To order tickets online, click on the title.       Thursday May 1, 2008 10:00 pm The Loft and The Comedy Zone presents Comedy Night with Gemini and Pay McCool 10:00 pm $5.00 The Loft will require a credit card for ALL reservations. Reserve your tickets on line at www.theloft.com or by calling 706-596-8141. All reservations not confirmed 15 minutes prior to show time will be canceled. Thanks for supporting LIVE COMEDY! Friday May 2, 2008 9:30 pm Ike Stubblefield 9:30 pm $5.00 Ike Stubblefield is commonly hailed as a modern master of the Hammond B3. After more than 40 years of playing, he still carries in the pure Hammond tradition. In fact, Ike has B3s stashed all over the world so he will not have to use inferior equipment. Over the years Ike has brought that true sound to the stage and studio with the likes of Eric Clapton, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Ike and Tina Turner, B.B. King, George Benson, The Jerry Garcia Band, Al Green and the Derek Trucks Band, just to name a few. He has worked as a composer/producer with Wendy Waldman, Jim Capaldi, Phil Spector and many others during his time spent in San Francisco, New York, London and Atlanta. Since the late-60s his artistry has been featured on hundreds of albums, tours and film/TV projects and he is still recording and mixing some of his best work today. The upcoming adult contemporary jazz release, 'Old Souls on New Shoes' finds him stepping out of the sideman shadows with the Ike Stubblefield Band. Saturday May3, 2008 8:00 pm Marshall Ruffin/Kip Traylor/CSU Faculty Jazz Ensemble 8:00 pm $5.00 Sometimes the art and artist prevail through our societys system of normalcy. This certainly seems to be the case for 23 year old Marshall Ruffin. The roots and blues singer-songwriter-guitarist grew up in typical Americana, but where science was at the fabric of the family not art. As a youngster Marshall discovered his musical connection while listening to the radio. Then, after finding a guitar in the family attic during his high school years, Marshall began to teach himself to play. Even though the instrument only had three strings, it was enough to set a clear direction for the budding musician. While attending college in Richmond with an undeclared major, Marshall Ruffin found his focus in the music department. After two years and on a leap of faith, Ruffin applied and was accepted to the Berklee College of Music to finish his undergrad studies. During the Boston stay he recognized and tapped into his songwriting and vocal gifts. After graduating in jazz guitar performance, Ruffin moved back to Virginia to play with a number of different bands of varying musical genres. But it was when a former classmate called and encouraged him to head south that his career in the music business took the fast track. Arriving in Columbus, GA, home of Ma Rainey, The Mother of the Blues, he worked days for Buddy Nelms [A Better Way / The Loft Recording Studios] and played evening opening slots on The Loft Live stage for dozens of regional and national touring acts. There Marshall was heard by and signed with Jammates Records. The Jammates team and A Better Way worked with Ruffin to produce his first retail ready EP, Marshall Ruffin Rich Mans Dime. Ruffin will be playing southeast roots and blues venues before returning to the studio in 08 to begin work on his first full featured release. Wednesday May 7, 2008 8:00 pm Open Mic with NSAI Songwriters Showcase 8:00 pm $0.00 Thursday May 8, 2008 8:00 pm The Loft and The Comedy Zone persent Comedy Night with Gemini and Pay McCool 8:00 pm $5.00 The Loft will require a credit card for ALL reservations. Reserve your tickets on line at www.theloft.com or by calling 706-596-8141. All reservations not confirmed 15 minutes prior to show time will be canceled. Thanks for supporting LIVE COMEDY! Thursday May 8, 2008 10:00 pm The Loft and The Comedy Zone presents Comedy Night with Gemini and Pay McCool 10:00 pm $5.00 The Loft will require a credit card for ALL reservations. Reserve your tickets on line at www.theloft.com or by calling 706-596-8141. All reservations not confirmed 15 minutes prior to show time will be canceled. Thanks for supporting LIVE COMEDY! Friday May 9, 2008 9:30 pm Chris Burroughs 9:30 pm $5.00 Jazz/Experimental Saturday May 10, 2008 9:30 pm The Yonrico Scott Band 9:30 pm $10.00 Jazz/Funk/Jam Band For the past 25 years Yonrico has had the privilege of playing with the following people: Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Peabo Bryson, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Chuck Berry, M.C. Hammer, George Howard, Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Bruce Hampton, Mose Allison, Phillip Bailey, Anita Baker, After Seven, Tinsley Ellis, The Allman Brothers Band, Susan Tedeschi, Kansas, Sonny Stitt, Andy Gibb, Joshua Redman, John Scofield, Cecil Bridgewater, Alvin Batiste, Gary Burton, Wolfman Washington, Stephanie Mills, Urbie Green, Fiji Mariners, Andrew White, Gregg Allman, The Three Degrees, The Wiz, John