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Issue # 24 April 2001 thewigwambam.com |
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| Ignoring Objectivity Since 1998
WIG WAM BAM “Albuquerque zine of music & nepotism” Special
Johnny Thunders 10th Memorial Issue!
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| TNA, Sally Go Round the Sun, the Eyeliners,
Bright Carvers, the Argonauts, Ex-Patriots, Larkspur, Raging Slab, the Razorbabes,Scared
of Chaka, the Applicators, Turbo AC's, None of the Above, Shanghai Testarosa,
GoMotorCar, Dorian, Pilot to Bombardier, Prometheus Radio Project, Electro
Group, the Hopefuls, Cymbelene, Cowboy Up! |
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LOCAL
RELEASES
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| Peninah Wolpo s/t demo cassette [2000] |
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Some Emo Band, the Cogs, the Black Halos, the UnBand, the Nines by Colonel Aureliano (our Boston correspondent) |
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| LOCAL
SHOWS |
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TNA, SALLY GO ROUND THE SUN 3/16/00 @ Sprockets Once again, I only caught the last couple tunes from Sally Go Round the Sun. Although I liked what I heard, at this rate, it’ll be another year before I get to hear a set’s worth. Also once again, TNA rocked out in what sounds to me like real punk spirit -- no metalisms, no throwback “77 anthems, no retro garage ditties, just rocking out with all caution thrown to the winds—fucked up shit, yeah! I would never have imagined (new) drummer Andrea in a band like this, what with her addled-pop sensibilities and such. And even though she didn’t do it, she gets extra points for the Pee Chees sticker on her snare (Oakley Rondelle did—it used to be his). Bassists are often times “woe is me” types; you know: life is too serious for frivolous things like guitar riffs, let me just keep the time here while the rest of you strut like rockstars, etc. Lawrence, however, is the happiest looking bass player I’ve ever seen. Or maybe he’s just loaded all the time… Meanwhile, Amy X can’t ever manage to sing with her shoes on but don’t hold that against her. And (taa—daaa!) tonight was Midnight Penny’s birthday and her black-leathered ass (oooh, baby!) got lots of spanks tonight. She didn’t seem to mind either. And speaking of birthdays, some sorority chick in the crowd was celebrating hers. She appeared to be taking it rather reserved, just having a laugh with her buds. One sor’sister (Delta Iota Tau Zeta?) on the other hand ( I meant to ask her name, I really did. Let’s just call her -- ummm -- “Trudy”), well, “Trudy” was pretty sloshed to put it mildly. Before TNA were ready, she stepped up to the mike to wish her friend a happy b-day. So far so good. Trouble was, she didn’t step down. Some folks in the crowd actually thought she was part of the act. Apparently, “Trudy” did too ‘cause she used up all of her fifteen minutes of fame in under five but didn’t relent for ten more. Clutching the mike as if for dear life, she howled her way through some new Offspring song that was on the P.A. while trying to look “hot”. This was appropriate as every Offspring video these days features lots of blowsy bionic bikini bimbos. These, it would appear, were “Trudy’s” role models. Tossing Come hither looks at the soundman (like all guys, he was a dog, probably thinking he was gonna get some; any gal in charge would’ve drop-kicked “Trudy”s” ass off the stage post haste), she thought she was pulling the performance of a lifetime. Hopefully, it was and her friends will actually stop her next time. Well, if they were really her friends, they would have yanked her early on. As it was, they were soon ignoring her, as finally did everyone else except to laugh, which “Trudy” misinterpreted as a sign of encouragement. When the sorority sisters finally left, “Trudy” gave her “adoring fans” a toothy smile as she exited while tugging at the thong under her miniskirt..After this exhibit, I wouldn’t be surprised if no one gets their fifteen minutes of fame ever again. the EYELINERS 3/16/00 Launchpad At one time the Eyeliners (then Psychodrama) were among the most exciting garage bands happening in town. Lately they’ve settled into catchy & competent but predictable poppunk. Their last year’s release Here Comes Trouble is actually one of the better of this style I’ve ever heard although their first full length Confidential (1997) rips the new one to pieces. There was a glimpse of this old energy when tonight Gel tossed a Bud longneck she had just downed into the crowd. There’s hope yet! Bright Carvers, the Argonauts, Ex-Patriots, Larkspur 3/17/00 @ Launchpad You’d think the soundman would have it easy on what turned out to be Americana Night but Chris (Sally Go Round the Sun) had his work cut out for him. To his credit he managed to pull it off pretty well. Over the course of the night and four bands he had to mike and level six electric guitars, two acoustic guitars, two bass guitars, one acoustic bass guitar, one banjo, one dobro, one keyboard and a trumpet as well as a half-dozen vocalists. Everyone shared the same drumkit. Thank Christ for small favors. The opening act Larkspur couldn’t have been all that easy to work with as their soft and sweet ballads are at odds with a somewhat large room like this (their first outing here). This was one of the few times I could hear the rest of the bar from my spot near the stage. True, it was Saint Patrick’s Day but luckily, this wasn’t the type of show to draw very many sloppy-ass drunks (St Patty’s Day Tip: Never ever go to a bar whose name starts with the suffix O’ or Mc; trust me, you’ll avoid dickheads and have a better time). Larkspur consisted of Michele (vocals, guitars [one was an especially lovely deep-sounding coa-wood Tacoma ]) and DD (bass, 2nd vox; ex-Manna From Nowhere [formerly Lucky Tortoise]). A few numbers boasted the nice addition of Josh on banjo or dobro (a dobro is an acoustic guitar that has a steel-face [resonator] and particularly high action, fretted with a steel slide and played lap-style. Steel guitars of one kind or another have been around for some time now but The Dobro was fabricated by the Dopera Brothers Company sometime back in the thirties or forties. Now you know). Jeffrey Richards (Bright Carvers, Nitrous Burning Cactus Tractor, ex-Hug, ex-Hazeldine, etc etc) sat in on drums for a couple of numbers too. Gotta admit, I enjoyed the four-piece numbers a little more. Being a rocknroll kinda guy, the more noise the better, right? In either case, though, Larkspur presented leisurely, lovely, lithe and lunar laments of (to quote Syd Straw) love and the lack of it. I like. The Ex-Patriots (or is that Expatriates? those are two very different meanings) are a three-piece no-bass outfit. Nels on vocals and guitar, Ben on leads (Saddle Sores, Backseat Rockers, ex-Impatients, sometime Q’s Revenge) and Rod Shot on drums (also Backseat, Q’s and ex-Impatients [who were, to quote award-winning ex-Launchpad soundman J. Dutch Worthington, “the drunkest band alive!”] ). The Expat’s have a spare (lack of bass and all) but rocking sound. Take 1966’s Another Side of Bob Dylan and play it in tandem with the Stones’ Out of Their Heads from around that same era and there’s your starting point. Time was running a bit short so they didn’t get to platy all that much but I’m looking forward to more. Note: Rod and Gretchen (sometime bass in Backseat) are the doting parents of three month old Zachary. Congratulations you two! No word on whether Rod has put drumsticks or a guitar pick in the kid’s hand yet… Next up, the Argonauts were sounding a lot less twangy than the last time I saw them about a year ago at Burt’s. Not that twang is bad (no, twang is good) but that show was frightening close to boot-scoot C&W. Back in best form tonight, Jason Daniello’s (ex-Naomi) vocals were wonderfully full as always. Also featured was some great Dickie Betts style guitarwork of someone whose name I didn’t quite catch except for the “Junior” at the end of his name. At the close of the set, Jason barely had to take one step over as the Bright Carvers took the stage; Jason’s a Carver as well. Jeffrey was back onstage, not behind the drums but behind an acoustic guitar and the lead vocals mike. The first tune was a head-scratcher. It was an odd number that sounded like the death throes of a Merry Go Round, complete with Mancel Anderson (ex-Tattersaints) on a watery sounding trumpet. Soon however, the band swung into some fantastic rock that sounded like Crazy Horse blended right into the best country covers by X. I was quite impressed with Jeffrey’s guitarwork and vocals and for that matter, by the whole darn band. By this time, Mancel had turned his attention to his keyboards that reminded me of Al Kooper (today, most well-known perhaps as the organist on Dylan’s Positively Fourth Street from the classic 1966 LP Blonde On Blonde). I couldn’t quite hear Mancel throughout the set but he deserves to be right up there in the mix. The acoustic bass guitar (!) also could’ve been cranked a bit but it came through fairly well for the most part. In all, the Bright Carvers are a fine & impressive outfit. I wouldn’t say the tunes are flawless but they’re about as close as anyone has a right to expect them to be. Scared Of Chaka, the Applicators, Raging Slab, the Razorbabes 3/19/00 @ Launchpad Seattle’s Razorbabes were a good kind of rock n’ roll – the fun kind! Frontwoman Majenta punched out some good badgirl vocals smiling all the while and grabbing herself in various