CX-1

By: Jim McGuinness

When Acoustic Syndicate and Snake Oil Medicine Show both broke up earlier this year, it left a void in the western North Carolina music community.

That empty space is being filled by CX-1, a new quartet that unites Snake Oil Medicine Show members Andy Pond (banjo), George Pond (guitar) and Billy Seawell (drums) with Acoustic Syndicate bassist Jay Sanders.

Although technically a new band, CX-1 has been in the makings for nearly a decade since the days when its four members were making music in Boone, N.C., where Andy Pond and Seawell were students at Appalachian State University. They would eventually form the original version of Snake Oil Medicine Show prior to Sanders joining Acoustic Syndicate.

They reunited as a unit when the two bands coincidentally broke up earlier this year.

"It's one of those coincidences in life that you can't really ignore,"Sanders said. "When something so big ends and it's immediately obvious what the next choice is, you have to acknowledge it."

Andy Pond also sees CX-1 as a natural progression in the musical evolution of its members.

"I guess it was kind of fated that we'd eventually play together,"Pond said. "Now seems to be the right time."

The foursome makes their official debut as a band on Saturday, August 6 at the Riverstone Music Festival in Johnson City. Andy Pond says fans of Snake Oil Medicine Show and Acoustic Syndicate will notice certain similarities in the new group.

"We think it’s somewhere between the instrumentation of Acoustic Syndicate and the composition capabilities of Snake Oil." Pond said. "There are songs that Jay has brought to the table that sound the way Acoustic Syndicate arranged their songs. In Snake Oil, we did more genre bending. People can look forward to quality music, and look for us to expand beyond what they're used to."

That expansion will include more of the reggae influence of Snake Oil's "Bluegrasstafari" album, along with touches of electronica.

Aside from not traveling with an art gallery, Pond says a major difference from vintage Snake Oil shows will be a renewed concentration on the music.

"It's not just the party vibe anymore," Pond said. "The focus will be more on composition and musicality."

Sanders sees his eight years with Acoustic Syndicate as being creatively vital to the reunion with his Snake Oil bandmates, especially in the arrangement of three-part vocal harmonies.

"They really taught me how to create vocal harmony lines," Sanders said. "Immediately upon getting together with George and Andy, we started working on arrangements on three-part vocals so we could get the harmonies to sound really good."

A taste of the group’s collaborative effort can be heard on "Andy Pond and the Cygnus X-1 Blackhole Bluegrass Boyz," an album of Andy Pond originals. Although released as a Pond solo project, the mostly instrumental disc features music CX-1 had been working on for a number of years. Guests on the album include Jeremy Saunders, Jason Krekel, Gaines Post, Jon Price and Richard Foulk.

CX-1 hopes to begin work on a new album in November for possible release in the spring.

"There are things that will inherently sound like Snake Oil," Pond said. "I bring things to the table that are newgrass and reggae-oriented. George brings electronica, dance and hip-hop."

While traces of the Snake Oil and Acoustic Syndicate influence are found in CX-1, Sanders thinks the new group's sound will have a musical perspective not apparent in the previous groups.

"Acoustic Syndicate was focused on the McMurrys and what they were interested in," Sanders said. "In Snake Oil, a lot of the focus was on Caroline and her writing. Not we can refocus a little bit on the songs George writes and get back to the roots of where we came from. It's definitely exciting for all of us."

As the group member embark on a new phase in their careers, CX-1 is still tying together some loose ends. The group will honor the final few Snake Oil Medicine Show bookings, including performances at Bristol's Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Sept. 16-18.

Acoustic Syndicate has already experienced closure, having played its last gig on Memorial Day Weekend at Smilefest in Deerfields, N.C. The band wound up playing six-and-half hours worth of music in a memorable finale.

"We did everything we could have done at that show and more," Sanders said. "When we were done, it definitely felt like we’d accomplished everything we set out to do. There was nothing left. It was time to move on." - GoTriCities

BY MARK R. PANTSARI
Special to The Post and Courier

Two of North Carolina's favorite acts, Acoustic Syndicate and Snake Oil Medicine Show, bowed out of the rigors of touring life early this summer, leaving what would seem to be a void in regional acoustic music.

Acoustic Syndicate's farewell marathon performance at this year's Smilefest in the North Carolina foothills capped off a decade long career.

