Jackson Free Press

"I want 'Mississippi Happening' to facilitate the success of every rock musician in Mississippi," says Daniel Johnson. "That's its whole point."

Now, his radio show, "Mississippi Happening," which airs every Friday night from 10 p.m. until midnight on WLEZ, is working with local musicians, Fondren Beverage Emporium and Fenian's Pub to provide venues for live music.

The first event associated with the show is happening Saturday, Aug. 12, beginning at 2 p.m. There, you'll find a showcase of rock musicians from across the state. Any kind of rock there is can be heard live and in living color at the pub Saturday.

Robert King, from Brandon, performs live acoustic rock; Red Hill City, also of Brandon, does indie rock; Scarlet Speedster from Jackson plays a little new-wave alternative; Tailbone Smitty, all the way from Picayune, mixes new and old-school rock; and finally, Goodman Co., hailing from the metro, gets gritty with punk/roots rock. Because this is a showcase, apart from the music, there's not a lot going on—you can buy really cool t-shirts, though. The show is not for the rock faint-at-heart, but for those who genuinely support these musicians' efforts.

"It's an outgrowth of the community. Businesses involved along the way are showing that they're rock appreciators," Johnson says. "The bands get so much more from the businesses support than the businesses get because they support the bands."

Bands are certain to find support from the show and its underwriters by simply sending in their music—free of charge—to be played.

About eight months ago, Daniel Johnson and Walter Young, who played music together, wanted to do more to promote local music. After becoming acquainted with Edward St. Pé, owner of WLEZ, Johnson propositioned St. Pé with the idea: What about a radio show featuring Mississippi rock artists? The station owner bought the idea.

"Mississippi has a very rich history and present in music. I want to empower musicians to market themselves as Mississippi musicians," Johnson says. "A lot of the reason that people don't go out is because they don't know the people playing."

The next showcase is already scheduled for the first Thursday in September during Fondren's ArtMix. Thomas Jackson and his crew from Hattiesburg, playing acoustic rock, will be featured at the Fondren Beverage Emporium.

Johnson expects to be able to tour diverse rock bands throughout not only the state, but the country so Mississippi natives can get excited about their musical culture. He wants to enlighten the young people who may not be aware of the rock scene, and highlight Mississippi rock for the old who may have lost faith. "I just want to breathe life (into) and promote what's already here," he says.

One such older gentleman is Ed Inman, who will be on the radio show with Johnson, Friday, August 18. Inman is no stranger to rock. He was in a punk band in 1978 called Ed Mopehead. Who knew that? Even Johnson was unaware of Inman and his band before having the opportunity to talk with him at length. Re-introducing Inman as a Mississippi rock legend not only adds depth to the rock scene in the state, but also provides "a sense of continuity" for kids coming up, Johnson says. "It's not a wheel that needs to be invented."

Johnson wants everyone to understand that Mississippi rock is alive and kicking. Better yet, he wants folks to know that it's thriving. "I believe that we will get to the point that people listen to music just because the musician is from Mississippi," he says.

Send music to Daniel Johnson at P.O. Box 4919, Jackson, Miss., 39216 or visit www.mshappening.com He says he's played everything from cassettes to vinyl, but if you send him an eight-track, he'll find a way to play to that, too.