Not sure that I can truly say RIP, but Sonny Barger is gone

Sonny Barger Dies: Hells Angels Founder, ‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Actor and Rolling Stones Nemesis Was 83 

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Can't say that he was a good person or anything, but he certainly has been part of pop culture for damn near as long as I can remember.

The Groovie Ghoulies - Flying Saucer Rock'n'Roll!

 

This crazy Ghoulies CD compiles early (1988/1989) Ghoulies 45's and cassettes (back in their original days, not their hipster re-emergence!), with Kepi on guitar, Eric on bass and "Tom Tom 3000" on drums, as well as a 5 piece version of the band - back when I first saw them gigging in local LA dives.

As might be expected, the fidelity is kinda low, but the energy'n'wildness is there, with the Ghoulies sound already happenin' in a hip way. Covers like the opening, title number swing like a 50's number should, "Blood Beach" sounds like early Misfits, while "Day In Day Out" is pure Kepi-pop, followed by a Ramones-y take on the Neil Diamond/Monkees' pop masterpiece, "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)", complete with shouted "heys!".

Kepi creates doomsday-pop in the mid-tempo "Armageddon 2000", "We Go So Good Together" is more 60's influenced bubblegum through the filter of 70's punk rock, and they rev up the Stones' "2000 Man" for the modern age (although it was still the 20th Century when this was recorded!). There's a terrific take on the 60's Neil Diamond/Herman's Hermits number, "Don't Go Out Into the Rain", "Dead End" sounds like early Red Cross/Redd Kross, the Stones' "Child of the Moon" is given a punk-psych-pop treatment, and once again Neil Diamond is featured in a cross-breed take on "Kentucky Woman" - mixing all of the versions, including Deep Purple's! There's a kinda true-to-the-original, albeit stripped down, take on Sonny Bono's "Laugh At Me", definitely taken from Sonny's version, not Mott the Hoople's, right down to the opening monologue! Billy Bragg's "A New England" closes with some damn nice pop melodies.

As I said, this is all pretty low-fi and primitive, but then, so is rock'n'roll - don't let that deter you! Once again, artist supreme Tom Neely contributes the cover and insert art, as only he can. Great stuff!

recommended gigs

 Friday 7-1-22 - Bob Wayne, White lIne Fever, Miss Elizabeth at the Dive Bar

Saturday 7-2-22 - The Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at Cemetery Pulp

Wednesday 7-6-22 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Thursday 7-7-22 - 3 Bad Jacks at the Dive Bar

Friday 7-8-22 - Snooper with Fake Fruit at the Usual Place

Saturday 7-9-22 - old friends of mine from OC, 16 Again at Red Dwarf with the Plagues and Downtown Death Rattle

Saturday 7-9-22 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Saturday 7-9-22 - Battering Ham, the Rifleman, Bryan McPherson, Brock Frabble at Cemetery Pulp

Saturday 7-9-22 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 7-14-22 - TV Party Tonight showing Forbidden Zone with live music from Tippy Elvis at the Double Down

Friday 7-15-22 - Cashed Out with Thee Hypnotiques at Soul Belly

Friday 7-15-22 - the Sheiks of Neptune with Ghostwood, Murder and Dredge at the Dive Bar

Saturday 7-16-22 - The Psyatics and Suburban Resistance at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 7-23-22 - The Dirty Hooks, Cherry Hill at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Saturday 7-23-22 - Alive, Pearl Jam tribute at Rock Star Bar

Saturday 7-30-22 - The Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 8-6-22 - Pat Todd and the Rank Outsiders, the Dogs, Neverland Ranch Davidians, Tramp for the Lord at the Double Down

Saturday 8-6-22 - Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party presents the Surfrajetts, the Volcanics and the Sheiks of Neptune at the Usual Place

Thursday 8-11-22 - The Heroine with Big Like Texas at Soul Belly

Friday 8-12-22 - The Psyatics at the Huntridge Tavern with Stagnetti's Cock and Scorpion vs Tarantula for John Armstrong's birthday

Saturday 8-13-22 - Suburban Resistance record release show at the Dive Bar with special guests TBA

Saturday 10-8-22 - the Queers, Venomous Pinks, Mercy Music, Jerk! at the Dive Bar

RIP Margaret Keane

Margaret Keane Dies: Kitschy ‘Big Eyes’ Artist, Subject Of Tim Burton Biopic Was 94 

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Groovie Ghoulies - Re-Animation Festival

 

After seeing our old pal, Kepi, again a couple of weeks ago, I picked up a couple more Groovie Ghoulie items and realized that there were more that I never got around to rantin' about, so gonna try to make up for that neglect when i can. 

