Homecoming will prove to be very entertaining with performances by three famous bands this weekend. Rick’s Caf will feature local favorite Falter, who played Thursday, and The Patrick Smith Band, who will perform tonight. Bill Cook will also play tonight at College Station, which is co-sponsored by Rick’s Caf, Sonic Drive-In, Domino’s Pizza and Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Thursday night, Falter performed their unique rock stylings at Rick’s Caf. Falter, a native Starkville band comprised of Heath Upton on vocals, Josh Winter on bass, Trent Falgoust on drums and Greg Winter and Josh West on guitar, formed in October 2002 and have been playing ever since.
According to Falter’s Web site, their music mixes early ’90s alternative rock, mainstream rock and originals. The band is steadily gaining appreciation from its growing fan base for their great musicianship and heart-felt performances at every show. They mostly play as a full five-piece rock band, but on occasion they unplug for a more intimate, acoustic set. Falter also claims to have the impossible task of bringing rock music to the areas of central Mississippi. “Falter’s one of the more popular local bands that we have,” Rick’s Caf owner Rick Welch said. “They play Pearl Jam, Incubus, Bush, Candlebox, Alice In Chains, Default, Fuel, The Foo Fighters, Hoobastank, Nine Inch Nails, P.O.D. and Seether.”
Also performing at Rick’s Caf will be The Patrick Smith Band, a local favorite who’s no stranger to the Starkville music scene. The Patrick Smith Band includes Rodney Moore on guitar and vocals, Dale Morris on bass guitar, Andrew Hamner on drums and Maurice Turner on trumpet, and they also cite artists from Black Sabbath and Rising Force to Pink Floyd and AC/DC as their musical influences.
“The Patrick Smith Band is one of my favorites,” Welch said. “[Patrick’s] one of the most phenomenal keyboard players I’ve ever seen. His band has a great rhythm section with horns and everything; they’re very, very talented.”
In between these two bands, students and community members alike can check out Bill Cook and the Bill Cook Trio playing at College Station Apartments from 6-9 p.m. Friday evening. Cook, who just played at the amphitheater last Thursday, has performed in Starkville many times and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
“From what I’ve heard from [Cook], he’s pretty good,” College Station event organizer Juan McCullum said. “He’s going to play for about an hour along with his trio. It’s going to be like a two-phase performance.”
The College Station concert is an annual event that was planned for earlier this year, but because of Hurricane Ivan it moved to Homecoming weekend. McCullum hopes everyone will have a chance to come out and enjoy a stress-free concert with other students.
“This concert is an incentive to give back to the residents,” McCullum said. “No one really had a big ‘Welcome Back’ bash, so we decided to do something different than what was going on everywhere else. It’s going to be a relaxed setting; we’re going to have [the concert] out by the pool, [The Bill Cook Trio] will play and you can just come and hang out in your lawn chair. We want as many people to come as possible.”
With Falter and The Patrick Smith Band performing at Rick’s Caf and Bill Cook performing at the College Station concert, there will be no shortage of great music to enjoy this Homecoming weekend.
For more information on upcoming events at Rick’s Caf Americain, visit the bar’s official Web site at www.rickscafe.net.