Boris, Thrones, Growing and Crooked Hook at the Wallingford ALH

6/2/06 - Crooked Hook, Growing, Thrones, Boris


So, it seems that minimalist, "ambient" drone-metal has hit the big time. Sunn O))) got a write-up in David Byrne's blog and Boris played the illustrious Wallingford American Legion Hall. Illustrious means crap-shack, right? That place was like somebody's un-air-conditioned basement filled with 200 sweating teenage boys with long hair.
Locals Crooked Hook played first. I figured out their secret. They play one slow boring riff repeatedly until you can't stand it anymore, then they play a somewhat faster riff and everybody starts bopping their heads. It's not that the faster riff is necessarily good, it's just a relief. It happens in every song; it's actually pretty funny if you're waiting for it. Stoner rock, indeed.
Growing was next. It was two guys playing guitar through various effects units. But, really though, it was two guys fiddling with their knobs for half an hour. They didn't even seem to be playing together. It was as if neither was aware of what the other was doing. The guy on the left got some nice sounds, but I couldn't even figure out how what the guy on the right was playing translated into what I heard. I guess it was all about the loopers.
Thrones was my favorite thing that night. It was one guy but he introduced himself in the plural. He has old-school sludge-rock cred on account of he was in Earth and the Melvins. He played bass through a variety of effects pedals so it didn't really sound like a bass in the end. He also had a drum machine and vocal effects. He represents the best this genre has to offer. It's aggressive and exploratory without being self-indulgent or boring and it's all hung on a famework of actual songs.
Boris seemed to be two completely different bands welded together. They had their fast punky stuff and they had their slow droning stuff. Somehow, they try to stick them together. The kids really dug the fast stuff, but I though it got repetitive after a while. The droning stuff was interesting, but after the fast stuff it sucked the energy out of the room. The drummer was a hell of a showman, though. He was jumping around and banging on that gong with as much energy at the end of the show as he did at the beginning. Oh, and they're Japanese, which is very important.

http://www.myspace.com/crookedhook
http://www.growingsound.com/
http://www.southernlord.com/thrones/
http://www.myspace.com/borisheavyrocks http://www.inoxia-rec.com/boris/

http://journal.davidbyrne.com/2006/05/53106_heavy_the.html

Pictures:
http://flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72157594157700445/
Video:
http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=oldangelmidnight

Two days - Sasquatch, Cold Cuts, Danglers, etc.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

I went to a couple of shows the weekend of May 27-28. I didn't bring my camera.

Saturday night - Sasquatch and the Sick-A-Billies at Cafe 9.
This was the fourth time I've seen them and they still hold up. I don't know how much I care for the new drummer. He seemed to get lost a couple of times. The band played a song that they recorded for an upcoming Troma feature called Poultrygeist and that made me happy.
Pete Yorko was the opener. He was a one-man rockabilly band. It actually kind of worked. Silly, but not too much.

Sunday afternoon - Lamb Bombs and Jimmy Jude and the Cold Cuts at Cafe 9
I showed up late and missed a bunch of bands. They had been there since 2 o'clock, but I had other obligations. The Lamb Bombs were okay. When the drummer sang, it reminded me of the Dead Kennedys for some reason. Decent punky rock.
The Jimmy Jude thing was something special, though. He played alone, acoustically with a taped backing track of drums and other assorted noises. Some of the songs sounded like Battlecats demos, but some were much more emotionally involved than Battlecats songs usually are. The night climaxed with everybody in the bar chanting: "I want a Jungle Jim and a swingset" that morphed into "I want a Jimmy Jude and a four-track."

Sunday night - The Danglers and Kings of Nuthin' at Rudy's
I went to see the Danglers and figured I'd hang around to check out the Kings of Nuthin'. That plan didn't really work out, though, when I stepped outside after the Dangler's set and couldn't get back in. There were so many people there, I didn't even want to try to break through them. Hell, the band alone must have had a dozen people - they had an upright piano and a horn section.
The Danglers played well. Unlike a lot of shows at Rudy's, people actually came into the room when the band started playing. Usually, they run outside so they can continue to socialize.
Then I went to Bar but didn't see the bands. I acutally ended up socializing myself.


http://www.myspace.com/peteyorko
http://www.myspace.com/sasquatch
http://www.lambbombs.com
http://www.myspace.com/thebattlecats
http://www.myspace.com/danglersnewhaven
http://www.myspace.com/thekingsofnuthinboston