The band brought together the instrumentation and tight vocal harmonies of traditional bluegrass, merging them with rock, jazz and reggae influences. Acoustic Syndicate released six albums, [two of which were] recorded for famed roots label Sugar Hill Records, and performed at prestigious events like Bonnaroo and Farm Aid.

"I think it made sense," former Syndicate bassist Jay Sanders said in a recent interview of the band's retirement.

"The guys in the band all have families and little young children, and they decided that 10 years had been enough, and that it had been a good run. And they decided to go out while everything was good. It was hard to swallow and the last show we played, we definitely gave it all we had."

Snake Oil Medicine Show (SOMS) also established itself as an unusual group during its 10-year tenure. The band mixed old-timey acoustic music with Vaudevillian and circus side-show antics and just about every form of music not usually played on acoustic instruments. As part of the group's live performance, Snake Oil Medicine show also toured with a visual artist, who would paint colorful pieces of art on stage alongside the band during its shows. This year, sadly enough, has also seen Snake Oil Medicine Show take a giant step back from life on the road.

But there is hope. This summer also marked the release of SOMS' banjo player Andy Pond's first solo album titled "Andy Pond and the CX-1 Blackhole Bluegrass Boys."

The album showcased a number of familiar players, mostly members of Snake Oil, as well as another North Carolina acoustic cornerstone in flat picker Larry Keel. Jay Sanders, who was the original bassist for Snake Oil before joining Acoustic Syndicate in 1998, also guests on the album. The album is a new sonic direction for Andy Pond's banjo playing, with touches of electricity and effects pedals, and new influences far outside of the Snake Oil world. And so a new band was born.

With Andy Pond (acoustic, electric banjo) and former SOMS front man (and brother) George Pond (acoustic guitar), Billy Seawell (SOMS drummer) and Jay Sanders (upright bass) forming a new quartet, the CX-1 project became a much more than a one-off solo album.

"There's a lot of history between us all," Sanders said of the group's formation.

"The coincidence was too hard to ignore, so we decided to take it by the horns because none of us wanted to stop playing."

Now on its debut tour of the Southeast, CX-1 is relying on its member's histories of friendship and musical exploration to discover new sounds instead of rehash what's familiar.

"We're focusing on a brand new set of music, and we've been writing a lot of new material," Sanders said.

"We've all been friends for a really long time, and know a whole lot of common repertoire, but we wanted to focus our energies on creating a new fresh sound using the experiences and sounds we've created with our other bands."

When CX-1 makes its Charleston debut at the Pour House Saturday night, those in attendance will most likely recognize the faces on stage, but are likely to have never heard any of the sounds the band will be making. According to Sanders, the band has a solid idea of where it's come from and an open mind as to where it wants to go.

"It's a cross between everything we've all done before," Sanders said. "We have some song-oriented material that focuses a lot on vocal harmonies, but then we're also bringing in the reggae influence and some of the wackiness of Snake Oil. But it's also more of a rock outfit, and also exploring some acoustic electronica and trying to get all of our influences into the mix."

CX-1 will take the stage of the Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy., Saturday around 10 p.m. For more information on the show, check out www.charlestonpourhouse.com or call 571-4343. - Charleston Post & Courier

by Anita Overcash
UT Staff Writer

September 08, 2005

The new debut album by Andy Pond and the CX-1 Black Hole Blue Grass Boyz is filled with songs that reflect not only their skill for playing music, but also a remarkable blend of Appalachian blue grass tunes mingled with experimental melodies and reggae sounds.

The group consists of Andy Pond, George Pond, Billy Seawell (Snake Oil Medicine Show), Jay Sanders (Acoustic Syndicate) and numerous others including Jon Price, Jason Krekel, Jeremy Saunders, Larry Keel, Gaines Post, Richard Faulk, Sean Foley and Caroline Pond.

Together, they create 14 songs, which put to use various instruments, a primary one being the banjo. Many of the songs are instrumental and create a calm and serene sound through their cadence. However, a few songs on the album contain vocals, such as tracks like "Boneman Connection," "Creek Come Risin,'" "Hoedown in Hades" and "Flash."

In the song "Boneman Connection," both the vocals and music sound much different than they do on the other tracks. This track contains a very upbeat vibe native to the reggae style, while other tracks like "Creek Come Risin'" can be associated to music of the Appalachian mountains with its fast and furious banjo and lyrics that look forward to the afterlife.

For example, the lyrics read: "Then some fine day, things are gonna be better / All our troubles wash away / All God's children gonna join hands together / There won't be no more fightin' over who is wrong or right / We're all gonna be in Heaven some old day."

