THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 2, 1995 TAG: 9506290238
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: John Harper
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Looking for something to do on the Fourth of July?
There are plenty of entertainment choices on the Outer Banks.
George's Junction Buffet and Saloon is the Outer Banks' new country club. It offers the area's largest dance floor, so there is plenty of room for ``The Electric Slide,'' ``The Tush Push'' and ``The Boot Scootin' Boogie.''
George's Junction is in the old ``A Restaurant By George'' building. Live music is offered four nights a week. On the other nights, disc jockeys from WRSF, Dixie 105.7, spin the hot country hits for the line dancers.
``People coming in here get two forms of entertainment,'' George's manager Dave Fitton says. ``One is the music. The other is watching the dancers.''
Fitton, who spent three years as manager of The Night Flight Lounge in Nags Head, is a late convert to country.
``I really like the rock 'n' roll of the '60s,'' he says. ``But I'm starting to enjoy this music more and more.''
Another place to slide, boogie and push is The Manns Harbor Marina.
Longtime Outer Banks musician Dallas Morris reopened the Marina on April 1. Morris recently returned to the Outer Banks after spending two years in Nashville.
While in Nashville, Morris fronted The Black Horse band, which recorded the album ``People Get Ready.'' He came to the Outer Banks for a vacation in March, and the fresh air captured him.
``I didn't really know how much I missed it,'' Morris says. ``But once I got here, I was hooked.''
Morris offers live country bands on a semi-regular basis at the Marina. One of the Outer Banks' favorites, The Dakota Band, will play at 3 p.m. this July 4.
Things will be rocking at the Atlantis in Nags Head on the 4th. The Richmond-based ska-flavored rock 'n' roll band, Fighting Gravity, is in for the night.
Fighting Gravity is the relatively new name for the band once known as Boy O Boy. Why the name change for the 9-year-old band?
Seems that John Prine had a record label called O Boy Records and there was some question of copyright infringement. But instead of fighting the claim in court, the band simply came up with a new name.
``None of us could agree on a name,'' says lead guitarist David Triano. ``Our road manager finally said that agreeing on a name was like `fighting gravity.' That part we agreed on.''
The band formed in 1986 while the members attended Virginia Tech. After a couple of years in Blacksburg, the group moved its base to the more centrally located Richmond.
Fighting Gravity has recorded four albums of original songs. They are working on a fifth album with producer John Alagia, who has worked with Everything and The Dave Matthews Band. All of the records have been on the band's own label, Bob Records. But that may be changing.
Frank Weber, onetime Billy Joel manager, recently signed on as the band's manager. One of Weber's first missions is to find a major label for the new record of 13 songs.
Fighting Gravity's music, anchored in the World Beat associated in recent years with Paul Simon, continues to grow and change.
``There are really two routes to take,'' says Triano. ``One is the angst, tormented souls thing. The other is music that is positive. That's what we do.''
On the comedy front, R. Bruce is back on the beach. The singer/comedian opens his 1995 summer tour Monday at The Comedy Room at the Holiday Inn in Kill Devil Hills.
He describes his act as ``comedy you can tap your feet to.'' Bruce observes life and then translates his feelings into songs. With guitar in hand, Bruce sings stories. He is often compared to Jimmy Buffett.
Bruce, who spent the winter traveling the country on the comedy circuit, is starting his summer tour a week later than planned. A stomach problem kept him in the hospital for a week. But you can't keep a funny man down. by CNB