Josephine Foster, Redbeard, Mountain Movers, Cherry Blossoms at Cafe 9

Friday, June 02, 2006

Redbeard, The Cherry Blossoms, The Mountain Movers, Josephine Foster

I had never heard of any of these people before seeing them. I went on the recommendation that Josephine Foster might be worth seeing.
Redbeard was a pleasant surprise. The vocals were very nice and the guitar work was haunting. It was just two people, singer w/acoustic guitar and another guitar player mostly playing electric. It was folky, bluesish. I'm worried, though, that their studio work might sound too much like Sarah McLachlan.
I guess maybe I just didn't get the Cherry Blossoms. It was an elderly couple and the man didn't seem to know that he was performing on stage. He wouldn't sing into the vocal microphone and his guitar kept hitting the other mic. The woman was better, but she made a bunch of political comments that didn't make any sense. I guess it was "outsider" music. I'll stick to Daniel Johnston. They did one song with her playing a thumb piano and it was pretty good, but they saw that it got a good reaction so they did a couple more songs with they thumb piano and they were not good.
The Mountain Movers were doomed, in my eyes, from the beginning. I don't like bands with horns. Theirs was the sort of neo-americana we've been seeing a lot more these last few years. Musically, they were fine, if mostly uninteresting. Lyrically, everything seemed pretty cliched. All their songs were about death, but they seemed happy about it. They were the only band of the night with a drummer.
Josephine Foster made the night worthwhile. She has a voice like old movies. I kept thinking about the old Disney Alice in Wonderland cartoon, for some reason. She played her first song on a harp and the place was entirely silent. Literally, nobody spoke. It was incredible. She performed solo the whole time. First on harp, then acoustic and electric guitars. I've never seen somebody so vocally compelling perform in person. Unfortunately, because the other bands took too long, she didn't get on stage until quarter past midnight and they closed the place down at 1 o'clock. Because she wanted to do a couple of songs with the Cherry Blossoms, they continued the show outside on the sidewalk afterward. They did a few songs together, then had the singer from Redbeard do a couple of songs. I don't feel comfortable applying my cricital faculties to the performance outside. It was too intimate. It would be like evaluating a conversation between friends. It was a special moment that doesn't deserve dissection.


http://www.myspace.com/redbeardband
(no website for the Cherry Blossoms)
http://www.myspace.com/themountainmovers
http://www.myspace.com/theantiquatedearth


I took pictures:
http://flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72157594152630081/
and video:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=oldangelmidnight

Humanoid and Nightcrawler 1947 at Cafe 9

Tuesday, May 16, 2006


May 10 at Cafe 9

It was billed as DJ DrinkDeeply presents Humanoid and Nightcrawler 1947, but I'm not quite sure what that means. There was a DJ there, she was spinning before and between the bands, but she didn't do anything I would call presenting. I understand when I see Go Kat Go Presents... or DJ Eric Bruce Presents... because those people take the mic and introduce the bands and tell stupid stories or whatever. But that's quite different from this weird invisible presenter thing. The shows at Bar are billed as Shaki presents, but we never see nor hear from Shaki. I'm not sure how I feel about either type of presenter. One seems gratuitously self-promotional, the other seems pointless.
Humanoid are an instrumental noise-metal band. As such, they were a bit slow and repetitive for my taste. But then again, everything seems slow and repetitive for my taste these days. I believe this band has some of the same characters who are involved with Coup de Grace, but this time they're actually playing songs. I had almost the opposite reaction to this band as I did to CdG. In this case, I wanted more chaos, less structure. It's the sort of thing that threatens to jump the line into self-indulgence, but, in this case, I don't think they did. It was more of a shared experiment or an exploration. If only the guitar player on the right would turn and face the audience. They haven't been around very long and I look forward to seeing how they evolve.
I've grown intolerant of technical difficulties in my dotage and so had a hard time getting into Nightcrawler 1947. I suppose they were doomed from the beginning, trying to play Cafe 9. I've never seen electronics work well in that place. They rely heavily on a computer as a third instrument, besides the drums and bass. So, after a while, once they gave up on the computer, it was just drum, bass and vocals. There were moments, though, when it was interesting. Unlike most bands in New Haven, these guys actually offer a performance. They dress up and bring their own lighting effects. The singer has no hair (even eyebrows), the bass player is painted up and the drummer is gender-nonspecific. Besides all that, though, there was music. I'd call them goth-industrial, but I don't quite understand the subcategory system (EBM? IDM? Darkwave?) I think I preferred the songs the drummer sang, mostly because all baldy seemed to do was scream. In either case, the vocals were heavily manipulated with various effects. The drummer's Zombie song is the one that sticks out as most memorable.
Another thing this show did for me was to codify the fragmented nature of the audience in New Haven. It was really the case that everyone present seemed to be for one band or the other and didn't intermingle. It became obvious when Humanoid finished and everyone in front either moved to the back or left, while all the people who had been in back moved to the front. The Humanoid crowd were the typical hipsters I see at a lot of these shows, but the Nighcrawler group were the people I see more often hanging around outside Gotham on Wednesdays. (Nightcrawler also brought in a couple of hyper-violent meatheads, for some reason. I'd think they'd be turned off by the gender ambiguity, but I guess they get off on the aggression of the music.) Maybe that was DrinkDeeply's role here; she provided the link between these two disparate groups. If so, I think she's doing a real service to the community. There are so many different music cliques in New Haven and it's a shame they are so separate. I think they have a lot to learn from one another.

Pictures:
http://flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594135093725/

Bands:
http://www.myspace.com/humanoidsapiens
http://www.myspace.com/nightcrawler1947


Also, I was told earlier that Lars Schulze, the singer from the Cryptones, killed himself. I didn't know him, but I've seen the band and written about them here. It is unfortunate. Apparently, there will be something in the Advocate this week.

Folk night and metal night

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29.
Songs from the Sofa with Lisa Lawrence, Krizta Moon and Melissa Mulligan at Books and Company
Lord Fowl, The Vultures and Crooked Hook at Cafe 9.

Over the course of two nights, I had two nearly opposite musical experiences. The first was the acoustic Songs from the Sofa at Books and Company in Hamden. The second was a night of heavy rock at Cafe 9.