Denver, Ben E. King, The Supremes, 5 Guys Named Moe, Dream Girls, The Lexington Philharmonic, Widespread Panic, The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Phil Lesh, and many, many others. Since 1995, Yonrico has been touring, recording, and writing with The Derek Trucks Band, which released its self-titled debut CD on Landslide Records in October 1997. Since then, the band has released four other CDs: Out of the Madness, Joyful Noise, Soul Serenade, and mostly recently, Live at The Georgia Theatre. The band is consistently on tour and plays over 150 shows per year both nationally and internationally. The band has played the well-received Blues Cruise and Jam Cruise, as well as a successful tour in Japan. Theyve opened for and performed with great artists such as: Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Joe Satriani, John Popper, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Gregg Allman and Friends, Govt Mule, Leftover Salmon, Taj Mahal, Little Milton, Mavis Staples, and Otis Rush. When Yonrico is not touring or performing with The Derek Trucks Band, he is performing with his own band, The Yonrico Scott Band, which includes Atlanta greats Kofi Burbridge and Todd Smallie. They have a debut album named Turning the Corner, which was released in January 2004. Wednesday May 14, 2008 8:00 pm Open Mic with NSAI 8:00 pm $0.00 Thursday May 15, 2008 8:00 pm The Loft and The Comedy Zone Presents Comedy Night 8:00 pm $5.00 The Loft will require a credit card for ALL reservations. Reserve your tickets on line at www.theloft.com or by calling 706-596-8141. All reservations not confirmed 15 minutes prior to show time will be canceled. Thanks for supporting LIVE COMEDY! Thursday May 15, 2008 10:00 pm The Loft and The Comedy Zone presents Comedy Night 10:00 pm $5.00 The Loft will require a credit card for ALL reservations. Reserve your tickets on line at www.theloft.com or by calling 706-596-8141. All reservations not confirmed 15 minutes prior to show time will be canceled. Thanks for supporting LIVE COMEDY! Friday May 16, 2008 9:30 pm Webb Wilder 9:30 pm $10.00 Roots Music/Rock/Americana There are roots rockers, and then there's Webb Wilder. For over 20 years, Wilder has mined rock 'n' roll's most hallowed ground, but unlike so many others, he has approached it all with a rare irreverence and wit. His self-effacing personaa tongue-in-cheek 1950's noir character, equal parts high school principal, tent preacher, and private detectivegives Wilder's music a sense of fun and imagination often lacking among his peers. Judging from Wilder's most recent release, the DVD and CD "Tough It Out!", a rocking time will be had by all (who attend their live shows). Captured live in 2005 by Jack Clarke and R.S. Field, "Tough It Out!" captures Webb and Co. in fine form, thanks in no small part to Webb's crack band, featuring bassist Tom Comet, former Los Straitjackets drummer Jimmy Lester, and guitarists Tony Bowles and George "The Tone Chaperone" Bradfute. A native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Wilder formed the Beatnecks in Nashville in 1985, with school chum Field. As Nashville moved toward unapologetically commercial fare, Wilder and Field were busy crafting their signature brand of rock 'n' roll, founded on the classic sounds of '50s hillbilly rhythm and blues. London may have had Rockpile, and L.A. may have had the Blasters, but Nashville had Webb. Saturday May 17, 2008 9:30 pm Peggy Jenkins 9:30 pm $5.00 Blues/R&B/Soul/Funk Wednesday May 21, 2008 8:00 pm Kerry Kurt Phillips presented by NSAI 8:00 pm $0.00 Grammy nominated, award winning songwriter Kerry Kurt Phillips! Kerry's catalogue of over 600 songs has garnered five #1 singles as by Billboard and Radio and Records. He has been awarded 11 gold records and 16 platinum albums accounting for certified sales of over 30 millions records. Kerrykurt.com Thursday May 22, 2008 8:00 PM The Loft and The Comedy Zone presents Comedy Night 8:00 PM $5.00 The Loft will require a credit card for ALL reservations. Reserve your tickets on line at www.theloft.com or by calling 706-596-8141. All reservations not confirmed 15 minutes prior to show time will be canceled. Thanks for supporting LIVE COMEDY! Thursday May 22, 2008 10:00 pm The Loft and The Comedy Zone present Comedy Night 10:00 pm $5.00 The Loft will require a credit card for ALL reservations. Reserve your tickets on line at www.theloft.com or by calling 706-596-8141. All reservations not confirmed 15 minutes prior to show time will be canceled. Thanks for supporting LIVE COMEDY! Friday May 23, 2008 9:30 pm The Fiddleworms 9:30 pm $5.00 Roots Rock/Jam/Experimental Saturday May 24, 2008 9:30 pm The Neal Lucas Trio 9:30 pm $5.00 Hey Ya'll . . . I have my own trio, (The Neal Lucas Trio) that I perform with. We do a mixture of Jazz, Blues, and experimental music. . . and we have been known to play a little bit of everything from country to hard rock. I also play guitar with a lot of other bands. Check out my calendar to see where I'm playing