LISTEN TO TWO SONGS BY THE WEIGHT THE RIDE		EMERALD CITY
ORGINAL SCORE BY THE WEIGHT: One of the most promising groups on the new millennium's alt-country scene, the Weight were founded by singer and composer Joseph Plunket, a veteran of the Atlanta, GA, punk rock scene who around the turn of the century began writing material that reflected his love of country music and his respect for songwriters such as Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. While early on the sound and lineup of a show could range anywhere from just Plunket and an acoustic guitar to a full-on rock band blaring like the Replacements on a bender, in time the group's lineup became more consistent and its approach congealed, and the 2004 album Ten Mile Grace, credited simply to The Weight, found Plunket and his accompanists conjuring up the sad but passionate sound of classic honky tonk, leavened with some Dixie-fried rock & roll and the introspective intelligence of vintage folk-rock. After the album began earning enthusiastic notices, Plunket and the Weight pulled up stakes and relocated to Brooklyn, NY, and started touring regularly. By 2007, the group had struck a deal with indie label The Colonel and The Weight finally established a stable lineup, with Plunket on vocals and guitar; Fletcher C. Johnson on guitar; Johnny Pockets on pedal steel; Will Noland on bass; Jameson Proctor on keys and J. Ellis as well as Thomas Deacon O'Brien on percussion.