Atomship, Gravity Tractor, Flea Market Mascots, Dark Horizon @ the Juke Joint

Ocean Springs, MS
Words: Scott Keller & Canonblue Lalley
Photography: Canonblue Lalley

The cozy patio setting of the Juke Joint became a back yard rock arena for Atomship's long awaited return to the Gulf Coast. Local music fans- a few sporting well worn Atomship shirts from the previous decade- began packing in early as Gravity Tractor kicked off the night ahead of Flea Market Mascots. Being local supergroups of sorts, both bands impressed and delivered some fresh sounding, lively original rock that got the party off to a great start. 
    Things got a little heavy after that.
    Typically, watching Dark Horizon play is like living through an apocalypse, except there is less fire and you tend to actually enjoy it. This night was no exception. The crowd was well established by this point, and they captured the attention of everyone on the grounds with an especially killer set. 
    The overhead tree lights were extinguished after the openers all finished their sets, plunging the standing room only crowd into darkness and only adding to the anticipation that so many were already experiencing. Many people hadn't seen Atomship play live in 11 years, and many more had never seen them at all, but knew them well. When the first notes to "Mothra" rang out eerily over the crowd, it was obvious that the band still had its magic. 
  
 

 They blasted through the songs from their Crash of '47 album with power and precision, saving a little space for a wicked drum solo and a cover tune for added flavor. It would be remiss to not mention how incredibly emotional it was to see guitarist Jared Slade step on stage to carry his brother Nathan's, mantle. He handled the intricate solos in "Alien" and "Pencil Fight" with precision and grace, and we were grateful to experience those moments with him.  

In an appropriate move for what ended up being one of the strongest all local, original rock shows I have seen in quite a while, frontman Joey Culver gave shoutouts to the gulf coast's music scene and fans, and the band paid their respects to original guitarist Nathan Slade.


The crowd was also pleased when bassist Roy Williams delivered the news that the band is officially working on new material, to be released when it is just right. If the night's performance was any indication, local rock fans can get excited about more Atomship to come. 

Through the grueling Mississippi heat, hundreds of fans came out to show that the music scene on the Gulf Coast is revitalizing,  and Atomship's resurgence is playing a huge part in that. 

 It was an outstanding night for rock in South Mississippi, no doubt. Keep up with the bands online to see what they are up to next, and feel free to share your favorite moments from the show with us. 

Below we have some Selfie's taken of the 300+ crowd that gathered at the show to support. It seemed like anyone who was a part of the Gulf Coast's music scene between 2002 and 2017 were there in full force, and it was more than just a reunion for Atomship, but a reunion for rockers of the coast.  11 years is a long time to wait, but they say it's better late than never and we surely can't disagree. 

Check out the full  Atomship article posted in the Observer:   
http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/GulfCoastObserver/current/2017070101/52.html#52
    facebook.com/OfficialAtomship
    facebook.com/WeAreDarkHorizon
    facebook.com/FleaMarketMascots
    facebook.com/GravityTractors