European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 10, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Entertain m e n t a amps Dave Casoy v7e Chestnutt prefers comparisons with Southern gothic writer Flannery o Connor to those with barroom poet Charles  tells drunk tales on new album by Deedee Arrington Doke staff writer i f you Don t believe fairy tales of screen Star discoveries on the bar stools of Hollywood drugstores Singer Vic Chestnutt has a Southern version hell try on you. Quot i was Sittin in this Coffee shop sippin a Milkshake and he said i m going to make you a Star Quot Chestnutt will say in his Georgia country drawl. The Quot he Chestnutt Speaks of is Michael Stipe . S shadowy but influential Singer who did indeed discover Chestnutt. But Chestnutt May be pulling your leg about the circumstances. Or is he Al m a frustrated stand up comedian Quot confesses the wheelchair bound Chestnutt whose new album drunk is his first to be released in Europe. To launch the album he toured Europe this Spring with introspective Singer songwriter Kristin Hersh and will play a few dates of his own in England in late summer. Drunk is a collection of Mournful Stream of consciousness ruminations on drink and other chemical abuses leaving one s woman self loathing and fighting All set to guitar accompaniment with the occasional Bass and Drums. Songs from the Back porch on a too hot morning after bitter regrets to be uttered alone. Quot when i ran off and left her she was t holding a baby. She was holding a bottle. And a big grudge against me Quot Chestnutt laments in when i ran Oft and left her. Quot it s about me. It s All about me a my Little funny autobiography Quot Chestnutt says. Quot it s melancholy but with humor through and  Chestnutt 29, and his wheelchair became an item 22 years ago after an Early morning car Accident caused by a Drunken Driver took away the use of a Chestnutt s legs. Quot the drunk Driver was me Quot Chestnutt admits. Quot i was wasted. I Don t even remember anything except being in a helicopter  in Deadpan but dark humor Chestn u to Down p i a s the Acci d e n t s Impact on his life Quot i was going to be a Bohemian no account. I m pretty much on the same Road a Chestnutt says. He still wrestles with the influence of alcohol which he refers to As his Quot evil twin a even through the recording of drunk. He describes a rectal bout by saying Quot seems like it was a couple months Bender. It started out for fun. Then started annoying people. It was Nasty with  in Between hours Chestnutt and wife Tina who plays with him onstage live outside Athens ga., surrounded by a Colony of squirrels and Pecan Trees a a comfortable distance from what Chestnutt Calls his extended family. Why a says Chestnutt ruefully Quot they i a me get away with too much Quot crash test dummies concert listings a see pages 26 amp 27 Brad Roberts and the rest of the dummies shuffle their feet to Europe for More Quot Mem Mem Mem Mem Quot concerts. Closer look rocking away regional blues with cry of love by Deedee Arrington Doke staff writer when Kelly Holland was 12, he thought about leaving his Home state of North Carolina far behind As he peddled his bicycle around the Cul de Sac next to his House. Quot i left that just by living in North Carolina i was a second class citizen Quot Holland recalled a number of years later or two Days after playing at two Large Rock festivals in Germany Quot i was thinking a god i gotta get out of this place a and i was Only 12,&Quot said Holland Lead Singer of the Rock a blues band cry of love regional faddish still is a reality in the music business whether the hot spot of the Day is los Angeles or Seattle Athens  a or Chapel Hill . But cry of love which hails from North Carolina s less musically Chic capital of Raleigh made it anyway. With a Columbia album brother under its Arm the band opened for Robert Plant on tour late last year. More recently cry of love played at Rock am ring and Rock in Riem in Nair Burgering and Munich Germany. Quot id really like to see that whole thing die Quot Holland said putting the final lid on the Issue of regionalism. Quot just let people make music for what it  cry of loves radio Friendly singles particularly bad thing and peace pipe sound like fresh blasts of bad company with More ache More gut and grit. Guitarist Ashley freed is cry of loves primary songwriter with frequent help from Holland. Quot they re basically borne of everyday cry of love things Quot said freed a soft spoken Man with streaming dark curls of his songs. Quot but the meanings might be a bit veiled. They might not be the most surface  on the other hand the Bluesy too cold in the Winter that Holland co penned is Quot definitely a Story song Quot Holland said. Quot my Lyric writing is not As veiled. Too cold is about leaving Home and falling Fiat on your ass and listening to your mamas warnings when a Long string of experiences Tell you she was  mamas warnings notwithstanding the band has spent a Good bit of time away from Home in the last year and they expect to tour through late summer. But its not at All bad work if you can get it and it Means that a a Home Quot has a completely new meaning to the men of cry of love. Said Holland Quot Home Means the United states a not your  Friday june 10, 1994 the stars and stripes23