RIP Gary Duncan of Quicksliver and the Brogues

Gary Duncan, Quicksilver Messenger Service Guitarist, Dies 
---
Besides his time in QMS, Gary's band the Brogues cut the classic "I Ain't No Miracle Worker"!

Nurse Nikki's Neon Nightcrawl

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY - T MOBILE AREA FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019

I was so excited to get the opportunity to see Sir Paul in concert at T-Mobile arena. I have been to see the Knights games and U2 there, but this was my first time actually sitting in a great seat for a concert. It is a fairly smooth process to get into the arena, from line to my seat took 20 minutes for a sold-out show. I did get there early (in line at 6:50pm). Parking however is not easy, nor is uber. Always give yourself plenty of time if you are going to the arena, they close off every entrance and exit to ride share and taxis.

 But enough about that, let’s talk about this show! Being the youngest person in my row was a definite high point for me. I sat next to a great older couple from Vegas who helped me with songs I didn’t recognize (yes, there were a couple!). I was introduced to The Beatles and Wings through my Aunt. My parents were just a tad too old for the Beatlemania, they were more into 50’s doo wop, but my aunt was the right age. When I was young, I would stay at her house and she would play all her Beatles and Wings records, and she loved music as did my folks, so I got a great education in music appreciation early on. I love the Beatles and I love Wings. I was psyched to see how this show would be, and Sir Paul did not disappoint.

 There was no opening band, but a DJ who spun mish mash of other people singing Beatles tunes. Sort of in a “clubby” sort of way. My seatmates weren’t impressed. But the show started relatively on time at 8:15pm. The stage was wonderfully lit, and the beginning showcase had running banners along each side showing photos in a cool arrangement like you were scaling a house- starting with Paul as a baby all the way through current times.

Paul is backed by an amazing band- Brian Ray (lead guitar, bass when Paul is playing guitar, backing vocals), Rusty Anderson (rhythm and lead guitar, high back vocals), Abe Laboriel Jr (drums and backing vocals). and Wix Wickens (keyboards). Of note, Paul has been playing with this arrangement longer than he ever played with The Beatles, and it shows. They are an amazing backing band, having fun and hitting the cues. Joined by a great horn section (trumpet, sax and trombone) who had spots out in the audience at times, this was the cream of the crop of backing players. No one hogs the spotlight, not even Paul to be honest. He talks between songs, just to add a joke or two, to engage the audience, or to tell a little side story about a song or a time. During this 2hr and 40-minute set he played his famed bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, ukulele, and (be still my heart) a mandolin.

 The light show and sound were superb. Choreographed to each song, the lights brought dimension to the constant videos playing behind the band and Paul. I was truly in awe of the videos that were playing as the songs went on. Clips of never seen photos and video outtakes ran during songs, matching that period. I own the multi-disc Beatles anthology and I have never seen these videos and photos. It was cool. Paul interacted with the audience on several occasions, he joked and talked, picked out certain people with funny signs. Maybe it’s an act, but he genuinely seemed like a humble guy. For all his legacy, you would expect a certain amount of arrogance, which some performers with far less legacy exhibit, but Paul did not exhibit anything other than the appearance of a man with more than 5 decades of musicianship under his belt who enjoys what he does. He did a very good job hitting his notes for the most part, especially for a man who just turned 77 on June 18th.

For the encore performance of Helter Skelter he brought out Steven Tyler of Aerosmith to duet, and that was a definite highlight. All in all, the night was incredibly fabulous and all I hoped it would be. The opportunity to see a legend, and a Beatle was a highlight. A definite cross off on my band bucket list !! I apologize for the fuzzy photos, I couldn’t afford the $500 tickets !

