How Greazy Keyz sets the vibe at Charlotte Checkers games
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Jason Atkins, aka Greazy Keyz, at Bojangles Coliseum. Photo: Gregg Forwerck/courtesy of the Charlotte Checkers
Jason Atkins moved from Greenville, S.C., to Charlotte in 1997. At first, he slept on a bandmate's couch while pursuing music full-time.
Why it matters: Today, you probably know him as Greazy Keyz, the Charlotte Checkers' organist. It's a role he's served in for the last decade, and it's become an integral part of the hockey experience at Bojangles Coliseum.
Driving the news: The Checkers, who reached the Calder Cup Finals last season, return to the ice this weekend for their home opener. For Atkins, it's another opportunity to help fans make memories, because as he tells Axios, "every game is someone's first game."
What to expect: With Greazy Keyz on the keys at games, you'll hear everything from The Beatles to Harry Styles to Taylor Swift. He doesn't work off a set list for games, but rather the vibe of the crowd.
- Greazy Keyz typically starts playing when doors open. If a game starts at 7pm, for instance, he'll begin playing at 6pm for about 30 minutes before the team comes out to warm up. Then a DJ takes over, and they switch off throughout the game.
- You can always visit Greazy Keyz in the Greaz Pit in the bottom corner of section 127, which is where the mid-1950s Hammond organ sits. The Hammond organ is the "king of keyboards," Greazy Keyz tells Axios.
- It's the same keyboard Doris Morgan played during Checkers games from 1957-2003.
Zoom out: A friend reached out to Greazy Keyz as the Checkers prepared to return to Bojangles Coliseum, the team's original home, in 2015 after a decade at Spectrum Center. Greazy Keyz wasn't much of a sports guy growing up, but it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
- Today, you'll catch Greazy Keyz behind the organ at Bojangles Coliseum for the Checkers, plus for minor league baseball games — in Kannapolis for the Cannon Ballers and Greensboro with the Grasshoppers. Occasionally, he also plays at Truist Field for the Knights.
- He's also a regular at Smokey Joe's Cafe and other spots around town. Plus, he's worked with national artists, including Snoop Dog, and on films and in TV shows.
- He and his wife, author Rachelle "Shelley" Atkins, have been longtime east Charlotte residents with Bernice, their English bulldog/basset hound mix. Their two grown children also live in North Carolina.
What's next: The Checkers host the Iowa Wild on Friday, Oct. 17, at 7pm and Saturday, Oct. 18, at 6pm at Bojangles Coliseum. Tickets start at $32.58.
