The Panther Burns, Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones, the Devil's Duo at the Sand Dollar Downtown, Sunday August 28, 2022

 

I first saw and met Mr. Tav Falco and his Panther Burns back in the early 80's and, of course, saw every show that I could after that, including super-fun backyard parties and more. As much as I admired the man, I can't say that we were ever close friends or anything of the sort, but I was happy to hear from him earlier this year and that he remembered me and reached out for help with a show in Las Vegas. I, in turn, reached out to promoter friends and Brian Moy, who puts on his Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Parties, was able to set this up at one of Vegas' newer venues, the Sand Dollar Downtown, in the historic Plaza Hotel in Downtown Las Vegas, and was able to get enough sponsorship to make it a FREE show! The Devil's Duo was more than happy to be able to open up the night for this living legend!

Of course, we don't have any photos of us playing (if anyone has some, please send them our way!), but thanks to the night's soundman, Glenn, we had a fine, fun set with a reasonably good crowd of early arrivals. With songs ranging from old murder ballads, country numbers and covers from the likes of Tom Waits, Nick Cave and even the Velvet Underground, we got a great response and had a fab time. Thanks to everyone who made the effort to be there bright'n'early for our set!

New to us was Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones, relatively recent transplants to the Vegas area and apparently a fluid lineup based around keys'n'guitar, though tonight they had a full rhythm section. Their music ranged from rockabilly to garage to exotica and most everything in between! Certainly a different sounding combo, which is nice to find here in Las Vegas, so we will be looking forward to hearing more from them and seeing how the group evolves.

Of course, it's always a pleasure to witness any version of Tav's Unapproachable Panther Burns (who are actually very approachable, nice guys, as well as fine musicians), and this combo, culled from players from around the world, are very sympathetic to Mr. Falco's sometimes idiosyncratic musical excursions. Drummer Walter Brunetti and bassist Giuseppe Sangirardi flew in from Italy to meet up with guitarist Mario Monterosso in Memphis before hooking up with Tav on the west coast and starting the tour. This is the same lineup that appeared with Tav in 2019, the last time he was in Las Vegas, and they have a terrific style, with Mario being particularly impressive as he played some fab guitar lines around Tav's numbers. The trio opened the two sets (and closed the second set) with surfy instrumentals such as "Pipeline", "Rumble", a medley of "Ghost Riders" and "Telstar" and some of Mario's originals - he has his own solo releases as well as his work with Tav, which should also be explored. 

Besides unique interpretations of tunes like "Have I The Right", "Me and My Chauffer Blues", "Marie Laveau", "San Antoine", a wild remake of Alex Chilton's "Bangkok" (appropriate as Tav spends at least part of his time in Thailand now), and one of Tav's signature covers, "Brazil" (done with an appropriate amount of chaos to emulate the take from the Bruns' debut), there were Falco originals with Tav playing some fantastically noisy slide guitar and playing harmony lines with Mario, as well time spent simply wowing the crowd with his well-honed dance moves. 

While not jam-packed, the club had a significant audience and, with the help of sometimes Swank Bastards cohort'n'dancer, Szandora, many got up on the dance floor to trip the light fantastic to the groovy sounds. Tav changed outfits in between sets - a true professional - and kept the energy flowing from start to finish! Another truly amazing display from the incomparable Panther Burns!

Once again, a huge thanks to Brian Moy, the Sand Dollar Downtown and their super helpful and friendly crew, soundman Glenn, the bands and especially everyone who made it out early and stayed late! A night to remember for sure!

(BTW - The Sand Dollar Downtown is a fine venue - real stage and PA, seating available, big dance floor, reasonably priced drinks and easily accessible, even for bands loading in, which is a big plus for a Casino venue. Hopefully, there will be more hip shows like this happening here!)

recommended gigs

 Thursday 8-25-22 - Jesse Daniel and the Rhyolite Sound at Soul Belly

Thursday 8-25-22 - Atomic Video Jukebox at the Double Down with live music from Thee Swank Bastards

Friday 8-26-22 - Dominick Muzio and the Chemical Tribe with Dead Money at Back Yard Bar and Grill

Friday 8-26-22 - the Unwieldies at the Boulder Dam Brewing Company

Friday 8-26-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 8-27-22 - Dirty Hooks, This is Rogue Two at Soul Belly

