Monday, June 5. 2006
Demilich
Hometown: Finland
http://www.anentity.com/demilich/
Friday, May 26, 2006
The Back Room (Austin, Texas)
also: Split Eye, Biolich,Sothis,Abythos, Averse Sefira
The head liner of this show is a band of legendary proportion. The fact they made a stop on their one and only tour here in Austin was a stroke of luck. But before I get to that I will have to mention a little about the other openers and the show in general.
I missed the very fist band Split Eye, so I have nothing to say about them, but I will tell you I wish I missed the second band too. I read a few comments about this Biolich band on the net and people were saying how great they were. I guess they were replaced by these imposters cause I can not believe how god awful they were. One of the worst guitar sounds I have ever heard and an over all mish mosh of worthlessness. I could not wait for them to end, and I think the majority of people at the show felt the same. Terrible.......
Sothis took the stage in full on Black Metal attire. Spiked from head to toe. It was a shame that they had technical difficulties delaying and shortening their set. When they got their shit together they really put forth an effort to deliver the goods. Serious thrashing and full on assault with their fierce music and some great shredding incorporated into Black Metal, something you just do not see a lot of. I was pissed they only played 3 songs....but for a band I was totally unfamiliar with I have to say they were memorable and were a band I’d want to see live again. I hope these guys get a record deal soon, I think they’d make a great disc.
Abythos are locals, and I had seen them before a few years back. They have improved but the singer got on my nerves; in my opinion he is the weak point of the band. The problem with the band in general is they seem to be influenced by a few genres of metal and incorporate that into songs that just go into too many directions. I think the guys can play well, but they need someone who can help bring focus to them, to get them writing songs in a specific style that a listener can associate the band with. They have a decent sound, and some of the slower guitar parts were played with emotion showing some promise. But that singer's wannabe-ish one minute this, one minute that style makes it hard to know where they're coming from.
Averse Sefira have been around for many years now with several releases under their bullet belts and have traveled quite extensively in support of their records. I had hoped to get a few questions answered but in all honesty I was too busy listening in on and contributing my own questions with Demilich. It is my guess they’d have said they think as I do, that the Austin scene sucks for extreme metal but they would not pass the chance to play with a band like Demilich. These guys had a good response from the crowd, and do have some hardcore fans who truly appreciate their efforts. A band like Averse Sefira cares not for quantity as far as support, but for quality, meaning people who exist for the underground, not the mainstream crap that misinforms people to what extreme metal is really all about. The show would have been much more enjoyable if the lineup was Abythos, Sothis, Averse Sefira and Demilich, but none of that mattered once Demilich hit the stage.
I assured Jeff [Barringer, who met me there with his cameras] during the openers that Demilich was going to be a spectacle to behold and holy fucking shit were they ever. This band is nothing short of legendary with only one full length record released and re-released, which was recorded over a decade ago. The addition of a third guitar player for this tour had me worried as far as a lousy mix, but the sound was absolutely devastating. The drumming was flawless, the execution of the songs was perfection, and the champion of THE most gutteral growls ever recorded delivered by Antti Boman did not disappoint at all. He sounded exactly like the record. The stage presence and performance were incredible, but the timid talk between songs was the only evidence that this is not a touring band. This was well known to all and was the only thing that could make you believe they did not play live much but it did not at all take away from the show. They were one of the best bands I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. The crowd was blown away and anyone who saw this tour will be rubbing it in the faces anyone who did not get off their asses to witness this one last chance to see such a phenomenal band. Horns up to Demilich, for me I’d rate them a solid 10 out of 10 skulls, absolutely incredible!
I spent a lot of time before the show listening to the never ending questions some of us had for these guys. We were shocked to hear their biggest fan base was here in the US. These guys are from Finland and most would assume since metal is accepted more widely in other parts of the word, especially Europe....that they’d have been much more popular elsewhere, but this is not the case. Lyrically the band is weird as hell, and not very typical of death metal; I got the impression they did not even truly consider themselves to be death metal but it was apparent that is the type of bands they preferred to be associated with (does that make sense?). Lyrically it is an odd sci fi poetry, multi dimensional misery, fear of death and violent entities devouring souls....very off the wall shit. Two examples of their song titles are "When the Sun Drank the Weight of Water" and "The Sixteenth Six-Tooth Son of Fourteen Four-Regional Dimensions (Still Unnamed)."
Antti let us all hang when the question of certain letters being replaced by numbers when their lyrics are printed as far as what that means....?what is its significance? We’ll never know...dammit! The only good news as far as the disbanding of Demilich was that all the members planned to continue playing music, and Antti said he would continue signing in his unique style of the lowest of the low burping gutteral vocal style. The icing on the cake for Jeff and me was that he mentioned he had kept reptiles in the past including, of course, the ever popular corn snake. Funny how some of the most brutal bands out there are just regular guys and are so completely laid back and mellow. These guys from Finland were all very cool and even a bit quiet, but they let if rip on stage and were nothing short of impressive. By far one of the best shows I have seen in years. When asked if they thought their record would be worshiped with a kult status all these years later they said absolutely not. It was also revealed the album was recorded on a small budget (which to some was obvious but hell, some bands with great budgets for recording cranked out some total shit). Their English was fine, that is now....and I hinted that since their record was recorded many years back that I wondered if they could change anything (especially the lyrics). would they. The answer was yes, but unfortunately I could not find a way ask if they meant the lyrics without sounding insulting towards their knowledge of the English language back then ... but myself I will always wonder.... since these lyrics are just so damn weird.
Regardless, they are one hell of a band and should be very proud of their achievement in the archives of metal history. I feel extremely lucky to have witnessed this show and to have had the chance to meet the band. I encourage you to seek out this record and get an earful of something that is so unique, yet blends into the scene and sound of death metal like a nightmare you hoped would never end, but this was it. This was a closure for the band, I wish them the best and thank them for coming to the US and giving their fans one chance to see them tear it up. It is something I won’t soon forget.