places on occasion. She was the only one I could identify because although the promo stuff they were handing out named them all (including one ‘Babe who was either not present tonight or who’s out of the band?) but failed to indicate who did what. Majenta was easy, though, from her kool-aid red hair as well as her biz cards(“tattoo artist”). She and the drummer were sweet and friendly at their merch table, loading me up with all kinds of stuff like 8 x10s, stickers and buttons when I bought their five-buck EP CD. The guitarist is a bit on the metally side (just a bit) but the whole act reeks of rock n’ roll. Hurrah! Raging Slab – didn’t these guys get killed in an airplane crash over Arkansas twenty years ago? Apparently not ‘cause they raged all over the place in their best Ted Nugent style, which isn’t a style I admire at all. I’m man enough, however, to admit that they knew what they were doing. They must practice non-stop. My favorite feature of the band was the 2nd lead guitar – hers was a big slab o’ wood in the shape of the good old US of A. If you’re gonna rock it Nuge’ style, ya better give props to America, ya punkass! The women of the Applicators were punkass in a classic dogcollar/ safetypin way. All of this four-piece were pretty decent. The vocal gal had a good presence, traipsing around the stage in the way you’d expect of an instrumentless punk, singing directly to the crowd. Nothing groundbreaking but good, clean (?) punky fun. Of course, there was the obligatory moshpit idiot that had to fuck things up and disturb us all in front for most of the set. I did agree with this guy on one thing however; his tee-shirt said “TOOL” . He certainly was. Its been way too long since the Scared of Chaka boys returned to the “burque for a set of their Ritalin-sprinkled-on-a bowl-of-Sugar-Frosted-Flakes induced mania. Their old stuff is some of my most favorite music ever but I was actually glad they played what they wanted (the newer stuff) rather than repeat six years ago. No one could ever match ex-bass Daemon’s awe-inspiring split-leg leaps but Josh (ex-Blind Nine) the new bassist (the third by my count) kept his lines right on although no one really keeps up when madman Dave Hernandez is on the stage. As always, everyone felt compelled to throw stuff at Dave and drummer Ron Skrasek throughout the set. I was all too happy to donate the ice from my bourbon & coke to the young lady next to me when she ran out of empty PBRs to pelt them with. Scared of Chaka was about the first local punk band I ever saw. One of my favorite memories is seeing them play in an alley of the UNM student ghetto just before the first full-length came out. In fact, they were the first punk band that really got me off after a lifetime of being a mellow folkie; I credit them with being the cause of me finally cutting off my hair. Thanks, guys! Don’t be such strangers. Or at least drop us a fuckin’ postcard every once in a while. Turbo AC’S, None of the Above, Shanghai Testarosa 3/21/00 @ Launchpad The incredible shrinking audience… By the time the Turbo AC’s took the stage, there were maybe a dozen people watching. By the time they finished, there were maybe five of them left. Now that’s gotta suck. Especially for a band that plays pretty straight-up tattoo rock, where an enthusiastic crowd is essential. They weren’t bad but really nothing outstanding in a genre that’s full of derivative bands None of the Above were that same style of R n’ R mixed with a little old-school punk which made sense because of frontman Ray & his tastes--his old bands were Smug, Pork is Pig and others I’ve forgotten. This one is my favorite of his projects just ‘cause rock n’ roll is my bag, baby. There was a full and enthusiastic crowd for Shanghai Testarosa (mostly ‘cause they brought in ringers). For a band that’s only practiced for a few weeks, they’re good--simple, right to the point, no fucking around. SLC Matt was up on guitar and vocals (I’m guessing he’s the songwriter as well), ably backed by: Andrea (Alarm Clocks, TNA) in her latest incarnation as the gurl drummer; Tanya shakin’ her butt and the tambourine (go, girl!); and on bass and finally fully-clothed on stage, the diminutive Felice (AKA Spooky Spanky from Beefcake In Chains). You might think I’m some kind of sick pervert but it was nice to see her with her clothes on this time around – I always knew she had more talent than that. She picked up the bass specifically to join the band and it shows. No, she didn’t suck (in fact she was quite good) but was so very intent on watching her fingers on the frets that I almost expected her to stick her tongue out in that little-kid-and-a-coloring-book way. Shanghai Testarosa were easy on the ears and fun too. I want more. GoMotorCar, Dorian, Pilot to Bombardier 3/24/00 @Launchpad All