Saturday 8-27-22 - Pay Dyson Benefit Show with the Soldiers of Destruction and more at the Double Down

Sunday 8-28-22 - Tav Falco's Panther Burns with the Devil's Duo, Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Sunday 8-28-22 - noon - 3:00 pm - the Surfers of Mercy at Red Dwarf

Monday 8-29-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-2-22 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-3-22 - The Unwieldies and Big Like Texas at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 9-3-22 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-3-22 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Goldn Tiki

Monday 9-5-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Goldn Tiki

Friday 9-9-22 - Trevor and the Swingin' Johnsons at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-9-22 - Marky Ramone, DI, Jerk! at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Saturday 9-10-22 - the Souvenairs at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-10-22 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Goldn Tiki

Sunday 9-11-22 - Thee Swank Bastards Surf Brunch at Red Dwarf

Monday 9-12-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Goldn Tiki

Thursday 9-15-22 - Thee Swank Bastards the Dive Bar

Friday 9-16-22 - Jenni Don't and the Spurs with The Devil's Duo, Frankie Lee and the Infernos and White Line Fever at the Dive Bar

Saturday 9-17-22 - The Psyatics and the Way Outs at Red Dwarf

Saturday 9-17-22 - Life is Shit Festival at the Dive Bar with tons of amazing bands! Go there before and after the Psyatics show at Red Dwarf!

Saturday 9-17-22 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Goldn Tiki

Monday 9-19-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Goldn Tiki

Saturday 9-24-22 - The Unwieldies at Boulder Damn Brewery

Saturday 9-24-22 - The Hideaway at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-24-22 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Goldn Tiki

Sunday 9-25-22 - Suburban Resistance, Love Bombs, Dirty Licks, Talking Bombs, Celebrity Stalker at the Double Down

Sunday 9-25-22 - Daikaiju at the Dive Bar

Sunday 9-25-22 - Thee Swank Bastards Surf Brunch at Red Dwarf

Monday 9-26-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Goldn Tiki

Wednesday 9-28-22 - Trevor and the Jones at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Friday 9-30-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-7-22 - Trevor and the Swinging Johnsons at the Golden Tiki

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

Saturday 10-8-22 - the Souvenairs at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-14-22 - Trevor and the Jones at Red Dwarf

Saturday 10-15-22 - the Double Whammys at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 10-20-22 - Kepi Ghoulie and the Psyatics at Evel Pie

Saturday 10-22-22 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 10-26-22 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with the Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at the Dive Bar

Friday 10-28-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 10-29-22 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 11-12-22 - The Psyatics at Tecopa

Friday 11-25-22 - The Psyatics and the Heiz at the Double Down for their 30th anniversary weekend!

Mighty Marvel Masterworks - Captain America Vol 1

 There's something about Captain America that always appealed to me - I think it's the fact that although he was gifted with the "Super Soldier Serum", his powers (mostly added strength) are not overly super, and he wins his fights primarily due to his extraordinary gymnastic skills, martial arts and, of course, his ubiquitous, almost magical shield. He also stands for the true America ideals - which he admits that this country sometimes fails to achieve - of freedom and equality for all.

These stories generally take place in the "modern day" - the mid-1960's at this time - but there are some flashback stories, as well. He faces everything from a random gang of hoodlums who think they are better than they really are to Zemo to his true arch-nemesis, the Red Skull (the man responsible for the murder of Cap's sidekick, Bucky Barnes), among other random one-off villains. 

With Cap, you almost felt like, with the proper training, you could pull off many of his stunts, although facing a gun-toting army was never a goal of mine! Regardless, this was another triumph of the classic Stan Lee/Jack Kirby team, responsible for so many of the heroes that are thrilling audiences to this day. More great Marvel stories!

Pat Todd and the RankOutsiders - ...There's Pretty Things in Pallokaville...

 

So, I've known Pat Todd for decades now - met him shortly after he and the Lazy Cowgirls moved from Indiana to LA - and we have done countless shows together, starting with my Thee Fourgiven days right through to our move to Vegas. In an odd way, the Lazy Cowgirls might even be partially responsible for Melanie and I getting together as she always said that she wanted a nice, old-fashioned guy who knew who the Cowgirls were! 

