Ghost Motel Presents Familiar Local Bands in a New Setting

In Music Stories, Program Notes by Marina Watersleave a COMMENT

A new kind of live show has taken residency in Knoxville: the Ghost Motel, a new local web series, will broadcast performances by Johnny Astro and the Big Bang, the Hotshot Freight Train, Adam Whipple, and more from the end of October to mid-December.

From indie rock and metal to Americana and folk music, the series is designed to showcase various genres and styles of music, with a focus on artists who are a little left of center. Interesting stories and sounds will always be considered, says Dylan Terflinger, the creator, operator, and producer of Ghost Motel.

The combination of live performance in a recording studio has presented specific opportunities and challenges for the performers. Joey English, the front man of one of Ghost Motel’s featured bands, Nocatula, noticed a difference between filming the broadcast and performing a typical live show.

“Matching it with your live experience adds something more, I think,” English says. “I’ve always struggled with recording because it lacks the energy that a live performance delivers. I think video helps bridge that gap a little more.”

For Kyle Adem (whose real name is Adeem Bingham), the raw presentation of the studio performance brings out a different side of an artist.

“It’s kind of a strange feeling,” Bingham says. “I think it’s really all in the performance. You have to channel the energy of the songs you’re playing and put the music on display. There’s no room for conversational asides or elaborate framing.”

The first installment of the Ghost Motel series, featuring Johnny Astro and the Big Bang, will be available at theghostmotel.com on Friday, Oct. 30. New episodes will appear every Friday through Dec. 18.

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