April 2003 Show Reviews

CURSIVE
THE VELETEENS
RACE FOR TITLES
January 31st, 2003 @ the Troubadour
By Brian Spiegel

I didn't know how big of a deal it was to be going to a Cursive show until a few days before the show, when several of my friends and co-workers threatened to kill me because of my attendance. This struck me as odd—not because they threatened to kill me (I'm used to that), but to be threatened because of going to a show...That mildly piqued my interest. I'll admit that I had only heard a little of Cursive before attending this show...and honestly wasn't really looking forward to them. Actually, I was covering this show for Race for Titles; Cursive was just an afterthought.

Then again, Columbus went out looking for the West Indies when he ended up in North America. By the end of the Cursive set I was not only a fan but a frothing maniac who couldn't stop talking about Cursive for the next day or two. I felt like I had just seen the future of all that is good in this world. Their set just plain blew me out of the water, a feeling that I had not felt this dramatically since seeing U2 in 2001. Cursive never missed a beat during their hour-long set. From start to finish it was all about power, passion, and polarity. They were smooth, they were rough, but throughout they kept a constant feeling of beauty. Cursive is a battle cry to any three-piece band out there content with doing the same old shit to wake up and find another day job. A nice percentage of Cursive's set came from their amazing new album, THE UGLY ORGAN. I've heard critics call this a "hardcore" album or an "emo" album, but frankly their sound really defies any sort of label. Quite simply, this is the best thing to come out this year—and, unless Radiohead makes another THE BENDS, it might just stay that way. What makes Cursive's sound so unique is not only the fact that their sound is (at least recently) heavy on cello and organ, but how well the cello fits in with the sound of the band. Where in other groups the addition of an extra instrument is made to throw off the sound of the music, Gretta Cohn's cello playing fits in perfectly. This is evident in the band's first song of the night "Art Is Hard". This song is shockingly good on record, but live it comes of with bang that knocks you for a loop. Not only does the song feature what could be some of the greatest lyrics ever written ("Fall in love to fail, and boost your CD sales," "Immerse yourself in rejection / Regurgitate some sorry tale / About a boy who sells his love affairs"), but also has a fun-house organ that completely sets the tone live. Other highlights of the set included the slow-going "Butcher the Song", the catchy "Bloody Murderer", and an old-school favorite called "Vermont". To be honest, I wasn't quite familiar with the songs of Cursive at the time, but the sound was something that was both progressive and hailed back to the old days of organ-driven rock (like the eels did in 1998 with "Electro Shock Blues"). Cursive is able to make the organ a viable tool in rock music.

All this praise of Cursive isn't to take anything away from Race for Titles. I was very, very impressed with this band. After taking in their 40-minute set I made a beeline straight for the merch table to pick up their new album. The foursome whipped through a seven-song set, most of which was from their self-titled album out now on Redemption Records. The band has a tight sound, neither emo nor straight rock...simply a breath a fresh air. Many of the songs build on tight musicianship and form a slowly-building rock sound. Their music never felt vague or boring—and frankly, they were a perfect appetizer for Cursive.

Next up after Race for Titles was The Velveteens. This is a three-piece band comprised of a piano, drums, and bass. Their five-song set sounded at times rather good, but at others seemed to fall flat. The piano had an effect that made it sound almost like a guitar. I think the set could have prospered more with a pure piano sound, maybe adding another guitarist to complete the sound. The Velveteens set did have its pretty points, and I thought the vocals were nice (even though they were sometimes drowned out by the piano). I think this band has good potential, but on this night I guess I just wasn't feeling it.

Thanks to a classic 405 traffic jam I missed the opening band Snakeversuswizard. I've heard good things about this band and was sad I missed them. When it comes to the match-up, though, I would have to take the wizard to beat the snake. I mean they have magical powers and shit.

CKY
MEMENTO
February 4, 2003 @ Chain Reaction (Anaheim, CA)
By Christina Matus

I would have to say that this was an unexpected show for me. I was assigned this review three days before the show, and I really didn't know what to expect; I had never heard any of the bands playing. I arrived before the doors opened and got in line with everyone else. At times I felt a bit out of place. I was like the only emo/hardcore kid there. That was weird, but I made it through. Before long after piling into Chain Reaction, the first band took stage. The band started off with this creepy, dark metal vibe that was a bit scary, but as the set started I realized that they were really good. The band was Memento. Memento is a heavy-metal band. I'm not a huge fan of heavy metal, but the band definitely swayed my perspective. Lead singer Justin and back-up vocalist/guitarist Space both could hold a notes for a long time. It seemed like everyone was enjoying the band. I was pretty taken aback by Momento's set, and I talked to them afterwards,. The guys were very nice. I found out that the band is signed to Columbia Records, and I was really, really impressed.