But here we are in the 21st Century, gawd help us all, and the Cowgirls are no more (RIP) but Pat Todd continues to shake the underground rock'n'roll world with his RankOutsiders. This combo has been rantin'n'ravin' for a number of years now (I honestly can't keep track - I have a hard enough time keeping my own bands straight!) and just keep getting better'n'better, with innumerable shows under the belts, including a recent European tour and even a stop in Las Vegas!

While the RankOutsiders are generally not as manic as the Cowgirls, and are somewhat more country influenced (not that there wasn't that bent in the LC's, as well, hence their name) and Pat even occasionally pulls out an acoustic guitar to sing a ballad or two, they still know how to put the roll in rock ala the likes of the Stones, Dave Edmunds and the Flamin' Groovies, while also giving the audience a lesson in blues'n'soul.

Here ya get a full 16 tunes, starting with the somewhat Cowgirls-esque "All the Years #1", although a bit more polished and with an insistent, 2-note riff that carries the song, while "Cheap Nostalgia" has a 50's feel, thanks to the two chord "Tobacco Road"/"Jailhouse Rock" riff and some bluesy harmonica, and "The World Don't Care and Neither Does She" is basically a Pat Todd cow-punk number, but with his unique interpretations. They go full-on country for the heartfelt acoustic ballad "Read 'em and Weep" and the upbeat "To Get The Monkey Off My Back" - some great rockabilly riffs on this one - and then they do a radical change (or is it?!) and do a Stones-y cover of the Motown classic, "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" - these cats are nothing if not versatile!

Nice crunchy mid-tempo rocker in "Money", then a blast of frantic 50's-ish rock'n'roll in "Little Jael", another that kinda reminds me of the later Cowgirls - certainly mining the same r'n'r veins - as does "True Romance", in a high energy way, with a classic, melodic guitar lick and catchy vocals, including a nice call'n'answer towards the end. Solidly rockin' minor chords propel "I Will Lie To You" while "Theda #2" has a slower swagger with a hip hook, there's some chicken-pickin'/honky-tonkin' in "Nothing But Excuses", guitarist Nick sings "Hello To Mystery", probably the most straight-ahead punk rocker here, in the mold of the Ramones mixed with the Heartbreakers, then they downshift again for another pure ballad in "Get Up On It" before going back to a high-energy, group call'n'answer song that Pat perfected in the Cowgirls for "Way Deep Down In Your Heart" and then closing with "They're Wrong/Dead Wrong", another pure rock'n'roller.

Anyone who has followed Pat's career know that he's anything but one-dimensional and this record shows off his - and the Outsiders - many influences. They band is all top-notch rockers - solid, catchy, tight and all that you want in a real r'n'r outfit. Live they're even better, as the best bands are, but this is an excellent capture of one of the remaining rock'n'roll outfits out there! 

RIP Sharon Gard/Coffee

 This earthly realm truly lost a saint today when my amazing sister Sharon exited this moral coil. She was 8 years older than me (my sister Mary Lou, also RIP, was in between) but literally could not have been more loving and supportive to me and to all of her friends and family. She taught me my first guitar chords, she taught us to sing, she taught us music (I still have her copy of Axis Bold as Love that she generously gave to me), she taught us to be better people, she taught us to believe in peace, she taught us to live for others, and so much more. Basically, whatever good that I have in me is at least partially due to Sharon (and my loving parents and the rest of my siblings, of course). She treated me as an adult way before I deserved to be and talked to me as a peer while I was still an idiot teen. She took me on trips and taught me to drive a stick shift, she introduced me to her friends, she encouraged my music (even when it wasn't necessarily the kind that she liked) and so much more. She took care of our parents when they needed help, she took in a special needs family, she raised an incredible son (who literally became a rocket scientist) after her husband tragically died young, and helped countless others. 

There are not enough words to express the good that Sharon embodied. The world is a lesser place now. I wish that I believed in an afterlife because she deserves all the good that she did not receive in this world and I wish that she could be reunited with the love of her life. Hopefully, I am wrong and she is now happy again.

Raise your glass and remember the good times - that you had with her or with your own loved ones. That is what she would have wanted.

recommended gigs

Thursday 8-18-22 - Warsaw Poland Bros at Red Dwarf 

Friday 8-19-22 - White Line Fever, Paige Overton, Jordan Young at the Dive Bar

Saturday 8-20-22 - The Night Times with No Que No and VaVoom at the Usual Place

Saturday 8-20-22 - early show at Fresas Skate Shop with no Que No, the Dollheads, the Hideaway and Novacane - starts at 6:00 pm

Monday 8-22-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 8-23-22 - the Double Whammys at the Golden Tiki for their 7 year anniversary!

