Having been to Sweetwater at 527 Main once before, I was surprised upon dragging my tired butt inside to see that it did not look empty and that it was pretty hopping on May 27 for a monthly showcase known as the Music Box Lounge.
The venue is large, so even when there are 30 or 40 people there, it still seems empty. But it wasn’t, and many more came as the night progressed.
The second thing I noticed, after the heads of everyone taller than me, was the easel set up in the middle of the venue rather than onstage (if there is art at a show at all, the setup is usually close to the band). Jeff Bertrand (previously featured on the cover of Pulse Vol. 1, Issue 12) was painting marvelous works and his lovely wife assisted him. Then I realized that another easel was being set up onstage as well, alongside the instruments for Leon Timbo and his crew.
The “loungy” feel to the evening made sense because this new event was apparently rocking everyone’s faces nicely.
Ben Sturgell was unusually calm for someone who has been organizing this event for the past five months. The dollar beers didn’t hurt, either.
Musical acts such as Ben Sturgell & Element 7, Be the General, Leon Timbo and Pancho and Lefty, just to name a few, brought in a diverse crowd. Janie Lubiens commented that the variety is her favorite part of the Music Box Lounge.
Element 7 guitarist Patrick Worley said he wishes for campus involvement and varying venues when it comes to expansion. 527’s Josh Qualls likes the idea of the MBL staying local, though many were supportive of the idea it could expand outside Murfreesboro.
It was obvious people were having fun from the dancing, but Keith and Holly Brock enjoyed sitting together, nestled at a cozy table, commenting on the large number of people on stage. They jokingly wondered when “George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic might come ripping out!”
The wonderful thing about the Music Box Lounge is that not only is there quantity, but all of the musicians were of high quality as well. There is nothing mediocre about the showcase.
Leon Timbo and his crew were beautifully alive. This ten-piece group is a mixture of soul, rhythm and folk-rock including four vocal harmonies and a tambourine, along with other instruments and the most incredible vocals to grace Murfreesboro in six years.
Timbo was real with the crowd, telling stories about his quiet moments with God. The energy swirled around the dancing people, and many were enamored with the idea that the MBL is exactly where they needed to be in the universe. No doubt.
Hoover excitedly expressed, “I wanna make children to Timbo’s music!” The love was really incredible.
Ben Sturgell & Element 7 did an awesome cover of “Message in a Bottle” (yes, Sturgell not only made this thing happen, but he also performed at the MBL with his own excellent band).
The night concluded with eclectic jazz-rock/boogie-woogie band Pancho and Lefty. They brought everything home with the sweet sax, tangy guitar and swell trombone. Stevie Ray and Hendrix may have been influences to this “up-’til-dawn” type of band.
Even though I came to the show tuckered out, I boogie-woogied into the wee hours of the morning and loved every minute of it. We are privileged to have talent like this in Murfreesboro.
Sometimes, you have to do more than just “step outside of the box.” You have to step inside the Music Box Lounge, and then you’ll
get it.