these bands are very good, each has a different take from the same starting point (I hesitate to say emo ‘cause it insults some folks but fuck ‘em). Its interesting to hear them all on the same bill and check out the differences but its frustrating too because--don’t get me wrong, none of them sound exactly alike but jeez, I don’t wanna eat a four-course meal of just potatoes, y’know? By mid-show, I was longing to hear grind-core or alt.rock or even Liza fuckin’ Minelli… Pilot To Bombardier are still tops. Sean’s guitars are never quite the same twice; in fact he’s even starting to pull out tidbits of Mahavishnu John McLaughlin or something. Although ya might lose him in all the tumult, Miguel’s doing some cool shit on the bass; pay attention next time, OK? And Travis still looks like some scientist in the ecstasy of creation. Dorian tore it up too with lots of crunch and jumping around. If Pilot To Bombardier is bringing order to chaos, Dorian are bringing chaos to order. Cool. Emo needs more fucking up… GoMotor Car is picking up a following (what was up with all those girlies in GMC shirts? Must be one of Len and Joey’s marketing schemes—like the free candy at the merch table. Me, I’d prefer free pretzels but nevermind). They were the most ordered band of the bunch with Joey’s good & funky bass anchoring any flights of fancy. He’s the most solid and least melodic of any emo-type band bassist I’ve heard. I’d be interested to know what bass-players he listens to. Bootsy Collins? Alphonso Johnson? Charlie Watts? Surely not Paul McCartney. The new addition of Len’s hermanito Roger on keyboards also pulls GMC out of the solely emo realm. I heard that they got him in the band just for his hair but since keys round things out, I guess the hair’s a bonus. The three-man horn section for the last number further moved things in another direction. It almost looked like a ska band up there with all those people on stage. Keep this up, you guys, and no one will call you emo anymore. Especially when you’re all dressed in black and Len takes the stage in a velveteen coat and feather boa. At first I thought he was David Johannsen or Syl Sylvain. Glitter emo! Prometheus Radio Project 3/25/00 @ Insurgo contact: PO BX 42158 Philadelphia PA 19101 (215)476-2385 prp@tao.ca www.prometheus.tao.ca Albuquerque has had its share of radio drama and I’m not talking broadcast soap operas but no less than three visits from the Federal Communications Commission to shut down the old pirate station Rebel Radio a few years back. And I hear that the new kids of Ditch Radio (96.9 FM every Tuesday 7PM to midnight, best received nearer the UNM area) are doing an admirable job as well, chipping away however minutely at the corporate stranglehold of the public airwaves. Our metro area has one of the harder places to find an open band to broadcast on because of the proliferation of commercial radio towers and translators atop Sandia Crest which happens to be a perfect spot for such things. No self-respecting alt.broadcaster wants to interfere with someone else’s signal. First, that guarantees immediate federal intervention and Second, how can anyone hear what you’re sending out if all they can pick up is an unintelligible garble that mixes, say, Casey Kasem’s Top 40 Countdown with Jello Biafra? (page 12) The Feds have decided to toss the public a chewed-over bone from the scrap-heap of the commercial airwaves and issue permits for low or “micropower” broadcasters. At first this may sound like a good thing (never mind that the public has always been effectively cut out from the use of the airwaves which we all have rights to) but in practice so far, this new procedure has favored business-as-usual groups like established civic organizations and by a vast majority, fundamentalist churches. Perhaps anything’s better than another station playing more Limp Bizkit tracks but without the full spectrum of representation, you can forget about true choice and communication which any citizenry needs to make intelligent and informed decisions (to say nothing of playing scathing punk rock on the air). This is where the Prometheus Radio Project or PRP (made up of a few former radio “pirates”) has stepped in, to help community groups wade through the bureaucratic quagmire of microradio legitimacy (I use “legitimacy” lightly as it’s a judgement call in the hands of the FCC). To their credit, the PRP offers without discrimination their services to almost any non-commercial group--that’s almost. In speaking with and listening to Prometheus rep Amy Kwasnicki, it’s clear that the KKK or fundamentalist Khristians wouldn’t be included (hey, you gotta draw a line somewhere. Even Jesus dissed the Moneylenders and hung with the whores & low-lifes [who no doubt appreciated the water-into-wine bit] ). Besides the