DATE: Sunday, June 29, 1997                 TAG: 9706270313

SECTION: CAROLINA COAST          PAGE: 29   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: AFTER DARK 

SOURCE: John Harper 

                                            LENGTH:  129 lines

JULY FOURTH WILL BE FILLED WITH FIREWORKS, FUN

The entertainment scene explodes on the Outer Banks this week. Along with the regular assemblage of local acoustic players and ensembles, several regional bands and comedians are at clubs across the beach.

If you're looking for live music on Friday night, here's a rundown of who's playing where:

The Outer Banks trio known as Manday Huge are the headliners at Van's Pizza in Kill Devil Hills. With two CDs under their belt, Huge is now the ultimate bar band. Their funk meets rock meets jazz meets metal style is finding an audience from Nags Head to Nantucket.

At the Port O'Call in Kill Devil Hills, the groove-infused college rockers BS&M perform. The Charlottesville-based trio of David Barton, Rick Schaffer and Kyle Mills is on the road promoting a new CD, ``American Sun.''.

Playing at The Pit cyber cafe in Kill Devil Hills is the ska/alternative band S.M.O. Based in Atlanta, S.M.O was the first band to play The Pit.

``The music is warm and fuzzy,'' says Pit co-owner Ben Spruill. ``They're not an angry alternative band.''

At Kelly's in Nags Head, The Janitors sweep into town for a night of classic rock and soul. Not many bands can segue from Sam and Dave's ``Soul Man'' into AC/DC's ``You Shook Me All Night Long'' without missing a beat. But this four-man Virginia Beach-based band can.

``We always judge what the crowd wants to hear,'' says lead singer Danny Morgan.

If jazz is your bag, the Outer Banks' first lady of song Laura Martier interprets the standards at the intimate Roadside Bar and Grill in Duck.

The always-smooth jazz/blues guitarist Joe Mapp leads his group, The Coordinates, through the paces at the Rundown Cafe in Kitty Hawk.

Club-hoppers needing that Jimmy Buffett/Neil Young/James Taylor fix can find it at Quagmires in Kill Devil Hills and The Fish Market in Nags Head. Michael Des Roches is the acoustic good guy at Quags. Parrotheads should check out Rich Bungard at The Fish Market. The Kill Devil Hills resident dips deep into the Buffett songbook.

Looking for a place to dance? Buzz Bessette, the amazing one-man band, delivers four decades of dance music at the Sea Ranch in Kill Devil Hills. Buzz plays everything from swing to Sting. Joyce Bessette sings with her husband on Friday. The Bessettes don't do ``I've Got You Babe.'' But Joyce does knockout versions of songs by Patsy Cline, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Tracy Chapman and Sheryl Crow.

Red, white and bluesy music can be heard at George's Junction in Nags Head, Froggy Dog in Avon and Howard's Pub on Ocracoke.

Long-time Outer Banks favorites The Rhythm Kings rock the house at George's. A smokin' blues guitarist by the name of A.L. James entertains at Froggy Dog. The blues band Grilled heats up Howard's Pub.

On the laugh track, Dan Sanders is at the Holiday Inn in Kill Devil Hills. Billed as a stage hypnotist, Sanders brings audience volunteers under his spell. For about 45 minutes, ``The Amazing Sandman'' has his people answering imaginary telephones, forgetting their names and participating in a dozen other mind games.

Grant Turner, a regular on A&E's ``Improv Tonight'' and ``Evening at the Improv,'' headlines at the Comedy Club at the Carolinian in Nags Head. Using an alter-ego named Rickey Mokel, Turner provides hilarious, sometimes twisted insights into modern life in general, and current events in particular.

The entertainment scene explodes on the Outer Banks this week. Along with the regular assemblage of local acoustic players and ensembles, several regional bands and comedians are at clubs across the beach.

If you're looking for live music on Friday night, here's a rundown of who's playing where:

The Outer Banks trio known as Manday Huge are the headliners at Van's Pizza in Kill Devil Hills. With two CDs under their belt, Huge is now the ultimate bar band. Their funk meets rock meets jazz meets metal style is finding an audience from Nags Head to Nantucket.

At the Port O'Call in Kill Devil Hills, the groove-infused college rockers BS&M perform. The Charlottesville-based trio of David Barton, Rick Schaffer and Kyle Mills is on the road promoting a new CD, ``American Sun.''.

Playing at The Pit cyber cafe in Kill Devil Hills is the ska/alternative band S.M.O. Based in Atlanta, S.M.O was the first band to play The Pit.

``The music is warm and fuzzy,'' says Pit co-owner Ben Spruill. ``They're not an angry alternative band.''

At Kelly's in Nags Head, The Janitors sweep into town for a night of classic rock and soul. Not many bands can segue from Sam and Dave's ``Soul Man'' into AC/DC's ``You Shook Me All Night Long'' without missing a beat. But this four-man Virginia Beach-based band can.

``We always judge what the crowd wants to hear,'' says lead singer Danny Morgan.

If jazz is your bag, the Outer Banks' first lady of song Laura Martier interprets the standards at the intimate Roadside Bar and Grill in Duck.

The always-smooth jazz/blues guitarist Joe Mapp leads his group, The Coordinates, through the paces at the Rundown Cafe in Kitty Hawk.

Club-hoppers needing that Jimmy Buffett/Neil Young/James Taylor fix can find it at Quagmires in Kill Devil Hills and The Fish Market in Nags Head. Michael Des Roches is the acoustic good guy at Quags. Parrotheads should check out Rich Bungard at The Fish Market. The Kill Devil Hills resident dips deep into the Buffett songbook.

Looking for a place to dance? Buzz Bessette, the amazing one-man band, delivers four decades of dance music at the Sea Ranch in Kill Devil Hills. Buzz plays everything from swing to Sting. Joyce Bessette sings with her husband on Friday. The Bessettes don't do ``I've Got You Babe.'' But Joyce does knockout versions of songs by Patsy Cline, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Tracy Chapman and Sheryl Crow.

Red, white and bluesy music can be heard at George's Junction in Nags Head, Froggy Dog in Avon and Howard's Pub on Ocracoke.

Long-time Outer Banks favorites The Rhythm Kings rock the house at George's. A smokin' blues guitarist by the name of A.L. James entertains at Froggy Dog. The blues band Grilled heats up Howard's Pub.

On the laugh track, Dan Sanders is at the Holiday Inn in Kill Devil Hills. Billed as a stage hypnotist, Sanders brings audience volunteers under his spell. For about 45 minutes, ``The Amazing Sandman'' has his people answering imaginary telephones, forgetting their names and participating in a dozen other mind games.

Grant Turner, a regular on A&E's ``Improv Tonight'' and ``Evening at the Improv,'' headlines at the Comedy Club at the Carolinian in Nags Head. Using an alter-ego named Rickey Mokel, Turner provides hilarious, sometimes twisted insights into modern life in general, and current events in particular. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY ELLEN RIDDLE

Joe Mapp, Dan Martier and Mick Vaughn, are the Coordinates. They

will be going through their paces at the Rundown Cafe in Kitty Hawk

on Friday night.

Graphic

FIREWORKS

Corolla: Whalehead Club off N.C. 12, 8:45 p.m.

Kill Devil Hills: On the beach near Avalon Pier, milepost 6, 8:45

p.m.

Nags Head: On the beach at Bonnet St., milepost 11.5, 9:25 p.m.

Manteo: Downtown on the waterfront, 9 p.m.

Hatteras Village: At the ferry docks, 8:30 p.m.

Ocracoke: On the beach about 1 mile north of the village, 9:30

p.m.

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