Releases........
Demilich Nespithe 1993 Necropolis Records
then the European rerelease of
Nespithe on Repulse Records in 1996 which included “ The Four Instructive Tales........ of Decomposition� demo and new artwork
One of the new records which will be released on LP only limited too 397 autographed copies from Morbid Thoughts Records should be available soon titled em9t2ness of van2s1ing
The other final release form the band will be in CD format through Xtreem Music soon titled v34ish6ng 0f emptiness
I heard both pressings of these rare gems are all pre sold and considered sold out...
For more info and downloads go to http://www.anentity.com/demilich/.
Wednesday, May 31. 2006
July 28 will be a hot night at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco as Henry Rollins and Xcene Cervenka and their respective bandmates kick off an 18 stop tour of the U.S.
Having actually spoken with both artists this year, albeit seperately and in a different context, I can tell you I am already checking tour schedules and flight schedules to see if we can cross paths . This promises to be an extremely rowdy time guaranteed to cause more than one listener to wonder if they had traveled back in time to the 80s.
According to Pollstar "X will feature its original lineup of Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom and DJ Bonebrake, and the Rollins Band is back with the same formation that recorded the 1994 album Weight - frontman Henry Rollins, bassist Melvin Gibbs, guitarist Chris Haskett, drummer Sim Cain and producer/sound man Theo Van Rock."
Now if we could only get Hank III to open a few sets for them. It would make for some interesting backstage conversations. Hank could compare tattoos and talk about his penchant for playing "Black Flag" tunes with Henry, and could swap tales about the troubles of trying to fit a standup bass on the tour bus with Exene.
THAT would be a show worth seeing.
Snow Patrol
Hometown: Dundee, Scotland
http://www.snowpatrol.com/
Friday, May 26, 2006
Stubbs Bar-B-Q (Austin, Texas)
also: The Duke Spirit, Augustana
Hailing from Northern Ireland but formed while attending university in Scotland, Snow Patrol is currently touring in support of their fourth album, Eyes Open, released on May 1. Kind of a lesser known brit pop band, Snow Patrol's music is very similar in sound and genre to such bands as Coldplay and Radiohead, although their music isn't quite as depressing.
According to the band this was their fourth time playing Austin, and judging by the turnout they have attracted quite a local following. Based on the number of prom dresses in the audience it appears that all their work to get their music onto TV shows is paying off by attracting that all important young "O.C." audience.
Snow Patrol played a tight show, covering most of their new album, including of course "Hands Open" and "Chasing Cars," as well as songs from their previous releases. This was a night of squeaky clean brit pop fun and the audience really enjoyed the show.
Special thanks go out to George Ibbetson, Snow Patrol's road manager, for scoring me the camera pass and access to the VIP area. I wish I had brought my better camera setup for it. To check out show photos of Snow Patrol take a look at our photo gallery.
Opening for Snow Patrol was The Duke Spirit from London, fronted by the cute Liela Moss. Formed in the U.K. in 2003, this five-piece band has a fuzzy sound similar in texture and tone to the Pixies, and Liela's voice reminded me a little of Nico and Exene Cervenka. With more of a rough edge than any of the other bands in the showcase, they had a neat buzzy raspy sound, crossing straight ahead rock songs with a noise filled ethereal droning.
Augustana followed The Duke Spirit's set with a neat set. Formed in California, lead singer Dan Layus has a tremendous voice. At times the band's sound, and Layus' voice, were distinctly reminiscent of the bands Live and Counting Crows. They too appear to have developed a local audience, with many of their songs being greeted enthusiastically by the crowd.
Three solid shows, all audience pleasers.
Friday, May 26. 2006
Hank Williams III w/The Damn Band/Assjack
Hometown: Nashville, Tn.
http://www.hank3.com/
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
La Zona Rosa (Austin, Texas)
also: The Murder Junkies
Hank Williams III and his music are simply incredible. Were it not for his outspokeness and general dislike for the mainstream music industry, he could easily be filling stadiums with slick overproduced pablum either for Nashville with his country roots, or in L.A. with his rock and roll. Luckily Hank would rather present them both with a big "fuck you" and play his music the way he wants to, genres and big business be damned. Hank is one of the freshest voices in music and to hear him sanitized and packaged would be tragic. The last thing he needs is to be "molded" into someone else's perceived image to fit a genre.
It was a strange and varied crowd, even by Austin's "keep it weird" standards, that showed up to welcome Hank back to Austin. Country folk, city folk, punk folk, and redneck folk, it made for an odd mix for a musician who is known for standing genre labels on their end. Playing a full set at La Zona Rosa, rather than the short set he played at SXSW 2006 over at Antones, Hank was on stage for at least 2 and a half hours.
Opening with an hour of country and bluegrass with a mix so sweet it sounded just like his CDs, this part of the show would rack them in at any honky tonk in Texas. He played most of the new album, starting with the title track "Straight to Hell" and blew through other tracks like "Drinkin & Smokin" and "Pills I Took," barely slowing it down for "Country Heros." He covered at least one Johnny Cash song, and used other songs from his first album to fill in. Backed up by That Damn Band with pedal steel, standup bass, fiddle, and drums, this was a smoking set of bluegrass and old time country. Hank's voice is spookily similar to his grandfather's, so much so that when he covers his grandpa's work, it's virtually indistinguishable.
After an hour of fine country music in which Hank seemed to be channeling his grandfather's spirit, the band began to transition from being That Damn Band into Assjack, and for 20 minutes we were treated to a slice of southern fried rock & roll guaranteed to make any "freebird" yellin redneck rockers in the audience proud of their heritage.