and who I'm playing with. MyGen Profile Generator I began playing guitar professionally at age 14 performing with various bands that my father played in. By age 18 I was on stage with my own band at nightclubs and private parties. In 1997 I graduated from the guitar program at the Atlanta Institute of Music. I worked in Atlanta in the music industry for a year. In 1998 I moved to Nashville,TN. I worked in the Nashville area performing with various professional acts until early 2000. From 2000 until 2003 I was employed by a church. During this time my duties included everything from teaching young children guitar lessons to preparing Easter and Christmas shows. In April 2004 I went on a month long tour of the southern states (Georgia, Alabama,Tennessee,Kentucky,Virginia) performing at coffehouses, resturaunts, and nightclubs. In September 2004 I was hired by country music artist Jodi Smith to do a tour of the Middle Eastern countries. We performed at U.S. military bases in Kuwait, Iraq, Dubai, Djabouti, and the United Arab Emirates. From that time until the present I have been working in the Columbus, GA area doing various musical jobs including studio recording sessions, teaching guitar lessons, and performing at restaurants, nightclubs, private parties, weddings, festivals, and corporate events. Wednesday May 28, 2008 8:00 pm Open Mic with NSAI Songwriters Showcase 8:00 pm $0.00 Thursday May 30, 2008 8:00 pm The Loft and The Comedy Zone Presents Comedy Night 8:00 pm $5.00 The Loft will require a credit card for ALL reservations. Reserve your tickets on line at www.theloft.com or by calling 706-596-8141. All reservations not confirmed 15 minutes prior to show time will be canceled. Thanks for supporting LIVE COMEDY! Thursday May 29, 2008 10:00 pm The Loft and The Comedy Zone presents Comedy Night 10:00 pm $5.00 The Loft will require a credit card for ALL reservations. Reserve your tickets on line at www.theloft.com or by calling 706-596-8141. All reservations not confirmed 15 minutes prior to show time will be canceled. Thanks for supporting LIVE COMEDY! Friday May 30, 2008 9:30 pm The New Familiars 9:30 pm $5.00 From the foothills of North Carolina a new musical combo has appeared, grown from seeds of the folk, blues, and bluegrass found abundant in their native lands and nurtured by the phenomenal breadth of genres and styles that have bloomed and withered over the last 50 years in American music. Known as The New Familiars, these five gentlemen combine an amazing passion for harmony and dissonance with multi-instrumental talent and an unusual ability for storytelling. Writing folk music from the core - of the people, by the people, and for the people - while incorporating the multitudes of influences that each of the members bring to the table, this band is a powerful swell in a new wave of honest roots-derived rock n roll that is sweeping the nation in the wake of a very tumultuous time in our history. Saturday May 31, 2008 9:30 pm Elisa Victoria with special guest Classic Addict 9:30 pm $5.00 Classic Addict/Rock Not until Classic Addict emerged, has the city of Columbus, Georgia, experienced a band that encompasses so much raw talent and vigor. Classic Addict, previously named Lakeside, originally formed in 2001 during high school, never expected this much attention at such an early age. The band is headed up by lead singer and bassist, Cale Dodds, who puts a creative spin on his lyrics that speak of every day frustrations and satisfactions. With his lyrics its understandable for anyone to relate to Classic Addict and the message they convey. Cale started the band with his brother Chase who picked up his first set of drum sticks at age 9. Since then its safe to say that he has not missed a beat by winning awards and recognitions for his work. Andrew Medley, who met up with Cale and Chase while playing roller hockey, picked up the guitar when he was 12 and provides the rhythm to help tie the sounds together. Classic Addict, who is always looking to develop their sound, still felt like the band was incomplete. Cale, Chase, and Andrew knew the missing link was a lead guitarist to help solidify their sound. They knew exactly the musician to approach. Clint Poe, who is not only a friend but is well respected throughout the Columbus music scene for his southern rock style was just the person. His lead guitar and solos have the listener amazed by the fact that this musician is right out of high school. Already seasoned at their young age, Classic Addict has accomplished goals that many young bands only dream of. Elisa Victoria/Blues/Indie/Jazz This young songstress has found a unique path to her musical style. With her jazzy rhythms and bluesy raw voice it is impossible not to become entranced by her songs. http://www.myspace.com/elisavictoria       Wednesday June 4, 2008 8:00 pm Open Mic NSAI Songwriter Showcase 8:00 pm $0.00 Thursday June 5, 2008 8:00 pm The Loft and The Comedy Zone presents Comedy Night 8:00 pm $5.00 The Loft will require a credit card