Wednesday 8-24-22 - Trombo the Clown at the Double Down

Thursday 8-25-22 - Jesse Daniel and the Rhyolite Sound at Soul Belly

Thursday 8-25-22 - Atomic Video Jukebox at the Double Down with live music from Thee Swank Bastards

Friday 8-26-22 - Dominick Muzio and the Chemical Tribe with Dead Money at Back Yard Bar and Grill

Friday 8-26-22 - the Unwieldies at the Boulder Dam Brewing Company

Friday 8-26-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 8-27-22 - Dirty Hooks, This is Rogue Two at Soul Belly

Saturday 8-27-22 - Pay Dyson Benefit Show with the Soldiers of Destruction and more at the Double Down

Sunday 8-28-22 - Tav Falco's Panther Burns with the Devil's Duo, Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Sunday 8-28-22 - noon - 3:00 pm - the Surfers of Mercy at Red Dwarf

Monday 8-29-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-2-22 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-3-22 - The Unwieldies and Big Like Texas at the Huntridge Tavern

Saturday 9-3-22 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-9-22 - Trevor and the Swingin' Johnsons at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-10-22 - the Souvenairs at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-16-22 - Jenni Don't and the Spurs with The Devil's Duo, Frankie Lee and the Infernos and White Line Fever at the Dive Bar

Saturday 9-17-22 - The Psyatics and the Way Outs at Red Dwarf

Saturday 9-17-22 - Life is Shit Festival at the Dive Bar with tons of amazing bands! Go there before and after the Psyatics show at Red Dwarf!

Saturday 9-24-22 - The Unwieldies at Boulder Damn Brewery

Sunday 9-25-22 - Suburban Resistance, Love Bombs, Dirty Licks, Talking Bombs, Celebrity Stalker at the Double Down

Sunday 9-25-22 - Daikaiju at the Dive Bar

Wednesday 9-28 - Trevor and the Jones at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Friday 9-30-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-7-22 - Trevor and the Swinging Johnsons at the Golden Tiki

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

Saturday 10-8-22 - the Souvenairs at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-14-22 - Trevor and the Jones at Red Dwarf

Saturday 10-15-22 - the Double Whammys at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 10-20-22 - Kepi Ghoulie and the Psyatics at Evel Pie

Saturday 10-22-22 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 10-26-22 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with the Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at the Dive Bar

Friday 10-28-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 10-29-22 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 11-12-22 - The Psyatics at Tecopa

Friday 11-25-22 - The Psyatics and the Heiz at the Double Down for their 30th anniversary weekend!

Mighty Marvel Masterworks - Thor Vol 2

 

I've been purchasing these collections now'n'again and always enjoy revisiting these early 60's Marvel super-stories of my youth. I don't know if I have any one fave hero out of all of the greats from back then, but Thor has a place in my heart because he (along with the likes of the Silver Surfer) helped expand my vocabulary well beyond that of my non-reading schoolmates! And, of course, I was a sucker for mythology to start with and this series helped me revisit and learn more about the original stories.

In any case, while Volume One introduced The Mighty Thor and his Asgardian and Earthly family'n'friends, here Jack Kirby's art builds on the heroic fantasy land - although the inking could have been better - based on unearthly dreams, the original mythology and flamboyant fights 'n'costumes 'n'characters conceived in partnership with scriptwriter Stan Lee. Along with, and sometimes in conjunction with, the Asgardian menaces - especially his half brother, Loki - Thor must battle the likes of the Tomorrow Man, Mr. Hyde and Cobra, the Grey Gargoyle, the Enchantress and the Executioner and even the leader of the Evil Mutants himself, Magneto! 

Considering that these are superhero stories based on literal gods, the plots here are a bit more realistic and less outlandish than some of the ideas used in the tales from volume one - Dr. Don Blake doesn't simply whip up an android in this private lab and there are no duplicating machines, for instance. Blake and Thor still pine for Jane Foster, a love which the all-father Odin has forbidden - unrequited love was apparently a mandatory plotline for every series at the time. There is also a running series here with tales of some of the other Asgardian heroes, as well, which were fun for us mythology nerds.

