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Issue # 16 Aug 2000 thewigwambam.com |
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| Ignoring Objectivity Since 1998
WIG WAM BAM “Albuquerque zine of music & nepotism” Call
for Stickers
As I've made it a point to mention here many times, I work on the campus & drive a screaming yellow golf cart. Recently, when I wasn't looking, UNM decided that the five years worth of punk/indie stickers on my carrito had to go. Lots of sentimental value donw the drain, especially stuff gotten from the much missed best-store-in-the-world Mind Over Matter. Bummer! If you wanna donate to the Re-sticker the Cart Campaign, send your band's shit to the above address. Don't forget to claim the tax deduction. |
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| LOCAL SHOWS local venues, bands from here or there |
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| Shut the Fuck Up!, Someone Else's Problem,
Libertalia, Red Light District, The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, Kim Lenz and the
Jaguars (cancelled), The Delta 72, Pilot to Bombardier, Evelyn, Crispus Attucks,
Fukrot, Fatso, The Hopefuls, Starsky, the Alarm Clocks, Crash Kills Four,
Pat Benatar, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, The Viled, Bulletrainmafia,
Troma Kids, Benefit for the Family of Brian Angel, Blunt Earth, Stoic Society |
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| LOCAL ZINES |
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| Collected #11 Insurgent Press #4 Randoms #10 |
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| LOCAL SHOWS |
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Shut The Fuck Up!, Someone Else's Problem, Libertalia, Red Light District 6/19/00 @ Solid Sound Records 517 Central NE (don't park in the Pop 'n Taco lot!) It's like an old Abbott & Costello routine: "Who's playing tonight?" "Shut the Fuck up." "No, really. who's the band --" "Shut the Fuck Up!!!" First off, Solid Sound is not a record store. It is (if I got the story straight) more of a recording studio/hangout for a group of chicano DJs, rapers, dancers, etc who are gracious enough to rent outsome space to a bunch of punkcore kids -- who hapen to be part of hte Albuquerque Collective (and may soon have a home of their own). The band space is a piece-of-crap graffiti & piss stinaed poorly-ventilated hole. Perfectfor curst & grind shit! Libertalia kicked it off with some good dual bass action (mario on the 5-string, La Natas on the four) plus Eben and Miles Fukrot (drums & guitar) and Jackie roaring herself hoarse on vocals. Not alot of songs yet but so far, so good. The only one I recognized from Someone Else's Problem was Garth fromthat 21st Century Collectibles shop (go buy some hardcore records and support them, you stingy fucks). Garth pulled most ofthe vocal duties leaping around and just about toppled the other band members. I thught they were all gonna end up on the floor in a crumpled heap... Shut the Fuck Up (from Fayettevbille, Arkansas) were a pleasant (?) surprise. Looking at the trio, you might think there's one guy each froman indie rock band. Don't judge them by their coverings or whatever. I was not prepared for the dual bass (yes!) power grind action backed by simple drumming. The first half of the set was a bunch of epics ranging fromeleven to twenty seven seconds each (yes, I counted). Each introduction took longer than the songs themselves. The others were heroic in length compared to the first portion, mostly something about nuclear-powered chickens; I wasn't quite clear on the topic (I can never understand a word of this stuff anyway). The powermelodies of thescheduled butno-show Evelyn were missed here as they would have been a good contrast but there was a last minute addition: Solid's friends Red Light District. These kids played their first ever gig (supposedly, after practicing like five times orsomething) to a smaller crowd. The music was fair; not bad, along the lines of the Exploited, Pistols, etc. There was some shit-talkin' about their nameand alleged sexist lyrics but, again, I couldn't hear a word. To top it off, even with an official city noise permit for the gig, 'burque's boys in blue stopped by (three patrol cars worth) after a neighbor's complaints to say Shut the fuck up! Quite apropos. the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs 6/23/00 @ Launchpad I could tell where this night was heading right away: frontman Frank had his guitar behind his head within minutes, was on his knees before the tune ended and by the second song, three moshpit boneheads had taken over the floor, chasing everyone else away from the stage. In other words, I was looking towards a night of cocky displays by a bunch of posturing bozos sure to get worse when the well-known Zeke and headlining New Bomb Turks took the stage. Not in the mood for tolerating self-centeredmospitdicks (like the one who wanted to fight when I told him to stay the fuck away from me), I followed my original plan which was to see only the Chetahs and leave, despite friends urging me to stay. Its easy to guess the influences of a band named from the Stooges song Search & Destroy, who cover Funhouse, play songs like Motor City Rock n' Roll, and occasionally have as a producer Mr. Wayne Kramer (guitarist from the legendary hippie/yippie/protopunk band MC5 and the all-too brief Gangwar [with the might Johnny Thunders!]). The Cheetahs pulled a decent set, powerful & tight but Frank tried too hard too soon with dopey tactics like leaping into the crowd