This record was originally released in 1997 but recently reissued with fantastic artwork by another buddy, Tom Neely (of Henry and Glenn and the Humans fame, among many other fabulous feats). This captures Kepi (bass/vocals), Roach (guitar) and Panic (drums) poundin' through their take on pop punk, as only the Ghoulies can provide!

Their Ramones-ish buzzsaw guitar and Kepi's clever melodies and fun lyrics about Charles Manson, ET, the Haunted Mansion and so much more mean a boppin' good time is to be had by all! Joey Ramone should have covered "Tunnel Of Love", "Graveyard Girlfriend" has more cartoonishly spooky lyrics and upbeat riffs and feedback-laden chords, "That's That" is almost hardcore speed and vanishes almost before you know it and melds into the more mid-tempo romanticism of "School Is Out". 

"Chupacabra" (not the Chixdiggit number!) is another blink-and-you'll-miss-it tune that gives Kepi a chance to show off some Spanish lessons, while "Zombie Crush" is a hip, minor-keyed garage-y cut that he still plays (along with several others from this album). Roach shows off some Chuck Berry licks in the (appropriately) 50's-ish "Graceland", and they're back to a more mid-tempo buzz for "Maze Effect", then they try not to be abducted in "Evading the Greys", they mix the Ramones with 70's rock (what is that chord progression from?!) in "Satisfy Me", Kepi'n'Roach sing/pick an especially compelling melody in "To Go Home" and they close things out with Kepi reachin' back to his roots with an ode to the Stones through their take on "If You Need Me", done Ghoulies-style, of course!

Always fun, always rockin', always mixing their various influences into a pop-packet of cartoon-y, bubblegum-ish rock'n'roll goodness. 

recommended gigs

 Thursday 6-23-22 - Zeke, Soldiers of Destruction, Suburban Resistance, Downtown Death Rattle and Cutthroat at the Dive Bar

Thursday 6-23-22 - Thee Swank Bastards, Driftone, Wyatt and the Ashes, Gnashing - Cheba Hut

Friday 6-24-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 6-24-22 - Jerk! Illicitor, Shubees, Battering Ham at the Double Down

Friday 6-24-22 - Alive - Tribute to Pearl Jam at Rockstar Bar

Saturday 6-25-22 - GayC/DC, Crimson Riot, The Forget Me Nows, Negative Nancys at Taverna Costera

Saturday 6-25-22 - Pitchfork at SoulBelly

Monday 6-27-22 - Acoustic Front at the Founders Club

Friday 7-1-22 - Bob Wayne, White lIne Fever, Miss Elizabeth at the Dive Bar

Saturday 7-2-22 - The Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at Cemetery Pulp

Wednesday 7-6-22 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Saturday 7-9-22 - old friends of mine from OC, 16 Again at Red Dwarf with the Plagues and Downtown Death Rattle

Saturday 7-9-22 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Thursday 7-14-22 - TV Party Tonight showing Forbidden Zone with live music from Tippy Elvis at the Double Down

Friday 7-15-22 - Cashed Out with Thee Hypnotiques at Soul Belly

Friday 7-15-22 - the Sheiks of Neptune with Ghostwood, Murder and Dredge at the Dive Bar

Saturday 7-16-22 - The Psyatics and Suburban Resistance at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 7-30-22 - The Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 8-6-22 - Pat Todd and the Rank Outsiders, the Dogs, Neverland Ranch Davidians, Tramp for the Lord at the Double Down

Saturday 8-6-22 - Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party presents the Surfrajetts, the Volcanics and the Sheiks of Neptune at the Usual Place

Friday 8-12-22 - The Psyatics at the Huntridge Tavern with Stagnetti's Cock and Scorpion vs Tarantula for John Armstrong's birthday

Saturday 8-13-22 - Suburban Resistance record release show at the Dive Bar with special guests TBA

Saturday 10-8-22 - the Queers, Venomous Pinks, Mercy Music, Jerk! at the Dive Bar

The Pretty Things - The Pretty Things and Get The Picture?

