Live show reporting, Town Crier to the www masses.

Al Dorado

Caught Bria Salmena in SF. Not a total punk thing. She & her bandmates played in Toronto's Frigs and later in Orville Peck's touring band. On Sub Pop now. I love the first Cuntry Covers EP and the new LP. Show was weird. Early on a Saturday. 50 people max in the audience (great venue though). Took some good photos.

Last week caught a Melvins / Napalm Death show. I've seen the Melvins before but it's been a while. Never seen Napalm Death. Opening bands (Weedeater) and someone else were good if you're into that thing. Fine, good. Melvins were great, I didn't recognize a lot of what they played but I haven't kept up on them since 00 really. Napalm Death were surprisingly (to me) hella fun. Had low expectations tbh but they came out raging. Glad I went.

Also caught open mic stand up comedy after seeing Stop Making Sense again at the art house theater. Hit and miss as those things tend to be. Overall fun & recommended. Host was really funny.

Al Dorado

Oh, as the Melvins / Napalm Death show let out these kids rolled up in a rental truck, rolled up the gate and played a street show in front of the venue. Still trying to find out who it was. Thrash stuff but a welcome surprise on a Tuesday night. Cops didn't show up. Clever.

11th hour stubble

Saw an incredible band last night. Garden of Love, was their first show in a newly tooled lineup. Used to be Jane Harm's Love Triangle and had a different bass player. New version was just stun gun level whip to the head. It's a trio with synth guitar, bass and drums. Operating on a homosexuals paradigm of quick pop spurts spliced with jagged edges. Where necessary guitar heroics intervene. Singing is like Kevin Ayers dry guy finds grace slick soaring all with warbling and wavering pitch. everyone playing at max capacity so tightly composed finds its way to off the rails. Probably my fave band in Montreal. They got a song coming on a comp i put together that is as focused and well executed as anything off stands for decibels.

Jack H

Saw AC/DC at the Rose Bowl on Friday. They played a great set, punctuated by a big fireworks display. Angus played something like a 12 minute guitar solo. Brian struggled a little bit but hey, he's 77! Last night I went to the Casbah in San Diego to check out Mike and Anja Stax of Ugly Things DJing between sets by The Lords of Altamont and The Creepy Creeps. I'd never seen or really heard the Lords and this was their penultimate show (ever?). I was pretty impressed, high energy and some great farfisa action. Cool double header weekend.

Randall

Neisha told me she wanted to go see this lady whistle for Mother's Day. Who was I to argue with that? It's hard to know what to expect when someone tells you we have to go see this lady whistle. I mean whistling obviously but there's got to be more to it than that! Apparently not. She (Molly Lewis) came out onto the stage in a giant coat, told us to get ready for some whistling then dropped the coat to reveal she was wearing a long black sequined evening dress and got to work. She whistled for about an hour. THere were lots of hand movements, some awkward yet charming stage banter, corny jokes, and some simple yet effective projections on the red curtain she had placed behind her. She even did a small commercial , involving an audience plant, for her branded lip gloss between songs. The set consisted of three covers 'The Crying Game', 'Prelude in E Minor' and 'The Swan' and then a bunch of songs off her three albums which are mostly bossa nova. She played at Polaris and there were probably 200 people there to see her. It would have never been on my radar but was actually very enthralling.

11th hour stubble

Randall I saw the same act open for Wyes Blood a couple years back. It was cool. Dug it more than the headliner. I thought it would be elevated by live cocktail band. My reaction was even less premeditated cause I had no idea who she was and hadn't looked her up .was pleasantly surprised to see something different and in a big packed house venue.

Al Dorado

Caught the Durty Whyte Boots (with Russel Quan), Geros & Circulators last night. You folks at the Retreat are in for a treat. Circulators did a blown out Teengenerate cover (great) and a cover of a Detroit band, which, I won't ruin the surprise.

Randall

Al Dorado cannot wait to see Geros and o believe we are getting the two guitar Circs assault up here

11th hour stubble

Meant to post this sooner, but was in PDX retreatin'

Saw 75 Dollar Bill one week ago yesterday. It was fantastic. Small 100 cap room, sorta uptight crowd except one guy who was much too loose. His dancing culminated in a stomp-clap that couldn't be ignored. The crossed armed frowners around him didn't seem to faze him. The band was mesmerizing though. Sorta circular riffs and propulsive/occasionally broken beats that pulsate in the stoned mind. Could be Saharan guit, could be Irish folk, could be cultural transcendence at different times. Inspiring stuff.

Al Dorado

Missed the Retreat this year but plan to return next year (assuming there will be one).

Was in Indianapolis for the Indy 500. With 249,999 of my closest friends. Pretty crazy.

Caught Mr. Phylzzz (Chicago, AmRep records) and Mr. Clit and the Pink Cigarettes at the Melody Inn (Indy) last week. Mr Phylzzz was pretty rockin'. I think Mr. Clit and co. put on a better show that night. Anyway, was a ripping good show. Would see both again if I have the chance.