Songs from the Sofa is a monthly acoustic night hosted by Frank Critelli. This time there were three female performers. We had a discussion about how it can be hard for a guy to connect with a lot of female songwriters. My contention, though, is that when that connection happens, it can be a very powerful thing. It's like there's a hurdle, but if it's jumped, there's some kind of transcendental connection. There have been a few, like Patti Smith, Kim Deal or Bjork, that really get to me. Unfortunately, none of the performers that night quite did it for me.
Lisa Lawrence played first. She's from Worcester. She had a good voice and she played well. Her songs were average. Apolitical personal stories. Typical folky coffeehouse stuff.
Krizta Moon played next. She was all teeth and hair. She had the arrogant swagger of someone who knows people are paying attention to her. There were moments of lyrical awkwardness, but it wasn't a bad performance. I seem to remember a song about pregnancy and a line about looking out through the birth canal that seemed pretty silly.
Melissa Mulligan played last. She's fairly local and she hosts a bunch of radio shows in the area. Her songs were pretty rockish for acoustic. Frank compared her to the Rolling Stones. She played a feminist/antifeminist song called "Objectify Me" that reminded me of Nirvana's "Rape Me."

The next night at Cafe 9, I saw a couple of bands I hadn't seen before and one I had. It was some kind of benefit show for the Edgewood Skate Park, but thankfully there were no skate-punk bands playing.
Lord Fowl played first. I don't know if their name is meant to indicate that they're somehow the lord of birds or if they intended to call themselves Lord Foul, but screwed up. It was pretty much generic heavy '70s rock. That whole post-Sabbath/Zeppelin thing. They were entertaining, if not enlightening.
The Vultures played next. It seemed like they did more songs with vocals this time around. If you care about music and you pay attention, it's pretty interesting to see them perform. Some of their songs have really weird rhythmic things and are pretty unpredictable. Each member of the band seems to have mastered his instrument and they have a kind of symbiosis that allows them to operate as a coherent unit where others would fall apart or get lost. And it rocks.
Crooked Hook played last and they played for a long time. They are a stoner-metal band, if that means anything. Their songs are extremely heavy, extremely slow and extremely repetitive. Personally, I only really enjoyed the songs during the inevitable breakdown or outro when they would start playing faster and more interesting. It was laborious to watch them play, but I was kept in place by the incredible inertia of the music.


Also, I got a video of Frank Critelli playing at the Daffodil Festival in Meriden.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXBhWTjfzoc
Unfortunately, the audio and video are out of sync. I believe it has something to do with the codecs YouTube uses. I guess I'll need to convert the files before I upload them. I also took some video of the Vultures, but until I figure out the conversion thing, I'll have to hold off on sharing.

Pictures:
http://flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594124813506/
http://flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594124857432/

etc.
http://www.myspace.com/lisalawrence
(Krizta Moon) http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=35525704
http://www.myspace.com/melissamulligan
http://www.myspace.com/frankcritelli
http://www.myspace.com/lordfowl
http://www.myspace.com/thevultures
http://www.myspace.com/crookedhook

I don't know why, but posting links doesn't seem to work anymore.

A bunch of bands at Cafe 9 and Alchemy

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Queen Killing Kings, Sugarfist, Groovski, The Chuck Hestons, Coup de Grace - 4/19/06

I was jumping back and forth between Cafe 9 and Alchemy last Wednesday. Both places had shows I was mildly interested in. I'd been meaning to catch the Chuck Hestons for a while now.
I started out at Alchemy, but when I found out Sugarfist was playing, I hightailed it. Arriving at Cafe 9, I was surprised at how many people were there. The Advocate was putting on some kind of showcase and all their friends were there. I think there were probably more people in Cafe 9 than in Alchemy, in spite of the fact that it's about 1/6 the size.
The first band I saw was Queen Killing Kings. It was two guys, one on drums, the other on piano and vocals. They were very precious; the little girls sitting down in front really seemed to like them. They were okay, but I've heard a million indie bands who do essentially the same thing.
So, I went back to Alchemy and, wouldn't you know it, Sugarfist was still playing. I hate them so much.
Back to Cafe 9 and Groovski was setting up. They're a weird band. Kind-of heavy rock, but with a severe echo on the vocals. It gives the whole thing an unsettled feeling. I kind of dig it.
I got to Alchemy just as the Chuck Hestons was preparing to start. They were enjoyable, but the multitude of technical difficulties forced me to leave. They had a lot of homemade equipment and that may have contributed to the problems. I'll consider them more thoroughly when I catch them again. They're playing with the Battlecats in June. They were also the most documented band I've seen. They had 3 or 4 photographers and 1 or 2 video cameras going.
And, finally, at Cafe 9 was Coup de Grace. It was certainly one of the more annoying musical experiences I've ever had. A bunch of goofy fucks jerking off with noise and feedback. It might have been alright if they'd had more fun with it but, in spite of the silly headgear, it seemed like they were taking themselves very seriously. The most telling thing, though, was that there was a photographer on stage with them. As if being observed was part of the show. The hyper-self-consciousness was obscene. The music, though, was nothing to speak of. One guy occasionally yelled into a mic hooked up to a practice amp, other times he just used it to make feedback. There was a guitar player or two just fucking around and another guy yelling into another microphone once in a while. I've said it before, but even when the Velvet Underground played Sister Ray for 45 minutes, there was a song at the heart. That's because Lou Reed is a true sadist. In his songs, he plays the role of the masochist; he can only do that successfully because, as a true sadist, he understands the masochist. The true sadist will give just enough to keep the abused engaged. As an audience member, I am a masochist, I want to be abused. But, I need to know that the performer is aware of my position. Give me some kind of hook to keep me there. With Coup de Grace, the only resonable response is to leave. Now, maybe that is their intent. Honestly, that is a respectable goal. Musical nihilism. But why, then, play for an audience if you're not going to have any fun with them? I fear that I will be seeing more of this kind of thing in the future. Pointless noise is getting hip.

