Area rockers to perform at Atlanta Rocktoberfest this Saturday

Published 8:06 pm Wednesday, October 19, 2011

A couple of area bands are heading south this Saturday to share their music at Atlanta Rocktoberfest. DB Rocker & tha 348 and Burning Alter will be among the 30 bands rocking two stages at the North Atlanta Trade Center from noon to midnight before the performance of legendary metal band Quiet Riot.

DB Rocker & tha 348 is comprised of Randy Brock, bass player and manager; Rodney Price, lead vocalist and guitarist; Keith Coffey, lead guitar; and Ryan Hurt, drummer. Both Randy and Keith contribute back-up vocals to the mix.

The four musicians came together about a year ago.

“I was playing with another band and we split up,” Randy Brock said. “I posted some pictures from my last show on Facebook and Rodney hit me up. He said, ‘Hey, man, let’s get together one night and see what happens.’ We jammed with grins on our faces the whole time.”

Randy Brock and Rodney Price attended Ringgold High School together, where they used to play music between classes and during lunch. After their reunion jam session the two discussed their goals as musicians and moved toward putting a band together.

“A lot of bands are out there for the fame and fortune, to make money, to cut a record,” Brock said. “But our goal is to show the different flavors of music and bring our knowledge of music to the table for everybody’s entertainment.”

Brock says Rodney, a poultry and cattle farmer, is an amazing guitar player.

“Ten to 15 years ago he won a Battle of Guitars contest in Chattanooga,” Brock said. “He earned an autographed guitar from Lynyrd Skynyrd and got to hang out with them. He went up against some heavy hitters for that.”

The guitar Rodney Price will play on Saturday is a Gibson, Les Paul. Randy Brock will perform on an Ibanez 5-string, bringing bottom end and drive to the band’s sound.

Next to join the band came Keith Coffey, environmental engineer for Tandus Flooring by day and rocker by night. And, on the occasional weekend.

“Somebody told us about Keith so we invited him to practice,” Brock said. “He meshed with us right away. He’s a very loyal musician with good solid guitar backing and very good lead riffs.”

Coffey favors mainstream rock and blues, citing bands KISS and the Foo Fighters as his favorites. His early influences were his guitar-playing uncle and his mother, who likes to sing. He began learning guitar toward the end of middle school and into his first years at Northwest Whitfield High School. He’s dabbled in bands here and there since, though joining Randy and Rodney has been his first endeavor in several years.

In addition to playing rock ‘n roll himself, Coffey enjoys sharing his love of music with others through teaching. He’s currently working with Adam Hall-Scott, a young guitarist. Keith is excited about performing at Rocktoberfest and will take with him, his weapon of choice for the evening, a Gibson, Les Paul.

After Keith came the addition of Drummer, Ryan Hurt. Randy said Ryan enjoys jazz and rock and will be playing a 7-piece Pearl drum kit on Saturday. He is an auto mechanic by vocation.

The name DB Rocker comes from Randy’s own moniker, DB Rocker. The 348 part refers to the exit both Keith Coffey and Rodney Price live off. Keith and Rodney are neighbors, while Randy lives only a few miles down the road. DB Rocker & tha 348 is a true garage band, with practices taking place in Rodney’s garage, which was converted into a high tech studio. Their most recent acquisition was a 7,000-watt PA system.

Rocktoberfest will be DB Rocker & tha 348’s debut performance, and they’ll play the coveted 6 p.m. spot on the Avatar Stage, just before Art Alexakis, frontman for the high profile band Everclear. The north Georgia rockers will start their set with a song by the Foo Fighters called “Learn to Fly.”

Their next five songs are all original material put together by Randy, Rodney, Keith, and Ryan. The songs will include “Misunderstood,” a melodic ballad about musicians and their significant others’ understanding of their need to play; “RIP,” a bass-driven tune about the fun of rocking; “Georgia Rain,” a ballad about growing up, moving away from home, and coming home again; and finally, “Demolition Man,” a heavy rock representation of chaos and humility.

“The songs we write, the music we compose, hooks you,” Brock said. “The music grabs you and makes you want to hear more. And we will be doing a full-blown laser show on Saturday. We’ll have fog and the whole nine yards. Everything we’ve got is professional grade equipment. All of us are ecstatic and ready to rock.”

From Rocky Face hails another band, equally pumped in anticipation of Saturday. Burning Alter was born from a desire to share God’s love. From the vocal talent of Josh Bearden to the drum beats of Nate Stanhope to the smooth bass line coming from Lindsey Mayfield to the guitar mastery of Greg Finley, each of the four musicians bring a uniqueness to the lineup.

Like DB Rocker & tha 348, Burning Alter has been around for about a year. They play youth events at churches, as well as in bars and other venues. Every second Friday of each month they can be found at Safe House Outreach, a homeless shelter in Atlanta, spreading a message of hope and salvation.

“I started in music when I was 8 years-old,” Josh Bearden said. “I grew up with my daddy playing guitar and playing in churches. I got a guitar and started playing. My first guitar was a Washburn Acoustic Electric, now I play with a Fender Telecaster. “

Josh said he loves playing with his band mates on stage, and knowing he’s doing what God has called him to do to the best of his ability. He’s tried his hand at a multitude of musical genres including gospel, country, and alternative rock, but Josh said he most enjoys ministering to others with his music.

Burning Alter plays covers as well as original numbers.

“From the opening notes of Creed’s ‘Higher’ to our rendition of ‘Simple Man,’ all the way to the final scream of our original song ‘Dream,’ we bring something different to the Christian scene,” Josh promised.

Burning Alter also ministers to teens. Their original song “Teen Pain” can be viewed on their website, www.burningalter.info.

The Christian Rock band is currently in talks with Steven Burt of Dirty Burt’s Entertainment out of St. Petersburg, Fla. Burt is an A&R representative with a couple of different record labels, Josh said.

“He heard us in Valdosta a couple of months ago when we were performing at Godfest,” Josh explained.

Burning Alter just finished their first EP this week and will have it available for purchase at Atlanta Rocktoberfest on Saturday. Titled “A Failed Nation,” the EP features nine songs, including one Josh Bearden composed with his wife in mind.

“I actually started writing it for a friend’s wedding,” he confessed, “but it turned into words for my wife, Ashley, who I married this past March. It’s about how all relationships experience ups and downs, and it’s about how I thank God every day for the crazy love I share with my wife.”

Both DB Rocker & tha 348 and Burning Alter have facebook pages.

Official T-shirts for Atlanta Rocktoberfest will be sold by Addirt Outfitters, a Dalton-based business specializing in screen printing, embroidery, and air brushing. Visit addirtoutfitters.com for more information.

Rocktoberfest will take place on two huge stages, with bands performing a wide range of original material and cover songs. Genres include alternative, grunge, metal, punk, southern rock, 80s tribute, blues, and jam band. There will be a full bar and concessions. While this is an all-age event, those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. To purchase tickets, for $25, call 770-279-9899, or for more information visit www.northatlantatradecenter.com/rocktoberfest.