After the first band played, the crowd kept on screaming "CKY"; the whole room was filled with their chants. The next band followed, and I did not get to catch their name. It was this old-school skater-punk sound that I was not getting into it at all. The lead singer had this deep voice. The crowd seemed to get into and were singing to every word. The kids circled-pitted away, and I was happy to see that they were enjoying themselves. I guess I just don't like bands that force their political views on you. That band was a lot different than Memento, but I heard that they have been a band for a really long time. The set had finally ended, and the crowd began again with the chants of "CKY."

Finally, the long-awaited headliners, CKY, took stage. The band was pretty unique. They were like Metallica, so I wasn't in love with the band right away. It was quite amusing, because when they took the stage they had this very "rock 'n' roll" persona. The guys in the band were quite funny, so I laughed a lot. CKY definitely put on a really good show for their audience—which I noticed was filled with a lot of young kids. I mean, I'm not that old, but I talked to a couple people that night, and they were all around 15-16 years of age. Oh, well. When CKY played, there was definitely mayhem. The crowd went crazy and were singing along to every word like they had been waiting their whole lives for this moment.

Overall, I can strongly say that the three bands played for their fans—which is all that matters. After everyone piled outside, the guys from CKY stuck around forever, signing anything that kids would bring up and allowing themselves to be photographed. It made me appreciate the bands a lot more.

Tsunami Bomb
Hot Rod Circuit
The Start
The Reunion Show
February 26, 2003 @ the Glasshouse (Pomona, CA)
By Christina Matus

The Reunion Show took the stage, consisting of Derrick Sherman on lead guitar, Brian Diaz on bass and lead vocals, Mark Thomas on lead vocals and keyboard, and Skully Sullivan on drums. I was just expecting their set to be the worst ever...but I was thoroughly impressed. I've never seen such an energetic band! It was an amazing set. Mark's and Brian's singing made every word memorable. The Reunion Show definitely played their best. If I had to put them in a genre it would be indie rock. I was so close that I could feel the intense vibrations of every guitar strum and drum beat. The music was flowing through me, definitely making this experience unforgettable. Overall, The Reunion Show played their best. I had a chance to interview the guys as well, and they are very cool, laid back, and a lot of fun. If you catch The Reunion Show live, make sure to stop by the merch booth and say "hi." I recommend this band to all indie-rock fans.

The next band to take stage was The Start. I'm not a huge fan of bands fronted by girls—mainly because I think girls are annoying in general. I had heard quite a bit about The Start, so I was a little curious to see what they were about. They were, for the most part, big crowd-pleasers. They were a band that played for their fans and gave their all, because the band wanted the crowd to give their all back. The Start was not so much poppy but more of a pop rock (if that makes any sense to you), a mix of Tsunami Bomb and Hot Rod Circuit—so The Start fit in with this line-up perfectly. The lead singer contributed to making the set energetic and filled with tons of excitement. The band was pleasant to watch. Their music wasn't this metal rock to make your ears bleed or emo to make your eyes water, but it was energetic and could make your blood run a little quicker and make your body break out into a sweat (partially because every person standing next to you is sweating, too). The Start makes you jump up and down and scream out the lyrics right back at the band, makes you want to pick up a guitar—even if you didn't know how to play it. The Start was a decent band, not necessarily my style, but they put on a really great show that will be everlasting in my mind. Overall, The Start was an intense band whose members played and gave 100% that night.

Now it was the band of the hour: Hot Rod Circuit. I cannot find one bad thing to say about this band or their set. The lead singer makes sure to sing his heart out, and I was so close that I could see his throat turn red, as if his vocal chords were reaching out to all his people. It was amazing. Hot Rod Circuit is an indie-rock band with tons of energy. They have incredible lyrics that make every hair stand on end. I am always blown away whenever this band plays. Something great about Hot Rod Circuit is that everyone who watches them perform is in some way touched and taken back a little. No matter how tired the band gets while playing live, they always manage to give their best throughout the entire set. For part of their set I was hanging out with the guys from The Reunion Show, and I remember them telling me how much they admire the guys from HRC. They actually said it wasn't because they were on tour with them, the guys said that they really admire HRC and are in some way influenced by them—which makes it even more obvious that this band is something truly unique. It was weird, because it didn't seem like the crowd was into the band as much as I thought they would be, but Hot Rod Circuit gave a flawless performance, and I can't wait to catch them again.