small group present at Insurgo (which consisted of both Rebel and Ditch Radio folks [no names please], members of the Albuquerque Collective or Basement Films and other “interested parties”), Amy also visited the local public access Tee Vee station as well as a non-profit educational center in the south valley. Here’s hoping that at least one of these bands of misfits and misanthropes (I say that lovingly) picks up the micro-radio torch, if for no other reason than to keep it out of the hands of the status quo. Let’s hope that the PRP fares better than their namesake, the Titan Prometheus who (as punishment for stealing fire from Mount Olympus for the benefit of the human race) was chained to a rock tormented by a vulture of Zeus for all eternity. And unlike dipshit humans who’ve put that fire to truly evil purposes, maybe a few microbroadcasters can do the noble ideal of Prometheus some small amount of justice. In other words, check out their info & website and toss a few bucks their way. It won’t hurt you at all to miss Happy Meal crud this week. Electro Group, the Hopefuls, Cymbeline 3/29/00 @ Launchpad Its no damn wonder that we get the same shows here by Man Or AstroMan? and Dick Dale every six months. None of you people show up or stick around for anything else! I don’t ever again want to hear any of you fuckers complain about the local scene or how no one ever plays here. Especially when Burt’s was packed with that same night for someone merely spinning records (yeah, they were mostly good records but that’s besides the point). I guess my expectations are too high and maybe I’d get laid more if I didn’t stubbornly insist on watching the bands onstage rather than drunkenly chatting someone up but fuck it. No one here bothers to take a chance on anything they don’t already know they’ll like, the local press (mainstream or alt.) gives us no indication of what unknown out-of-town bands sound like and flyers & calendar listings are usually the extent of the promo work done. Look, I know that no one has money to blow on bands they don’t like and that previewing shows is much harder than my shitty little after-the-fact zine rants and that setting up a couple hundred shows a year is under-paid and under-appreciated work but I’m still so disgusted by everyone’s indifference right now that I don’t even feel like saying much about the show itself. But of course I will because it was a good show with or without your apathetic ass and to satisfy my zealous ego ( I never claimed I wasn’t an asshole). So here’s my main moan: by the end of Electro Group’s truncated set, there were three people watching. And no, the band didn’t suck. They were at least as good as any indie rock band we have here and better than some—a Sacramento three piece playing half-rocking/half-swirly Badfinger-tinged indie pop with a vocalist sounding like both Nash and Young at the same time. Extra points go to Hopeful’s Amy Clinkscales for sticking around for their set. Openers Cymbeline were somewhat uneven, mostly due to the vocals not miked enough to cut through the amped guitars. Although now better practiced, their sound seemed clearer when I saw their first show at Insurgo in February. I think its part of the newness, their band sound not quite homogenized yet but there were plenty of glimpses of where they’re going and promise as well. I’ve made no secret as to my choice of the Hopefuls being one of top sounds ever to come out of the Dirt City but their multi-layered approach can easily be (and has been) turned in a faceless morass by lack of skill at the mixing board. Gil Sanchez tonight did an outstanding job at the boards; it was in fact the best mix they’ve had since ex-local soundman Dutch left town and that’s a large rep to fill (it was to the man’s credit that even while his musical preferences ran to crustcore and metalmania like his own band [the much-missed Word Salad], Dutch had the ear to adroitly mix anyone while on the job, from simpering college rock to Bo Diddely). Gil’s mix tonight showcased the fact that the Hopefuls are playing together better than ever and are in fact a band and not merely the Ben Hathorne Chick Show (as has been suggested by some who know no better). Cara and Melissa (drums & bass,) who pretty much started out with the band, are finally as confident as they are competent and the addition last year of Amy Clinkscales to trade leads with Ben is inspired.This show marks the first appearance of Anne on keyboards (another! How many bands this month does that make? Must be something in the cosmos). Anne was under-represented in the mix (vocally and instrumentally) but came across well. Here’s hoping for her full integration and soon! TNA, COWBOY UP! 4/4/01 @ the Nursery There seemed to be a bit of contention (friendly mind you) over just who