to sing to women on his knees, "playing" with one hand (actually just clutching & unclutching the guitar neck - its amazing how people think such simple shit sounds good when amplified & distorted). If a group is any good, there's no need to grandstand so early on in the set; or at least, do it with a little humor instead of that "yeah, we so bad" attitude. Good music will draw the crowd in, letting the dynamics build naturally between the audience and the band. The forced theatrics only encouraged the moshpit idiots to further reveal their diminished cranial capacity (and me to leave them to it). Kim Lenz and the Jaguars 6/27/00 @ Heights Community Center The bad news is that this show was canceled. The good news is that its because the fabulous Kim Lenz (the best traditional rockabilly act going) is pregnant. Congratulations to her and all the best, althought its probable we won't see this mom-tobe here for quite some time (she and herJaguars have gigged Albuquerque annually for three or four years running). But was it really too much to ask that whoever promited this show make certain that the posters around town were taken down or marked canceled? We're not talking paper flyers pasted on every phone pole but large full color posters that obviously went to select places. Sure it's a pain in the ass but so is showing up at a venue where the show is off. the Delta 72, Pilot to Bombardier, Evelyn 6/27/00 @ Launchpad Finally! An Evelyn set with audible vocals! They do play loud and, I think, are learning to shout loud above the melodius din. After a few tech difficulties, Pilot to Bombardier pounded out antoherset of intricate songs, fronted by Travis -- which can't be too easy considering the energy he pours into his drumming. As good as those two bands are, the Delta 72 tore the palce wide open, a great hammering mix of garage and R&B. The guitar/vocals frontman took the cock o' the walk strut of Mick Jagger, the hands-on-hip stance of Rod Stewart and the splits & moves of James Brown and combined them into Sly Stone rock n' Soul with influences like the Small faces, early Who and the Animals (who were themselves influenced by the Isley Brothers, Sam Cooke, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, introduced -- so the stoy goes-by British sailors bringing home America LPs thorugh the port of Liverpool). The bass player stood back keeping things solid, which was imperative considering the drummer's all over the place. The other guitarist periodically traded his axe in for a well-laced bongo break (played with sticks) and a set of maracas. An occasional tambourine & guitar slide was used by the singer to good effect. The keyboardist tied it all together; the only thing missing was a sax which, don't forget, was at one time (along with the piano) more important to rock n' roll than guitars. A killer show from start to finish, with a perfect final cover of a Gram Parsons tune. Shut the Fuck Up!, Crispis Attucks, Fukrot 6/30/00 @ Silver House Passing through town again, this time on their way home, Shut The Fuck Up! played the basement of the local STFU Fanclub chapter. They tore out antoher set of self-described "power kindness" as opposed to their "power violence" style. They're all truly nice guys who fully believe in the morality of their songs -- treating everyone with respect, women & men as equals, bikes instead of cars etc.--but just a bit preachy. Their frontman is like a recovering minister from some Christians Anonymous program. He has the eyes of some mad saint martyred in the twelfth century A.D. Don't get me wrong: they put on a wonderful show and are totally sincere but I prefer other bands like the UK's Red Monkey who cover the same sort of message without pushing your nose in it. Somewhat at the other end of the spectrum is the crusty Fukrot. Actually, much of their message is positive as well except singer Napalm Seth. It kind of bums me out to hear someone who's twenty years old talk about "waking up & realizing you have nothing to live for" but that negative view could blance myopic positivity. Things aren't as bad as Seth would lead you to believe but nor are they as good as Shut The Fuck Up thinks. DC's Crispus Attucks walks that fine line pretty well. Or maybe I just prefer their old school hardcore style with melody lurking below the musical attack (but only lurking, mind you; they aren't melodic by any means). If memory serves, I beleive Crispus Attucks is the name of the first (recorded) casualty of the American Revolution, a free black man. It seems an appropriate band name, considering a large part of their hometown's black population live at poveryy level in the shadow of the White House. The shirt I bought from their merch pile has a picture of Black Panther Angela Davis, complete with a mini herstory pinned to the label. I recall seeing images of Davis & other Panthers (as well as Yippies, draft dodgers, Vietcong, Hanoi Jane, etc.) on television at the family dinnertable as a kid. You can bet it made for some interesting conversation between my liberal mom and apolitical dad.. Anyway, last August, I stumbled into an empty Sprockets show when Crispus Attucks shared a bill with Denver's emo Acrobat Down. Tongiht, I was quite glad to see a full crowd for this gig. Well, it wasn't difficult to fill up the tiny basement that was nastily humid with human sweat, like your worst gym locker room nightmare. Yuck! All that was (mercifully) missing were towel-snapping jocks. positive as well except singer Napalm Seth. It kind of bums me out to hear someone who's twenty years old