Another great compilation of early 60's Marvel Masterworks! If you don't have the originals - and who does anymore? - these comps are great for revisiting the terrific tales!

Jimmy Martin 20 Greatest Hits

 

I was not familiar with Jimmy Martin specifically as a solo bluegrass artist until my old friend Ray Brandes posted one of his songs on Facebook, but I unknowingly knew his work with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, who gave Jimmy his start in the biz. He clashed with Monroe personally - both too hot-headed, apparently - and went his own way with his Sunny Mountain Boys who won over the bluegrass crowd with his simple harmonies, catchy melodies and strong rhythm. With a long, although volatile career, he had many hits, traveled extensively and appeared on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Will the Circle Be Unbroken Volumes II and III.

This budget release has very little info other than an basic overview of the man in the liner notes, but the music speak volumes for Jimmy! Opening with his classic, oft-covered, upbeat calling card "Freeborn Man", he moves into a harmony-filled take on "Truck Drivin' Man" (rock'n'rollers will know this from The J. Geils Band version on Blow Your Face Out) with some different/extra lyrics, there's a great banjo breakdown in "Pete, The Best Coon Dog", and some extraordinary harmonies in "Beautiful Brown Eyes". "Uncle Pen" sounds like it's made for square dancin', there's the compulsory "Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky", "Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die" and "Honey, You Don't Know My Mind" are in a similar vein, even melodically, while the harmony-drenched morbid ballad "Widow Maker" is considered his signature hit.

Back to the upbeat bluegrass in "Lover's Lane" (although, for some unspoken reason, Jimmy does not get the girl), more fine banjo pickin' in "Sweet Little Maggie", three-part harmonies dominate the lovelorn "I Know You're Married", the Boys do an excellent job on "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" (another obligatory bluegrass tune, but always fun), there's another ode to his hunting dog (complete with barkin') in "Run Pete Run", he gets autobiographical in "Bluegrass Singing Man", goes fullblown hillbilly in "One Woman Man", he longs for his lost love in "Who's Calling You Sweetheart", there's another bouncy instrumental in "Taylor Made Sally Good" and they close things out with the traditional "Knoxville Girl".

While I might dispute his title of "King of Bluegrass", he certainly is among the royalty of the genre. Great comp!

Ugly Things #60

 

You should know by now that I would never denigrate Mike and Anya Stax's work on the terrific Ugly Things magazine, but this issue is a particularly strong one! They're always great, but this goes above'n'beyond -  you get an incredibly detailed overview of the pre-Velvet work of Lou Reed's, including the fateful meeting with John Cale, my old pal Dave Arnson interviews Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna), there's part one of a fine overview on Detroit's Dogs with lots of history on the High Energy scene there as well as their time spent in the early punk scenes in NYC, LA and England, an interview with Colin Blunstone and many other fab articles, as well as more reviews than you can digest, including a super complimentary review of the new Unclaimed Primordial Ooze reissue - thanks Mike!

I saw it every quarter - it's Ugly Things, you know it's gonna be good - go get it!

New and Collected Stories - Alan Sillitoe

 I've really been appreciating Sillitoes' writing since I found out about Saturday Night and Sunday Morning via a book on the Kinks and discovered this collection after reading The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. It seems that the stories from that book are all collected here, as well, so I supposed I should have gotten this first, if I had known, but there is a lot more in this tome.

Sillitoe describes the lives of working class Brits in the 50's and 60's, normal folks, although often with a tendency towards the petty criminal and away from the straight'n'narrow, boring, everyday lives. Plenty of loose sex, adultery, drinking, fighting and pilfering going on throughout the tales and told in the dialects in conversational tones. In a way, Alan kinda reminds me a little of Bukowski in basic style and tone, but with his own mannerisms, of course, and with Britishisms peppered throughout the narrative.

Most of the stories are stand-alones that end whenever they seem fit, but Sillitoe does indulge in a sequel to one of the tales included, and there is at least one that is much more elaborate than most of the tales of ordinary goings-ons, but still very well told, even if sometimes it is left up to you to imagine how the story concludes or what happened to who. Murder is brought into the fold more than once in this collection, which is sorta unusual for him as he tended towards more mundane subjects in previous stories.