The set list. To be honest, I was not able to keep up with writing down all the songs, as I was really just enjoying myself too much to worry. But here is what I can remember. In no particular order:

A Hard Day's Night, Can't Buy Me Love, Letting Go, Who Cares, Come On to Me, Let Me Roll It, I've Got a Feeling, Let "em In, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five, Maybe I'm Amazed, From Me To You, My Valentine, Love Me Do, Blackbird, Lady Madonna, Eleanor Rigby, Something, Ob-La-Di Ob-La Da, Band on the Run, Back in the USSR, Let It Be, Live and Let Die, Hey Jude
Encore: Yesterday, I Saw Her Standing There, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band, Helter Skelter, The End

recommended gigs

Thursday June 27 - Goldtop Bob at Tiki di Amore

Friday June 28 - John Mayall at Sunset Station
Friday June 28 - Drowsy with DomiNiki at 172 at the Rio

Saturday June 29 - Bogtrotters Union, Lawn Mower Death Riders, Illicitor, the Riflemen and more at the Dive Bar
Saturday June 29 - Johnny Zig and the Force at GOAT

Monday July 1 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday July 5 - Shanda and the Howlers, the Rhyolite Sound, Pope Paul and the Illegals at the Bunkhouse
Friday July 5 - the Unwieldies and Red Steppes at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday July 6 - LV Blues Society Delta Blues Jam at the Pioneer Saloon

Sunday July 7 - the Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki
Sunday July 7 - the Burly-Q-Revue with Johnny Zig and the Force at the Double Down

Tuesday July 9 - Johnny Zig and the Force at the Sand Dollar
Tuesday July 9 - My First Rodeo and the Pine Hill Haints at the Huntridge Tavern

Wednesday July 10 - Negative Nancys, Not a Robot and Throw (PDX) at Evel Pie

Friday July 12 - the Darts and the Dollyrots at Evel Pie
Friday July 12 - Trevor and the Swingin' Johnsons at Casa di Amore

Saturday July 13 - the Unwieldies at the Dillinger

Tuesday July 16 - the Rhyolite Sound at Hogs'n'Heifers
Tuesday July 16 - the Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday July 19 - Jerk!, Pluralses, War Called Home at the Double Down
Friday July 19 - the Unwieldies at Harway 8 in Henderson

Saturday July 20 - the Psyatics  with the Dead Dolls and the Negative Nancys at the Double Down

Sunday July 28 - the Hyponotiques at the Clark County Library 2 pm

Thursday August 1 - Elvis Costello and Blondie at the Palms

Friday August 2 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday August 6 - all-female surf from Canada, the Surfrajettes, the Hula Girls and the Hypnotiques at the Bunkhouse

Thursday August 8 - the Fleshtones (NYC's original garage band!), with The Swamp Gospel, the Psyatics and the Holy Smokes at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Friday August 16 - the Psyatics with Stagnetti's Cock and Strange Mistress for John Armstrong's birthday at the Double Down

Saturday August 17 - the Mapes, Sheiks of Neptune, No Que No, Los Carajos, Skeleton Crew at the Dive Bar

Sunday August 18 - George Clinton and Parliment Funkadelic at the Brooklyn Bowl

Tuesday August 20 - the Rhyolite Sound at Hogs'n'Heifers

Wednesday August 21 - Girl Haggard at Saddle'n'Spurs

Sunday August 25 - Shonen Knife at Vinyl

Tuesday Sept 17 - the Rhyolite Sound at Hogs'n'Heifers

Saturday Sept 21 - Johnny Hootrock with the Vooduo at the Double Down

Saturday Oct 26 - GWAR with Sacred Reich, Toxic Holocaust and Against the Grain at the Fremont Country Club

Tuesday Nov 5 - Redd Kross with the Melvins and Shitkid at the Bunkhouse

What have I forgotten? Lemme know

Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Jesus Let Me Down

After seeing Slim Cessna's oddly-named Auto Club tearin' it up a couple of weeks ago with evangelical fervor and sensory psychosis, I had to pick up some recorded artifact and decided on this 2-LP live set - seemed appropriate. Although looking like a crazed Appalachian congregation, the group actually hails from the exceedingly less exotic Denver, Colorado, making me wonder how the likes of singer Munly Munly goes about his day-to-day business in that modern hub. Adaptable, I suppose. In any case, experiencing the live show was reasonably transcendental and this is a fine documentation of their live madness.

