Cold Hands

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KNOXVILLE — The disbanding of Knoxville's most beloved dance-punk outfit Cold Hands left a hole in the local music scene's diverse portfolio. When the band's electrifying frontman Henry Gibson signed on as bassist for the popular and ever-touring Royal Bangs, many thought they had seen the last of his legendary stage antics.

But with the Bangs' completion of a long national tour at hand, Cold Hands is regrouping to perform once again despite its planned indefinite/permanent hiatus. The group members hope to continue its seldom periodic outings in the future, but in the meantime its members have found new outlets to satiate their creative needs.

If a band's vocalist is the equivalent of a football team's quarterback, Gibson is a mobile quarterback, rarely confining himself to the stage for the duration of a song. Like in football, this mobility melts the defenses of any rigid audience. Known for singing as he weaves through the crowd or swings from a venue's rafters, Gibson's shows offer fans a personal touch, equally savored by audiences and the man himself. Unable to provide the same level of showmanship from behind his bass when performing as a Royal Bang, Gibson relishes each opportunity to get back to his old ways, and thus, Cold Hands may never die.

"They say being in a band is like being in a relationship, and the songs are like children; I miss them both," says Gibson. "I miss being able to yell and scream and people not be afraid. The Bangs is my full-time job, and we don't have plans to halt on touring as intensely as we have, but hopefully Cold Hands can still find time to record some new songs and continue playing a few shows when we can."

"I feel like it could go on indefinitely the way it is," drummer Gene Priest adds. "Everyone does their own thing, and then Cold Hands always comes back together for a show. It never has to be completely done, but at the same time I don't see us writing any new music for a while, although I'd love to."

Not to be caught idle, the remaining members of Cold Hands have held together and devoted the bulk of their time to another project in Gibson's absence. Priest along with bassist Derek Ashe and guitarist Zach Land adopted vocalist and songwriter Jacob Parkhurst to round out HiLites, a project started as a duo originally consisting of Parkhurst and Priest. Now a complete band, the group puts an electric spin on the simple, acoustic song structures formed by Parkhurst. Despite sharing three-fourths of its members with Cold Hands, the philosophies and sound of the two bands will not easily be confused.

"It's like Cold Hands turned 30 and then went back to third grade," Ashe describes. "What we're playing is easier and back to the basics, but it's more mature. We're not afraid to have a two-chord song. I think before, we thought the song structure had to be a certain way, usually complex. We're enjoying doing something so simple. The three of us have great chemistry. We've been playing so long together, we're ready to start booking shows like crazy already."

"We decided to continue doing something with the three of us," adds Priest. "It was too easy not to. We all enjoy playing with each other. I've never had the same chemistry in a band that I have with Derek and Zach. It's a whole different mindset. It's a different style than what we were doing with Cold Hands. A lot of it is Jacob's songwriting. He's an awesome songwriter, and it comes easy when you have a good structure to build on. It is easier, because with Cold Hands we did try to overcomplicate it at times."

Thursday night Cold Hands will perform with Gamenight and Pegasi 51. This show, originally scheduled at the Catalyst, has been moved to Speakeasy and begins at 9 p.m. Admissions is $5.

"This upcoming show is kind of like sleeping with your ex," jokes Ashe. "We broke up, but it's inevitable. It's going to happen at least a couple of times, and we're all starting to feel used."

n UNICORNS OF THE SEA: Gnarly-Wahls join Bandname and I Need Sleep on stage at Pilot Light Saturday. The show is slated for 10 p.m., and admission is $5.

n DEAN AND GENE HIT THE SCENE: The Valarium hosts Ween Wednesday night. Tickets are available for $25 (plus fee) through Tickets Unlimited and at the door for $27. A $3 surcharge is added to attendees under 21. Doors open at 8 p.m.