
hired Brannon Galloway to help ship boxes on Tuesdays. Then Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“When it got crazier, we decided to get a warehouse,” Karow said. “But we
said, ‘Instead of putting the products in a warehouse, let’s open it up to the
public.’”
That’s how Rock Bottom came to have its first brick-and-mortar store on Eighth
Street.
“The idea was that if the local community didn’t buy a lot of stuff, we were
still on eBay and the Web site,” he said.
Working on a shoestring budget, Karow placed a few classified ads in the Metro
Spirit, as well as some eighth-page ads with strong visual icons “to let people
know that we existed other than on the Internet.” (For the record, he also placed
some ads in Iwanna, paid someone to distribute fliers around downtown and later advertised
on radio.) The response was amazing.
“Brick and mortar began to outdo the Internet,” Karow said. “That was a
big surprise.”
Not only does Karow say he got a huge return from his local print advertising, which
pleases us immensely, he discovered the advantages of local sales. “We are local
musicians. We are local people,” Karow said. They treated people well and the
community responded.
Plus, he discovered an unusual advantage. Manufacturers often ship their best products
to independent stores, not online retailers. They know that stores will tune the products,
shine them up and put them on display. They have to look good and sound good, not just
come in the appropriately labeled box.
Manufacturers use “minimum advertised pricing” contracts to prevent Internet
price wars from breaking out. It restricts Karow’s advertising, but allows him to
offer better deals over the counter.
“All you have to do is ask. I cannot print prices as low as I sell them,” he
said. He recently sold a guitar to one customer who shopped around the world, but found he
could get it from Rock Bottom for $1,000 less than the biggest Internet contender.
Now Karow’s Internet business is only about 5 percent of his overall volume. Some
say businesspeople have to move to the Internet, but Karow knows local can be better. And
he’s proof that print advertising works.
That’s why the Metro Spirit has been here 20 years. That’s why you
should expect to learn about Karow and other local retailers in these pages for years to
come. They’re not only local. They’re better. |
Come see The Hot Rods Live, FREE, All Ages acoustic gig at Rock Bottom Music in
Augusta, GA. Meet the band! Get autographs. Enter for your chance to
WIN A CUSTOM GUITAR AUTOGRAPHED by The Hot Rods!
See The Hot Rods later that night with Pretty Things Peepshow
at The Loft Night Club on Broad Street in Augusta, GA.
K.K. Downing (Guitarist for Judas Priest) with Jeanie Goodwin (far Right) of Rock
Bottom Music
& her friends Dawn, Sandy, and Beth at The Augusta Richmond County Civic Center
(Now The James Brown Arena) Screaming for Vengence World Tour in 1981.
K.K. Downing said "I keep spillin' me bloody wine on me bloody boots"!
Duff McKagan of Guns
N’ Roses & Velvet Revolver
Thanks Duff McKagan and LOADED! We had the time of our lives!
Duff, Jonathan, & Jeanie (Photo by Michael Johnson)
VERGE MAGAZINE
"SMATTERINGS"
May, 9 2009
By Matt Plocha
www.vergelive.com
(Continuing.........) Yeah – it’s been a busy month. And
I’ve done all this without leaving the comfort of my office/home.
Actually, once I tore my face away from FaceBook, I entered the real
world and had the distinct pleasure of actually seeing something really phenomenal in
downtown Augusta. I saw Duff McKagan
(Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, Loaded) perform an acoustic set at Rock Bottom Music, a
rare treat for music fans, with his band Loaded. One of the songs they sang was "Wild
Horses" by the Rolling Stones. Apparently the first time ever in public. Search
YouTube www.youtube.com if you want
to see it. But live and in person was really cool. Even cooler was the band staying
afterward for almost two hours signing autographs and chatting it up with fans. The
band was so pleased with their visit to this downtown staple that, later that night, they
paid tribute by playing a riff or two of "Rock Bottom" (by the band UFO) to show
their appreciation. Now how cool is that? (end)
Note from Jonathan Karow about Matt Plocha: THANKS Matt and Verge
Magazine for helping promote this great event quite a bit and supporting beautiful
Downtown Augusta, GA out of sheer dedication and the kindness of your heart!
Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver will be performing a FREE, live,
all-ages acoustic set at Rock Bottom Music Augusta, GA on the corner of Broad at 8th
street with Duff’s band of over 10 years, “Loaded” on Wednesday April, 22
at 5:00 P.M.!!!! This will be a very rare acoustic performance and a real treat for Guns
N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver/Loaded fans! Members of the 95 Rock team will be present.
Duff McKagan has sold tens-of millions of albums throughout his career and has performed
on “The Rock Album of the Year” numerous times! Duff will be autographing a
Fender Duff McKagan signature series bass to be inducted into the “Rock Bottom Music
Walls of Fame” and placed on display with many other rare music artifacts at our 758
Broad Street location in Augusta, GA. “The Home of James Brown”. THANKS VERY
MUCH to 95 Rock, Steve Hall, the many music fans and supporters in the C.S.R.A., and the
staff of Rock Bottom Music! Without you guys, Augusta just wouldn’t ROCK the same!
“Welcome to the Jungle Baby”!
Duff McKagan and his Fender Duff McKagan signature bass.
Congratulations!!!
To The Pearl Morgan Rose Snare Drum Winner!
Congratulations to Jordan Leopard of Augusta, GA
for winning the Pearl Morgan Rose/Sevendust
Professional Snare Drum with groovy, green
glow-in-the-dark “Alien-Freak Heads”!
Morgan Rose, SevenDust Drummer, looking throught one of the windows at
Rock Bottom Music at all the happy fans! (Photo by Joe White)
BLACK STONE CHERRY LIVE
at Rock Bottom Music!
Black
Stone Cherry with the Rock Bottom Music team. Photo: Michael Johnson
Metro Spirit
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
BLACK STONE CHERRY at ROCK BOTTOM MUSIC
By
Jason Craig, Metro Spirit March
12th 05:43mp
After
the overwhelming success of the acoustic show that Sevendust put on at Rock Bottom Music
last month, owner Jonathan Karow decided to do it again. This time it was Black Stone
Cherry's turn to rock the house.
"Independent
music stores are few and far between and it's cool that the neighborhood store is bringing
in bands and making it free for people," said Ben Wells, lead guitarist for the
Edmonton, Kentucky based band.
The
guys were very eager to meet and interact with their fans, telling stories about their
hometown of 1500 people and playing Freebird in the barn where they used to practice
growing up. They even took several requests from the crowd.
"Just
don't try and throw us off with some obscure song from like seven years ago" they
disclaimed.
The
band looked as comfortable in the stripped down acoustic set as they would in their own
living room. That type of intimacy is something that a lot of bands strive for and is very
hard to replicate in a club or bar. It is a completely different experience to see a good
band face to face on a sunny afternoon playing for less than 100 people. When the band
seems to be just as happy to be there as the fans they are entertaining, it is a real
treat for everyone involved.
Chuck
Williams of 95 Rock told the crowd
that these acoustic shows will be a regular occurrence at Rock Bottom, located on the
corner of 8th & Broad Street. Just keep your ears open.
Black Stone Cherry played a free show at Augusta's historic Rock Bottom Music
before a show Thursday night at Sky City on Broad Street in Augusta, GA.
Photo by Jackie Riccardi/Staff The Augusta Chronicle
Black Stone Cherry this Thursday March 12th LIVE, FREE, Acoustic,
ALL AGES 4:00 PM at Rock Bottom Music Augusta, GA!!!!!