The final band to take stage was Tsunami Bomb. Tsunami Bomb is more rock with some rockabilly influence. They played okay. I'm not a huge fan of this band, but it's not because they don't put on a good set; it's more because of the genre they play. I can't help but admire this band, because they never hold back—and their fans are so relentless. They have been playing packed shows for a while now, and when fans come out they never care about being fake, because they are truly a realistic band. Tsunami Bomb plays inventive, creative music with perfect melodies and nice guitar strums that combine to make great songs. This band gives everything for nothing. Even though the crowd goes crazy—circle pits, jumping up and down—they still lasted the whole 45 minutes of the set and never got tired. That's how you know you have great fans.

SnoCore 2003:
Dredge
Hot Water Music
Glassjaw
Sparta
Feb. 26th, 2003 @ the Showbox (Seattle, WA)
By Marv Brown

Going to SnoCore was a real treat, especially as it was my first visit to the Showbox in Seattle. I got in early, as I had been sitting in the Green Room, a bar located right next door that is connected to the venue. If you go in there, you get first dibs on going into the show before they open the doors to the line out front. (Of course, you have to be 21 to be in the bar to take advantage of this.) While the fresh-faced punk kids wearing their new shirts from Hot Topic's streamed into the place, a white piece of cloth was being used up on stage to project some radical film of snow sports. I was in awe of some of the visions of tremendous athletic talent, the stunts and tricks the snowboarders, skiers, and snowmobilers pulled off. Of course, there was the occasional failed attempt, which brought about a united groan from the crowd.

The first band to take the stage and officially kick off SnoCore at the Showbox was the band known as Dredge. I had never heard of them, but there was one person down in front that had a sign for them, so I figured someone must like them. They have a unique sound, like a cross between Tool and Soundgarden. The singer (I have no names) sang through a trumpet on some songs, which, when combined with an echo effect, was hypnotizing in an odd way. He also played some sort of steel guitar on a table in front of him (it was lying flat and I could not see it) to mesmerizing effect. After seeing them I was not sure what to make of them. They were catchy and odd, but I had a feeling that the more you listen to them, the more they grow on you. I give them a 3 out of 5 just for being something new and unique in a world gone stale.

Up next on the stage was none other than seasoned veterans from Gainesville, FL, Hot Water Music. It was amazing to hear their dueling, scratch-ridden vocals, the sounds of pain, frustration, and angst from a person having spent years smoking and drinking trying to forget some past event. Rocking guitar riffs, supersonic bass that flows through all matter, and a drummer like a tempo machine. Yeah, these guys can play. They straight rock it, no matter how you slice it. Hailing from Gainesville, FL, Hot Water Music bring a rock the house down style that hasn't been seen or done as well as they do it in a long, long time. After listening to their new album, CAUTION, I was really looking forward to seeing them play at SnoCore with Sparta. I had been listening to HWM since I bought their split CD (with Alkaline Trio). HWM is a band that I really like to rock out and drive fast to. Listening to HWM live was a real treat, especially for it being my first show at the Showbox in Seattle. They came out and played a high-energy set that was by all means a real feast for the eyes, ears, and soul. Anytime you have a chance to see these guys live, beg, borrow, and steal your way to get into the show.

And then security broke down and let the hardcore band from Jersey on, Glassjaw. I wish security would have been issued tasers to prevent this from happening. This is what happens when a venue hires outside security: crappy bands get on stage. They said they were from the East Coast, and I wish their bus had broken down out there so they could have stayed there. These guys must have paid someone to get on this tour. Fast, loud, and completely unintelligible screaming over played-out beats and riffs. They called themselves hardcore. I give them 0 out of 5 stars. Sure, they have talent, but they use it in all the wrong ways. They have energy and all that, but, in all honesty, if Sparta had not being playing last, I would have left during this set, for sure.

El Paso is the birthing ground for the last band of the night, Sparta. Sparta came out and was a pure delight. It was akin to listening to their CD WIRETAP SCARS with the volume at 20. Pure, tight lyrics, beats, guitar riffs...Man, I saw nothing to complain about. I wish the drummer had had more light on him so I could have seen him play. (Being a drummer myself I like to watch and try to learn new tricks and stuff, especially from drummers I admire.) I confess that I have been a fan since At the Drive-In and have only heard the Sparta half of the break-up and not the other half, Mars Volta.
All in all, the SnoCore tour was a 7.5 out of 10—the downfall being Glassjaw. I would much have rather seen someone like Jets to Brazil, Alkaline Trio, (The) International Noise Conspiracy, Pennywise...hell, come to think of it, ANYONE might have been better than them. But who knows? This show is well worth your hard-earned cash, so go see it if it comes to your neck of the woods. It would also be worth a short road trip—say, 50 miles or so—just for HWM and Sparta. Later hater.