 After getting frustrated once too often with my scratched copies of the first two Pretty Things records, I found this double CD set of the two albums at a reasonable price, although no one seems to know why the second album cover is on the front of this set!

In any case, this compiles both of the extended CD's that included the albums and accompanying EPs for a huge set of explosive, grungy, fuzzed-out and fantastic R'n'B influenced rock'n'roll. Probably everything that you think of when you think of early Pretty Things makes an appearance here - wild is an understatement! As great as the Rolling Stones were, these cats made them seem positively tame by comparison. Just listen to the overdriven "Come See Me" for just one example of their mania!

OK, so you probably already know how great these cats and these records are, so if you need replacements or just want the albums in one, easily carriable place, dig this set! Great sound, as well, and a nice booklet with lots of pix, info'n'interviews.

Second Coming - Only Begotten Son

 I really enjoyed the first volume of this tale and naturally had to see where this team was going to take the story. Unfortunately for me, this seems to be the final volume (so far, anyway), but it's a good one and well worth digging.

Here, we get some of the background of Sunstar (with plenty of commentary of Earth's self-destructive ways, as well), along with lots of commentary on modern mega-religions, more on Jesus' continuing conflicts along with his (slowly) growing group of disciples and bits of his initial days on the planet, along with the evolution of Christianity,  the evolution of God (the Father) as he learns some lessons (as well as his faithful), and both Sunstar and Jesus try to bond with the common man and learn how to best help them.

 

Funny'n'serious, blasphemous'n' reverent, goofy'n'thoughful, and just plain good story-telling. If you're not afraid of another way of looking at Christianity, give it a whirl - it's a good romp.

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner - Alan Sillitoe

 I really enjoyed Sillitoe's writing style in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and wanted to visit more of his works, and this was the first that I found (others apparently are available, that I will have to research). This is a compilation of short stories that follow in his oeuvre, with conversational story-telling mixed with plenty of visual details, told in a highly engaging manner.

This opens with the title story, the runner being a convict who trains with vigor but purposely loses the race that the warden is counting on (and bets on) just to teach him a (somewhat vague) lesson. He paints a picture of Britain in the mid-20th century and the various characters that inhabit it, from a lonely upholsterer, a slightly perverted school teacher and his daydreams, a divorced couple's odd relationship (as told through a painting), a couple of kids' adventures at a fair, another youngster who witnesses an attempted suicide, a finely detailed tale of two individuals watching a soccer match, along with a couple of other random people with stories to tell.

Sillitoe has a down-to-earth approach to his writing - somewhat Bukowski-ish, in a way, in that he brings to life folks from the poorer parts of town, with plenty or particulars, and all of their foibles in the foreground, whether it be drinking, gambling, carousing, fighting, stealing, or other vices'n'virtues. He brings to life his fiction, in a way that pulls you in. 

This is another author that I can imagine getting hooked on. I'll have to see what else there is to find from this gent. Totally recommended!

Superman / Wonder Woman Volume 1 Power Couple

 I know that there have been some variations on this idea over the years, although I have never explored them so, on a whim, I thought I'd give this one a try. I think this just appeared when I did a search on the concept and it was inexpensive, so there ya go - I know that there are others which I may look into later.

Here, the deed has already been done - these two are a couple and there is no real explanation as to how their dynamics changed from friends and cohorts to lovers, but it always has seemed like a logical progression. Diana's ex, Steve, makes an appearance, but there is only a passing mention of Lois Lane, and not in the context of being Supe's girlfriend. 

The story focuses on these two trying to make this new relationship work and learning how to work together as a couple as opposed to team mates. Of course, the challenge here is among the biggest they could possibly face - two Kyptonians, escaped from the Phantom Zone and planning on waging war on the Earth. It goes without saying that the heroes win the war, but at a huge cost, although they seem to come closer together for it all.