for ALL reservations. Reserve your tickets on line at www.theloft.com or by calling 706-596-8141. All reservations not confirmed 15 minutes prior to show time will be canceled. Thanks for supporting LIVE COMEDY! Thursday June 5, 2008 10:00 pm The Loft and The Comedy Zone presents Comedy Night 10:00 pm $5.00 The Loft will require a credit card for ALL reservations. Reserve your tickets on line at www.theloft.com or by calling 706-596-8141. All reservations not confirmed 15 minutes prior to show time will be canceled. Thanks for supporting LIVE COMEDY! Friday June 6, 2008 9:30 pm Ike Stubblefield 9:30 pm $5.00 Ike Stubblefield is commonly hailed as a modern master of the Hammond B3. After more than 40 years of playing, he still carries in the pure Hammond tradition. In fact, Ike has B3s stashed all over the world so he will not have to use inferior equipment. Over the years Ike has brought that true sound to the stage and studio with the likes of Eric Clapton, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Ike and Tina Turner, B.B. King, George Benson, The Jerry Garcia Band, Al Green and the Derek Trucks Band, just to name a few. He has worked as a composer/producer with Wendy Waldman, Jim Capaldi, Phil Spector and many others during his time spent in San Francisco, New York, London and Atlanta. Since the late-60s his artistry has been featured on hundreds of albums, tours and film/TV projects and he is still recording and mixing some of his best work today. The upcoming adult contemporary jazz release, 'Old Souls on New Shoes' finds him stepping out of the sideman shadows with the Ike Stubblefield Band. Saturday June 7, 2008 9:30 pm Geoff Achison with BIrthday Boy Marshall Ruffin 9:30 pm $5.00 Geoff Achison has a reputation as a guitarists guitarist. Having taught himself to play in the isolation of rural Australia, he has developed a blues/funk style all his own that can be delicate one moment and explosive the next. Unaware of how the sounds he was hearing on his limited record collection were produced, he invented some of his own techniques - without the aid of pedals or gadgets. As a result, watching this guy wrench sounds from his simple set-up can be something of a spectacle. Geoff also possesses a gritty, soulful voice that has sometimes evoked favorable comparisons to Joe Cocker or Warren Haynes. An award winning songwriter to boot, Geoffs live set features an infectious mix of catchy original tunes, improvised jamming and inspired versions of blues & soul classics. Years of touring, recording and relentless gigging has seen him share stages with scores of artists including Jorma Kaukonen & Hot Tuna, John Mayall, John Mayer, Levon Helm (of The Band) Hubert Sumlin, Clarence Gatemouth Brown + aussies Tommy Emmanuel, Dutch Tilders, Phil Manning & Jeff Lang. (this is just a few) Collaborations with rock, jazz & even classical musicians have added spice to his personal musical vision and experience. Growing up in the small town of Malmsbury, Geoff somehow developed a passion for American blues music and taught himself to play on his mother's beat up acoustic guitar. In his early 20s he found employment as lead guitarist with Melbourne's top blues band Dutch Tilders & The Blues Club. Geoff departed in 1995 to pursue his own musical ideas forming the first incarnation of his own band, "The Souldiggers" and releasing the first of many CDs of his own blues/funk flavoured materiel. Geoff started his worldwide explorations back in 1995 with his first trip to the US. He was representing Melbourne at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Geoff won the coveted Albert King Award and went on to score an endorsement deal with Gibson Guitars USA. He formed a US Souldiggers band in 98 and recorded his Gettin Evil CD. He returns regularly to America playing clubs & music festivals. Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna fame has invited him each year since 1998 as a guest guitar instructor at his legendary Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio. Moving to London in 1997 Geoff established a UK following eventually recording a live album with a British version of the band. He returns regularly playing festivals, clubs and theatres winning more fans to his cause with each visit. His tours have extended throughout Australia, the UK and USA playing either his immensely popular Solo Acoustic shows or hiring the best musicians available to form The Souldiggers as he goes. He and the band have won a swag of awards over the years. Most recently The Souldiggers won the Group Of The Year trophy at the 2007 Chain Awards in Australia. The Souldiggers' Little Big Men album was released in November 2005 showcasing 14 new compositions. More recently an all acoustic album, Acho Solo, was released in February 2007 showcasing Geoff's solo acoustic guitar work. The footage featured above is an exerpt from Geoff's SOULDIGGIN' DVD In November 2007 a CD version of this same concert was released as a live album and simply titled SOULDIGGIN' CD.