For those of you who saw Sevendust live at Rock Bottom Music a few weeks ago, you know it
was a real treat. For those who missed out, your friends probably “rubbed salt in the
wounds” deservingly! Now it is time for Black Stone
Cherry this Thursday March 12th LIVE, FREE, Acoustic, ALL AGES 4:00 PM at Rock Bottom
Music Augusta, GA. Black Stone Cherry has recently been on tour with
AC/DC. In fact, Sevendust has opened for Black Stone Cherry a few times! They have been
compared to bands like Brother Cain, Thin Lizzy, Cry of Love, The Cult, Zakk Wylde Pride
and Glory Band, and Led Zeppelin. Be sure to visit www.rockbottommusic.com and
www.95rock.com for updates. DO NOT MISS THIS Opportunity to catch a great touring act in
rare acoustic form!!! THEN check em' out at SKY CITY on Broad street later that night in
full live form! Thanks to Rock Bottom Music Productions, Steve Hall Productions, and
95Rock!
Black Stone Cherry signing autographs at Rock Bottom Music in Augusta, GA.
(Photo by Sharon Orourke)
Jonathan Karow with the Great Louie Bellson
Sad News - In Memoriam
- February 15, 2009
We regret to announce the unexpected passing
of Louie Bellson on Feb 14, 2009.
God Bless. We already miss you!
Louie Bellson July 6, 1924 - Feb. 14, 2009
Duke Ellington, Louie Bellson & "That Great Gretsch Sound"!
Referred to by Duke Ellington as “not only the world’s greatest drummer...
(but also) the world’s greatest musician!”, Louie Bellson has
expressed
himself on drums since age three. At 15, he pioneered the double bass
drum set-up. At 17, he triumphed over 40,000 drummers to win the
Gene Krupa drumming contest.
1969 James Brown Soul On Top record. James Brown
(from Augusta, GA) Sings with the Louie Bellson Orchestra.
The meeting at Rock Bottom Music before the gig! (Photo by Joe White)
Wednesday, February 11th, at 2:30, Sevendust
will be doing a special acoustic performance at Rock Bottom Music!
FREE TO ALL AGES!!!
Tell all your friends so we can continue doing these succesful
events!
You will also have a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show that night at the James
Brown Arena with Disturbed, Sevendust, and Skindred!
Eddie Van Halen with Joanthan Karow & Jeanie
of
Rock Bottom Music January, 2009.
Jonathan Karow with Rex Brown of Pantera
Jonathan Karow with Vinnie Paul of Pantera
Corey Feldman (The Lost Boys Movie, etc.), Ben Powell, Jeanie
Jonathan Karow, Corey Feldman (The Lost Boys Movie, etc.), & Jeanie
Jonathan Karow, Lee Oscar (Harmonica pioneer), & Jeanie
Jonathan, Claude Schnell (Dio, Y&T,) "One of the coolest people on
Earth", & Jeanie.
Back-stage at the Avenged Sevenfold/BuckCherry gig at the
James Brown Arena, Augusta, GA!
Congratulations to Michael Ulmer of North
Augusta, SC for winning the Fender Stratocaster Guitar
that was autographed by major rock recording artists, Avenged Sevenfold, Buckcherry, Shinedown, and Saving Abel!
This was another FREE guitar given away by Rock Bottom Music and all you had to do was come in! Don't miss
out on our next event!!!
95 Rock announced the winner (Michael Ulmer) of the autographed Fender guitar
live at the Augusta Rock Bottom Music store on Monday December 22nd,
2008!
Skid Row with the Hamer autographed give-away guitar for the
South-Eastern Burn Foundation donated by Rock Bottom Music!
Rachel Bolan (Bass: Skid Row & QuasiMotors) with Jonathan & Jeanie
Get your Skid Row Tickets at Both Rock Bottom Music locations!
Salt (Salt n' Peppa) with Rock Bottom Music Owner Jonathan Karow
Rock Bottom Music Instructor Henry Wynn III
with legendary
banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs. Henry can make any banjo SQUEEL!
Jonathan Karow with legendary banjo pioneer
Earl Scruggs.
Another Successful Event by Rock Bottom Music Productions!
Capitol recording artists
HURT will "Hit Rock Bottom" AGAIN!
We will have a FREE SHOW on May-13-2008 in our Augusta store!
Rock Bottom Music is also selling tickets for the
HURT show at The Red Lion Pub!