Sahara Hotnights
Ikara Colt
The Washdown
March 16, 2003 @ The Green Door
(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
By H. Barry Zimmerman

I listened to the Sahara Hotnights' debut and very recent disc JENNIE BOMB three times the day of this gig. I made everyone that I know listen to that album when I got my (aren't you special) pre-release copy (or was it seven months ago?). Time has got out of whack with my understanding of it. For those of you who don't know, Sahara Hotnights (www.saharahotnights.com or www.jetsetrecords.com) is an all-girl, four-piece Swedish band of early-20s rock machines. This group should be ruling the world. These girls rock. These girls write hooky songs with guts and smarts.

The Green Door is an all-ages punk-rock joint. There are pool tables to the right, the bar is straight ahead, and chairs and gathering areas are to the left. Past this section further left is the stage, which faces the back of the building. I've definitely seen the place more packed (it's a Sunday night gig), but, it's nicely populated—no shoving to get from point A to point B. We (me and my boy Ty Klipspringer) got in and made our way past the X-handed youth, through the fence around the bar designed to keep them out, and let us in (strange Puritan rules). We scored drinks and found a nook, where we waited and chatted about Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, and Chixdiggit.

Oh dang and mans, we missed The Washdown. The Washdown are from Tampa, Florida—and I understand that they rock. You can find out where they are playing (and don't do like I done, boys and girls) at www.thewashdown.com. Sorry, fellahs. Catch you next time.

Up "first" is Ikara Colt. Ikara Colt (www.ikaracolt.com or www.epitaph.com) are a four-piece rock band from London. I normally expect very little from the band that I didn't come to see. I've sat through some awful crap to get to the bands that I love. It's the price you pay. Ikara Colt broke me down within seconds of beginning their set. Lead singer Paul Resende was the electric-light reflection of the band's energy. The energy was big and moved, having dark depth and pulsating with art and style. Jon Ball (bass) and Dominic Young (drums) were straight-ahead rocking, with Claire Ingram (guitar) providing the emotion and color. Between Resende's spazzing and great out-front presence (occasionally sounding like Iggy Pop and at other times reminding me of Alice Cooper—which is not to say that he didn't have his own voice: he did), and Ingram's fantastically cool fret work, Ikara Colt owned the room. You could see the unified look of shock and joy on the collective face of the crowd. Some of my favorite songs of Ikara Colt's set were "Rudd", "Belgravia", and "At the Lodge". It was a solid set. Polite mayhem.

Then it was time for the girls. Sahara Hotnights hit the stage looking cool, with sneering, hip-cocked, savage readiness. Sporting classic rock axes, Maria Andersson (lead vocal, Gibson Les Paul guitar), Jennie Asplund (Gibson SG and Les Paul guitar), and sister Johanna Asplund (Fender bass) swayed and jerked, possessed within the downright relentless beat of drummer Josephine Forsman. All four of their faces were full of sweaty sexual moaning thunder—but not carnal sex: the sex of the indescribable power and magic of rock. Some of my favorite songs that Sahara Hotnights played were "Keep Up the Speed", "Alright Alright", and "Down and Out"—but their entire set was great. These are great songs, and the Sahara Hotnights played them like they meant it—which they did. You cannot fake what these girls have going on.

After the show was over, I was standing around with some of my people. The talk was not about the show but about the Salvation Army-style hipster moving equipment. Man, is that...It is: Howlin' Pelle Almqvist (the Swedish Mick Jagger), lead singer of The Hives was helping load up the trailer. The word around the trash can was that he is dating Hotnight Maria (I am so Mary Hart). I went over and said, "Hey man, I love you guys. When's the next Hives album coming out?" He said that maybe, by the end of the year. He was cool, and he was a good roadie, focused on getting the job done.

All in all, it was an ultra-sweet rock 'n' roll event. You could literally feel the power of being young, rocking, and going places on the lot of 'em (including Ikara Colt). I was glad that I had soaked up some of the rays. That is a hell of a cool feeling.