Another track, titled "Flash," features rap mirrored with a quirky and rather funky beat, while the rapper emphasizes the need to be positive, have fun and love. Encouraging this philosophy, the lyrics utter that, "it takes too many muscles to frown."

The longest track on the album is titled, "When You Wish Upon Asteros," and like many of the other songs on the record, it is unique with its own zest. However, differing from the others, this track has a flare of Middle Eastern sound.

Altogether, I enjoyed listening to the debut album by Andy Pond and the CX-1 Black Hole Blue Grass Boyz. The album's fancywork of both bluegrass tangled with funky experimental music, is sure to be different than anything you've recently heard. Its intricate rhythms are catchy and delightful to which to listen.

Andy Pond and the CX-1 Black Hole Blue Grass Boyz will be playing at The Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte on Friday, Sept. 9.

For more information on the show, you may visit http://www.neighborhoodtheatre.com/. - Niner Online

By Jeff Eason

About eight years ago there was a weekly tradition in downtown Boone that attracted all sorts of music lovers. An incredibly original jazz band called The CX-1 Black Hole Bluegrass Boyz would hold court every Wednesday at the Howard Street Grill and Brewery. The crowds grew each week and the band never disappointed with its mix of banjo, acoustic bass, brass and intricately rhythmic compositions.

The CX-1 Black Hole Bluegrass Boyz, an experimental jazz-laced acoustic band, had its origins in Boone eight years ago. The band has reformed and will present a special Masquerade Halloween Extravaganza at the Boone Saloon on Saturday, October 29th.

Eventually CX-1 bassist Jay Sanders was recruited to become a full-time member of Acoustic Syndicate while banjo player Andy Pond became immersed his family band, Snake Oil Medicine Show. Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally?), Howard Street Grill and Brewery closed its doors not long afterward and the giant beer-making vats were sold to the Carolina Beer & Beverage Company.

Good news, music lovers. The CX-1 Bluegrass Boyz have reunited and will be playing in Boone on Saturday, October 29th at the Boone Saloon in downtown Boone. The show is a special Halloween Masquerade Party and attendees are urged to come as you aren’t.

“Those were some great times at the Howard Street Grill,” said Sanders of the weekly Wednesday shows. “Then this year, Acoustic Syndicate ended its run at the same time that Snake Oil Medicine Show did. We decided it was an obvious coincidence and an opportunity to explore CX-1 some more. So far it has been a completely natural fit.”

The band is now a four-piece and includes Sanders on bass, Andy Pond on banjo, Billy Seawell on drums and George Pond on guitar. Where as the old incarnation of CX-1 was primarily an instrumental affair, the new version of the band plays many vocal numbers with the Pond Brothers sharing the majority of the singing duties.

CX-1 also has a new album out under the heading Andy Pond and the CX-1 Black Hole Bluegrass Boyz on Tree Leaf Records. The album was recorded in the spring of 2004 and the band has already moved on—performing only four or five tunes from that album during its live shows. But it is worth noting that the album is a fine representation of how Pond has grown as a composer since his days as a music major at Appalachian State University.

The album also features a wealth of talent from the pool of musicians in the Asheville and Boone areas. It includes performances from Jon Price, Jason Krekel, Jeremy Saunders, Larry Keel, Gaines Post, Richard Faulk, Sean Foley and Caroline Pond. Musically, the album explores jazz, bluegrass and reggae in a cohesive manner.

The emphasis on the new album is Andy Pond’s innovative banjo playing and as such it is getting positive recognition from both jazz and bluegrass critics.

“Fans of Bela Fleck should check out Andy Pond and the CS-1 Black Hole Bluegrass Boyz, a wild and sometimes wacky collection of Flecktone-like material by a ten-member group all based around the very impressive banjo playing of Andy Pond,” wrote the reviewer for Banjo Newsletter. “This slightly giddy record consists of all Pond originals, and continues to explore the possibilities of newgrass reggae as heard on (Snake Oil Medicine Show’s) Bluegrastafari recording, while also including tunes sounding more jazzy or funky or newgrassy or East Indian/Klezmer or classic banjo meets circus music or even modern hokum.”

The reviewer fails to mention that one of the standout cuts on the album is a version of “Creek Come Rising” written by former High Country resident Matt Rue.

