Goose Creek Symphony reaches into its archives

Goose Creek Symphony and Velvet Water

8 p.m. June 19 at The Dame, 367 E. Main. $15. (859) 231-7263. www.dameky.com.

The fact that Goose Creek Symphony named one of its most recent recordings The Same Thing Again is more than a little serendipitous.

The record was cut as the band was splitting up in the mid-'70s. It sat dormant for 30 years, until Goose Creek chieftain Charlie Gearheart heard a cassette copy in 2006. The master tapes were unearthed, cleaned up and released. Presto — one of Goose Creek's oldest albums became one of its newest.

"Listening to it now definitely takes me back to the time I wrote the songs and when we recorded them," said Eastern Kentucky native Gearheart (Goose Creek is named for a Floyd County hollow). "It also makes me realize I've been here a while. But it's a great feeling."

Gearheart and the newest Goose Creek lineup, which features fellow founding member Bob "Willard" Henke, are back on the road this month as another archival recording is being readied. This one dates to 1976, when Goose Creek had officially disbanded. Titled Head for the Hills, it had been available only as a limited, independent release.

"We had dissolved the band at the time. I was going to immigrate to Canada, so we went to Vancouver to finish the album and then hit the road just for a few dates," Gearheart said. "But very quickly, we said, 'Nah, it ain't time yet.' We needed a little bit of a longer break, so we shelved it and went our own ways."

There also is talk of several solo studio performances made by Gearheart in the '70s being made available soon.

But regardless of their origin, Goose Creek's music never strays far from its cordial rural mix of country sentiment and jam-savvy musicality, whether it's found in one the newly rediscovered gems such as the Band-like Tulsa Turnaround (from The Same Thing Again) or the 1970 opus Talk About Goose Creek and Other Important Places. The latter is a centerpiece tune from Goose Creek's debut album that remains an extended groove journey during the band's recent shows.

"My wife says, 'When you walk onstage, you step into another world,'" said Gearheart, who turns 70 in July. "And that's really what happens. Everything goes away except the music, and that's a wonderful feeling. As you get older, you really realize and appreciate that."

Nick Moss and the Flip Tops

9:30 p.m. June 20 at The Red Mile Round Barn, 1200 Red Mile Rd. $10. (859) 255-0752.

It's Round Two time for Chicago blues music this weekend.

A month ago, Chicago's Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials summoned the house-rocking spirit of Hound Dog Taylor to headline the first Red Mile Blues Festival. Now, The Red Mile and the G. Busy Blues Room reteam to bring in another Windy City axman by the name of Nick Moss. Along with his band, the Flip Tops, Moss is regarded as one of Chicago's more formidable blues stylists. Among his credits is a mid-'90s stay in the band of Jimmy Rogers, a co-guitarist for Muddy Waters during the '40 and '50s.

Moss and his Flip Tops have been an active and acclaimed touring team for much of the past decade. For an ideal introduction to their huge, greasy blues sound, check out either of the Live at Chan's albums. The newest, Combo Platter No. 2, was released in April and boasts a sweaty, 13-minute version of the vanguard blues jam Five Long Years. Or better yet, check out Saturday's show. At $10, it's cheaper than a Chicago-style pizza.

This story was originally published June 18, 2009 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Goose Creek Symphony reaches into its archives."