When the morphing was completed we were left with a stripped down 4 peice punk/thrash band that would have felt right at home at any skate ditch in Santa Monica. The band even covered Black Flag's "No Values." Incredibly the punk extravaganza lasted an hour, and when it was over the band and the crowd were bleeding, sopping wet, and exhausted. The only person who seemed to still have energy left was Hank.
If you want to see one of the most talented andmost controversial performers of our day, one your parents wouldn't have let you listen too, this is the man to see. To see more of Hank check out the photos frm his show in our Photo Gallery
Opening for Hank was the punk band The Murder Junkies fronted by singer Jeff Clayton of Anti-Seen. The last backing band of the late G.G.Allin, famed more for his on-stage antics than his musical talents, the band continues Allin's self-destructive traditions, the highpoint being Clayton's ramming a chunk of broken glass into his forehead until he had a nice stream of blood flying into the mosh pit. The title of one of their songs probably sums up their set best "Raw, Brutal, Rough & Bloody."
Watch for my next show review, Snow Patrol at Stubbs Bar-B-Q, on Monday.
Wednesday, May 24. 2006
Part 1 here.
Sunday, the second and final day of Coachella, brought the same early wakeups and heat the first day had. Everyone had crashed fairly early the night before, and we'd had little time to exchange stories of what sets were best, what injuries were witnessed, and who we wanted to catch the next day. Luckily, we could head off into town again, for coffee and bathrooms, and to have these discussions. The day ahead appeared to be busier than the first, which was intimidating, especially since the weather was supposed to get at least 10 degrees hotter than it had been. But we were as ready as we could be, and we headed in early to catch Be Your Own Pet, who I had thought had one of the opening slots.
Turns out they weren't on until 1:00 so we wandered around, got our photo taken by Spin magazine at their booth, all the while I could hear this phenomenal band playing. They were instrumental, well, not even really instrumental, mostly chill-out DJ type beats, which I quickly fell in love with. I found out it was the Octopus Project, a band I'd never heard of before, but headed off to pick their album up at the Virgin store, which had surprisingly cheap CDs (and vinyl! Which I sadly had to resist). It was surprising to realize how many bands I didn't know that were playing, when I had been checking out the website months earlier dreaming up ways I could get myself to California I thought I had known the majority. But really, that ended up being one of the great factors of the entire experience, getting into so many new bands, either by just catching a bit of their set, or having people tell you about them. The same thing happened once we decided to mosey over to Be Your Own Pet's stage, a band whose energy was spilling out of their tent was playing. We got closer and saw three guys in all black, with red accents like ties or trim, rocking out harder than I thought possible in the heat. You couldn't watch them and not start moving yourself, their energy simply diffused into the crowd. These guys were the Infadels, and they played hard and fast, pumping out a mixture of electro, charged vocals and rock. We enjoyed the last bit of their set until we got over to Be Your Own Pet.
Be Your Own Pet hit the stage and pummeled right into their first song. The front woman Jemina had a real I-don't-give-a-fuck sort of attitude, possibly trying to be our generation's Joan Jett (but sans guitar). She danced until I thought she might fall over, thrashing her bleached blonde hair all over the place and dancing much like Thora Birch in the opening scene of Ghost World (maybe one person will know what I'm talking about here). Anyhow, the crowd didn't seem to feel them too much, me and two other girls I could see were really the only ones dancing, everyone else, including my less than pleased boyfriend, weren't too impressed. They're fairly young, with a garage, raw punk sound that they smooth out for some songs such as "Adventure." They're up and coming and fairly amateur which was obvious when drummer Jamin's kick pedal fell off several times during the set, while Jemina would try to cover with surprisingly ditzy-sounding jabber. Although I feel I'm being a little harsh about them, I really do love BYOP; I'm not sure if it's their fun punk vibe that reminds me of being 14, or their ridiculously easy to dance to and yell along with lyrics (see: "I'm an independent mother fucker!" off "Bunk Trunk Skunk"). Anyway, they finished their set with Jemina announcing "it was a dangerous song, so be careful," then her screaming for about a minute and half, dropping the mike and walking off stage.
Next up was Mates of State, a husband-wife duo, who integrate keyboard and drums together making the cutest (sickeningly cute, at times) tunes you've ever heard. They were very humble, Kori giggly like a school girl every time the fairly large crowd they'd pulled in would go crazy for them. They thanked us more times than I can count for coming out and would also continually remind us "they were Mates of State!" I always find it really great when bands remind you of their name in between every other song; it makes them seem so down-to-earth, which is always refreshing. They were playing a bigger stage so we were in the direct sun for their whole set, which made it drag on a little bit. They finished up with Jason coming out from the drum kit and serenading us with Kori's keyboard accompaniment, while he gripped the microphone with both hands and loomed over it. It reminded me of a nervous kid in grade 3 forced to sing the national anthem solo to a packed auditorium, his mannerisms were so shy and nervous.
After Mates we wandered over to see a bit of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, but didn't hang around too long since the boyfriend wanted to get a decent spot to see Metric. Ted Leo had sounded pretty great, and afterward we heard nothing but good things about their set. Getting to a decent spot for Metric, I wasn't expecting too much, having seen Emily fall over the stage drunk enough times back in Toronto. But they came out, and we were both very pleasantly surprised. They didn't play too much off the newest album Live it Out, which I was pleased with, not being too fond of it. They delivered hits like "Combat Baby," "Monster Hospital," "Dead Disco" (in a killer extended dance version) and "Poster of a Girl." The crowd loved them, everyone was dancing, and I noticed it was one of the friendlier crowds we'd encountered over the weekend. It was most definitely one of the better sets of the weekend, with Emily thanking the crowd just before the last song for "cheering for the underdog" which was a sweet sentiment, but far from the truth when you look at the packed tent of adoring faces they were playing to.