Clif

I had to miss the retreat as well. Couldn't get the work off. I did see a pretty chill show at the Spot Tavern in Lafayette, IN last weekend though. Holt Bodish (of Mordecai) opened the show with a solo set. He did a few songs from his Petty Bunco tape and a few new ones that he says will be on an upcoming album. Really great stuff. Can't wait to hear more, from either Holt solo, or Mordecai. Hopefully both. Next was Drew Davis of Crazy Doberman fame doing a solo set as well. He did some trombone with bespoke mutes and sheet metal accompaniment. quick and to the point. Then SHARE did a set. They have a tape out. It is Jordan Allen and Mark Testor in a trio. Some dub feelings, some Sonic Youth in there. I like this band the more I see them. Net up was Kyle Flanagan, frequent crazy Doberman collaborator, doing a noise electronics piece. It was loud. Finally it was the Free Download band, which was SHare and local cyber punkers Data Unknown doing a collaborative set. basically Data Unknown songs with about 8 people . It was loud, psychedelic and even rockin. A great time all around. Check out both SHARE and Data Unknown if unfamiliar. both great local Indy bands.

Wade T Oberlin

Clif

Holt/Mordecai/Spats ought to play around Indy more- would like to see Share and have heard good stuff about Data Unknown.

Hello, summertime shows…

paperhose

Wade T Oberlin Holt lives in IL and I (the other mordecai brother) am moving with Miranda Spatula to Bloomington, IN in August. Expect much more activity sometime soon, but not immediately.

Clif

paperhose awesome. Holt told me you 2 would be moving to Bloomington. it will be nice to look forward to some localish gigs soon. I can sed you a recording of Holt's set if you'd like?

Wade T Oberlin

paperhose AW-RIGHT!!

paperhose

Clif we are excited to make new friends and hear punk sounds in the midwest. wouod love to hear Holt set.

11th hour stubble

G.I. Jinx live, full set from June 2024, their first show. Try this on for size and pickup the album baby.
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The Touch The Feel

The Wedding Present at Mississippi Studios. The Tubs as support.

The Tubs are former members of Joanna Gruesome whose debut was great noise fuzz pop back in the '10s. I didn't like what i heard of The Tubs beforehand and I missed their whole set. In fact, I got to the show with TWP about 2 songs in which was fine with me because seeing them I realized I really don't like their very large discography other than the masterful album Bizarro, which they are playing about 5 songs in, and then play about 3 songs after they finish the 10 song album.

On the Lyft home from night 2 of the TPCR riding high from Heavy Mother II, I was shooting the shit with my driver and we were talking live music and he told me that he can only see bands "in the pit". I was like, hell yeah brother, who have you seen in the pit? and he said, Counting Crows and Matchbox 20. It was the perfect rock and roll chariot ride home. Apparently, the Crows didn't bring it for him he said, but he can't see bands live anymore unless he is in the pit. I tell you that to tell you this, my man would not have been happy with my circumstances as the show was sold out and MS Studios is like many venues just a long room (albeit with a balcony). So, I got there post start and was all the way at the back. I'm not such a fan that I wanted to weave my way through to the "pit" so i held back. It was packed tight though and i was right behind a couple, a dude who looked like James Hetfield in a Hang Ten sun shirt, board shorts and flip flops, so like James Hetfield 2025, i guess, and a lady who looked like a cross between a plumber and Melissa McCarthy. They were there to party and knew, judging form the sharp turns from air guitar to finger pointing to the song changes, the intimate details of every song and its starts and stops.

TWP were seasoned professionals and if you know Bizarro they did it extreme justice live 35 years later.

Al Dorado

Pegboy at the Ritz in San Jose on Sunday. Great set, small crowd but not too surprising. Sunday night and all. I'll see Naked Raygun any time and Pegboy kinda scratches that itch so yunno. It was good. They covered Raygun ('Treason') and Mission of Burma ('Revolver') which was fun.

11th hour stubble

So much to report as last week was Suoni Per Il Popolo, a local experimental/left field festival that has been going for 25 yrs, here are some capsule reviews of the things I saw:

Farida Amadou- cool lady playing the bass like a drum, all extended techniques, not a clear note in sight. Interesting stuff!

Chic White- I'll leave it hanging on Ruby's perfect review above but add that the world of experimental music has been inundated by the aesthetics of ASMR...this is the the same but the opposite, sorta anti-ASMR.

Lavender Flu, Home Blitz, Garden of Love- Booking this was my contribution to the fest. I was floored, naturally. Garden of Love is some of the best stuff in town as far back as I can remember, 2 of em lent Daniel a backing hand for 2 HB classics, which paired greatly with his otherwise stripped down set. Lately his show is sort of a marriage of british folk tradition, lady gaga kareoke, power pop and noise music. Lavender Flu was given cart blanche to play until they wanted to stop, which made for an amazing whirlwind of fractured pop songs, streched out improv and bombastic jet engine guitar ascention. Floored!

Earth Ball and Wolf Eyes- the big event on the last day. Earth Ball is a great new free rock unit made up of Shearing Pinx/Psychedelic Dirt membership. I loved their rambling acid fried improv, particularly when it quieted down, since formless full throttle guitar noise doesn't always make people emote at this late stage point in time.
Wolf Eyes were with Raven Chacon and were on the dubby side of their sound. Very cool and moody, with some space age nob twiddling and stoned stereo image. Olson was doling weed out before hand, which I think is a strategic move to get everyone on the apropriate plane for the performance, ala greatful dead lsd synergy.

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