talk about"waking up & realizing you have nothing to live for" but that negative view could balance myopic positivity. Things aren't as bad as Seth would lead you to believe but nor are they as good as Shut The Fuck Up thinks. Fatso, the Hopefuls, Starsky 7/1/00 @ Launchpad The Edgefest 2000 reuniun show! Only a few days before, these three bands had the disctinction of sharing the local stage which is the highlight of the annual alt.rock show sponsored by 107.9 FM the SLUDGE (actually, the alt. has been replaced by (c)rap metal. Not that it makes much difference; the station still sucks). The Hopefuls had whole handfuls of new tunes that get more practiced each time but still crunchy, just the way you like 'em. Starsky is always good, a reliable show but after all these years, the question remains: when are you guys gonna record somethinng?! The only one I know is the 7" from 1996! "New" second guitarist Eric Kennedy (from the mighty Elephant, now on child-rearing hiatus) is a welcome addition although it was wierd to see him onstage and not flopping around like a rock n' roll fish on dry land. Closing out was the final farewell Fatso set -- we've heard that before but this time, it's for reals. Word is Zippy & wife are moving to New Orleans while Chrisitan is tying the knot (Christy showed me a sparkling chunk of ice on her finger to prove it). When I first met the pair as next-door neighbors a few years ago, I thought Christian was such a nice clean-cut guy, it was a shock to find out he had a double life as a cock-rocker! Must be his name... Athough not my favorite genre, Fatso went out in fine form but it was a bit scary when the boys stripped to the waist and (from where I stood near the back) appeared to be nekkid up there. Needless to say, I was apprehensive about moving any closer... the Alarm Clocks, Crash Kills Four 6/4/00 @ the Nursery Lots of tech difficulties including Pete Townsend-style equipment smashing (Crash Kills Guitar?) but what the hell--it was a typical Fourth of July bash complete with lots of beer and roving party-hopping strangers showing up from who-knows-where. Crash K4 did well despite the frustrations and, as always, I love the Alarm Clocks to death. Dance, fool, dance!! Pat Benatar 7/13/00 @ Kiva Auditorium Hard to believe but back in the days before "Women in Rock", there were a few female rockers given any cred. Among these were Janis Joplin, Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) and later, Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders), Patti Smith and --um--no, not Pat Benatar. I can't really defend her spandex rock anthems as anything but a guilty pleasure. In '97 I bought tickets for Styx just to catch her as the opening act and then leave as quickly as possible. Her music is pedestrian & uninspired but its her five-octave voice that carries it through. Born in 1953, Benatar studied opera as a teenager. Her '79 debut LP In the Heat of the NightHearbreaker, with which she closed the show tonight. Although Benatar doesn't hit those high notes anymore, her voice is mature and as strong as ever. Producer/wank guitarist Neil Geraldo has been with her since the beginning and they married three years later. Maybe one of the reasons Benatar's not more popular is the fact that they've had an altogether happy marriage & partnership--no drug habits to speak of, no bandmates overdosing, no scandal...ie: no press. The couple have two daughters who have toured with the band since infancy. One, Haley (15) now has her own teenpop girl group, Glow, who adequately performed two songs mid-set to give Mom a break (sneaky parents, taking advantage oftheir clout to get their kid on stage!). It was quite an interesting contrast sandwiched between Ma & Pa's old time rockers. Most distressing was my realization during Glow's mini-set that--without the excessive ticket prices or little girls in the audience peeing their pants-I actually wouldn't mind seeing a show by teen queen Britney Spears. And I mean that musically, pervert factor aside... Two of my favorites this night featured only Benatar and Geraldo (on acoustic guitar): We Belong and Love is a Battlefield, (hte first written for newborn Haley). These adapted well to the "unplugged" format and showcased the fact that Benatar's power-house voice also has subtleties and nuance; in a word, control. Also under her control was the wise decision to play all the old singels that (let's face it) everyone came to hear--but judiciously interspersed with very good newer material that I'm sure she prefers. She's changed over the years. This was evident when she intro'ed Hit Me With Your Best Shot as an obligatory crowd-pleaser with "one part I hate now" and refused to sing just that line: "Before I put antoher notch in my lipstick case/You bettermake sure you put me in my place". I was glad she did this. Early spandex playtoy image aside, Benatar never was stupid, just young & inexperienced. As soon as the old contracts ran out, she (and Geraldo) took control of her career and steered it towards more intelligent and personal material. But material with just enough of the old rock n' roll to satisfy those few geezers in the crowd holding their cigarette lighters aloft for two encores. My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult 7/15/00 @ Sunshine Theater I could have done without this. Late from a previous engagement, I pulled up and asked the parking dude if Meg Lee Chin was on yet. "Just started," he replied. I've never heard her, can't remember what band she used to be in, have no idea what her music is like