Hello, C-town! It's so good to be back with you for another installment of the Minute. And what's with this cold weather?! I'm not a fan, but as I understand it the weather will be back to normal by the time you read this. And I'd like to give a shout-out to all the Mommas out there. Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day.

Featured Entertainment

Matt Moncrief live at Amici. Friday, May 13. 8 p.m.

Based out of Macon, Moncrief has been a fixture of the C-town scene for several years now. A former collaborator of Tedo Stone, a musician extraordinaire that we've covered a few times in this space, Matt brings a fusion of jazz, funk, rock and jam sensibilities to his singer-songwriter performances.

Killer guitar chops mixed in with good lyrics and a soulful voice will make this a great and entertaining listening experience. Think of a conglomeration of Warren Haynes, Tommy Bolin, and Phish, and you'll get a bit of a feel for what this fella does. Originally a bass player, Mr. Moncrief can play the guitar and sing with equal proficiency. He always puts on a good show.

And you can't go wrong with Amici -- a great place with great food and great people. It's always a happening place on a Friday night on College Avenue, so ease on out and catch what should be a memorable show.

Leighlynn Shine live at The Speakeasy. 2001 Main Street, Porterdale, Saturday, May 14, 8p.m.

This is the album release party for this local duo. Comprised of members Brittany Cowan Coles and Cindy Hay Taylor, Shine is a refreshing sound of country reminiscent of The Dixie Chicks. Nice lyrics and refined harmonies combined with strong songwriting makes for a great sound. This should be a must-see show down in the lovely mill village.

Coles and Taylor have been making music for about two years now, and I think they've got a really good thing going. In addition to The Dixie Chicks, key influences include Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, and Sara Evans. You can hear this in their sound, and it's a good thing. Brittany sings lead vocals, while Cindy plays guitar and sings harmony. Both of these ladies come by their musical talents honestly -- Cindy is from the musically-talented Hay family, while Brittany learned to sing at the Gum Creek Music Barn.

Their album, "Story of Me," is a really nice one. Recorded by the one and only John Johnson at Johnson Brothers Recording Studio, it is obviously of top-notch recording quality and is comprised of some really good tunes. While the entire recording is quite good, the title track is really something special. Truly a great tune. I'm also a big fan of "Look at Me Now." You'll want to pick this one up.

And you can pick it up this Saturday night quite easily the coolest place in all of Newton County -- The Speakeasy. The doors will open at 8 p.m., and the music will start at 8:30 p.m.. The ladies will be doing every song off the album and will be accompanied by a full band in order to replicate the sound of the recording. Joining them will be brothers Jonah and Jordan Meredith on percussion and bass; Jeff Hay, of Blue Maxx fame and brother to Cindy, on guitar, and Jim Scarlett on lead guitar and mandolin. In addition to CDs for sale, they will also have some merchandise to offer such as T-shirts. This should be a cool night.

Per usual, there's a lot of other great live music and entertainment in the area this weekend. Did you know we now have live stand-up comedy in Newton County? Friday nights at the Social House in Porterdale. True story. The Mystic Grill is still doing live shows on Thursdays and Saturdays, and Sycamore Street Pizzeria over in Social Circle has live music both weekend nights. And don't forget about the full-band bars like 5 O’clock Somewhere, The Depot, and Porterdale Bar and Grill. Lots of good stuff out there. Hope you enjoy it.

Lord willin' and if the creek don't rise, we'll see you next time...