At over 600 pages, this is a fairly huge compilation, but the stories are all compelling and will keep you reading'n'coming back for more. I'm not sure what else is left of his to discover, although I've heard of a couple of autobiographies that I might have to peruse at some point. Fine writing!

The Dogs - Fed Up!

 

Had to pick up something from these Detroit rock'n'roll legends when they came out to the Double Down this past Saturday and ironically, it's a record that my old pal Lee put out on his Dionysus Records label! This 12", white vinyl LP collects live and studio cuts from Loren, Mary and original drummer Ron Wood with plenty of Detroit High Energy and 70's punk rock mania!

"John Rock'n'Roll Sinclair" (there's a studio and a live take) could easily fit with any other riff-rockin' Detroit combo, kinda reminding me of the likes of Up! doing a wild take on "Shakin' All Over" (which they actually do cover later on this album) while singing about Sinclair and the White Panther Party, but they were kinda condemning them and saying that they were too conservative! Love their youthful optimism'n' naivete! 

The rest of the numbers follow in this mold, with plenty of riffs - simultaneous'n'harmonic - tempo changes, starts'n'stops and excellent playing throughout. There’s a variety in the pacing, some obvious MC5 steals ("Black to Comm" especially comes to mind), a bit of pure heavy rock even a hint of Who-ish pop now and again. Growing up in the 60's, of course they have a garage background and they even cover the Barbarians "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl"! The sound quality fluctuates as the sources change, but nothing is bootleg level and it's all cool, high-energy, riffin' fun that encompasses Detroit pre-punk, heavy rock and punk rock all at once.

BTW, the latest Ugly Things (#60) has part one of an extensive overview on the Dogs with incredible tales of their Detroit adventures (playing with the likes of the MC5, the Frost, Bob Seger and many more) and later in NYC as that scene was incubating and doing gigs and bonding with like-minded bands like the Dictators, as well as up'n'coming weirdos like Kiss, Suicide and Television! From there, they tried their luck in England, but came home, split up, worked on various other projects and have done reunions multiple times over the years - our last band in LA even played with them before we moved to Vegas! 

RIP Lamont Dozier

Lamont Dozier, who helped define the Motown sound, dies at 81 

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As one third of Holland-Dozier-Holland, Lamont helped create an insane number on incredible songs that helped define an era. His legacy will live on for ages to come.

recommended gigs

 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 Thee Swank Bastards for John Armstrong's birthday

Saturday 8-13-22 - Suburban Resistance record release show at the Dive Bar with Blvd Bullies, the DeadDolls, and Not For Sale

Saturday 8-13-22 - Sat Night Rock'n'Bowl with Decaying Tigers, Red Seduction, Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones, Deacon Hill at the Nerd

Saturday 8-13-22 - late night - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki, starting at 2:00 am!

Monday 8-15-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 8-19-22 - White Line Fever, Paige Overton, Jordan Young at the Dive Bar

Saturday 8-20-22 - The Night Times with No Que No and VaVoom at the Usual Place

Saturday 8-20-22 - early show at Fresas Skate Shop with no Que No, the Dollheads, the Hideaway and Novacane - starts at 6:00 pm

Monday 8-22-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 8-23-22 - the Double Whammys at the Golden Tiki for their 7 year anniversary!

Wednesday 8-24-22 - Trombo the Clown at the Double Down

Thursday 8-25-22 - Jesse Daniel and the Rhyolite Sound at Soul Belly

Friday 8-26-22 - Dominick Muzio and the Chemical Tribe with Dead Money at Back Yard Bar and Grill

Friday 8-26-22 - the Unwieldies at the Boulder Dam Brewing Company

Friday 8-26-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 8-27-22 - Dirty Hooks, This is Rogue Two at Soul Belly

Sunday 8-28-22 - Tav Falco's Panther Burns with the Devil's Duo, Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Monday 8-29-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-2-22 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-3-22 - The Unwieldies and Big Like Texas at the Huntridge Tavern

Friday 9-16-22 - Jenni Don't and the Spurs with The Devil's Duo, Frankie Lee and the Infernos and White Line Fever at the Dive Bar

Saturday 9-17-22 - The Psyatics and the Way Outs at Red Dwarf

Saturday 9-24-22 - The Unwieldies at Boulder Damn Brewery

Sunday 9-25-22 - Suburban Resistance, Love Bombs, Dirty Licks, Talking Bombs, Celebrity Stalker at the Double Down