The fold-out record cover contains innumerable photos and a multi-page booklet that transcribes everything that is said on the record - impressive! It is actually much more than that as it describes "The Live Tragedie In Four Acts" (the four sides of the album, natch) and, in their own psuedo-Shakespearian way, details everything that occurs, on and off stage throughout the show. It is quite clever and pretty entertaining reading on its own.

Even though this record is from 2005, a number of these songs are in their current set and are still performed with the same impassioned, wild wackiness. With two singers - Slim and the afore-mentioned Munly - guitar, bass, drums, steel guitar, keys, and occasional banjo, all using multiple effects (the waves of banjo feedback are especially memorable), the sound is full but never excessive and the vocals are generally given room to tell their tales.

Extremely difficult to describe, their sound is a mish-mash of innumerable influences: Gothic Americana, Country, Bluegrass, Blues, Gospel, Baptist church services, to name a few. Yodeling, talking in tongues, faux hillbilly-speak and early American folk tales meld with electronic feedback and modern effects along with vocal harmonies, call'n'answer melodies and wild theatrics. Then they will go back to straight steel guitar playing with Gospel tunes over it, before switching gears to fast paced, excessive noise in unison with church organ'n'banjo pickin' and then move from sad, steel-laden ballads to "Ghost Rider in the Sky"-styled numbers to upbeat vocal interplays to sonic waves (especially effective in the seriously dramatic semi-title track "Jesus Is In My Body - My Body Has Let Me Down") and always interacting with the audience with pious passion.

These cats have been knocking people dead for decades now - you need to be open-minded musically, but if you are, be prepared for a wild ride!

Jw's new column yet to be named :) *Freelance Curmudgeon* maybe?

(From Rich - I actually swiped this - with permission -  from a Facebook post of Jw's. I'm hoping that he will continue to write more for the blog. Again - anyone else interested in doing reviews, just let me know!)
(For those who do not know, Jw Caldwell is one of Vegas' best and most creative artists and a true supporter of the scene - as you can tell by the number of local bands whose t-shirts sport his artwork! Be sure to support his shows when he has them, as well!)

BOB LOG III, THE FAT DUKES OF FUCK, THE SHEIKS OF NEPTUNE AND THE SWAMP GOSPEL AT THE BUNKHOUSE, SATURDAY JUNE 22, 2019, HOSTED BY DIRTY ROCK'N'ROLL DANCE PARTY

Most of you missed an amazing show tonight. It’s rare that a 4 band bill is solid all the way through...

The Swamp Gospel is what might happen if The Cramps led a Pentecostal tent revival. Rich continually smokes his guitar down to smoldering embers and damnit if he can’t keep his boots off the furniture. Melanie confessed that when the sound is good (and the sound at The Bunkhouse is on point) that’s when she makes mistakes. I didn’t count any mistakes. If you need redemption, Swamp Gospel has it on a clearance sale.

(above SG pic by Jw)

(rest of the SG pix by Jeff Murphy) 

 The Sheiks of Neptune are what might happen if your favorite metal band got shot into space and exposed to some wacky radiation, and when they came back they evolved into something beautifully weird. Their vocalist busted his ankle at a show a couple weeks ago, so some of the crowd carried the burden. They didn’t miss a beat. This is “punch you in the face, then give you a warm hug” rock at its finest.

(above Sheiks pic by Jw, rest by me)

 The Fat Dukes of Fuck are just a wall of dirge rock, with hints of what you still like about Danzig, done well. Check out their video for “Full Metal Jack Off” on YouTube (If you don’t like it, you can unfriend me right now; double your money back guarantee.) [And they had enough smoke and lasers for 12 Danzig shows - so much so that the club had to open all of the doors! (Rich)]

(above pic by Jw, rest by me)

Headliner was Bob Log III. One man band, full audience participation, charming motherfucker, plays the blues guitar like it owes him money. What other artist uses crowd sourced balloons as a percussion instrument?!?!
(I was bummed that he didn’t play “Boob Scotch.”)

(above Bob pic by Jw, rest by me)

This was a solid show. It takes a certain amount of talent to make “dirty” look enticing.There’s an art to taking “not taking yourself too seriously” seriously. Stage presence comes when you can share the fun you’re having on stage with the people in the audience.

