Beware the Hippie Menace

like showing a card trick to a dog

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Paul Brockett Roadshow Band, Liz Larsons, Chuck Hestons at Rudy's

Paul Brockett Roadshow Band, The Liz Larsons and The Chuck Hestons at Rudy's - 8/19/06

I guess it was a New London invasion.
Paul Brockett looks kind of like Hank Williams and that's cool. He wears the hat well. The music is on the country side of rockabilly and goes well with the -abilly renaissance we've got going now. I don't know who Johnny Royale is, but he made an appearance and everybody was excited. I don't know why we don't have a rockabilly themed bar or club in New Haven.
Something about the Liz Larsons' music has always made me uncomfortable. There's a sort of unsteadiness that I've had a hard time getting into, but it worked out for me last night. When I stop trying to apply the standards of generic rock, the band makes a lot more sense.
I finally got to see a Chuck Hestons' set all the way through and I was not disappointed. What grabs me is the fact that even without all the sound effects and noises, the songs would hold up. If it was just one guy on acoustic guitar, the songs would work. The audience-participatory cacaphony whipped up to close the set didn't hurt, either. The only other group I saw do anything like that successfully was Bluddrum, also at Rudy's.
Pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72157594244308786/


etc.
http://www.myspace.com/thepaulbrockettroadshowband
http://www.myspace.com/thelizlarsons
http://www.myspace.com/thechuckhestons


Also:
I just found out the Melvins are playing Toad's on Thursday, October 12. That makes me happy.

The Vultures, Muck and the Mires and Groovski at Cafe 9

The Vultures, Muck and the Mires and Groovski at Cafe 9 - 8/18/06

It was probably the most rockish I've ever seen the Vultures. I don't know what it was, but much of the improvisational stuff seemed much more classic rock this time around. Of course, it sounded like Warren, but in a rockish kind of way. Another layer to the onion, I guess.
Muck and the Mires play '60s garage rock. They all wear red shirts. They certainly have their schtick down. I don't know what it means when music that was originally made by inept kids who just wanted to have fun is made by adults who are feeling nostalgic, but that's what Muck and the Mires is all about.
This was my second time seeing Groovski and I liked them much better this time. There was an air of chaos that made the whole performance much more enjoyable. That and a drunken Snakes on a Plane reference. Last time, the delay on the vocals was annoying, but this time it worked. Noisy and sloppy and fun.

Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldangelmidnight/sets/72157594244255046/

etc.
http://www.myspace.com/thevultures
http://www.myspace.com/muckandthemires
http://www.groovski.com