Oxford is a rock’n’roll town. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I know we are shaped by circumstance, that Oxford has an identity crisis benefits the Rock Gods.

The law of the land demands it. Whether on stage or the dance floor in Oxford’s clubs, there is a expiration to the proceedings. Wilson Picket said he would wait until the midnight hour. By that time we’re done. Unless it’s the weekend, when we extend that hour to one AM. Unless it’s a Saturday night, presumably because at that time it becomes Sunday, and you know, that’s “The Lord’s Day” and all that. Unless, of course, there is an Ole Miss football game, and we all know that Oxford loves football even more than Jesus, so its back on ‘til one.

Knowing that the party must end (at least on stage) instills a sense of urgency, a frenzy, that is rock’s cornerstone. I noticed this phenomenon seeing Beanland wailing “Take Me To The Show” as the lights came on at Syd and Harry’s, the crowd clutching to each note, knowing that that night’s music would be over. Over the years, I’ve seen the crowd push the band on stage—whether it be the Neckbones or the Kudzu Kings or the Preachers Kids or the Checkmates—right up until the last possible moment, squeezing as much revelry out of the night as possible.

These days, we are blessed with a wealth of music clubs and a healthier music scene than we have ever had. In this space, I’ll give voice to all the local musicians while at the same time highlighting some of the amazing musicians who pass through our town.

The first such band is an outfit from the Midwest called Backyard Tire Fire. They’re playing Tuesday April 10 at Proud Larry’s. In the interest of full disclosure, Honest Tune magazine (of which I am the Publisher and Editor) is sponsoring this show, which just means that we like them enough to hand out free copies of the magazine at the show and give free subscriptions to advance ticket buyers.

A festival favorite, Backyard Tire Fire is making their first stop in Oxford on their way to play the Allman Brothers’ Wanee Festival in Florida. They put on a great live show, due to the vast well of great songs. That’s evident on their most recent release, Vagabonds & Hooligans, on which the trio navigate their way through country and rock landscapes using haunting melodies as their engine, lyrical depth as their rudder and bands like Wilco as their guideposts. I’ll assume you’ll be able to pick up the record—already on my “best of” list for 2007—at the show. That’s reason enough to get out.

I hope to see you there. We’ll squeeze the last bit of revelry out of Tuesday together.