The people up on stage are just like you and me; they’re just working a different job with a different set of tools. But just like you and me, if they don’t feel appreciated they’ll quit and then we’ll all be bored and sad.

Come out and support.

Nurse NIkki's Neon Nightcrawl

THE UNWIELDIES AND WHISKEY BREATH AT THE HUNTRIDGE TAVERN, FRIDAY JUN 21, 2019

Back to the Huntridge Tavern tonight to see another great line up of bands. While the space for bands is sometimes sadly small, the tavern is very open to bands playing and it draws in people (like me) who wouldn’t probably drive there to go. Tonight, on the lineup was acoustic sets by Whiskey Breath and Unwieldies. Whiskey Breath is multifaceted with band members, and solo artist, Brandon Madejek.

Tonight, Brandon was joined by Ken Osborne of the All-Togethers on guitar. Whiskey Breath is a raucous outlaw country set up with influences such as David Allen Coe, Hank Williams II and III, and Merle Haggard. Brandon has a wonderful, projective voice that can’t help but get you to sit up and take notice. Brandon has played a full band mode of WB and has done solo work. The result is still the same…. Outlaw country at its best. He and Ken started out the set with some of Brandon’s originals, including a debut of a new song, “God Damn You”. Brandon’s originals sing of the dangers of drinking/drug abuse, loss of love, and disillusionment with the entertainment industry. Ken backing up Brandon on vocals and guitar was an added dimension that really gave an extra “kick” to the set. Brandon doesn’t play much, so if you get a chance to get out to see him, he is well worth the trip!

 Next up was The Unwieldies. A Las Vegas alt folk, country band that has some of the best talent in Vegas. Made up of wife and husband, Danielle and Robert Bell (guitar and bass), the band has Jack from The Psyatics (violin), Richard Wells (dobro) from Pitchfork, and new addition on drums and banjo, Jesse Fitts. Tonight, they were playing as a 3 piece. They have a mix of original tunes and covers that touch upon love, relationships, and the struggle to maintain a balance in life. Danielle’s voice is as I like to say “like warm sourdough bread with the best butter”, Robert’s voice blends nicely in harmonies and on his own. They are a great band to admire talent and relax with a drink or dinner. Tonight, they played their standard great covers from Leonard Cohen, Elvis Costello and Michael Jackson, as well as some of their newest songs off their album ‘No Secrets Here’. They tag themselves as the band for “the haves and have nots” and I think their continued amazing musicianship shows they are clearly the “haves”. They play regularly once a month out in Boulder City, so if you want a great evening out of the Vegas lights, go check them out !

Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind - Collectiv

Jim Jones' bands have been high on my list of fave groups since Thee Hypnotics, right through Black Moses and the Jim Jones Revue. This latest project - already 5 years into it, which is hard to believe - continues on with many of the sounds'n'styles of the Revue, but with its own idiosyncrasies and with some new characters. There have been some turnover in the line-up but this record consists of Gavin Jay on bass, Mal Troon on guitar (Jim also plays), Matt Millership on keys and Andy Marvell on drums, along with a large cast of supporting characters, including Thee Hypnotics' own guitar superstar, Ray Hanson!

True power crunch that wouldn't have sounded outta place in the Revue opens "Sex Robot", although maybe even harder'n'heavier than the rockin' Revue, but with a similar groove.  With the rockin' piano work, wailin' sax and chain gang backing vocals, "Satan's Got His Heart Set On You" sounds even more like something off of The Savage Heart, as does the Nice Cave meets the Stooges "I Will Fall" waves-of-noise sounds of "O Genie". Totally dig the slightly off-kilter-but-rockin' guitars in "Attack of the Killer Brainz" that evolve into a high energy Detroit-styled treat, complete with Ray Sonic Hanson's lead guitar work! "Meth Church" is a dark, moody'n'atmospheric ballad, and again, I am reminded of Nick Cave, but there are plenty of other touchstones here, as well.

Also, once again, Jim makes me think that he is working on a David Lynch soundtrack with cuts like the slow, dramatic, strings'n'keys'n'female-chorus-laden "Dark Secrets" then they move into some heavy soul/gospel in "I Found a Love" followed by the power-chord drenched, throat abusing mayhem of "Out Align" (hah!), a Leonard Cohen-esque ballad in "Going There Anyway" before concluding with a mid-tempo slide stomper, "Shazam".