Those dates are 5-13-08 & 5-14-08!
HURRY! HURT TICKETS WILL SELL OUT
AGAIN!
Don’t miss the Terry
Bozzio Drum Clinic LIVE in Augusta, GA (Home of James Brown)! Be sure to tell all your
friends!
All ages show on December 13, 2007 at 8:00 PM!
$10.00 per-patron Advanced-Tickets-ONLY
and receive a FREE Limited- Edition Terry Bozzio Attack Drumhead (Over a $10.00
value)!
Drumhead/Tickets are ONLY on
sale at both Rock Bottom Music Center locations in Augusta, GA and Aiken, SC!
HURRY! Seating is Very Limited!
TerryBozzio.com
Zakk Wylde (Guitarist: Ozzy Osbourne & Black Label Society)
hanging out with the Rock Bottom Music team and our
friends at the 95Rock studio in
Augusta, GA
on March 2nd 2007.
Congratulations to the winner of the autographed Zakk
Wylde "Buzz-Saw" Les Paul guitar!
The autographed Zakk Wylde "Bulls-eye" guitar
is currently on display at the Augusta, GA
Rock Bottom Music Center!
Jonathan Karow (Rock Bottom Music Owner) & Zakk Wylde.
Ken Gabriel of Rock Bottom Music & Zakk Wylde.
The 2006 Summer NAMM show in Austin,
Texas was a great success. The above photo from left to right is Jonathan Karow, David Ellefson (Megadeth
bass-guitar), and the beautiful Jeanie Goodwin from Rock Bottom Music hanging out at the
NAMM Trade-Show. The below montage is Jonathan Karow (Drums), Gary Hoey (Guitar), and David Ellefson
(Bass-guitar) playing at the world-famous Antone's
Club in Austin where artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Buddy Guy have graced the same
stage!
Don't
fret; there'll be room to play
Rock
Bottom Music will expand into vacant shop next door
By
Laura Youngs|
Staff Writer
Thursday,
April 19, 2007
Rock
Bottom Music crew, Henry Wynn III (kneeling), Noel Rhoads, Ken Gabriel, Jeanie Goodwin,
Jonathan Karow, Jason Guy (kneeling), Chuck Reddic and Ray Hutto, stand in front of their
expansion on Broad Street. The store will double in size by connecting its current
location to the now-vacant coffee shop on the corner.
Brannon Galloway
Aiken, SC Store Manager.
Dear Rock Bottom Music,
I've dealt with dozens of drum salesmen all across the
country, and Brannon is by far the best I've dealt with. Not only is he a true gentlemen,
he is also, by far, the most knowledgeable drum guy I've ever met. It is a pleasure to do
business with him.
Thanks-
J Hunter Phillips
Leeds, Alabama
December 6, 2005
Rock
Bottom Music Opens New store branch in Aiken
By: Suzanne R. Stone
Staff Writer
Aiken Standard
One of Augusta’s
favorite music establishments now has a branch in Aiken.
Rock Bottom Music Center opened the door of its Aiken location on
Pine Log Road in the Bi-Lo shopping center Thursday. The store held a grand opening with
door prizes and a live remote by Eagle 102.3 FM on Saturday.
“It’s crazy how fast word gets out,” said owner
Jonathan Karow. “It’s our first day and we’ve already got customers coming
down from Columbia.”
The store carries all kinds of stringed instruments, including
acoustic and electric guitars, violins and other classical stringed instruments; a full
line of drum and percussion instruments; and instrument cases and accessories. They also
sell and install pro audio live and studio sound systems; give lessons and do rentals of
classical band instruments for school band students.
“We want to make the local music scene grow,” Karow said.
“We advertise the fact that we’ll meet or beat any online, discount or big box
store prices. Actually a lot of our success has been based on our employees. We’re
all musicians and we’re energetic about helping the local community find great deals
and learn music. Everybody at either store will be knowledgeable in any department though
they might specialize in one area.”