Pleased from seeing Metric but the dance fest the weekend had turned out to be was beginning to drag us down a bit, we headed over to Sleater-Kinney. They played the main stage just as the sun set, which was a lovely sight to see, but the girls seemed a little less energized then I had expected. I didn't blame them with the heat and all, but by watching their faces on the big screens and the way they played really screamed "We wanna get the hell out of here!" to me. I thought it was great to see them though, being a long time fan, they were probably one of the first bands I got into when my interest in punk rock and feminism begin to bloom.
Staying at the main stage we made our way closer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to come out, which in the heat and tight crowd got a little unbearable so we made our way to the back. The set they played with essentially the same set I had seen a couple weeks earlier in Toronto, but I always love their performance. This was my boyfriend's first time seeing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs though, and it was nice to have someone to sway with during "Maps." After the YYY's fantastic set, we were beat. After getting some food, we ended up laying down in some shade and sleeping right through Massive Attack (whose set was almost too boring to be music sleep) but unfortunately also through a few bands I really wanted to see (The Go! Team, Mogwai and Coheed and Cambria). We also snoozed right through Madonna, who I would have liked to get a peek at just to be able to say "Oh yeah, I've seen Madonna!" Alas I later heard she played a four song set (after much technical difficulty delay) to approximately 30,000 people. Needless to say, I was glad I wasn't in that mess.
We woke up and shuffled forward through the masses to see Tool, who I've never really been a fan of, so didn't care to see at all. Their set was exactly what I expected from everything I've heard about Maynard's pretentious, asshole personality, but it was missing the really impressive performance aspect. I've heard about acrobats and crazy light shows, but we got big screens playing clips from their music videos. For me, it was more entertaining to watch ridiculous Tool fans, with them either doing crazy interpretive dancing or rocking out with their joints to "Sober." The one thing I was really blown away by was Maynard's voice, which sounded just like any recording of Tool I've ever heard. He didn't miss one note, which for a while convinced me maybe he was lip synching until I was informed apparently it was in a completely different key than the record was. Tool fans are fanatical, and it's this that has led me to determine Tool is our generation's Led Zepplin. So to me, this set was overly boring and got me quite ready for bed, until my boyfriend decided he'd had enough as well and we could skip off.
But during this Tool performance I'd been missing Art Brut, an amazing brit pop rock band that I had wanted to see really bad, but apparently Art Brut loses to Tool when it comes down to it. But I'm thinking maybe we'll be able to catch one last song, so we run over to their tent. To my surprise (very, very pleasant surprise) Art Brut had a number of songs to go, since they had their set pushed way back by yet again more difficulties and decided they weren't going to cut it short. From what I understand Coachella has tight rules about not performing past midnight, or else there are enormous fines, so bands must end at midnight or else.
But Art Brut being the young, zealous Brits they are kept going in a very punk rock fashion. After flipping off the stage manager who was frantically trying to wave them off stage after telling them they had one more song at the max, singer Eddie Argos informed the crowd they had three more songs! They even stopped "Emily Kane" for Eddie to interject and tell the story of how Emily heard the song and called him, which made him realize that he was no longer in love with her! He was simply in love with the idea of being in love at the age of 15! (Yes, all these exclamation marks are necessary for me to convey the energy Art Brut delivered!) The banter in between songs and stage presence they had was enough to have us laughing so hard we were crying and dancing our exhausted legs so fast they gave out from under us. With Eddie finally giving in to the man and heading off stage, the rest of the band continued playing, getting to the point where they were just making noise. Drummer Mikey continued to triumphantly flip off the stage manager and would do a mini drum roll then point to the audience who would go nuts. This went on back and forth for another five minutes or so, until they finally packed it in as well. Art Brut, even with the few songs we saw them perform, definitely stole the entire fucking show. And I can't wait to go back next year.
Sunday, May 21. 2006
The Violent Femmes
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wi.
http://vfemmes.com/
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Stubbs Bar-B-Q (Austin, Texas)
also: Zycos
It was a sweltering 90+ degrees at Stubbs Bar-B-Q, but for a crowd used to outdoor shows in Austin where it's commonly over 100 during the summer, the temperature had little impact as an almost full house gathered to watch the Violent Femmes plow through a playlist chock full of their best works.
Best described as a blend of folk music and what today is called "emo" (although I dread the use of that word), the Femmes are one of the bands that best epitomized the phrase "teen angst" in the 80s and 90s, playing music with a light, bubbly, punky sound that often hid dark lyrics. Never acheiving the mainstream success or radio airplay of some of their brethren like R.E.M., they established their own core cultlike following on college campuses across the U.S.
On what is billed as their 25th year anniversary tour, the Violent Femmes have a long history and deep connections with the Austin music scene. Many of the musicians that accompanied the band in their horn and sections (does a washboard belong in the section?) are either Austin natives or Austin transplants. It was good to see the band back on what for them must feel pretty close to home turf. They looked like they felt very comfortable playing to the enthusiastic crowd. The last time I saw them was in the 90s in a club called Liberty Lunch that is no more, a victim of Austin's downtown development cycle. And I swear although the audience had aged, it was the same crowd x10.
The audience didn't seem to notice the heat at all as the band worked through their catalog of songs, the cult favorites (and mine) "Blister in the Sun" and "Gone Daddy Gone" eliciting great response from the crowd. On other songs the band solicited the audience's participation and were rewarded by the throngs echoing back the chorus. When the Femmes broke into a cover of "Blue Eyes Cryin in the Rain" I half expected to see Willie Neslon amble out onstage, but alas, a guest appearance was not in the cards. I could not find fault with the bands musicianship, nor with the sound mix, and at times you could have pictured yourself listening to a recorded album rather than a live band. "American Music" and other classic Femmes tunes sounded great. I clocked the show at just over and hour and 50 minutes.