“We’re focusing our attention on the new material that we have written as a quartet,” said Sanders. “This is it for us, we finally are playing music for CX-1 without the distraction of being in other bands. We are heading forward with a determination to achieve longevity with this band.”

Lately that longevity has meant hitting the road to bring the band’s unique sound to different parts of the country, sometimes performing as the backup band for more established acts such as Moonshine Still. Everywhere the band goes, however, they find music fans who are familiar with their individual talents from their previous bands. Those same music lovers are eager to hear what CX-1 has to offer.

“We’re getting ready to record some of our new stuff at Tree Sound in Atlanta,” said Andy Pond. “They’re some great people down there and once you record with them, you never want to record anywhere else.”

For more information on the CX-1 Black Hole Bluegrass Boyz Masquerade Show at the Boone Saloon, call (828) 264-1811. - The Mountain Times

Behind the music (Jay Sanders): "CX-1 formed when the bands Acoustic Syndicate and Snake Oil Medicine Show retired. The short version is George, Andy and I first got together in 1985. But I left Snake Oil Medicine Show and joined Acoustic Syndicate. During that time, Billy came on at Snake Oil Medicine show as the drummer. So, when things changed, it was only natural for us to play together. All told, the three of us have been playing together for 12, 13, 14 years. It's definitely a long-term friendship and relationship kind of thing.

"Right now, we are focusing on songwriting and song structures. We have all kinds of influences but we're calling it ‘progressive roots fusion,' and we've got influences from rock and roll, reggae, world beat and Americana. It really represents the tastes of everyone in the group."

This is no Snake Oil Medicine Show (Billy Seawell): "We're different from Snake Oil Medicine Show, first because they had Caroline Pond, who was one of the vocalists. So we have no female element, and ... that changes things. You'll hear less bluegrass and swing tunes and more of a mix, a few rock songs here and there."

What's in a name (Jay Sanders)? "The original name we picked out was Cygnus Blackhole Bluegrass Boys, but that was too much. Cygnus is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way, and the first known black hole came from that galaxy. On astronomical charts, it shows up as CX-1, so we went with that."

Hometown: Asheville

Link to the Triad: CX-1, a band made up of former members of the Acoustic Syndicate and Snake Oil Medicine Show, will perform Friday night at Ziggy's.

Members: Andy Pond (banjo/vocals), Jay Sanders (bass/guitar/vocals), Billy Seawell (drums/vocals), George Pond (guitar/bass/vocals)

Web site: www.CX-1.com

What they say: "CX-1 plays modern fusion music — electronic and acoustic elements live in harmony in their unique sound that most closely resembles bluegrass," Nashville Rage, Nashville, Tenn.

Members in quotes: Jay Sanders, formerly of Acoustic Syndicate; and Billy Seawell, formerly of the Snake Oil Medicine Show

Behind the music (Jay Sanders): "CX-1 formed when the bands Acoustic Syndicate and Snake Oil Medicine Show retired. The short version is George, Andy and I first got together in 1985. But I left Snake Oil Medicine Show and joined Acoustic Syndicate. During that time, Billy came on at Snake Oil Medicine show as the drummer. So, when things changed, it was only natural for us to play together. All told, the three of us have been playing together for 12, 13, 14 years. It's definitely a long-term friendship and relationship kind of thing.

"Right now, we are focusing on songwriting and song structures. We have all kinds of influences but we're calling it ‘progressive roots fusion,' and we've got influences from rock and roll, reggae, world beat and Americana. It really represents the tastes of everyone in the group."

This is no Snake Oil Medicine Show (Billy Seawell): "We're different from Snake Oil Medicine Show, first because they had Caroline Pond, who was one of the vocalists. So we have no female element, and ... that changes things. You'll hear less bluegrass and swing tunes and more of a mix, a few rock songs here and there."

What's in a name (Jay Sanders)? "The original name we picked out was Cygnus Blackhole Bluegrass Boys, but that was too much. Cygnus is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way, and the first known black hole came from that galaxy. On astronomical charts, it shows up as CX-1, so we went with that."

Sanders' desert island discs: Peter Gabriel's "Passion," Bill Frizell's "Blues Dream," a Grateful Dead live album and Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring."

What's in Seawell's CD player? "I've been listening to Fela Kuti. He's dead now but was a really big (expletive), played with a large African ensemble, lots of chanting, very political. I really enjoy politically charged music. I've also got a few Indian albums and a DJ I like a lot named Mark Farina."