Most of the store’s stock will be unique to the Aiken store,
Karow said, and items rotate between the two locations. The store also grabs up
liquidation items as special buys when opportunities come their way, and offer them at
clearance prices at the shops.
“Aiken is a beautiful city, a growing city,” Karow said.
“Just today I’ve seen customers come in that we haven’t seen in a long
time, and when we ask why, they say they liked dealing with us but it was such a trek to
get over to Augusta they didn’t do it often. I figured it was now or never. I had the
monetary funds I’d been saving to open a new store; the Augusta store’s
downstairs was packed to the hilt. I had about 80 percent of the inventory to fill up
another store already in storage there.”
Although he will remain involved with the store, Karow will manage
the Augusta location and leave Aiken’s day-to-day operations to resident and longtime
Rock Bottom employee Brannon Galloway.
For more information about Rock Bottom Music Center visit the
shop’s Web site at www.rockbottommusic.com
or call the Aiken shop at 649-1919 or the Augusta shop at (706) 724-1172.
Aiken location means move up for Rock Bottom
By Tony Lombardo/ Staff Writer Augusta Chronicle
Photos
by Michael Holahan/Staff Augusta Chronicle
Friday, December 2, 2005
Owner Jonathan Karow decided to open the shop so he could bring his products to people who
were driving long distances to the Augusta store.
Jason Guy unpacks microphones at Rock Bottom Musics's new Aiken, SC second location.
Rock
Bottom Music is steppin' up.
The
Augusta-based music instrument store opened a new shop in Aiken this week thanks to
increased demand at the store's downtown Augusta location.
"Aiken
has really become its own self-contained entity," owner Jonathan Karow said, noting
that many customers at his Broad Street store told him they were driving 30 minutes from
Aiken to get there.
Though he
also considered opening the shop in Evans, Mr. Karow ultimately decided on Aiken because
of the long commute musicians have been making to keep supplied with instruments, speakers
and accessories.
The
33-year-old Augusta resident created Rock Bottom Music as a Web site in 1998 and opened
his first store in 2003. For his second store, he chose a spot behind Blockbuster Video in
the Bi-Lo anchored shopping center on Pine Log Road.
The
1,500-square-foot shop will feature name-brand instruments, going-out-of-business items
and warehouse overstocks to help keep prices down.
Prices vary.
Guitars, for example, cost from $100 to around $2,000, Mr. Karow said.
Mr. Karow
developed his knowledge of musical instruments while working at Pintech USA, a drum
manufacturer in Greenville, S.C.
Like
his Augusta store, the Aiken shop will offer instrument lessons, rentals, and repairs.
Join Our Musical Family!
5-8-2005
Everyone has a bad day from time to time. My times
of grief are commonly cured by a kind word from a customer or the excitement of a budding
musician.
The phone
rang for the first time on Rock Bottom Music’s Grand Opening day a few years ago. It
was my Mother on the other end saying “Your Father in an ambulance heading to the
hospital”! People were pouring into the new store and all I could do is ask God for
strength. My Father had a very close call and is now a cancer survivor.
The first
store was tiny but we worked hard for it and we felt blessed to have made it to that
point. It took years for me to realize what my intention in life was. I should use my
knowledge of musical instruments to help others enjoy the spiritual and creative gifts of
music. I should establish the inviting music store environment that my friends and family
would want to experience. I could not do this alone.
I now look
around both Rock Bottom Music stores and feel blessed at the support we have received from
the musicians of our community. It has been a lot of fun but also hard work to get to this
point. God has blessed us with both strength and motivation. We have been rewarded with
growth in our stores and our musical community.
I would like
to thank everyone who works at Rock Bottom Music for keeping the faith and providing
customers with sincere service, knowledge, and a true friendship that goes way beyond the
cash register.
Thanks to
Brannon and Jeanie for the priceless support and friendship over the years and not giving
up on what was once only a dream. You are the spine and foundation of Rock Bottom Music.
Thanks to all
the friends, families, teachers, churches, instrument suppliers, and other supporters who
have made Rock Bottom Music possible.