Opening for the Femmes was local Austin band (I guess ? I couldn't find much info on the web about them), Zycos, with a sound reminiscent of Tom Petty and a folksier Talking Heads. They played a short, tight set as the audience began to filter in. They were a good match for the crowd and their music complemented the headliners well.
As a side note, I am sorry that I do not have photos from this show. The Femmes had a very strict no cameras policy.
Saturday, May 13. 2006
Tracii Guns Band
Hometown: Los Angeles, Ca.
http://www.tracii-guns.com
also Lyden Moon, Wrath
Friday May 12, 2006
Vnuks Lounge - Cudahy WI
First off let me say this. Vnuk's has done a WONDERFUL job with their remodeling of their location and making a great location for club shows. The sound was really very nice for a bar and in all honesty I must say it sounds a gajillion times better than any of the three rooms at the Rave. You could actually hear EVERYTHING cohesively. The only real complaint I could come up with is that seating to relax is limited. But a helluva nice place. Oh yeah one other thing Vnuks has over the Rave is toilets that won't back up. Gotta give them props for going that extra mile and getting the Toto. I can't count how many shows I have bleached my boots after getting home from the Rave. In fact nothing sucks more than coming home and walking in snow in socks because the boots are too sticky from evil knows what to walk on my floors. So props to Vnuks for one helluva remodel. From a south side dive bar to a great concert venue.
Wrath - Their show wasn't bad at all. There were some sound issues. It almost sounded as though one of the guitars were off. They did 5 songs, all originals and had three solos. I personally would have enjoyed a few more songs over the solos. Michael Brigham did a nice clean solo. AJ could have slowed his down more. He was doing a Deville Solo showing off how fast he could go. Speed isn't always what matters. One thing I just cant help but comment on. Brigham has to be a bastard child of Dave Mustaine. Either that or he is channeling him on stage. From how his hair looks to how he interacts with the crowd to even how he plays, I swear he is a Dave less the anger. Not that it's a bad thing, but just something that struck me. All songs performed were originals and pretty darn decent. Heavy however Brigham actually sings. It's a lovely thing to see. These guys are competing in the Emergenza Semi Finals at The Rave Bar June 2, 2006. Old Skool thrash fans give these kids a shot.
Lyden Moon - Lyden Moon is a phenomenal guitarist. Plain and simple. His shows are always hard for me to comment on because I am always focused on vocals and well there aren't any in his shows. Moon only does instrumentals. Transitioning between songs with bluesy, jazzy, classical and rock feels, he has always put on one helluva show. I first saw Moon a while back opening up for Michael Angelo Batio's band C4. Moon makes it all seem effortless. And he can make everything sound cool, including the Charlie Brown theme Song. Joel Thierfelder on bass and Mark Altergott on Drums round out the group. Moon really should be bigger than he is, however I think the lack of vocals does hurt him career-wise. Musically, it makes the group a wonderful change. Moon hits people from every genre of music with something to enjoy, and I strongly suggest if you are a Midwesterner to give this man a shot. He has shows in Illinois and Wisconsin in the next few months. Moon and his band put on one helluva performance. His most recent CD (#4 to be exact) Fire It Up is on sale now being released in 2005. This is someone to see if you are a guitar freak.
Tracii Guns Band - The line up for this band is 3/4 the original LA Guns line up. Tracii (obviously) on lead guitar, Paul Black on Vocals, Nickey Alexander on Drums, and the fourth member, well that's Tracii's son Jeremy Guns on bass. I had a hard time with the singer. Perhaps I'm just so used to the way Phil Lewis sounds on the songs. Black did grow on me, and what he lacked sound wise he more than made up for as a showman. This man worked the crowd like one of the best. It was a small show attendance wise, but the band seemed to really have a blast and that transferred into the crowd. Lots of old time fans there who really had a blast. Tracii as always, was phenomenal on guitars. I must say, having the band introduced and hearing the bassist was Tracii's son was hard. Rock Stars can't grow up and do things like normal people. They just can't! Of course that also reminded me I am no longer a wild child either. I did like the selection of songs. Lots of the older stuff- "No Mercy," "Sex Action," "Rip and Tear," "Electric Gypsy," "One More Reason." All the old harder songs. Naturally their big song "Ballad Of Jayne" was played. For a short while Tracii appeared to be having a Brides of Destruction flashback. A few shorts of Crue songs were played. The coolest part of the evening to me is it brought back to mind the days of early glam metal. When THE place to be was the Sunset Strip. That was the feel of the place. A time I missed here in WI but watched on MTV with jealousy. I must say the band were all incredibly nice, hanging out with the fans (which is always a plus of club shows) and I finally after many years attempting got to meet Tracii. He was a helluva nice guy and a doll. It's always wonderful when the band remembers the fans who put them there, and he does. They still have many dates left. Give the Guns a shot.
Upcoming Dates:
Tue 16th - Eck's Saloon, Denver, Co.
Wed 17th - In The Venue, Salt Lake City, Ut.
Thu 18th - The Bouquet, Boise, Id
Fri 19th - Ash Street Saloon, Portland, Or.
Sat 20th - El Corazon,Seattle, Wa.
Sun 21st - Spokane, Wa. -
Tue 23rd - San Francisco, Ca.
Wed 24th - Los Angeles, Ca.
Thursday, May 11. 2006
James Brown
Hometown: Macon, Ga.
http://www.funky-stuff.com/jamesbrown/
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Stubbs Bar-B-Q (Austin, Texas)
Get back - wanna kiss myslf ... heeeeyyy! heh...
The hardest working man in show business, the godfather of soul, and the man with possibly the longest intro in the history of music, rolled his show through Austin last night and a show it was. Playing to a packed audience with no opening act, the show started promptly at 9 pm, with James actually not appearing until 20 minutes later, relying on his fabulous show band to get the audience revved up.