Wonder Woman's godly background is discussed as well as her supernatural family and her island home and how these both help and hurt her and Superman. Diana has some issues with Superman's alter ego - she doesn't understand why he wants to pretend to be human. There are some unanswered questions - at least for someone like me who has not been following their stories for decades - but it generally all comes together. 

This is an enjoyable diversion but not anything, shall we say, "super". But I still had fun revisiting these characters in this context.

recommended gigs

 Saturday 6-18-22 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 6-18-22 - Sector 7-G, the Left Right Lefts, Suburban Resistance at the Double Down

Saturday 6-18-22 - Va Voom at the Dive Bar

Monday 6-20-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 6-22-22 - Jerk! and At Odds at the Huntridge Tavern

Thursday 6-23-22 - Zeke, Soldiers of Destruction, Suburban Resistance, Downtown Death Rattle and Cutthroat at the Dive Bar

Thursday 6-23-22 - Thee Swank Bastards, Driftone, Wyatt and the Ashes, Gnashing - Cheba Hut

Friday 6-24-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 6-24-22 - Jerk! Illicitor, Shubees, Battering Ham at the Double Down

Friday 6-24-22 - Alive - Tribute to Pearl Jam at Rockstar Bar

Saturday 6-25-22 - GayC/DC, Crimson Riot, The Forget Me Nows, Negative Nancys at Taverna Costera

Saturday 6-25-22 - Pitchfork at SoulBelly

Saturday 7-2-22 - The Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at Cemetery Pulp

Saturday 7-9-22 - old friends of mine from OC, 16 Again at Red Dwarf with the Plagues and Downtown Death Rattle

Friday 7-15-22 - Cashed Out with Thee Hypnotiques at Soul Belly

Friday 7-15-22 - the Sheiks of Neptune with Ghostwood, Murder and Dredge at the Dive Bar

Saturday 7-16-22 - The Psyatics at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 7-30-22 - The Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 8-6-22 - Pat Todd and the Rank Outsiders, the Dogs, Neverland Ranch Davidians, Tramp for the Lord at the Double Down

Saturday 8-6-22 - Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party presents the Surfrajetts, the Volcanics and the Sheiks of Neptune at the Usual Place

Friday 8-12-22 - The Psyatics at the Huntridge Tavern with Stagnetti's Cock and Scorpion vs Tarantula for John Armstrong's birthday

Saturday 8-13-22 - Suburban Resistance record release show at the Dive Bar with special guests TBA

Saturday 10-8-22 - the Queers, Venomous Pinks, Mercy Music, Jerk! at the Dive Bar

Justice League Dark - In The Dark

 Yet another impulse buy at Cemetery Pulp, this series revolves around the supernatural forces in DC comics, specifically, Zatana, Deadman, John Constantine, Madame Xanadu, and a couple of newer characters that I was not familiar with before and, apparently, Deadman is "dating" Dove, from the team, Hawk and Dove, only Dove is a female in this incarnation - I can't keep track of all of the character variations since I last kept regular track of comics! 

Considering my unfamiliarity with some of the characters and the "new versions" of others, the story can be a bit convoluted, as it involves shapeshifters, magic, demons, flying teeth, invading insects and much more. The basic idea, though, is saving the world from an unbalanced witch who has lost her host. Madame Xanadu gathers the reluctant "team", and they eventually win the battle but realize that there is a war.

An interesting concept and I'm certain it is easier to follow for those who have followed the characters in more recent times. I always appreciate the darker side of the comic universe and this is a good way to bring the different heroes together.

DC Pride 2021

 

This is another random buy from Henderson's hep oddity'n'comic shop, Cemetery Pulp and, obviously, I'm a year late to the purchase on this one, but I'm way out of regular comic gathering these days.

This compilation of stories celebrates DC's heroes'n'villains of other-than-hetero persuasion - including aliens and even an evolved ape (fans of the Doom Patrol will remember this ape and the brain)! I do have to say that for me, not having kept up with the DC universe forever, these unrelated short stories, while entertaining, can sometimes leave me a bit confused, since I don't know anything about the characters, or the new versions of the characters, and their powers. 

