Psyatics, Child Endangerment, Tiger Sex - The (new) Dive Bar 5-17-13

Wow! What a totally fun night of terrific rock’n’roll! Favorites has now morphed into the Dive Bar, fittingly, as it is run by people who worked the old (original?) Dive Bar. I dig this space a lot - lots of room, reasonably priced drinks, a real stage, a real PA and a real sound man who actually knows what he’s doing! Hopefully, they will continue to book nights like this.

I’m sure you’re getting sick of me rantin’ about the Psyatics by now, but too bad! They opened the show this night to a fairly sparse crowd, but still showed off the power of their well-honed r’n’r machine. The new CD is represented well throughout the set and that’s a good thing cuz they’re great tunes! Guitarist Jack (described as a “beast” in an RJ review!) is loosening up on stage and moving more as he lays down his slabs of sonic psychosis while Rob does his best yelpin’ and Jimmy pounds out the rhythms. Another fab set!


I had never heard or seen Child Endangerment before and wasn’t sure what to think as three youngsters in loose-fitting t-shirts, long shorts, beards and baseball caps took the stage with some of the cheapest equipment I’ve seen in a long time - not that that’s a bad thing! But then the singer showed up, looking like a bastard child of Johnny Rotten and the cats went into a shamblin’ set of some of the loosest and fun-est punk rock I’ve seen since the early days of the Germs! They seem to barely know their songs (and they only played 5 or so) and there was a fair about of chatter in between numbers (including passing out the book “Death of a Salesman” and singing to an 80’s Playboy Playmate fold-out), but damned if it wasn’t a helluva good time! The sound is 70’s punk, with some slower, riff-based numbers and not just 1,2,3,4-1,2,3,4 punk - though some of that was mixed in - like the early punk bands did. I hope to see more of them and I hope they don’t get too “good” - cuz they’re damned good as it is!

Anyone who’s ever read this blog knows that I am a huge fan of the Tinglerz and their guitarist Kei, so I had to check out his new side project (this was their second show), Tiger Sex. In this project, Kei simply mangles his guitar while his lovely wife, Kelly, takes over the vocal chores like a raw Joan Jett or like the “little girl with a big voice” popularized in the 80’s by bands like Tex & the Horseheads. The rhythm section is dynamite and once again, Kei has a band who knows how to write real songs. They have no problem playing different tempos and are right at home with a slow, smoldering, heavy blues (that sounded like a mix of the Stooges “I Need Somebody” and the Jeff Beck Group or something!) as they are with a high energy punk rocker. Their choice of covers gives a good indication of their influences and style - “Cherry Bomb” by the Runaways and “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by the Stooges. Kei rips it up in the best Ron Ashton/Wayne Kramer style - cool riffs with plenty of noise and wah-wah and just teetering on the edge of chaos - as r’n’r always should! He really is one of my fave guitarists in town and with this excellent rhythm section and dynamic lead singer, he has an amazing new project.

Once again, Vegas proves that there is some real rock’n’roll here! Make sure you get out and see some of the great bands that we have!