I think that anything that Jones is associated with is gonna be more than worth your while and this is another excellent venture! Looking forward to hearing more from this combo!

The Blasters - American Music/Trouble Bound

I used to see the Blasters whenever I could when they first started playing the clubs and picking up steam around LA. They would turn places like Club 88 and the Starwood into combination juke joints and sock hops with their upbeat, energetic and super fun mix of rockabilly and blues. With one of the swingingest and solidest rhythm sections around (John Bazz and Bill Bateman on bass and drums, natch) and the front men/brothers Dave and Phil Alvin (lead guitar and lead vocals), they were terrific players/singers and would always put on a helluva show. I didn't think the addition of piano was necessary and almost detracted from their smokin' guitar-based show, and I never thought their albums really captured the magic of the gigs (as they rarely do), so I have not been a big collector of their recordings. This 2-CD set, though, has the original, pre-keyboard group on CD one and a terrific live show on CD 2 and is a fantastic testament to their talents.

Right from the start, the band "blasts" out their anthem, "American Music", with swingin' energy and style that continues into the jumpin' "Real Rock Drive" and the harp-fueled "Barefoot Rock". Dave smokes on lead guitar on "I Don't Want To" (and he thought he wasn't that good!), their "Marie, Marie" scored hits for others (catchy as hell!), they do justice to Billy Boy Arnold's "I Wish You Would" (Phil was pretty damn good on the harp!) and they rock through another 13 (!!) songs on this CD, with tunes running the gamut of jump blues, rockabilly, R&B, Americana (dig Phil's yodeling talent in "Never No Mo' Blues") and more (they take the Hollywood Flames doo-wop number "Buzz Buzz Buzz" and make it a rockabilly tune, though still a little odd in their set) all filtered through their own rock'n'roll blender!

The live CD does include Gene Taylor on keys, but despite my reservations as a youngster, he is smokin' on this set and he does fit in well. The set has some of their best, from the opening hot rockabilly "One Red Rose", the Texas swing-blues of the title track "Trouble Bound", the great "Long White Cadillac", Dave spits out some Delta blues licks for the intro (and amazing solo) to "Cryin' For My Baby" (Phil blows some mean harp, as well), their take on Little Willie John's classic "I'm Shakin'" is damn iconic, "Blue Shadows" is a fine bluesy rockabilly tune, and we're only a third of the way through the show at this point! Damn near everything is rockin' here, but other highlights include Dave's "Common Man" (with some melodic similarities to "13 Women" and another fantastic solo by Dave - I do love his playing), Johnny Guitar Watson's "Too Tired" and Billy Boy's "I Wish You Would", the menacing "Dark Night", "So Long Baby, Goodbye" where Phil references numerous other tunes in his terrific harp solo and, of course, a couple of their finest, "American Music" and "Marie Marie".

Excellent 2-CD set here of the band at their best! Ya can't go wrong with this one!

recommended gigs

Friday June 21 - Thee Swank Bastards at Tiki di Amore
Friday June 21 - the Unwieldies and Whiskey Breath at the Huntridge Tavern
Friday June 21 - Not a Robot at the Thunderbird

Saturday June 22 - Bob Log III with the Swamp Gospel at the Bunkhouse

Monday June 24 - Goldtop Bob at Tiki di Amore

Wednesday June 26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Thursday June 27 - Goldtop Bob at Tiki di Amore

Friday June 28 - John Mayall at Sunset Station
Friday June 28 - Drowsy with DomiNiki at 172 at the Rio

Saturday June 29 - Bogtrotters Union, Lawn Mower Death Riders, Illicitor, the Riflemen and more at the Dive Bar
Saturday June 29 - Johnny Zig and the Force at GOAT

Friday July 5 - Shanda and the Howlers, the Rhyolite Sound, Pope Paul and the Illegals at the Bunkhouse