I guess I missed a couple of acts that night. The guy from the Carlos Project played at Cafe 9 and some band with wrestling masks who played computers and a band called Omega Vague played at Alchemy. Well, sometimes we must make sacrifices.

Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594115352867/

etc.
http://www.myspace.com/thequeenkillingkings
http://www.myspace.com/sugarfist
http://www.groovski.com
http://www.myspace.com/thechuckhestons
http://www.myspace.com/thecoupdegracenh

dipshit	Your making me have to go see Sugarfist aren't you? Posted by dipshit on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 12:29 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	King David	If you do, don't bring your guns. You might get in trouble. Posted by King David on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 1:09 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	THE COUP DE GRACE	You're right our point is to annoy. Our goal has always been to clear a room, it hasn't happened yet. We do not actively seek shows, we play when we our invited. Cafe nine was our fourth show and believe it or not we've been asked to play another. The fact that most people stick around is as much of a curiosity to myself as it is to you, but then again you also stuck around. Regardless we appreciate the photos and your critique, and applaud the fact that your actively participating in the activities by attending, reviewing, and taking photos. Thanks again. Posted by THE COUP DE GRACE on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 12:34 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	King David	I watched for about 20 minutes. I was surprised that so few people left. I think, at first, people are mostly confused. Maybe throwing flaming chunks of rotten meat with nails sticking out into the crowd would be more effective. Posted by King David on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 1:15 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

THE COUP DE GRACE

Well I guess you'll have to check us out on June 17th at Pitkin Plaza to see what we do. We'll be closing out the show, which by the way will totally rock!!! 5 bands on the 17th, more info coming on the two other shows 16th and 18th!!! That's right Ideat Village is taking over three consecutive nights at Pitkin Plaza. Posted by THE COUP DE GRACE on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 6:51 PM

The Vultures and The Danglers at Side Bar - 4/15/06

Thursday, April 20, 2006

So, the Vultures and the Danglers played at this trashy, trendy little place on Orange Street called Side Bar. It was great to see all the bar skanks scatter as the weirdos piled in. My favorite part of the venue was the backs of the stools had the shape of martini glasses cut in silhouette; very classy.
The show started late. Dwight Dangler was MIA. They tried to start without him; Darla and Dewey sang some covers. They made it through three songs before running out of material and asking the Vultures to sit in. They used the Danglers' equipment for a couple of songs before Dwight showed up.
After that strange prologue, the actual show was pretty great. Dwight was in top form, repeatedly running outside mid-song and despite the bouncer's best efforts, he jumped up and did one song atop the bar. During one escapade outside, he harassed passing motorists with his bullhorn.
The rest of the band was in good shape, too. Very solid and aggressive.
It was a long time since I'd seen the Vultures. It seems like they haven't played in months, but all of a sudden they have a show every week for the next month. The range of styles they attempt is encouraging. You'd have to call it mostly-instrumental rock, but that's about as narrow as it gets. They favor heavier stuff; sure, it's metal, but tastefully done.
It's always a treat to see someone handle the guitar that comfortably. And they seem to have great band chemistry - to the extent that Warren keeps his back to the audience a lot of the time in order to keep eye contact with the bandmates. He did, at one point, leave the section of floor designated as stage to venture out into the audience. I've never seen somebody play guitar that effectively in such cramped quarters.
So, it was a good night. Nothing really new or life-changing, but I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

For a change, I took some video this time around. I was surprised at the quality. It's dark, but I think that adds to the character; Warren looks like a shadow. For some reason, when I uploaded it to YouTube, the audio and the video went out of sync. It's worth a look, anyway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENbQahosZdY

I also took pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594109066144/

Band sites:
http://www.myspace.com/thevultures
http://www.myspace.com/danglersnewhaven

Doctor Dark at Cafe 9

Thursday, April 06, 2006

The opening band was the Fighting Cocks. They were like a spazzy post-punk blues band fronted by Will Ferrell. He played a seven string guitar and did a little jogging-in-place dance.
Doctor Dark would have benefitted from a bigger stage. At one point, there were 7 people performing. And the benefit wouldn't have been just spatial, the audio sounded cramped as well. Will from the Vultures played accordion and that made my night; I didn't even realize there were accordion parts to Captain Beefheart songs.
I think a third band played, too, but I was tired and my ears hurt.

http://www.doctordark.org/

Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594098055971/

The Danglers, Elvis McMan and Dragzilla at Cafe 9

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Oh, I nearly forgot to write about going to see The Danglers and Elvis McMan last Saturday.