Fifteen years or so ago I made my only trip to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. All the other guys wanted to drink and gamble. Me, I wanted to see a Vegas show. I didn't want to see Sigfried & Roy, or Wayne Newton, I wanted to see James Brown, who was playing at the Hard Rock. My attempts to drag the others away were fruitless, I missed the show, and regretted it ever since. I mean who wouldn't want to see James Brown in Las Vegas?
Well Stubb's is certainly no Vegas, but what I do at Stubb's doesn't stay at Stubb's either, and James Brown brought enough Vegas with him to sate my desire to see a show. His traveling show must have 20+ artists involved, from his tremendous brass section, to his back-up singers and dancers. He even brought his own MC to do his 20 minute intro.
Covering most of his hits, James got tremendous crowd participation as he danced, kicked his microphone, and blasted through his 90 minute set like a man half his age. While I didn't see him do the splits on-stage, its possibly because of the 7' 4" man mountain in front of me intermittently blocking my view. Unfortunately this also impacted my ability to take pictures of the show, and few that I took actually came out. This didn't impact my ability to enjoy the show however, and I shifted back out of camera range. Good thing I did because there simply was no place to dance up-front, and if there is one thing James Brown does to me, it's make my feet want to move and my head bounce up and down.
I can't think of a single bad song in the whole set, but my favorites and the crowd's were his hits, like "Living in America" and "Sex Machine," and before I knew it the show was over. It felt short, but clocked in at about an hour and 40 minutes.
Tuesday, May 9. 2006
Being from Toronto, the closest thing we get to a big music festival is 8-10 band lineups at Olympic Island or Molson Park in Barrie, with poor organization and $4 dollar water. I had no idea what to expect traveling out to the desert to see a show that spanned over two days with over 90 bands. After long flights and delays and getting luggage lost, we entered the "golf capital of America" to be greeted by gorgeous weather, mountains surrounding us and palm trees at their feet. We rented a boat of a car, fought with American Airlines over my luggage, and headed off to the Empire Polo Grounds, which would serve as our campground home for the next couple days. Rather burnt out from the heat and exhaustion from being up all night driving and on planes and in airports, the sight of the camp ground and setting up our tent still made me ridiculously excited. Tons of friendly faces surrounded us; our camping area was with fellow Canadians and a British couple, all really great people.
The first night was essentially a huge party with 11,000 other music fans, but being exhausted, grumpy over my lost clothes and underage, I opted to pass out in the tent until morning. Second year Coachella-goers had warned us about the 6-7 am wake up that was inevitable with the heat and sun, which I had been skeptical about, but unfortunately, came true. Saturday morning just before 7 I was wide awake, but had slept much better than expected in a 7 x 9 tent (with my boyfriend and myself both being 6 feet tall). The rental car ended up being a must-have, as the morning bathroom and shower lines were endless and the heat was inescapable. A bunch of us headed into town to the not-so-welcoming locals for some insanely expensive breakfast, but air-conditioning and real washrooms made it well worth it. By the time we got back to the campsite it was just about time to pack up and head into the venue. I was brimming with curiosity about what the inside was like, as a thick line of palm trees separated the camp site from the stages.
We got in with little to no wait, a minor search, and none of the many water bottles we had purchased thinking we could make last the day. What I found most interesting about the whole thing was that everyone you seemed to meet was there for completely different reasons. I had assumed going into it that it would be nothing but rocker types, maybe some goth and indie kids. But a couple of the guys we spent most of the weekend with were heavy into underground hip hop and had come solely to see all the hip hop and DJ acts, most of which I'd never even heard of. Our British friends had come for mostly dance acts and DJ sets as well, and it seemed we were the unusual ones for just wanting to see Depeche Mode or Wolfmother.
From the influence of the aforementioned friends, the first act we checked out was Brother Ali, an albino rapper who was catchy, but we split quickly to go see The Section Quartet. They are a four-piece string band, that includes a cello, violin and a couple other fancy symphony like instruments I'm not sure the names of, and they cover mainstream rock songs. I was not only impressed by their talent and the precision they had covering the songs, but the fact they wore corsets in the nearly 100 degree weather. Playing hits from The Clash, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age, Franz Ferdinand and many more, they had a great set. It became more of a game to name the song they were playing first, since sans lyrics, our tired little minds were having difficulties figuring it out.
We had a bit of a gap after this, used to check out the plethora of merch and food tents. We headed over early to get up close for Wolfmother; luckily they played a covered tent so we got out of the sun temporarily. Their set exploded with "Dimension" and their 70s hard rock vibe had the whole crowd moving. They didn't talk too much, but they sure as hell delivered, and not a note was missed vocally or musically. We skipped out of their set a tad early to go check out the Duke Spirit, who after having their equipment stolen and their guitarists arm recently broken, had cut their set short so we showed up for the last 20 seconds of their last song. Disappointed, but still with so much to look forward to we headed back to the tents for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. They had an enormous crowd, and we ended up listening from outside (which in a sense was better, more room for dancing!) and watching kids tear open the velcro of the tent sides to get in where the press was. Naturally, this was quickly put to a stop by the event staff, but was amusing at the moment. It was a good set, I mumbled along to all their songs where I can't exactly tell what he's saying but made sure to yell "My yellow country teeth!" every so often, when appropriate, of course.
Again, we skipped out of this set a tad early to head over to catch the end of Deerhoof and get a decent place to watch Imogen Heap. Deerhoof was their unusual, quirky selves, which the crowd really seemed to dig. I didn't think they would get a very positive response, but their noise rock off beat style seemed to get people moving. We got fairly close for Imogen Heap's set, who started off with a number of inevitable technical difficulties, which I was pleased to see she came out and dealt with herself. That was another aspect of the show I really enjoyed, most bands seemed to lose their rock star attitudes and were out on the stage doing their own sound checks and tuning their own instruments. Imogen Heap played well, I wasn't sure how she would go about it, but with all her keyboards and mixers and fancy machines she had that she introduced as "her family" everything sounded fantastic.