Sunday 9-25-22 - Daikaiju at the Dive Bar

Friday 10-7-22 - Trevor and the Swinging Johnsons at the Golden Tiki

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

Saturday 10-8-22 - the Souvenairs at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 10-15-22 - the Double Whammys at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 10-20-22 - Kepi Ghoulie and the Psyatics at Evel Pie

Saturday 10-22-22 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 10-26-22 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with the Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at the Dive Bar

Friday 10-28-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 10-29-22 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 11-12-22 - The Psyatics at Tecopa

Friday 11-25-22 - The Psyatics and the Heiz at the Double Down for their 30th anniversary weekend!

Groovie Ghoulies - Go! Stories

 OK, so you should know by now what you're in for when you pick up the Ghoulies - super fun, Ramones-styled punk rock with tons of melodies and lots of goofy pop culture references. I have been noticing that some songs overlap different albums for some reason, but that's never a bad things since they're always good ones! This record gives us Kepi, Roach and Scampi - a terrific GG lineup!

Blasting out of the gate with a spitfire of a number in "Let's Do It Again", Kepi seems to be trying to fit as many words as possible into a couple minute song! The classic rockabilly/Ramones/Pistols half-step riff is used to great effect on "Mess Me Up", they kinda borrow more from the Ramones for "School Is In" and not satisfied with just doing their own song about "Chupacabras", here they cover Super Furry Animals song of the same title, which is another fun tune about these rare creatures! There's actually some cool harmonies in "(And) I Don't Wanna Be Like That", "Rat Race" flies by at supersonic speed, "Groovies Are Go!" I've raved about before, there's some nice positive affirmations in "Stick It Out" followed by the super short personal affirmation of "I'm Doin' Fine", then asking people "Are You Passionate" about what they're doing (not always easy to do, unfortunately), and inviting everyone to join them in "Til Death Do Us Party" (nice chanting/counting breakdown here) then trying to make everyone feel good about themselves in "Kick Ass". They steal a bit of melody from the old folk song "John Henry" for "Someone Is Always Not Happy" and finish things out with some self-referencing in "The Bay Bridge Club", a fun, lyric-packed tune about dangerous driving!

C'mon, it's the Groovie Ghoulies, it's always a Ramones-y good time! Dig it!

Groovie Ghoulies - World Contact Day

 

Ah, the classic Groovie Ghoulies lineup of Kepi, Roach and Wendy coming together to save our planet from certain destruction from space aliens who think - reasonably - that our world has nothing to offer, until they discover the Ghoulies!

Kepi's Neil Diamond fetish continues here with his appropriate opener (after the "Intro World Contact Day"), "Hello Again" (they also cover Marty Robbins and Billy Bragg on this release), and they do their musical mix of the Ramones and Chuck Berry for "Bring Her Back", Kepi fantasizes about hanging with legends in "Running With Bigfoot" and getting away from it all in the supremely catchy "Island of Pogo Pogo". It's party time "When The Kids Go Go Go Crazy", they slow down slightly for the melodic sob story of "Lonely Heart Blues", then back to the fun, fast-paced, inclusive mania of the spelling-songs-are-always-a-good-idea "Ghoulies Are Go!" followed by a bit of outer space paranoia in the slower but still bouncy "50,000 Spaceships (Watching Over Me)" and then a weirdly dirgey, power chord take on "Singing the Blues". One of their best covers is "A New England" - this highly melodic number really works for them in a Ramones-y fashion - and they get a little music commentary in "Punk Pt. II" that apparently has saved the Earth as we discover in the "Outro World Contact Day". Yay for the Ghoulies! (I guess!)

You looking for fun in a Ramones-y yet original way with plenty of pop culture references, bouncy beats and power chords? This is for you!

RIP Gordie Lewis of Teenage Head

Teenage Head guitarist Gord Lewis found dead; Jonathan Lewis charged with second-degree murder 

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Wow, what a terrible end to a fantastic talent.

Pat Todd and the RankOutsiders, The Dogs, Neverland Ranch Davidians, Tramp For the Lord - Double Down Saloon, Saturday Aug 6, 2022

 

This is one that we had been anxiously awaiting for quite a while. Heavy Medication Records, out of Warsaw Poland of all places, is run by Derrick and Vanessa, a wonderful rock'n'roll couple who happened to get married on this day and wanted to have a rock'n'roll party for their reception. They brought in four of their favorite LA bands to perform at this fantastically free show at Vegas' punk rock clubhouse, the Double Down Saloon. For us, it was almost also a way to get together with old and new friends, as we knew - or at least have played with - people from every band.