was or wasn’t Cowboy Up but since I need to call these guys something, Cowboy Up it is. The rhythm section was (both ex-Indian List) Dwight with right-on-the-money drums and Terry (?) on square & solid bass; both did quite an admirable job of playing as well as moving furniture around the living room so they could squeeze in and set up. Thank Christ they did, otherwise we would have all remained sitting around watching the extremely irritating Jim Carrey on video. On vocals and guitar, Mike Day pulled quite a grab-bag of distorto-tunes that at times reminded me of the melodic best of the Pretenders (especially the James Honeyman-Scott parts) and the twangier numbers of X (the DJ Bonebrake parts). Transitions between lead and rhythm guitar was particularly adroit. A most pleasant surprise was the cover of Mazzy Star’s heavenly Fade Into You (1993). Who does Mazzy Star covers?! However, I can’t truthfully say Mike sounds anything like exquisitely aloof Hope Sandoval (He sure don’t look like her either. Too bad.) TNA were next after a short wait as the party got into full swing (including some character that looked like Hippie Johnny wandering in off the street inquiring about buying a beer. I think he made a wrong turn at the Rainbow Gathering but he was quite harmless). The set was just wonderful (in their incomparable squalling fucked-up way). TNA are tighter than ever which is sad because due to circumstances beyond their control (never mind asking), this could be the last show for quite some time. Ah, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Bastard. |
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| LOCAL
RELEASES |
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| Peninah Wolpo s/t demo cassette [2000] Now who on earth would’ve thought that TNA’s Midnight Penny had such a sweet and lovable songster side? Well, I did actually, but that was too good an opening line to pass up. The harmonious cacophony that is TNA conceals it but Penny is a talented songwriter with a passel of lovely tunes sung in a voice somewhere between Maria Muldaur and Janis Joplin. A nice choice of covers too from such disparate sources as Loretta Lynn, Neutral Milk Hotel and the Violent Femmes. Sigh. Sources say this gal above is from Seattle or something (as is artist Ellen Forney) but damned if it don’t look just like Midnight Penny. I was the like 6th or 7th person to drop everything and call Peninah when I first laid eyes on this doppelganger cover illo (from the Weekly Alibi 3/29 issue). |
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When and if the spirit moves him, Colonel Aureliano (our Boston correspondent) sends reports, rumblings and misgivings from his locale by modern & sophisticated e-communication. These are reprinted here in the interests of bi-coastal interaction, fresh perspective and filial unity. Some emo band @ the Middle East, Boston, MA; March-something, 2001 God I hate that fucking emo crap. I don't know why I even listen to it let alone go see it. Kind of makes you feel sorry for the girls though. I mean what the fuck is up with those emo boys and their music? They're either conveying their damn emotions (again) or they're jumping up and down in one place which I think is supposed to make somebody feel good or think they do. Its dreadful. This is Best Seller List bad as in Emo Boys and the Girls Who Have to Fuck Them. Well you know what I mean, they don't actually have to but what are you supposed to say when they're like your boyfriend or something. Of course I shouldn't be touching this particular subject even with a ten foot pole because I've kind of been in trouble since calling my girlfriend emogirl. She hasn't let me forget it and rightly so, my brother gave me crap for not knowing what I was talking about, and my son just said “ouch!” And her sister said "They must listen to it or they wouldn't have a name for it." Double ouch! I'm pretty sure none of my friends saw me there, thank god. Postscript: Almost great ad in the Boston Phoenix personals this week: I HATE EMO BOYS Interesting, cute SF, 23 seeks cute, down to earth, interesting SM, 27- 35, who can rock out to Guns N' Roses Bx# 5594 Guns N' Roses? its as bad as I thought, only worse. - Colonel Aureliano The Cogs at the Junk Culture Festival @ the Tune Inn, New Haven, Connecticut. March 24, 2001 They’re saying good things about Fernando Pinto in New Haven who has created one of the best spaces around at The Tune Inn. Actually its two spaces, one inside the other. The "lounge" area is separated from the main stage by the requisite cyclone fencing to protect us drinkers from rowdy underagers, but its tastefully done. The nice thing about the lounge (besides having a bar )is its own smaller stage which is perfect for more intimate gatherings especially as the