Once again, we skipped out of her set early (yes, we developed a very good dance-walk as most others did from running from set to set) to catch Ladytron. I've been a fan of Ladytron for years now, and they recently set a Toronto date, which I'm unable to attend since it's 19+. I was sorely disappointed about this, but thrilled to see I'd be able to catch them here. Unfortunately, about three songs into their set, a couple of guys decided to push me right out of their way so I nearly fell over, and plant themselves directly in front of me. After some words with them I decided it was best to get out of there, as Ladytron's stage presence was about as exciting as watching golf. They all got on stage, took their positions and did not stray one bit from them, which didn't make for much of a show. The sound was spectacular, but I expected a bit more excitement from such a fun electro-dance group. After the Ladytron experience, we headed off to Eagles of Death Metal, which definitely lightened the mood. With two drummers, one of which being Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme and the other Samantha Maloney of Hole and Motley Crue fame, who drummed in synch throughout the show. This in itself was impressive, but the drumming could have been phenomenal having two drummers working together, alas it was still a good show. Front man Jesse Hughes was his amusing self, reminding the audience every couple of songs that he was "really nervous, and this was a huge fucking crowd, and he was so scared he was losing his voice" although they kept on rocking, and he would get a cheer for the ladies and for rock n roll every two minutes. The crowd seemed a little hesitant about getting into them, but after they got through the first bit of their set everyone was really moving. Surprisingly, Jesse really dominated the show, despite having other more famed members of the band that I expected to shine through much more. With their mixture of rock n roll and humour, their set was a great way to almost finish off the night, after which we headed over to Depeche Mode.
By this time the fact the sun had been sucking my energy supply dry all day was really starting to catch up with me. The crowd for Depeche Mode was overwhelming and had us back near the food tents, where I spent a good portion of the set sitting and getting kicked. I was terribly excited to see them, but wasn't exactly blown away by the performance. Okay, I wouldn't even really say I enjoyed the performance all that much, which was disappointing. They played a good portion of their newer material that no one really seemed to be into, the classics like "Personal Jesus," "Walking in my Shoes," and "Enjoy the Silence," which was really the highlight for me. Dave Gahan decided to strip down to his skin tight pants and show off his surprisingly fit self and prance around for a little while, but aside from this display, there was no real excitement to be had. This could be chalked up to my exhaustion, but everyone I spoke with afterwards about their set seemed sorely disappointed as well.
Although I was more than ready to call it quits after this dragging set, we decided to check out She Wants Revenge. I figured it would be a fun dance show, and a nice way to end the night. The boyfriend wasn't too pleased about extending our night even further, but we were both very pleasantly surprised with SWR. They didn't talk too much, wearing their black faux-army style get ups head to toe, they just pumped out the tracks off their debut record which was more than enough. The entire crowd was moving, the sexiness of their music getting everyone bumpin' and grindin' all over the place. The crowd wasn't too big since they were slotted in at the same time as Daft Punk, but they were very well received. The energy of their set was a fantastic way to end the first night, although the mood was ruined by attempting to get out of the grounds and back to the campsite, which was horrifically organized. Finally getting back to our tents we were sufficiently sleepy and I wasn't sure if I could do it all again, but little did I know the next day had much more in store for us! (More to come on Day 2!)
Saturday, April 22. 2006
Les Claypool, sometime bassist and frontman for the band Primus as well as bands such as Oysterhead, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, Sausage, Frog Brigade, and Holy Mackerel, will roll through Austin in July supporting the release of Of Whales And Woe on Prawn Song.
Hard to peg in terms of genre, one word keeps consistently popping up in reviews of his works; that word is WEIRD, and it's accurate, although other adjectives such as bizarre, sick and twisted have merit. Kind of a rural version of S.F.'s late 70s experimental band The Residents, Les has a streak of dark humor that runs through his soul, appearing in his music with songs about things like fishing, beavers, and burying your dead buddy.
Some of his songs are so basic and annoying that they immediately grate on the ear ("Barrington Hall"), others are ethereal and engaging and take the listener on a weird audio voyage of musical exploration. It's no doubt that his work with the bass guitar is some of the best and his ability to transcend genres is amazing. On "Capt. Les Claypool's Flying Frog Brigade Live Vol 1" he slides from a cover of King Crimson's "Thela Hun Gingeet" with an almost superhuman bass riff, to his own cryptic "Riddles are abound tonight," to a tremendous cover of Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." Amazingly. Vol. 2 is a cover of Pink Floyd's album Animals.
Incredibly talented, and musically more prolific than a rabbit, Les Claypool will be at La Zona Rosa in Austin on June 21.
Tuesday, April 18. 2006
Austin being the music capital of Texas, we see our share of good roadshows. Shows I'll be covering in the Austin area:
Additional shows will be added as appropriate and this list does not include shows seen while "clubbing" locally. If you are in the Austin area I hope to see you there.
Wednesday, April 12. 2006
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Hometown: NYC
http://www.yeahyeahyeahs.com/
Monday, April 10, 2006
The Kool Haus (Toronto, Canada)
also: The Liars
It's always equally exciting and nerve wracking to see a band I would put in my top five, especially when their popularity has sky-rocketed since they were last in town and they're all over the radio. Surely nothing could compare to their bursting energy at the small intimate club I saw them at a couple years ago, with other fans who loved their single five song EP as much as I did? Yet even playing a bigger, sold-out venue, with a bigger fan base and a killer new album with a very different style, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's charmed me as much as ever.