Saturday July 6 - LV Blues Society Delta Blues Jam at the Pioneer Saloon

Sunday July 7 - the Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki
Sunday July 7 - the Burly-Q-Revue with Johnny Zig and the Force at the Double Down

Tuesday July 9 - Johnny Zig and the Force at the Sand Dollar

Friday July 12 - the Darts and the Dollyrots at Evel Pie
Friday July 12 - Trevor and the Swingin' Johnsons at Casa di Amore

Tuesday July 16 - the Rhyolite Sound at Hogs'n'Heifers
Tuesday July 16 - the Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday July 19 - Jerk!, Pluralses, War Called Home at the Double Down

Saturday July 20 - the Psyatics at the Double Down

Sunday July 28 - the Hyponotiques at the Clark County Library 2 pm

Thursday August 1 - Elvis Costello and Blondie at the Palms

Friday August 2 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday August 6 - all-female surf from Canada, the Surfrajettes, the Hula Girls and the Hypnotiques at the Bunkhouse

Thursday August 8 - the Fleshtones (NYC's original garage band!), with The Swamp Gospel, the Psyatics and the Holy Smokes at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Friday August 16 - the Psyatics at the Double Down

Saturday August 17 - the Mapes, Sheiks of Neptune, No Que No, Los Carajos, Skeleton Crew at the Dive Bar

Sunday August 18 - George Clinton and Parliment Funkadelic at the Brooklyn Bowl

Tuesday August 20 - the Rhyolite Sound at Hogs'n'Heifers

Wednesday August 21 - Girl Haggard at Saddle'n'Spurs

Tuesday Sept 17 - the Rhyolite Sound at Hogs'n'Heifers

Saturday Sept 21 - Johnny Hootrock with the Vooduo at the Double Down

Saturday Oct 26 - GWAR with Sacred Reich, Toxic Holocaust and Against the Grain at the Fremont Country Club

Tuesday Nov 5 - Redd Kross with the Melvins and Shitkid at the Bunkhouse

What have I forgotten? Lemme know

The Heiz - The Gun

The Double Down Saloon's favorite Japanese band (and Squidhat Records recording artists) the Heiz just came through America once again and played the Punk Rock Bowling festival as well as a surprise show at the DD. They are always a blast live, so I got down there for their set and picked up this, their latest release.

They are continuing with their mix of Chuck Berry riffs, Ramones steals and power pop melodies for more highly entertaining tracks. "Dr. Rock'n'Roll" has plenty of early Beatles pop melodies and "oohs" while the guitars cop "Back in the USA", among others. Bassist Asako provides some sassy lead vocals for "Good Good News", "Soul Satisfaction" is a boppin' dance tune with a swingin' guitar/drum riff, they steal from the Ramones (once again) for "Taco Mambo" and "The Louder the Better", although for the latter, there is a lot more 50's r'n'r combined with the Ramones lifts. On the title track they sound almost like the MC5 on their second album and then they get over-the-top goofy for their reprise of "I'm Starving" from Salvo as "I'm Starving Now" - it's a silly bit of ska-punk that I know is popular live, but really didn't need to appear on record a second time, in my un-asked-for opinion.

They redeem themselves with a fierce punk-riff-rocker in "Excuse Me", then there's more silliness but with cool rock'n'roll backing in "Steak Steak Steak" (their drummer Kim sings the food-oriented songs), "White Cadillac" is practically a nursery rhyme, Asako comes back for the cooly rhythmic'n'rockin' "Chicken Bone" as well as a purposely overwrought vocal take on "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", which I think would have sounded better if she had done it straight, as she does have a fine voice and the backing track is nicely arranged as a stripped down rocker. Obviously influenced by Dave Edmunds, they turn his rock'n'roll adaptation of "Sabre Dance" into a high-energy punk rocker and for the closer they actually make a Bon Jovi song into something hip with "Bad Medicine" - it's actually a good song in their hands!

I love Shaku's guitar style - great tone and terrific playing - while Asako and Kim are a solidly fantastic rhythm section and their vocals are all excellent, especially Shaku's tone (again) and their harmonies are kinda amazing. They put on a helluva show, as well, so be sure to see them if they come anywhere near you and check out their three cd's in the meantime!