Obsolete Your Idols

Big Gear

A week back I went to the Edinburgh Castle to see Black Ghost because I'd met the people involved through Laws. Their music was enjoyable.

After them, I saw Ned. I wish they'd had CDs to sell, I'd have picked one up. I really liked their sound when I wasn't being concerned that their tower of keyboards and mixing boards were going to collapse in a booze-infused pyre of death. A lot of cables, alcohol, electronics and motion went in to that centerpiece.

Oh, and before those two, [this being part of Club Awexome], I saw Sort of Invisible [sorry, I can't seem to find any sort of site for him], a one-man and computer show. Almost an entire suit of powered armor worth of gear surrounded him to the point that he seemed at risk for being overwhelmed by the machines. Clever songs, though.

I think I sent email to get myself added to the Ned list so I can try to get my hands on a CD, but I can't presently tell.

posted at 12:00 PDT (-0700)     (comments disabled)   permanent link  

Fuck You and Your Band!

Belated quick review. I went to the Hotel Utah on July 3 to see Schaffer the Darklord.

There were some opening acts, the most exciting of which for me was BESTFRIENDS, featuring GRBOT and JBOT of Captured! By Robots.

No offense to L'og, I just really like robots. Especially foul-tempered hateful guitar playing robots. So there you have it.

Of the acts, only STD seemed to have merchandise for sale and so I bought the CD. Too busy since then to actually listen to the whole thing and likewise post about it. But based on his live show, you definitely want to buy his album.

posted at 16:16 PDT (-0700)     (comments disabled)   permanent link  

Fancy Meeting You Here

I went to my first live rock show as a denizen of the Bay Area at the Hemlock last night. You may remember that some time back [Eight months already? How time flies.] I went to a Replicator show and that was, in fact, the draw again.

Unfortunately, Christopher Bolig was hit by a cab, breaking his arm, so they had to sit this show out. So that left Akimbo and Big Business as the bands on the bill. I knew nothing about either of them but I really needed to rock. Or, at least, drink.

As it turns out, I liked Big Business enough to buy their four-song EP, which I've been listening to on repeat all this morning. I gather they're a Seattle band but I'd never heard [of] them until moving here. It's a small coast, after all.

posted at 11:49 PDT (-0700)     (comments disabled)   permanent link  

My Rock With Andre

Look who's playing the Tractor! Not to mention my very favorite family. Oh my yes.

posted at 20:52 PST (-0800)     (comments disabled)   permanent link  

Replicator, Lower 48, me infecto

Saturday night at the Mars Bar, a place I've been past hundreds of times but never gone in, I had a chance to see Replicator. Before they went on, Lower Forty-Eight did four songs. Laws and Devil insisted I go.

I got there after me infecto had started and had to dash off before Freeverse were slated to go on. As it was, I ended up missing the last bus home and walking about five miles after an exhausting day.

I'd never heard anything by any of these bands but I really enjoyed it all. Noisy, messy, raucous. Of the three I saw, Replicator seemed to have the best stage presence, largely due to Conan's antics. He wanders out in to the audience, armed with a guitar or a microphone, exalts at the altar of the amplifier, leaps and convulses in the throes of some ecstasy which transcends lyricism.

Lower Forty-Eight is a three man band, like Replicator. Their set could have been longer, what I heard of it was great. Loud, sardonic and exuberant. I felt bad that I hadn't brought enough cash to buy any schwag from them. Of course, if I'd spent money on schwag and thus voided the possibility of a cab home, I'd probably have felt even more dumb, with an armload of crap, stranded at the Transit Center.

me infecto was already in full swing when I arrived and I couldn't really see or make sense of it because I was still transitioning from my mad dash to get to the venue. But I'd probably see them again. There was a simplicity to the duo's sound that seemed potentially interesting. Sorry to give them such short shrift, here; it's not them, it was me.

I don't know anything about Freeverse but I guess the Replicator guys like their work so if you like Replicator, maybe you'll like Freeverse.

posted at 09:29 PDT (-0700)     (comments disabled)   permanent link