Touring with longtime friends The Liars, who opened with a good set, Karen, Nick, Brian and the newly added Imaad hit the stage after a bit of a wait, and kicked off with the latest single, "Gold Lion."
They hadn't changed a bit. Karen O was prancing around the stage and doing her classic foot-shuffling-leg-bending-everywhere dance that I used to imitate in the mirror (OK, OK, and maybe still do). She dominated the stage and crowd, saying halfway through the show that she was "being pretty shy" but still radiating her I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude. From the schoolgirlish "doot, doot, doot" refrain in "Art Star" to the growling scream that comes out of her in "Miles Away," it was obvious her love of what she does hasn't faded. The rest of the band has always somewhat been in her shadow, but Nick still played his role well, with a great squealing solo on "Mysteries," while Brian played nonstop and hard. The set had more downtime than in the past, since the new album has a much folkier relaxed vibe, so there was more swaying than dancing. Still, it was a good progressive route for the band to take; they managed to change their style drastically but still sound edgy and full of emotion.
Hearing the songs and watching the band and crowd, seeing kids dance like no one was watching, reminded me of the energy that seems to have slowly leaked out of the Toronto scene. The band was as humble as ever, frequently reminding us between songs, "Thanks a lot, we're the Yeah Yeah Yeahs!" as if we didn't know. Karen O, known just as well for her outrageous costumes and style as her raging voice, came out for the encore dressed in what looked like a skeleton Halloween costume. After taking off the mask, she serenaded the crowd with the YYY's self-proclaimed love song, "Maps."
One thing this show proved for sure: Once a band breaks out of the "indie" scene and really starts getting the recognition they deserve, they can still stay true to their roots.
Monday, April 10. 2006
The Original Sinners w/Exene Cervenka
Hometown: Pacific Palisades, Ca.
http://www.exenecervenka.com/
Saturday, April 8 2006
Emos (Austin, Texas)
also: Punkaroos, Pink Swords, and 7 Shot Screamers
This was an old fashioned punk rock show in a small bar with an unbelievable $10.50 cover charge and plenty of good music. The crowds were thinner than expected, workers at Emo's attributing it to the festivities for the Texas Relays that had shut down 6th Street and eaten up all the spare parking.
When I first arrived I almost tripped over Exene Cervenka at the bar. I got to talk to her for a few minutes. She was waiting for Austin's Punkaroos to start, a favorite local band she follows. The Punkaroos are fronted by the vivacious Dotty Farrell who is backed up by longtime punk locals and former members of Austin's legendary Dick's, a punk rock band that dates back to the days the punk scene was dominated by clubs such as Raul's and Duke's Royal Coach. A good band with a dark punk humor to their lyrics, they blazed through a tight set.
Austin's Pink Swords followed. Like a Green Day without training wheels, they are definitely a band influenced by the faster pure punk sounds of bands like the Sex Pistols and 999, and is a band I am sure I will be writing about more in the future.
The stand-up bass was a dead giveaway that the 7 Shot Screamers from St. Louis would be playing some hardcore punk-a-billy and seemed to draw their own crowd of supporters. They are a fun band with a lot and I mean a LOT of tattoos.
To call The Original Sinners too derivitive of X would be a cop-out. I have loved X since Los Angeles was released in 1980 and caused thousands of women across the country to dye their hair black and adopt the goth punk maven lifestyle. With members of the 7 Shot Screamers providing the rythym section, The Original Sinners set smoked, sating my need for a live X fix. With a slight country trailer-park twang, distressed vocals and a hardcore punk edge provided by some slashing guitar work, this show evokes the spirit of what punk in the early 80s was all about. This is a can't-miss tour for anyone who wasn't born when Los Angeles was released and thinks that the pablum being pushed as "punk" by the mainstream is too slick, corporate and over-produced.
Thursday, April 6. 2006
The Pretenders
Hometown: London UK
http://www.pretendersband.com/
Saturday, March 18
Stubb's (Austin, Texas)
When I first saw the Pretenders, both Chrissy Hynde and I were much younger. Chrissy has aged much better than I have.
This tour is supporting her new box set and covers a lot of the classics from the first albums, like Tattooed Love Boys and Kid. Playing to a packed house at the world famous Stubb's in Austin, Chrissy has lost none of the verve or punkiness of her youth. She blew through her extensive catalog and dusted off long-unheard gems for an appreciative crowd. The music has lost none of its luster after an eight-year hiatus.
A punk rock icon and "founding mother" (she taught Sid Vicious how to play, kind of), she has lost none of her ability to excite her audiences, although she might not be able to shock them anymore. She really appeared to be enjoying herslf onstage and this was pretty apparent as the night wore on. This was truly
a show for diehard Pretenders fans, and not an oldies show at all.
Tuesday, April 4. 2006
The Zico Chain
Hometown: Brighton UK
http://www.TheZicoChain.com
Wednesday, March 15 2006
Flamingo Cantina (Austin, Texas)
I caught the last four songs of The Zico Chain's set, which included "Rohypnol" and "Social Suicide," and these guys really made the place throb. This must be what it was like to watch Nirvana before "Nevermind" and "Teen Spirit." These guys are raw, loud, unpolished, and, of the 40+ showcases I checked out, by far the best.
They claim to be heavily influenced by Motörhead and the great god Lemmy does seem to have graced their songs with a frantic pacing. Don't expect to slow dance to these guys, and I don't see many acoustic guitar solos in their near future.
This has to be one of SXSW 2006's breakout bands and if they don't get signed to a major U.S. label soon, I would be surprised. I would also be happy. Much as I would like to see them become successful, I must admit that a greedy part of myself would like to see them stay small and unpolished, because I fear that the music industry would just smooth out all the rough edges, make them corporate, and I like them just the way the are, thank you.
|
|