I was exhausted that night. I didn't want to go out. I've seen the Danglers a whole bunch of times, but I knew I'd regret not going. And I hadn't seen Elvis McMan in a couple of years and I wanted to see how they progressed. My hands were shaky, but I took pictures anyway.
Opening up was Dragzilla and they claimed it as their last show. The singer had all the right punk moves, in a sort-of early L.A. punk kind of way. They were aggressive and energetic, I'd have liked to see more of them.
Elvis McMan are more of a New York style punk band. The instrumentalists are competently unremarkable. Really, the main attraction here is Erin, the singer. She doesn't have the mystique of Nico or Debbie Harry, but I don't think those are fair comparisons to make, anyway. She's a punk singer. But then, she also doesn't aim for the female punk archetypes; Patti Smith or Exene Cervenka. Her attitude is more like Joan Jett, I guess. In that sense, she's pretty decent. She moves around a lot, but hides behind her hair. It was a good performance and they are a decent band. They don't do anything original and they don't blow me away, but I don't find myself in pain when they play either.
The Danglers made the night worthwhile. Dwight claimed he'd taken the wrong pill, but that didn't stop him from running around and climbing on things. During an extended instrumental break, the drummer told a story involving Erin and a Walgreens. They weren't the tightest I'd ever seen them, but they were in good spirits and had good energy.

Pictures:
http://flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594091970225/

Bands:
http://www.gogodragzilla.com/
http://www.myspace.com/elvismcman
http://www.myspace.com/danglersnewhaven

Chris Buskey, Shandy Lawson, Frank Critelli and Ray Neal at Cafe 9

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Four guys with acoustic guitars at Cafe 9 - Chris Buskey, Shandy Lawson, Frank Critelli and Ray Neal


It's one in the morning and I have to work tomorrow; damn you Frank Critelli!

It was a good night. Some quick notes:

- I like Chris Buskey because he is unafraid to use strange guitar effects even when playing an acoustic guitar. He moves as if he's more used to playing an electric, though.

- Shandy Lawson writes as if he is much older. The songs are very good, but they come off as silly when he sings them.

- Ray Neal's voice is very interesting. Sort of a cross between Neil Young and late period Lou Reed.


http://www.myspace.com/chrisbuskey
http://www.myspace.com/frankcritelli
http://www.myspace.com/misterrayneal

The Pogues at Nokia Theater in New York

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

The Pogues in New York

Throughout my life, I've had a few different bands that were really important to me. Unfortunately, many of them are dead or broken up or well past their prime. Sunday night I had the opportunity to see one of those bands and, frankly, I think they were as good as they had ever been.
Although I'm only 1/8 Irish, it's the eighth that gives me my name so I've always identified that way. That being the case, I have mixed feelings about the whole Irish American pride thing. Really, we're here because our ancestors hated the place and it's not hard to see why. James Joyce was right about the Irish being a priest-ridden race. They are religiously and politically oppressed and the drunken stereotype is probably more than just a stereotype. But really, that's an oversimplification and there's also a lot of romance. They have a wonderful mythology and the culture seems quite beautiful. Of course, I'm just talking out of my ass here because I've never been to Ireland. Nor have most of the Americans who color their hair green and get obliterated in the name of Saint Patrick. (and don't get me started on that guy.)
The Pogues have been a key element for me to connect to that part of my ancestry. It was the spiderweb of punk that led me to them, but it was some deeper spiritual connection that formed the core of my fascination. I guess they get lumped into the alternative world music thing sometimes, but I don't really care about that. I'm sure Los Lobos has a really interesting take on traditional spanish music, but I don't care. For me, the Pogues are more about finding a sense of personal, ancestral identity.
I was wary, though, going to this show. They usually don't play together more than a couple of dates a year and, of course, there is the unpredictable element of Shane MacGowan. I've heard live recordings of theirs before and they are painfully inconsistent. And, besides that, they're just getting old. I wasn't sure how the material would hold up as performed by a bunch of old men. Well, I guess I got lucky.
Opening up, they had an old-man DJ called DJ Scratchy. The name was odd as he didn't do any scratching; he just played a lot of reggae and ska. The first band was Seanchai and the Unity Squad. They played Irish reggae and Irish funk. Their lyrics were political and nationalist in a way that only Americans seem capable of. Their set was thankfully short. After them was a hair metal band called Towers of London. They seem to try as hard as possible to be completely pointless and generic. As a witty comment on their set, DJ Scratchy played a New York Dolls song after they finished. Then, there was a long wait while the Pogues' crew set up and Scratchy kept spinning. The crowd got hostile after a while.
When Shane MacGowan walked out he looked shaky and miserable, but when he started singing I couldn't imagine anything better. His bitter snarl was in top form and you wouldn't think to look at him that he'd be possible of the demonic howls that came out of his mouth. Surely he is aware of people's expectations for him because during one song he flailed his arms and wagged his tongue in a mocking drunken pantomime. He later balanced a cup of water on his head to show that he wasn't that far out of it. He was drinking water through most of the show, until the last couple of songs when he started on the bottle of wine.
The rest of the band was in good shape, too. They were very tight, extremely professional and seemed to be having a good time. Really, though, I wouldn't have gone if Shane wasn't going to be there. Without him, they're just an above-average traditional Irish band. Their age didn't have any negative effect on the songs. If anything, it gave them more depth and a sense of tragedy.
I got there early so I was in the first row and was very close to the action. Some of the crowd was aggressive and there were a couple of fights and a bunch of crowd surfers. It was a diverse group, though. There were old school fans, but then there were also a bunch of kids who are probably more into Flogging Molly.
All told, I am very happy. This was certainly a milestone for me. I came away with a sense that despair is not the end and a life telling tales of pain and misery does not necessarily beget ruin. No matter what, we are still capable of transcendance.