Kathryn Kennedy, UNCG junior and managing editor at The Carolinian, the student newspaper at UNCG, is Go Triad's intern this fall. Contact her at kkennedy@news-record.com or 373-7319. - GoTriad.com

The CX-1 Black Hole Bluegrass Boys will send the New Year into orbit at a live show this Saturday at Canyons of the Blue Ridge in Blowing Rock.

About eight years ago there was a weekly tradition in downtown Boone that attracted all sorts of music lovers. An incredibly original jazz band called The CX-1 Black Hole Bluegrass Boyz would hold court every Wednesday at the Howard Street Grill and Brewery. The crowds grew each week and the band never disappointed with its mix of banjo, acoustic bass, brass and intricately rhythmic compositions.

Eventually CX-1 bassist Jay Sanders was recruited to become a full-time member of Acoustic Syndicate while banjo player Andy Pond became immersed his family band, Snake Oil Medicine Show. Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally?), Howard Street Grill and Brewery closed its doors not long afterward and the giant beer-making vats were sold to the Carolina Beer & Beverage Company.

Good news, music lovers. The CX-1 Bluegrass Boyz have reunited and will be playing in Blowing Rock for a special New Year’s Eve celebration show at Canyons of the Blue Ridge. Admission is $10 per person.

“Those were some great times at the Howard Street Grill,” said Sanders of the weekly Wednesday shows. “Then this year, Acoustic Syndicate ended its run at the same time that Snake Oil Medicine Show did. We decided it was an obvious coincidence and an opportunity to explore CX-1 some more. So far it has been a completely natural fit.”

The band is now a four-piece and includes Sanders on bass, Andy Pond on banjo, Billy Seawell on drums and George Pond on guitar. Where as the old incarnation of CX-1 was primarily an instrumental affair, the new version of the band plays many vocal numbers with the Pond Brothers sharing the majority of the singing duties.

CX-1 also has a new album out under the heading Andy Pond and the CX-1 Black Hole Bluegrass Boyz on Tree Leaf Records. The album was recorded in the spring of 2004 and the band has already moved on—performing only four or five tunes from that album during its live shows. But it is worth noting that the album is a fine representation of how Pond has grown as a composer since his days as a music major at Appalachian State University.

The album also features a wealth of talent from the pool of musicians in the Asheville and Boone areas. It includes performances from Jon Price, Jason Krekel, Jeremy Saunders, Larry Keel, Gaines Post, Richard Faulk, Sean Foley and Caroline Pond. Musically, the album explores jazz, bluegrass and reggae in a cohesive manner.

The emphasis on the new album is Andy Pond’s innovative banjo playing and as such it is getting positive recognition from both jazz and bluegrass critics.

“Fans of Bela Fleck should check out Andy Pond and the CS-1 Black Hole Bluegrass Boyz, a wild and sometimes wacky collection of Flecktone-like material by a ten-member group all based around the very impressive banjo playing of Andy Pond,” wrote the reviewer for Banjo Newsletter. “This slightly giddy record consists of all Pond originals, and continues to explore the possibilities of newgrass reggae as heard on (Snake Oil Medicine Show’s) Bluegrastafari recording, while also including tunes sounding more jazzy or funky or newgrassy or East Indian/Klezmer or classic banjo meets circus music or even modern hokum.”

The reviewer fails to mention that one of the standout cuts on the album is a version of “Creek Come Rising” written by former High Country resident Matt Rue.

“We’re focusing our attention on the new material that we have written as a quartet,” said Sanders. “This is it for us, we finally are playing music for CX-1 without the distraction of being in other bands. We are heading forward with a determination to achieve longevity with this band.”

Lately that longevity has meant hitting the road to bring the band’s unique sound to different parts of the country, sometimes performing as the backup band for more established acts such as Moonshine Still. Everywhere the band goes, however, they find music fans who are familiar with their individual talents from their previous bands. Those same music lovers are eager to hear what CX-1 has to offer.

“We’re getting ready to record some of our new stuff at Tree Sound in Atlanta,” said Andy Pond. “They’re some great people down there and once you record with them, you never want to record anywhere else.”

For more information on the CX-1 Black Hole Bluegrass Boyz New Year’s Eve Show at Canyons of the Blue Ridge, call (828) 295-7661. - Jeff Eason / The Mountain Times / Boone, NC

Happy New Year to everyone! It's January 2, and the hangover is starting to finally recede into the past along with 2005, with font memories and the promise of a better tomorrow. I don't know how you spent your NYE, but we had a blast as the Shout gang teamed up with friends from HCNews at Canyons in Blowing Rock, for some champagne and some CX-1.

