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Crucial Atlanta 
By Michelle Gilzenrat ©
You might not know his name, but you have seen Kenny Crucial.
He is, after all, Atlanta’s greatest concert-goer. If the show
is hip, if the band is buzzworthy, Kenny is there. And if he
is there, he is front row—enthusiastically pumping his fists
into the air.
I first exchanged words with the legendary Kenny about three
years ago outside of Smith’s
Olde Bar as we waited for doors to open to The
Hiss/Vue show. We discussed our shared taste in music,
and I learned that Kenny had not only been to every show I went
to or wanted to go to, he also had the fortune of meeting the
majority of those artists.
After that chance encounter, I was very aware of each successive
Kenny sighting. When I got to The
Tabernacle 5 hours early to be front row for Oasis, Kenny
was there. In fact, when I got to just about every concert,
Kenny was there. The mystery of Kenny gripped me tighter with
every show. Thanks to Atlanta
Music Guide , this summer I finally had the outlet to
investigate this super-fan.
I felt that it’s only fair to interview Mr. Crucial in his natural
habitat: the Atlanta music venue. So, we met up in the back
bar of The
Echo Lounge as the Hiss lads prepared to hit the
stage. I soon discovered that Kenny is in some ways a living,
breathing “Atlanta music guide.” He possesses a wealth of knowledge
regarding Atlanta music that could only come after a long, varied,
and active involvement in the scene.
Like so many Atlantans, Kenny is a transplant. He was born in
Toronto but spent much of his formative years in Champaign,
IL. It was there that he formed the dark, psychedelic post-punk
band deFECT . When the band needed space to grow, they
decided to pick up and move to Atlanta.
“I had come to Atlanta quite a few times,” Kenny explains, “and
got to know a few of the Atlanta and Athens bands. One catalyst
to leave Champaign was the cool vibe in Chicago, particularly
at the original Exit on Wells. I thought Atlanta might have
the same vibe from stuff that I saw here.”
What he found upon his arrival down South was a thriving Midtown
dance scene featuring the likes of Ru Paul and DJ
Larry Tee .
“At first I didn't get it. They were holding on to disco, while
I was looking for the next Brit avant-garde thing. Later on
someone called me punkahol, 10 percent punk and 90 percent disco."
It was also at this time that now defunct venues like the Point
and Midtown Music Hall reigned supreme. But according to Kenny,
the "god of Atlanta music" was 688.
"Nothing will ever approach it. I just caught the tail end of
it, but deFECT played there once.” As Kenny settled into
Atlanta, deFECT became just one of his many pursuits.
“The apex was the point that I was DJing at Weekends, had my
solo dance act Crucial , had the band deFECT and
the experimental performance group, The Free Speech Movement
.”
Wait a second, Kenny the DJ?
"They had a DJ doing a goth night on Sunday at Weekends. And
they caught him doing coke once too many times in the DJ booth.
I guess it's a badge of honor to get caught once or twice, but
his lack of discretion cost him the job. The assistant manager
saw my band play at Rio. He figured that I could do it.”
He played one night using borrowed records, and, in his words,
he “sucked.” But apparently the manager loved it and soon a
one-off Sunday night gig turned into a nightly staple.
“I started to play a lot of acid house. I was ahead of the curve,
and I was making a good transition. But, the owner never understood
my act. He thought I was just a crazy goth kid who didn't drink.
It didn't fit in with the traditional Weekends clientele of
heavy partying. I played Rio and Masquerade
later on. But I never really got into the DJ culture.”
So, what became of that “crazy goth kid?” He currently spends
his days teaching at Perimeter College and his nights either
on stage with new band Mack Messiah or in the audience
at another show. For Kenny, being an audience member is integral
to his own development as an artist.
“The more shows you go to the more you have the ability to criticize
yourself. "
But it's not just enough to stand in the back, arms crossed.
Kenny likes to get right up front.
"The reason I like to be up close is because the further I am
the more critical I am. The closer I am the more involved I
am."
But as avid music fans know, it isn't always that easy just
to go up front. Kenny’s favorite venues are general admission,
which means front row positioning often involves getting to
the venue rather early. While some might think waiting around
is a hassle, for Kenny it’s making the most of the concert experience.
"There is this illusion that you are a part of a community.
I know it’s not entirely real, but when you get there early
you can compare notes with other people about shows they’ve
seen."
While you are likely to see Kenny hanging out before the show,
he is also a part of the crowd waiting after to chat with bands.
Some of his favorite encounters include Matt from the Datsuns
, members of Haven
, and Ash. He also lucked out and befriended Neil from Suede
who later invited Kenny to stay at his house while Mack Messiah
toured England.
In fact, when I spoke to Kenny he had just returned from another
round of touring in the UK where Mack Messiah are already receiving
radio play on BBC2. For those who haven’t heard Mack Messiah-
it is definitely worth checking out. If nothing else it is definitely
a departure from what you might be used to hearing in Atlanta.
Kenny believes that forward-thinking is the key to breaking
the mold in town.
“As long as I’ve been here a lot of Atlanta has always been
about retro culture. They have all these ‘80s nights and other
events of a nostalgic nature. The music that comes from that
tends to be derivative and lacks development.”
According to Mack
Messiah’s website,
the band is “dedicated to a particular intensity of performance.
At moments this might be introspective, muted, and hook-driven.
At other points the bittersweet pop becomes a savage hard rock
that occasionally breaks into the psychedelic and experimental.”
I have yet to see them live, but I am eager to see what he has
learned from his concert-going experiences.
If you don’t see Kenny around in the next couple weeks, that’s
because Mack Messiah has some out of town shows and will
be recording in England. But, fear you not, he will return.
Just look out for the pumping fist up in the front row.
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