That said, it is still a fun - and sometimes serious - collection of superhero (and villain) stories and nice to see that DC is doing its best to expand their character representation.

recommended gigs

 Thursday 6-9-22 - Total Chaos, Soldiers of Destruction, Gob Patrol, Endless Struggle at the Dive Bar

Thursday 6-9-22 - TV Party Tonight at the Double Down showing Eurotrip with live music by Jerk!

Friday 6-10-22 - Sandbox Bullies, the Hideaway, the Devillians at the Dive Bar

Saturday 6-11-22 - Mojave Sun, the Dirty Hooks, Mother Mercury at Soul Belly

Saturday 6-11-22 - The New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Monday 6-13-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 6-14-22 - Babes and Blues at the Usual Place - live music by Thee Hypnotiques and Burlesque

Saturday 6-18-22 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 6-18-22 - Sector 7-G, the Left Right Lefts, Suburban Resistance at the Double Down

Saturday 6-18-22 - Va Voom at the Dive Bar

Monday 6-20-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 6-22-22 - Jerk! and At Odds at the Huntridge Tavern

Thursday 6-23-22 - Zeke, Soldiers of Destruction, Suburban Resistance, Downtown Death Rattle and Cutthroat at the Dive Bar

Thursday 6-23-22 - Thee Swank Bastards, Driftone, Wyatt and the Ashes, Gnashing - Cheba Hut

Friday 6-24-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 6-24-22 - Jerk! Illicitor, Shubees, Battering Ham at the Double Down

Friday 6-24-22 - Alive - Tribute to Pearl Jam at Rockstar Bar

Saturday 6-25-22 - GayC/DC, Crimson Riot, The Forget Me Nows, Negative Nancys at Taverna Costera

Saturday 6-25-22 - Pitchfork at SoulBelly

Saturday 7-2-22 - The Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at Cemetery Pulp

Friday 7-15-22 - Cashed Out at Soul Belly

Saturday 7-16-22 - The Psyatics at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 8-6-22 - Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party presents the Surfrajetts, the Volcanics and the Sheiks of Neptune at the Usual Place

Friday 8-12-22 - The Psyatics at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 8-13-22 - Suburban Resistance record release show at the Dive Bar with special guests TBA

Saturday 10-8-22 - the Queers, Venomous Pinks, Mercy Music, Jerk! at the Dive Bar

Second Coming - Russell, Pace, Kirk, Troy

 

This is another comic comp that I picked up on a whim at Henderson's wonderful oddity'n'comic shop, Cemetery Pulp. Of course, I'm always a bit curious about the mildly blasphemous - or, at least, a different take on the Biblical stories that I was brought up with, whether it's a comic like this, or a movie like The Last Temptation of Christ or a novel like Barabbas. In this case, God (the Father) is a bit disappointed in his son, Jesus, and after seeing the super-hero Sunstar in action on Earth, he sends Jesus down to live with Sunstar and his girlfriend in the hopes of Jesus becoming a bit more macho, like the old testament God. Of course, this doesn't work out quite like it was planned.

Sunstar is shown to be extremely flawed and human (although he is an alien) - he is even in group therapy - and Jesus, who has been banned from watching Earth since he left by his Dad, is pretty bewildered about the state of the world. Jesus encounters many who claim to speak for Him, but they get it all wrong and the Biblical stories are written by people who never met Jesus (quite true, of course). Satan is involved, of course, and there are new apostles, who he hopes will be more true to his word, white supremacist "Christians", and new friends and enemies. Sunstar has family issues, super villains, and even Satan after him, but does his best to make things work with his girlfriend (eventually to become his wife) and the world around him.

I truly enjoyed the concept and the writing, as well as the artwork, and am looking forward to see where this will go.

RIP Jim Seals

Jim Seals of Seals & Crofts Dies Aged 80 

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Can't say that I'm a big fan and it probably been decades since I heard their music, but I gotta say that S&C were better than a lot of 70's radio fodder. I even saw them in Colorado on a trip with my big sis back in the day and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Oh yeah, and Seals was in the Champs with Glen Campbell for a while!

And man, the Isley Brothers sure did a great job with "Summer Breeze"!