For those of you who don't know, CX-1 is a band composed of members from the sadly now defunct bands Snake Oil Medicine Show and Acoustic Syndicate. I say sadly with some reservations, because though we miss those two groups, this incarnation of musical prowess truly ROCKS!!! The members (Jay Sanders, George Pond, Andy Pond, Billy Sewell, plus a host of guest artists) have taken the bluegrass roots of both groups and combined the bizarre (Snake Oil) with a little rock and three-part harmonies (Acoustic), added a dash of experimental jazz fusion (AVAS, for those who remember), kicked in some occasional reggae-inspired beat, and ended up with an amazingly tight, infectious, danceable, professional and intelligently accessible sound. I don't normally right about music, so forgive me guys, if I sound like an idiot, but you MOVED me the other night.

We'll have some pics available online soon of the band and the happy crowd. For now, however, checkout theirspace at myspace.com/cx1 or just go see them in Asheville in mid-january! - Shout Magazine / Boone, NC

The Snake Oil Medicine Show is no more. The western North Carolina ensemble, which contracted to appear at the Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts, then went into a nova state and flew apart.

However, founder George Pond and fellow Snake-Oilers, brother Andy Pond and drummer Billy Seawell, reunited with a survivor of the late Acoustic Syndicate and revived their band, the Cygnus X-1 Blackhole Bluegrass Boyz, as CX-1.

Any suspicions of eccentric eclecticism that might arise from this little back-story were amply borne out at their Forum concert Saturday evening.

Their set began with the four musicians grouped around a single omni-directional microphone at the front of the Forum stage, while behind them the stage groaned under a full drum kit and an array of electric guitars and basses and amplifiers and mixers aglow with dancing LEDs.

The group, however, played unplugged acoustic instruments in their little circle around the mic. Billy Seawell sat at a single snare drum, George Pond held an acoustic guitar, Jay Sanders stood with an acoustic double bass and Andy Pond had a 5-string banjo.

The Blackhole Bluegrass Boys wore suits and ties, save George, who was dressed in dark shirt, vest and slacks.

Their first song began with a bluegrassy banjo lick, but syncopated; this led into a calypso-flavored toe-tapper with a circular chorus in three-part harmony. The sound was bright, the harmonies spot-on.

The next song was explicit reggae, "Lonely Man," a loping, pretty ballad from the Jamaican band the Overtakers, with whom the late Snake Oil Medicine Show recorded a CD, 'Pon Scenic Isle.

Only in their third song did the Blackhole Bluegrass Boys suit the music to their look with an original bluegrass number, "Creek Come Risin'," from their latest CD, Andy Pond and CX-1.

They also covered, nicely, a Flatt & Scruggs banjo breakdown.

George Pond spoke of the affinity between the mountain music of North Carolina and that of Jamaica; much of the Blackhole Bluegrass Boys' original music was a blend of bluegrass and calypso, reggae and ska. Played expertly, it was toothsome and memorable. Perhaps the ultimate amalgam was "Bluegrasstafari," which began in quick bluegrass mode, switched to reggae for the middle section, and back to 'grass for the feverish finale.

The novelty of seeing an acoustic bluegrass group performing reggae was matched by the quality of the performance.

And so, this was the Blackhole Bluegrass Boys part of the evening; after intermission, the musicians would return as CX-1.

After the break they came out onstage again and spread out to their electric stations: Seawell to the drum kit; George Pond strapped on an electric guitar, Sanders an electric bass-guitar and Andy Pond a slick-looking electric banjo.

They adjusted ear-pods, which replaced onstage monitors; Andy's headset was a pair of chrome ear-pieces. With the LEDs blinking on the amps behind the musicians, the evening took on a new cast.

They resumed with "the progressive part of our roots-fusion program," "Pick It Up," a slow reggae potboiler. Andy Pond took a guitarlike solo with his electric banjo, and Sanders took a nimble bass solo.

Traditional emough, except for the banjo, which nonetheless sounded more like a guitar here. The next song, though, was an exercise in time-signatures (the number of beats to a bar of music), called "Ain't Got Time For Time." George Pond invited guesses as to what time-signature was actually used.