I got a whole lot of pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594086725436/
And somebody got some cameraphone videos up on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=blownspeakers

According to some forum, the set list was:

Streams Of Whiskey
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
Broad Majestic Shannon
Turkish Song of the Damned
Young Ned
Pair of Brown Eyes
Boys from County Hell
White City
Tuesday Morning
Old Main Drag
Sayonara
Repeal of the Licensing Laws
Sunny Side of the Street
Body of an American
Lullaby of London
Thousands are Sailing
Dirty Old Town
Bottle of Smoke
The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn

First Encore -
Sally MacLennane
A Rainy Night in Soho
Irish Rover

Second Encore -
Star of the County Down
Fairytale
Fiesta

Sasquatch and the Sick-A-Billys and The Sleazies at Cafe 9

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Sasquatch and the Sick-A-Billys and The Sleazies at Cafe 9 - 3/17/06

It was St. Patrick's Day, but they weren't serving green beer - thank fuck.
The Sleazies were okay. It was pretty much generi-nostalgi-punk in the Ramones tradition. Their best song was "I Wanna Fuck Your Mom," so that gives you the idea. Pointless fun, appropriately executed. I wouldn't go out of my way to see them again.
Sasquatch came without the regular drummer, so a local guy filled in. He did a reasonable job, considering they'd never played together before. This was the third time I'd seen them and I still hold the first show at Alchemy as my favorite. They played on the floor in the main room and people were dancing on the bar. Last night, the unease prevented their sinister side from fully blossoming. Only the drummer was throwing shot glasses.

Also, it was a shit night for photography. Nothing came out right and the batteries died half way through the show:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594084782854/

http://www.myspace.com/sasquatch
http://www.myspace.com/sleazies

Paul Belbusti with Chris Vollo and Veloray at Rudy's

Monday, March 13, 2006

I write about Paul too much. He was good. Chris also played well.
Veloray, I didn't like. They were everything you'd expect from a country-rock band. It's like instead of the alt-country stuff that takes from interesting country and interesting rock, these guys take from radio country and radio rock. One of the guitar players had all the stuff you see advertised in the guitar magazines. All shiny and new.

Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594080781806/

Bands:
http://www.myspace.com/paulbelbusti
http://www.myspace.com/veloray

Lee-Ann

I thought Paul and Chris were great too. Yes, one of the guitar players from Veloray had the Line 6 set-up (I bought him the distortion modeler for his birthday), but you failed to mention that he's arguably one of the greatest guitar players you've ever seen. He deserves a LOT more respect than what you give him in this blog. Frankly, if you are a true music critic, you wouldn't have to be told that... but thanks for the criticism, seriously. Posted by Lee-Ann on Monday, April 03, 2006 at 8:29 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	King David	I'm glad you took the time to respond to this. Most people aren't even willing to put in that much effort. And I also like the support you show your bandmate. As I remember it, the most remarkable thing about him was his guitar setup. His playing didn't strike me as anything special. Granted, your taste and mine are probably very different. Probably my favorite local guitar player is Joe from Kimono Draggin', just to give you a sense of what I like. Really, though, I don't see a lot of players with that shiny, expensive looking stuff your guy has. For what it's worth, I think I'd like you guys better if you were a bit weirder and a lot angrier. Posted by King David on Thursday, April 06, 2006 at 4:07 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Mary Jane	YOU ARE SUCH A PIN-HEAD I CAN'T GIVE YOU MORE THAN TWO LINES OR TWO MINUTES OF MY TIME. Posted by Mary Jane on Friday, April 07, 2006 at 8:55 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Veloray	I bet you would never know what is hexichordally combinatorial to an (041253) hexichord. Our guitarist does. I guess that's what you get when you graduate top of your class from the Eastman School Of Music, you fucking twit. Learn music before you attempt to critique it with your pathetic freshman level high school drivel. PSS: "Angry" is what you are when you don't get laid. PS: Purchase a copy of the Strunk text. It is considered the standard for anyone wishing to write in a manner that is grammatically correct. I would suggest you read Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, John Zorn, Arnold Schoenberg and Robert Schuman for examples of what is worthwhile in music criticism. In the meantime enjoy swallowing the sonic ejaculations of your no-talent, hack friends. Posted by Veloray on Friday, April 07, 2006 at 2:03 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Paul Belbusti	wow. Posted by Paul Belbusti on Friday, April 07, 2006 at 10:06 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	King David	I want your ambient cum in my mouth. Posted by King David on Friday, April 07, 2006 at 10:33 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	King David	Just because I thought you were boring doesn't mean you need to cry. The argument "learn it before you critique it" is just nonsense. That being the case, only someone else who had paid way too much to learn how to play guitar could make any kind of comment. I hate to have to remind anyone of this, but I'm not making any objective claims here, I'm giving my impression as a member of the audience. If you take anything from it, it should be that this is what some portion of your audience thinks. I find it funny that you value so highly academic credentials. For my money, that just robs the soul from anything. I have a degree in English and a degree in journalism, so I'm familiar with Elements of Style. But, I choose not to write in an academic style. When writing in a blog, I think a more colloquial style is more appropriate. Similarly, in music, academic performance is fine for classical, but it just makes a bar band boring. Grow some balls; transcend academe! What's more, I find it endlessly funny that anyone would get upset about anything written in an online forum. Maybe all those hexichords made your brains go soft. Posted by King David on Friday, April 07, 2006 at 9:18 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Lee-Ann	You know what? You just don't get it, man. I've read every single one of your blogs here, and you offer very little positive feedback on any artist. I know the stuff you are into because I'm into it myself. However, the many covers you play are pretty fucking boring. So lets not talk about boring here. I didn't write back to you to sling mud; I wrote back to you to defend a guitar player whose favorite bands are some of the most obscure and dynamic. The gear gives him these options. He can use that gear when he's playing out at a jazz duo, a classical gig, or the alt-country gig. It's about versatility, not "having the newest and the best stuff." This is a guy who was playing Zappa tunes note-for-note when he was 13. So he didn't PAY to go to a prestigious conservatory, they paid HIM, and that's really none of your business. So how dare you make claims on how much money anyone spent to go to college! Therefore, you are indeed "making objective claims here," and that's just wrong. Soulful music doesn't have to be "weird" and "angry." If I've learned anything from being in this band, it's that LIFE is weird and angry, and only music can provide a hopeful outlook on the shit that makes up our daily lives. OK, this IS a blog, but it's still public forum, and you better be able to back up your objective claims. Your blog appears on a regular google search on the bands you critique. You write well, but wouldn't you agree that in order to improve, you need to read passages from the best and the brightest? You wouldn't have your skills if you didn't go to college. Is it safe to assume you paid a lot of money to go to Southern for your degrees? Art is NOT about what makes you feel good. A great piece of music, a painting or a poem should not be judged on how it makes the observer feel. If you aren't well-educated on the elements of the arts, you can never be qualified to critique it. And you don't need to spend money on college to learn these elements; you just need to have an open mind and do your research. You are caught up in this selfish pop-culture bullshit waaaay more than you'll ever know. You think that if music doesn't connect with your anger, it's shit. So who's the boring one? Posted by Lee-Ann on Friday, April 07, 2006 at 2:00 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	King David	Well, you know, I'm writing here as an audience member, not as a musician. And, as an audience member, I have very little desire to give positive feedback to anyone who doesn't really impress me. If music, for you, is not about making the audience feel something, why perform live? If what you seek is some kind of technical mastery, I'd think the studio would be the logical outlet. I don't think music needs to be weird and angry to be soulful. I do think that academic playing and soulful playing are mutually exclusive. Regarding your guitar player's equipment, his reasons for choosing that stuff are appropriate. But, it's still funny to me. I don't see a lot of guitar players in these dirty little clubs and bars playing with fancy-looking stuff. It just seems out of place. As far as his credentials are concerned, I don't really care. Whether he paid to go to his conservatory or not isn't the issue. The point is that the lack of a music degree doesn't invalidate my opinion or the opinion of anyone else. Whatever skills I have, I didn't earn them in a classroom, I built them through experience. I certainly don't rest on the laurels of a Southern degree. My experience was forged through listening, writing and, yes, reading. But, I don't think I'm in any privileged position. My position is that of any average audience member who cares more about a good performance than music theory. I don't see what kind of research would be more valid than that. At the end of the day, I'm not quite sure why you feel the need to defend yourself to me. Obviously, we value different things in music. I'm holding you to a standard that you don't hold for yourself. So, if I were you, I'd just disregard everything I say. Posted by King David on Friday, April 07, 2006 at 4:34 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Christopher	Hi. Just so you know, I hold secondary and classical degrees in Music from Oberlin Conservatory, Carnegie-Mellon University, and Rutgers University. I have recording credits in the double digits, performing on several recordings in the genres of rock, jazz, and classical music, and I am a published author of articles and books on jazz history. Anyway, I find the songs posted on Veloray's myspace page painfully boring, the songwriting cliched and weak, and the vocal performances are sub-par by everyone. Have a nice day! Christopher Posted by Christopher on Friday, April 07, 2006 at 2:29 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

King David

Hi Christopher, I'd just like to point out to whoever may be reading this that you and I don't know each other. I'd hate to be accused of sucking your cock as well. But, thank you for your comment. I do appreciate your input. Posted by King David on Friday, April 07, 2006 at 4:13 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

Mary Lou Lord and Beatnik 2000 at Cafe 9

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Two nights at Cafe 9: Mary Lou Lord, Shellye Valauskas, Frank Critelli, Paul Belbusti, Jack Harlan