stage is only four inches high. And this room is lit by about a dozen old televisions hanging on long chains from the ceiling, giving everyone a strange soft glow which makes us look even better than we already do. I’d like to tell you about all nine bands that played the first day (it was a two day affair) but I can’t remember that much information at once. So I’ll just tell you about my own personal favorite of the show, The Cogs. They’re a New York City band with five members, one of whom was absent due to the flu, and I hear they’re big in the UK. Also well known at such venues as Maxwell’s and Arlene Grocery. They started the set with some original material, a trilogy in the best she said she said tradition, sung and played with no small amount of onstage flirting. That was followed by a mix of original and cover material. Another entertaining original, titled "The Ravages of Age" warned us all to "beware of aging." Being the nice guy that I am, I didn’t say you can be ware all you want, it ain’t gonna help. Another highlight was their cover of "Beat on the Brat" which rivaled the original. It was flawlessly executed by the lead singer with a little flick of her wrist which would have made Joey himself jealous (and this I’m saying about a guy who was more than credible as a guitar wielding Ronette when he backed up Ronnie Spector on her last tour). Eat your heart out Joey. I know I did. My only gripe was that the set was too short for such good music. I thought maybe they were in a hurry to clear the stage for the Damn Personals who were late to begin with but the lead singer told me all their sets are that short. In that case, I’d like to see them take a short break and play two. Colonel Aureliano The Black Halos, The Unband, The Nines April 11, 2001 - upstairs at the Middle East, Boston MA The Black Halos kicked ass in Boston again tonight. With the first note of the first song, they grabbed it by the balls and didn’t let go until they were done. Driven by a pounding bass line and led by a singer who has got his moves down, they get stronger and more polished with each appearance. For a minute there I almost thought they were about to launch into a Marvin Gay-ish Grapevine thing; the guitar players danced behind the lead singer who used his microphone as a dick, but it was all in good fun and never distracted from the music. Rhythm and lead guitars clashed and blended as they chose, playing together and bouncing off each other at the same time, and underneath it all the drummer lays down a hard beat with an indefinable element of sweetness (hope that’s not insulting to a drummer). Their opening song was about four songs long at least, stopping only to introduce the second song with a "this one goes out to anyone who has ever puked on their birthday!" Now there’s a memory for you, eh? I sincerely hope there is no one in our readership who does not share that one. The room was not as packed as I expected for a Wednesday, but that’s Boston for you. Shows are usually sold out only when you don’t get there early. The crowd was appreciative, put in the right frame of mind by the Unband who were perfectly mindnumbing and offered to auction off all their equipment after the set. I don’t know what that was about, but I didn’t see any auction and didn’t need any equipment. Anyway, I’d rather see them keep their stuff because what would they play with? I only caught the tail end of the Nines set so really can’t tell you about them. Another thing about the Halos, they look like a goddamn band. Very well dressed and photogenically low key in the usual black leather on black. Enclosed please find the picture I didn’t take. Sorry guys. The good news though, is they are looking forward to playing the Las Vegas Shakedown in September, having heard many good things about it from their friends. I guess they’ve been on a pretty long tour now. They looked a little beat after the show but you never would have known it from how they played. Professionalism shows every time. Meanwhile they’ve got a new CD out and new tee shirts too, so that old tee is already starting to look like a classic. Hopefully, the CD will hold you over until Vegas. - Colonel Aureliano |
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Wig Wam Bam (by Captain America PO BX 4865 Albq NM 87196 captainamerica1941@hotmail.com) Correction: In WWB# 22, it was reported that Sown are from Rio Rancho. I could have sworn that the Insomnia sound dude said that’s where they were from. I hate to insult anyone (especially when its not even the truth) so here’s a great big “Gomen nasai!” to Sown. Wakrimasu ka? |
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| Wig Wam Bam is written by Captain America |
po box 4865 | albuquerque, nm 87196 |
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