The Swank Bastards, the Psyatics at the Double Down, Friday June 3, 2022

 

I don't get out to see them all that often - usually just when I'm playing a show with them - but I always dig the wild surfy sounds of Thee Swank Bastards. Tonight's line-up consisted of their fearless leader, Jesse, on guitar, natch, along with hot-shot bassist Jeff Murphy, and snappy drummer Mark Bartschi, who was in top form this eve. All of the various incarnations are a pleasure to watch, but I gotta say that these three might be the most seasoned of the bunch. The lovely Ivanna Blaze helped with the visuals as she danced the night away as well as playing several songs on bass with the band (and showing off her behind-the-head playing!). Jesse surprised me by passing me his guitar at one point, at which time I basically made a lot of noise until he took it back, and they finished strong with the covers of the likes of the Ramones and Black Sabbath. Always a good time with these cats'n'kitten! Oh yeah, and light-footed bouncer/bartender Cactus, swept Ivanna off her feet at one point with some fancy dance moves!

Next up were the Psyatics, and I was definitely way off my game this night, with technical issues and just general malaise for some off reason. I think we were all a little less than perfect this night, but did our best to entertain the relatively sparse Friday night audience with our usual combination of noisy garage covers (Velvet Underground, Scientists, Banana Splits) and the garagey noise of our originals from our various albums, as well as some brand new tunes that we plan on recording later this year. Hope that those that were there had some fun and see us next time (we're taking a few weeks off, so see ya in July!) and I promise to be better (life permitting)!

(Psyatics photo by Nikki Ruffling!)

Apparently, the Way Outs are an old-school Las Vegas established surf/garage legend from before our time on the scene and I really wanted to check them out, but had to get back home to help take care of our sick pup and to rest up for the Psyatics video shoot the next day. Hopefully, I will be able to see them soon!

As always, thanks to Ian, Cactus and the whole fine crew at the DD for another rockin' night out on the town!

Mighty Marvel Masterworks - Here Comes Daredevil, The Man Without Fear

 As I keep saying, I still have a soft spot in my heart for these 60' Marvel Masterworks, as I grew up with these amazing tales thanks to my big brother purchasing them when they came out. I loved all of these early heroes but I think that Daredevil was a fave possibly because his powers weren't quite as fantastical as some of the others and he was a bit more relatable in that way, even with his heightened senses. That combined with Stan Lee's fine storytelling and excellent artwork from the incredible Wally Wood (after the first few issues by the legendary Bill Everett, Joe Orlando and Vince Colletta) made these pretty irresistible.

Of course, our blind hero has to pine for a love interest that he feels he does not deserve, or should not endanger due to his dual identities, and he fills that void with his crimefighting. We are introduced to iconic villains such as Electro (who had already made an appearance in Spider-Man), the Owl, the Purple Man (who became much more sick'n'twisted in the Jessica Jones TV series), the Matador, the Fellowship of Fear, the Stiltman, and many others, all in less than a dozen issues! This creative team was on fire!

I'd say that this was some of Marvel's finest work at the time. Great stuff to re-explore or check out for the first time!

Suburban Resistance

 

I've known SR's singer Kevin for a while now, although mostly just from hanging at clubs and talking music. He is a damn nice guy and one of the more knowledgeable music lovers in Vegas, with a great sense of rock'n'roll history - he was one of the few cats in town hip enough to check out X___X and yes, he has records of several of my old bands, so I gotta give him kudos for that!

Apparently, I have not seen SR live yet (which surprised me, but I have no record of it, unless it was just late and I had enough drinks that I didn't write about it), but just from their visual image I was expecting some kind of hard core/thrash metal punk and was pleasantly surprised to find that, while there may be some hard core elements, this album mostly consists of melodic, sing-along, punk'n'roll with plenty of heys and whoa-ohs, as well as some intelligent, clever, and downright positive-leaning lyrics, even as Kevin rails about how f'k'd up the world is today.

Solid musicianship throughout - funnily, their new guitarist, Adam, plays drums on this record - with plenty of power, hip licks and catchy tunes. I will certainly be checking out their live shows soon and I advise you to do the same!

Oh yeah, this 12" comes in colored vinyl, too!

recommended gigs

 Wednesday 6-1-22 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast with special guests the Pluralses at the Double Down

Thursday 6-2-22 - A Tribute to Goldtop Bob at the Founders Club with live music by the Souvenairs, the Way Outs and Thee Swank Bastards, drink specials and raffles

Friday 6-3-22 - the Psyatics at the Double Down with Thee Swank Bastards and the Way Outs

Saturday 6-4-22 - The Psyatics video shoot at Cemetery Pulp - EARLY! 6:00 pm!