Praise God
for this opportunity to be around some of the most wonderful people on this musical
journey through life. I look forward to many more years of providing quality products and
service to our growing musical family of local musicians.
Best Wishes,
Jonathan Karow
Owner Rock Bottom Music
Store watch-dog Geronimo (left) & Ryan Dunn (right)!
Jonathan Karow, (Jeanie "Bubbles" shown in background),
Geronimo Karow (puppy), & Ryan Dunn from
the hit comedy TV show and movie "Jackass"!
Ryan purchased a guitar from Rock Bottom Music on his visit!
Jonathan asked him "Are you going to play it or destroy it?"!
Ryan also got a Rock Bottom
Music "PBR" T-Shirt!
Rock Bottom Music staff Henry Wynn III, Jeanie "Bubbles",
Jason Guy, & Ryan Dunn from "Jackass".
Guitar Player Magazine August
2005
Mike Varney’s Spotlight
Elliot Holden
Age: 30
Style: Progressive rock, blues, neo-classical
Influences: Eric Johnson, Jeff Beck, Wayne Krantz, Jimi Hendrix
Main Guitar: Fender Stratocaster
Location: Augusta, GA
Background: A guitarist since the age of
14, Holden had a musical epiphany upon seeing the movie Crossroads in 1988. “The
guitar solo that [film star] Ralph Macchio played [which was actually performed by Steve
Vai] changed my musical tastes forever,” he explains. Hearing Eric Johnson was
another ear opener, and Holden began to explore instrumental rock in greater depth.
A guitar teacher at Rock Bottom Music in Augusta, Holden saves the
weekends for gigging with his band, the Elliot Holden Group. He has released two CDs
independently—We Be Delicious (2002) and Radiance
(2005)—selling them at gigs, cdbaby.com, and iTunes.
Holden is a very melodic soloist with great phrasing and
technical prowess. With deep roots in Hendrix and Eric Johnson, he is one of the most
promising new guitarists to submit a CD to Spotlight this year.
Contact: eh@elliotholden.com
Famed golf club strikes a chord
From the Friday, October 22, 2004 printed edition
of the Augusta Chronicle
Jonathan Karow, the owner of Rock Bottom Music on Broad Street, plays one of the Washburn
"Augusta" model guitars. He ordered two of the acoustic guitars after he found
the model is named after Augusta National Golf Club.
Michael Holahan/Staff Augusta Chronicle
|
Guitar model named after Augusta National
Friday, October 22, 2004
By James Gallagher | Staff Writer
Augusta's musical notoriety is now
more than just being home to James Brown.
Washburn Guitar company has named one of its models the "Augusta," after
Augusta National Golf Club.
"It's a renowned place," said Kevin Lello, a Washburn spokesman. "We just
wanted a name that kind of has that perception of being higher end."
When contacted, Augusta National had no comment on the guitar.
The dreadnought acoustic guitar is one of the Mundelein, Ill.-based company's higher-end
models, with gold hardware, ebony tuners and a manufacturer's suggested retail price of
$999.90.
"It's a wonderful guitar," said Jonathan Karow, the owner of Rock Bottom Music
on Broad Street.
Mr. Karow said he saw the guitar in Washburn's catalog, which describes the guitar as
being manufactured in the "Spirit of the South," and was intrigued by its name.
"I figured they weren't talking about Augusta, Maine," he said.
Mr. Karow inquired about the name and a Washburn representative told him, "We
probably have a golfer in the house."
Mr. Karow ordered two, even though the model is significantly more expensive than most of
the guitars he normally carries.
The acoustic guitar comes in three styles, and each has the name Augusta emblazoned across
the neck.
The Augusta guitars are getting some buzz - customers assume he had the guitars custom
made.
"It's nice they didn't put the Augusta name on a cheapie guitar," Mr. Karow
said. |
The Washburn "Augusta" acoustic guitar, one of the company's higher-end
models, comes in three styles and two popular finishes.
Photo: Michael Holahan/Staff
Photo: Michael Holahan/Staff |
|
