Pilot Light keeps the heat on for the new and different

Knoxville obviously has no shortage of venues to check out the latest and greatest musical acts tearing across the country or making it on their own here in the city. Lucky for us Knoxvillians, all of these venues offer us something a little different from one another and nothing made that more apparent than this past weekend’s Big Ears festival.

While the music was spread out across downtown Knoxville, much of the late-night portions went on at Pilot Light, including the Big Ears Festival afterparty.

Located in the Old City, Pilot Light has been the place to catch up-and-coming local and national acts for nearly 10 years. From the strange, difficult-to-grasp (some might even say avant-garde) noise presented by Burning Star Core this past Sunday night to the hypnotic dance-rock of the Royal Bangs, Pilot Light has got you covered nearly every other night of the week.

Located just down the street from Barley’s, parking at Pilot Light is convenient. It is one of Knoxville’s smallest venues, which becomes especially noticeable at more crowded shows. The inside decor is simple and minimalist, only offering a bit of seating in the back and on the side. But if you are wanting to sit down, you might be in the wrong place.

Off to the side you will find the venue’s fairly limited bar, but we’ll get to that in a bit. All smoking takes place outside, which fortunately opens up most shows for the 18-and-older crowd and occasionally even for all ages. The stage sits just above the floor, and while it may look small, you would be surprised to see how many people and instruments can fit up there at one time.

Pilot Light usually has a cover, but rarely more than $5 and the highest I’ve seen is $10. This is one of the few places in Knoxville that I will happily pay a cover charge even when I know nothing about what I’m about to see inside. I think that is something that speaks for the quality and variety Pilot Light brings to Knoxville.

As I said earlier, Pilot Light has a fairly limited beer selection, but that is hardly the point here. You will drink Schlitz or PBR for $2 and like it. If you have a problem with it, there are places nearby where you can grab a more “upscale” beer and cleanse your palette if you just can’t handle it. My point is: Keep the beer snobbery at home and have a good time at Pilot Light.

If you love local, independent and/or experimental music, Pilot Light is a great place to visit any night of the week. You can check out either the screeching of “Experimental Noise Night” on Feb. 16 or local rock band Tenderhooks coming up on Feb. 21 for $5. Dan Deacon, a Pilot Light favorite, will be coming back to Knoxville on April 7 as well. You can check out all upcoming shows at their website, www.thepilotlight.com.

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