Jello Biafra
March 20, 2003 @ City Arts Center (Oklahoma City, OK)
By H. Barry Zimmerman

Monday, March 17, 2003; St. Patrick's Day: President George W. Bush gives Saddam Hussein the call-out: "I know you're in there, Saddam. I'm giving you 48 hours to get out of town before I come in a'blastin'." Wednesday, March 19, 2003: Within hours of the deadline bombs are crashing down on Baghdad. Happy Birthday to Bruce Willis for being on the (evidently) short list of Right Wing-friendly celebs. Thursday, March 20, 2003: Jello Biafra (former lead singer for the politically-charged, bad-ass cool hardcore punk pioneers The Dead Kennedys) showed up in Oklahoma City with his own guns blazing. "We would like to start the show with an announcement." He was dressed in a judge's robe and wearing biker shades. "America is now under martial law." And so the Jello Biafra spoken-word show began. Held at the City Arts Center (a concrete and metal auditorium with a capacity of 300) at Fair Park and sponsored by Size Records and Against the Grain Gallery. The night with Jello Biafra was highly entertaining, informative, and longer than a 10-episode marathon of THE COSBY SHOW (a low-grade Jello reference). He took a break at 2 hours and 20 minutes. He said "It's getting late. See ya" at 5 hours and 10 minutes. He had a water bottle on stage that he never opened. He could have gone on for hours more. Man, my backside was a flat, tired mess. It was truly as lengthy as a Springsteen concert.

Mr. Biafra mainly discussed the war (America's favorite new reality show), constantly referring to G.W.B. as King George the Second. There were amusing imitations of G.W.B., poking fun at such classic Bushisms as "Most of the imports in this country come from foreign countries" and "Don't mess with Texas." Jello responded to King George the Second's statement that "You are either with us or against us" with "What a choice." He went on to point out that it is possible that we are against President Bush and terrorists both. The war was called "feel-good violence to please the inner child"; Donald Rumsfeld was called "Dumbsfeld"; John Ashcroft was "Ashcrack." Jello spent lots of time discussing Mr. Ashcroft. He compared him to Stalin at one point. There was talk of the corruption of the media. For example: General Electric owns MSNBC, and General Electric has arms contracts; they bring light to the military. So how will the news that MSNBC delivers benefit their own interests? Would they dare be anti-war? He said that we should be the news. "Double-check your information and send it out there on the Internet." He also suggested that a good source for news is an English publication THE GUARDIAN. Jello made reference to "the Rebublicrats" throughout the evening. He suggested that we (America) needs a regime change more than does Iraq. He demanded that we kill the two-party system and give America back to the people, and that we get corporations out of Washington.

The crowd was ready to agree with Jello before the statements were out of his mouth. He was really preaching to the choir's most enthusiastic members. At some points it felt like Mr. Biafra could have suggested that the sun is a myth, and the bulk of the audience would have thrown away their sunglasses. It was an interesting social experiment. At times it felt like 1984 turned upside down.

Jello was a non-stop fountain of facts and examples. At the end of the evening my mind was a blur of imitations and wild gestures. I just couldn't retain the abundance of information. (My brain took a real beating in the '80s and '90s.) But I enjoyed Jello immensely. He was very funny, his energy level was amazing, and his passion lit up the stage. The one statement that sticks with me the most was Jello asking people to not become fundamentalist — but that to be an anti-fundamentalism fundamentalist was the wrong way to go. "Don't be more radical than thou or more correct than thou." Personally, I believe that fanatics on all sides make an honest debate impossible.

Jello also talked about the ongoing legal troubles involving former members of The Dead Kennedys and himself, which began years ago when there was an offer to use part of the DK classic "Holiday in Cambodia" in a Dockers commercial. Presently, the treasonish ingrates are attempting to sue Mr. Biafra for possession of his image and his name. Is that insane, or what? But while I'm always up for a DK discussion, the night belonged to more pressing issues. What are you going to do? We are killing and being killed. These are dark days indeed.

Jello Biafra was inspiring and genuinely moving. He did take cheap shots with relentless poking and name-calling, sometimes resembling a lazy comic; but the easy shots were mile-high, two-ton facts and rational puzzle constructions that were eye-opening and frightening.

Look around you. You may one day be asked to explain to a younger family member what was going on in the year 2003, when America invaded Iraq. You may be asked if you voiced an opinion or waved a flag or protested or watched the big show on the TV. History is rolling out in front of us. I would like to say for the record that I am not behind President Bush, and I am not behind the terrorists; I am behind the notion of peace over speculative reasons for war. In the end I may be proven wrong. I am willing to take that chance. And I would like to say that saying that I disagree with this action is not the same as saying that I think America as a concept or as a reality is bad or wrong. Life is more complex than a coin toss. That seems pretty obvious to anyone who isn't hunting up fuel for their own fire.

Stand up. Speak out. Be heard. Exercise your Americanness. Cheers.

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