I spent both Sunday and Monday nights at Cafe 9. I don't know if it was some kind of synchronicity, planning or fortune that put Mary Lou Lord and Frank Critelli in the same room back to back, but it worked out pretty well. I've known Frank's work for years, but this was really the first time I'd listened to Mary Lou Lord. I was struck by certain similarities. Their guitar style, for one. I don't know if it comes from playing the same subway lines in Cambridge or learning the same songs from the same people, but there are certain solo acoustic tricks that they both employ. They also play some of the same songs. I think, mostly, though, it was just a similar sensibility or approach to the music and the performance. I guess it's that interpretive troubador thing. They're willing to play anywhere but they never come at it half-assed. They strip the songs down to the essential elements, just guitar and voice, and they tell the stories that mean something to them. When playing covers, they find the emotional core and relate it in a very personal way. Frank admitted that all he ever wanted was to write a classic singalong. I think this is key to appreciating his work and it gives insight into someone like Mary Lou, who plays mostly covers. Playing songs that other people know and can sing along to is a very intimate act of communication. Sometimes when we're talking to one another, we can't find the words, but we can sing a song that expresses exactly what we're feeling and that can get to the heart of the matter much more effectively. Listening to Frank and Mary Lou play, it's like you're best friends and you're sharing a joke or a cry.
Shellye Valauskas opened for Mary Lou Lord. I guess she's been around for a while, but I hadn't seen her. It was pretty straightforward female pop-rock stuff. Under other circumstances I probably wouldn't have liked it, but for some reason I was in the mood for it that night. She achieves exactly what she sets out for and doesn't overreach. Nothing special, but competent.
Paul played well, as ever. People really liked the acoustic Tiger Fight. I really liked the song he did on ukelele. It probably sounded a capella to the people in back, but it wouldn't be any worse for it. I'm thinking now of what the major difference between Paul and Frank might be. I guess it's a kind of egolessness in Frank's work; whereas Paul's is more individualistic. Which is not to say that Frank doesn't have a distincitive sound. It's more of a philosophical statement.
Jack Harlan is from British Columbia. I'm not sure what delusion brought him to Cafe 9, but I'm glad it happened. He sounds a bit like Springsteen minus the bullshit. Good stuff.

Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594071089740
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594072295474

Band sites:
http://www.myspace.com/maryloulord
http://www.shellye.net
http://www.myspace.com/frankcritelli
http://www.myspace.com/paulbelbusti
http://www.jackharlan.com

Me at My House

Monday, February 20, 2006

Me at My House - 2/18/06

It was a debut of sorts. My only "public" solo performance previously was on Carl's 24-hour radio show. I believe there were 2 people listening at the time. And I hadn't written any songs yet. This time there were 10 - 15 people milling around. I think I played pretty well. I didn't seriously fuck anything up. I can't judge the quality of my singing because I couldn't hear myself, but it felt pretty good.
I played: It's All Over Now, Baby Blue by Bob Dylan; Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen; (As yet untitled) by Me; Perfect Day by Lou Reed; Before the Fall by Me; Give My Love to Rose by Johnny Cash; Lost Cause by Beck; Pennyroyal Tea by Nirvana; And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda - Traditional; Wayfaring Stranger - Traditional.
I only wanted to play sad songs and I succeeded. Amy told me she was concerned I may have poisoned the food and this was actually a mass suicide. That made me pretty happy. I'm just glad she wasn't bored. Most of the songs went pretty well. I'm not too happy with my voice on Lost Cause, so I might not do that one again. I played Waltzing Matilda on the mandolin and that started out pretty shaky, but I think I found my footing half way through. (I played it because the Pogues are coming to New York next month.) Wayfaring Stranger and Pennyroyal Tea didn't feel as powerful as they sometimes do when I'm practicing. The originals, though, came out pretty good. Especially considering I had just rewritten the lyrics to Before the Fall and had only rehearsed it that way one time. For now, my songs are only skeletons of what they'll sound like if I get around to recording them, but I think this was the best way to do it solo and sans amplification.
Later on, I played with Kevin on I Don't Care About Your Girlfriend; the first time we'd done it on acoustic guitars. And later than that, we attempted Mr. Tambourine Man; occassionally it sounded good.
Other than that, other people played as well. Kevin did some more Dylan songs and some Johnny Cash and some Sweaters. Amy and Lisa formed an all-girl improvisational accordion duo. The didgeridoo passed across a couple sets of lips.
And there are pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72057594067220901/

I guess now it's time to write some more songs and play in front of a proper audience.

Renaissance Man

We shoulda recorded it. First of all, your audience was held captive during your entire set. The entire set. Second, I think a lot of your flaws are entirely your perception. Maybe you were nervouse during the first few verses of "Waltzing Matilda," but at most, that only gave a shakiness to your vocal chords during the first verse or so. Musically it was fine. Mr. Tambourine Man? Also fine. There were a few transitional chords where we weren't as tight as we were during the rest of the song (most notably the A/Asus4/A/Asus2 transition in the refrain, but it was overall a fine rendition.The double rythm worked well. Posted by Renaissance Man on Monday, February 20, 2006 at 8:50 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	King David	Whenever I looked around, I noticed that people had their eyes closed. I wasn't sure what to make of that. Posted by King David on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 10:52 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Paul Belbusti	sorry i missed you. seems like it went well. i'm sure the A/Asus4/A/Asus2 transition was brilliant. Posted by Paul Belbusti on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 8:46 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	King David	I had no knowledge of that transition. Posted by King David on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 10:52 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Paul Belbusti	that's because you're transgender. Posted by Paul Belbusti on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 11:36 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	dipshit	Wish we would have known about it. Next time please. Posted by dipshit on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 10:25 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	King David	Next time, when I'm playing somewhere real, I'll send out a bulletin. Posted by King David on Thursday, February 23, 2006 at 9:36 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

Alex

Make sure it hits the west coast , yo Posted by Alex on Saturday, March 04, 2006 at 4:24 AM