Starting the night off at the civilized hour of 10:00 was Tramp For the Lord, a band that was unfamiliar to us, but is led by ex-Hangmen bassist Doug Cox on lead vocals and guitar, accompanied by our old friend Barry on stand-up bass, along with a highly talented lead guitarist and a brand, spankin' new drummer, who seemed to truly enjoy laying down the back beat. The sound was sorta/kinda Dylan-esque folk/ alt-country/singer/songwriter/storyteller, with some terrific tunes and fine playing by all. Doug and his guitarist sometimes travel as an acoustic duo, but this evening with the rhythm section gave the proceedings a bit more of an edge, without losing its intimacy. Excellent start for the eve!

While we had yet to see the Neverland Ranch Davidians, I have known and respected Tex Mosley since his days as lead guitarist in the Hangmen (my memories are a bit waverly from that long ago, but apparently Tex and Doug were in the band at the same time back in the day) where he created many of the band's iconic riffs which are still played to this day. In this incarnation, he continues his melodic, individualistic yet rippin' guitar style, aided by a second super guitarist (Will) and a hard-hittin', hotshot drummer. They reminded me a bit of the Blues Explosion's fuzziness, a bit of the Hangmen's swagger, maybe a touch of the Gun Club, and plenty of plain ol' fashioned rock'n'roll. Great guitar interplay and good combination of tones, kinda alternating bass'n'lead lines (since they do not have a bassist), clean'n'Big Muff Fuzzed, with superior playing by all. Unfortunately, the don't have anything recorded yet but are working on it - looking forward to hearing more from them!

Originally hailing from Detroit before moving to LA in the 70's, the Dogs are a true combination of Detroit High Energy and Punk Rock, in the original sense of the word. Songs about John Sinclair and the White Panther Party, moves taken from Wayne Kramer (singer/guitarist Loren used to watch'n'worship at the feet of the MC5'n'Stooges, the Amboy Dukes'n'the Frost, among others), plenty of interplay between all three players (Mary was a smokingly impressive bassist and their drummer was tight as can be, as well), hip tempo changes and simultaneous/harmonic licks throughout all combined with some serious r'n'r volume to impress the roomful of folks gathered for the occasion. 

Of course, we've both know Pat Todd damn near as long as we can remember from his fantastic Lazy Cowgirls, which probably every one of each of our bands have played shows with countless times. The RankOutsiders generally is a bit slower and a little more acoustic-y/country based, but this eve they proved that they could burn with the intensity of the Cowgirls, as well. Pat has always been a human blender for all the good musical styles from old school country to Detroit mania to soul to punk rock and everything else that is good about r'n'r and puts it all together for his own style of storytellin' songwritin'. After a few blazin' punk rock tunes, Pat turned the mic over to each of the guitarists for first Jeff Beck's "Hi Ho Silver Lining"(which I must admit I never really cared for, but they did a rockin' take on it) and then "Ring, Bottle and a Gun", as well as covering the likes of El Pauling and the Royalton's hip, smoldering, descending blues "I'm a Cool Teenager",  Louisiana Red's "Ride On, Red, Ride On", and a high speed ride on  "Route 66", along with a hip selection of original numbers that concentrated on clever, well-written arrangements and vocal harmonies, with plenty of nods at the likes of the Heartbreakers (Thunders, not Petty) and the Flamin' Groovies. Pat even pulled out his classic acoustic Gibson for a couple of tunes, giving an extra flavor'n'texture. The crowd had thinned a bit by the end of their set, but they shouted'n'cheered for, and received, a stompin' encore. Always a rock'n'roll celebration to see any of Pat's combos and they did not disappoint anyone this eve!

Man, what a night of great music, the likes that Vegas doesn't often see. Thank you again and congrats again to Derrick and Vanessa for this show and their marriage! And, of course, thanks to the Double Down and their fine crew for hosting the night!

(As always, sorry for the poor quality of my blurry photos - my phone's camera leaves a lot to be desired! Melanie took plenty of pix so hopefully she will post some soon!)