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Here at Mac's Music City Roadhouse, we're all about celebrating the unique and incredible blend of Blues, Southern Rock and country Honky Tonk music. This combo may seem a little off-beat, but for those of us growing up in the American South, this music mix was a part of everyday life. |
I scored my very first radio DJ gig in 1977 at a 5,000 watt country-rock station near Nashville. There was plenty to learn, including the fine art of playing frisbee with extra promotional albums that hadn't been given away as contest prizes. Our goal was to see which DJ could fling the most flying vinyl discs and hit a wooden light post near the station tower. What a waste of some potentially good music. (Sadly, the evolution of music production put an end to the days of converting vinyl albums into makeshift frisbees. It just didn't work to use CDs or digital files. On the other hand, these audio improvements allow the Music City Roadhouse to provide you with a clear, crisp sound and the convenience of taking the show anywhere your laptop or smart phone can go.) Anyway, back in the studio, I carefully cued up those 45 rpm's, listening for the first bit of audio to scratch out from the board speakers, then gave the requisite quarter turn backwards on the turntable so the song would start playing just right. That first song I played as a professional, minimum wage-earning DJ was "Heard It in a Love Song", a new hit single by southern rockers, The Marshall Tucker Band. Mixing in swinging country favorites of the day along with an occasional blues tune that management would allow to be slipped in, I quickly realized what the honky tonks and roadhouses along Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville had known for years….how well blues, southern rock and country honky tonk fit together...like peanut butter, grape jelly and plain white bread.
Blues or country Honky Tonk probably don't need much explanation, but what in the world is the Southern Rock sound, and why is it different from any other rock music? Well, first and foremost the bands usually originate from the American South (who would have thought??). To name a few: The Outlaws, Tampa, Florida; ZZ Top, Houston, Texas; The Allman Brothers, Macon, Georgia; The Marshall Tucker Band, Spartanburg, South Carolina; and my all time favorite, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jacksonville, Florida. Southern Rock drew from the heavy blues-rock of the late '60s as well as honky tonk and country, creating a distinctive fusion and energy. As it hit its stride in the early '70s, the dominant sound was that unique blend of genres, a fondness for energetic boogie jams and lyrics that frequently came straight from southern culture and heritage. The spirit of the original music lives on in bands like the Black Crowes, Drive-By Truckers and Blackberry Smoke. (In the interest of full disclosure, we do feature a very limited and exclusive handful of songs from non-southern bands that clearly demonstrate the Southern Rock sound and spirit, such as California's Little Feat and Robert Jon & The Wreck.)
Weaving together these three distinct yet very related musical styles, Mac's Music City Roadhouse brings the party atmosphere of Music City, USA to the rest of the planet. You'll still have to provide your own food and drink…after all…this is internet radio.
Blues or country Honky Tonk probably don't need much explanation, but what in the world is the Southern Rock sound, and why is it different from any other rock music? Well, first and foremost the bands usually originate from the American South (who would have thought??). To name a few: The Outlaws, Tampa, Florida; ZZ Top, Houston, Texas; The Allman Brothers, Macon, Georgia; The Marshall Tucker Band, Spartanburg, South Carolina; and my all time favorite, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jacksonville, Florida. Southern Rock drew from the heavy blues-rock of the late '60s as well as honky tonk and country, creating a distinctive fusion and energy. As it hit its stride in the early '70s, the dominant sound was that unique blend of genres, a fondness for energetic boogie jams and lyrics that frequently came straight from southern culture and heritage. The spirit of the original music lives on in bands like the Black Crowes, Drive-By Truckers and Blackberry Smoke. (In the interest of full disclosure, we do feature a very limited and exclusive handful of songs from non-southern bands that clearly demonstrate the Southern Rock sound and spirit, such as California's Little Feat and Robert Jon & The Wreck.)
Weaving together these three distinct yet very related musical styles, Mac's Music City Roadhouse brings the party atmosphere of Music City, USA to the rest of the planet. You'll still have to provide your own food and drink…after all…this is internet radio.
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We welcome you and hope you become a part of the Mac Pack by being one of our Roadhouse regulars or sponsors. Embrace the music, follow us on Facebook, contact us with your requests or suggestions.
Enjoy! Mac 
(Sometimes we just have to call in an expert.)
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