but recalled a good review somewhere. I rushed in, glad tobe was justin time-only to find that Chin was already finished. Misinformed once again! I knew I was in trouble once I got to the front. Most of the guys (and quite a few gals too) looked like their fashion consultants were Trent Reznor, Glenn Danzig and Lux Interior. When MLWTTKK took the stage, I sickeningly realized I was in for some industrial/goth/club something-or-another (sorry, not my generation). A couple of tunes sung by the two vinyl-clad dancers had a little soul and were okay, nothing to write home about. As is too often the case, the theatrics, rather than the music, was the star of the show. The Thrill Kills seemed to me like nothing more than some sort of evil disco. The Viled, Leechmilk, Bulletrainmafia, Troma Kids 7/17/00 @ Silver House Once again, the denizens of the Silver House must be commended for risking their space and the wrath of the neighbors by presenting another great night of hardcore. And for service above & beyond, lets not forget dread Seth for letting everyone turn his bedroom into a seething alcohol-soaked sweat pit-- more than usual, I mean. His room has also seen plenty of use as a practice space for Libertalia, Fukrot and some loser band. I've talked shit about the Tromas in the past but they blew me away after not seeing 'em for almost a year. They've evolved into a wonderful melodicore band, just the right balance of the two. Keep it up, guys, just don't lose the melody! Bulletrainmafia pumped out some good grind havoc, the first chance I've had to see them. By this time, I was feeling the upshot of beer and the basement's sauna effect and heard most of Atlanta's Leechmilk and Akron's (?) the Viled in a hazy torpor. Nothing like sharing body heat and odor as a way to make a few friends. Benefit for the Family of Brian Angel 7/21/00 @ Launchpad The place was packed for this one. So packed that it took about twenty minutes to get to the stage after greeting everyone. I knew (social obligations are a bitch). It pretty much continued this way, like a party that happened to have a few live bands. And like a normal party, I heard about another party that sounded good but was far (the Alarm clocks at the Radisson) but mostly I was too comfortable with where I was at to venture out. I only really got to actively listen to half a set each by the Eyeliners and the Troma Kids, the latter who really impress me these days. Benefit shows are a nice thing to do but I'd be willing to bet that everyone spentmore on the drinks than the door. Whatever. It was a cool thing to do for Brian's family--although I gotta admit, the larger than life poster of himover the stage was a bit too much for me. I'd rather remember him organizaing shows, writing zines or even signing karaoke at the Golden West. Blunt Earth Stoic Society 7/22/00 @ private party The occasion was timbalero Pablo Cerveza's 28th birthday. There were all kinds of people beating on percussive instruments all night long but also a set from a hybrid Blunt Society with special guests from Red Earth and Stoic Frame. Plenty of funk, salsa dancing, keg beer, grilled carne and good sloppy fun. !Feliz cumpleanos, 'mano! |
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| LOCAL ZINES title & number precede page count, size, print, frequency; price |
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Collected #11 24 pp, half-size, photocopy, monthly; free in stores or $ by mail 2108 Silver SE, Albq Nm 87106 765-9004 abqcollective@yahoo.com The horror issue wth lotsof zombie stuff (the undead and the modern 9 to 5 kind as well as the mixed drink) and the terror of everyday living. Not as much monster stuff as I would have thought. This zine is lookin' better all the time, geographically speaking. The print quality & layout is much improved. This to me is a great thing as many zines out there are not worth the effort to struggle through them. Insurgent Press #4 32pp, half-size, photocopy, whenever; free but where to find it? insurgentress@hotmail.com (no snail address) Finally another issue of one of the more intelligent (yay!) zines in town. Well written originals & reprints about god, the "scene", the tyranny of clocks, music stuff and the lowdown on what happened tothe DV8 showspace. The only thing more I could ask is credit as to who wrote what. Not that I care about their real names (I know who they are anyway; pseudonyms or punk names would be just fine), I merely like the frame of reference. Highly recommended. You should read this -- twice. Randoms #10 16 pp, half-size, photocopy, monthly; free streetcorner01@hotmail.com (no snail address) Yet another local zine getting better & better. Some lengthy but mostly good quality submissions. Lots are local but there's even one from New York which is cool to have as a perspective from someone you've never met, haven't fucked, etc. But boy, I sure am tired of the meat vs veggie debate that comes up in almost every punk zine at some point. Some people eat meat, some don't--get over it. The only truly meaningful discussion is the method of production and distribution. It can be done sustainably, sanely and organically without feedlots, poisons, politics, erosion and those goddamn golden arches. |
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Wig Wam Bam (by Captain America PO BX 4865 Albq NM 87196 captainamerica1941@hotmail.com) |
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| Wig Wam Bam is written by Captain America |
po box 4865 | albuquerque, nm 87196 |
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