Saturday 6-4-22 - the Souvenairs at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 6-4-22 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 6-4-22 - The Pluralses, Stagnetti's Cock, Cadaver Pudding and Battering Ham at Starboard Tack

Sunday 6-5-22 - Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party presents Midas, Haxa and Love Gang at the Dive Bar

Wednesday 6-8-22 - Joe Jackson at the Smith Center

Wednesday 6-8-22 - Thelma and the Sleaze, Zach Ryan, Elevated Undergrounds at Artifice

Thursday 6-9-22 - Total Chaos, Soldiers of Destruction, Gob Patrol, Endless Struggle at the Dive Bar

Thursday 6-9-22 - TV Party Tonight at the Double Down showing Eurotrip with live music by Jerk!

Friday 6-10-22 - Sandbox Bullies, the Hideaway, the Devillians at the Dive Bar

Saturday 6-11-22 - Mojave Sun, the Dirty Hooks, Mother Mercury at Soul Belly

Saturday 6-11-22 - The New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Monday 6-13-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 6-14-22 - Babes and Blues at the Usual Place - live music by Thee Hypnotiques and Burlesque

Saturday 6-18-22 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 6-18-22 - Sector 7-G, the Left Right Lefts, Suburban Resistance at the Double Down

Monday 6-20-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 6-22-22 - Jerk! and At Odds at the Huntridge Tavern

Thursday 6-23-22 - Zeke, Soldiers of Destruction, Suburban Resistance, Downtown Death Rattle and Cutthroat at the Dive Bar

Friday 6-24-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 6-24-22 - Jerk! Illicitor, Shubees, Battering Ham at the Double Down

Friday 6-24-22 - Alive - Tribute to Pearl Jam at Rockstar Bar

Saturday 6-25-22 - GayC/DC, Crimson Riot, The Forget Me Nows, Negative Nancys at Taverna Costera

Saturday 6-25-22 - Pitchfork at SoulBelly

Saturday 7-2-22 - The Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at Cemetery Pulp

Friday 7-15-22 - Cashed Out at Soul Belly

Saturday 7-16-22 - The Psyatics at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 8-6-22 - Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party presents the Surfrajetts, the Volcanics and the Sheiks of Neptune at the Usual Place

Friday 8-12-22 - The Psyatics at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 8-13-22 - Suburban Resistance record release show at the Dive Bar with special guests TBA

The Chords at Taverna Costera, Tuesday May 31, 2022

The Chords originated in the late 70's in England as part of the Mod revival instigated by the Jam (and a resurgence in interest in early Who, Small Faces, Creation, etc., by the punk movement) and lasted a few years with a couple of minor hits in the UK but the eventual demise in early 1981. We have known about them for decades and have a compilation CD (maybe a 45? I'll have to check) but certainly never expected to see them play at all, much less in Las Vegas, on a downtown rooftop venue on a Tuesday night! Of course, being a Tuesday after a holiday weekend meant a somewhat sparse crowd (I barely made it myself and am fairly delirious this morning, even without drinking), but there were still a respectable amount of people and the band put on a fairly ferocious show!

I'm really not sure if everyone is original, although I believe that they might be, but they all looked pretty damn good for their ages (probably about my age!), although the drummer has added a little extra weight. Everyone played great, though, and sounded super solid, even through borrowed equipment from opener TV Party.

The set was mostly high energy from start to finish, with dual, harmony leads, lots of vocal harmonies and sing-alongs and while they certainly tip their hats to the Mod movement, there was as much Clash in their sound as there was he Jam - hell, they even did the Clash's version of the reggae number, "Pressure Drop"!

Midwestern me couldn't understand a damn thing that the singer was saying in between songs (although British citizen Melanie had no issue at all), but there were definitely plenty of Brits in the crowd for them and people were up'n'dancin' from start to finish. 

I'm not sure how I'm gonna get through my work day, but glad that Melanie got me out to see them! Check them out if they come to your town!