Sure enough, while the piece moved along nicely, it was almost impossible to count out. Very long lines with atmospheric chords played on the banjo through a chorus effect produced spacey music, not unlike Meddle-era Pink Floyd, but with more direction, more like post-Steve Hillage Gong, perhaps (no Pot-Head Pixies here).

The acoustic electronica persona reminded me of the Byrds, actually. Their biggest hits were the folksy "Mr. Tambourine Man" and the futuristic "Eight Miles High." They made both acoustic country music with Gram Parsons (Sweetheart of the Rodeo) and electronic experiments ("Mind Gardens," "2-4-2 Fox Trot: The Lear Jet Song").

The Space-Opera moves seemed to come mainly from George Pond, who rapped surreally between songs and even wore glasses like the Byrds' Roger McGuinn's. Brother Andy's electronic banjo at times evoked McGuinn's guitar solo on "Eight Miles High" (McGuinn is also a banjo-picker).

But the music was all CX-1, and all fascinating. There was no folk-rock, which was the basis of the Byrds' music, and which McGuinn is playing again currently. Instead, old-timey and bluegrass music leads to world- and space-music in the CX-1 canon.

Another musical direction was heard when Sanders traded his bass for an acoustic guitar and George Pond strapped on a bass. Pond had described Sanders as a "spider-fingered jazz guitarist" when he joined the original Cygnus X-1 Blackhole Bluegrass Boyz, who they turned into a "callous-handed bass p - Peter Hummers :: Outer Banks Sentinel

I was recently presented with two options for a great night of music, but financial factors provided the swing vote for my ultimate location. On a night that saw Bela Fleck tickets reach as high as forty and fifty dollars for his super group The Flecktones, a few blocks away provided an eclectic mix of acts for the low price of ten dollars. That's what I love about Asheville - there are endless options for live music every week and at the height of the city's busy season, the infusion of performances rockets at a staggering pace. On this particular night, I visited my favorite local venue, The Orange Peel Social Aid and Pleasure Club. The last time I stepped through their doors, moe. dropped one of the hottest sets I had seen in town all year, ranking up there alongside Wilco's Thomas Wolfe show and The Arcade Fire's Orange Peel visit. Entering its second year in existence, The Terrapin Jamfest is proudly presented by one of Georgia's finest beers along with Hittin' the Note magazine. The current tour supplied a healthy lineup of acts featuring Southeast regional stalwarts Moonshine Still, a revamped fusion of Snake Oil Medicine Show and Acoustic Syndicate dubbed CX-1, and the intense presence of fast rising indie rockers SeepeopleS.

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After an energizing set by SeepeopleS, CX-1 vaulted onto the stage and hit the ground running. The project is a fusion of two Southeastern acoustic music mainstays: Snake Oil Medicine Show (SOMS) and Acoustic Syndicate. With each group having recently disbanded, several of the remaining members wanted to continue the journey and teamed up to create their self-proclaimed "modern fusion music." The progressive roots power quartet features familiar faces such as Andy and George Pond as well as Billy Seawall from SOMS and the lone Syndicate survivor, bassist/composer Jay Sanders. The group brings a sound that is a conglomeration of past projects but has evolved further and expanded into new musical boundaries. Their material is a mixture of world beat, reggae, rock, and Americana complemented by a healthy infusion of SOMS' creative bluegrasstafari. With the new group fully intact, they have begun exploring acoustic electronica that they say will "take you on a journey through vast soundscapes and music adventures."

For old school Snake Oil fans, "Wax-Covered Fuzz ball" has been brilliantly reworked into a danceable New Orleans-esque funk number. Reggae tune "Is It True" stretched to more than ten minutes as the collaborators began to pour on stage. With Baston and Gardener already in the fold, both Bradford and Wright came out for overtime on the keyboards while Bill Jarrett of Moonshine Still made an appearance on percussion. Their last song of the night saw them up the ante with "Flash Groove." Stretching longer than fifteen minutes, this song jumped to creative explorations and added two new guests in Ingenthron and Shore. After reflecting on the show, Sanders noted that this song may have been his personal highlight from the Terrapin Jamfest tour.

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Looking back on the show, the ticket price could have definitely been higher for such a great evening of music. Many worthy causes and people in need of assistance benefit from this tour. It is of major importance for communities to support musicians who are performing to assist worthy beneficiaries. I didn't have any expectations going into the show, but the diversity of the lineup, bevy of collaborations, and charitable focus of the event made it a more than worthwhile cause to support. - Chris Gaspar :: Jambase.com