recommended gigs

 Thursday 5-23-24 - the Aggrolites, Franks'n'Deans, Empired at the Usual Place

Friday 5-24-24 - 5-27-24 - Punk Rock Bowling

Friday 5-24-24 - Redd Kross and more at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Friday 5-24-24 - Sun 5-26-24 - PRB/Memorial Weekend Festival with a wild lineup of bands at Hennessey's Tavern

Saturday 5-25-24 - Guitar Wolf, the Schizophonics, the Shakewells and Lords of Altamont at the Usual Place

Saturday 5-25-24 - late night - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 5-27-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 5-27-24 - The Dogs, Mondo Vermin, Gob Patrol at Red Dwarf 

Friday 5-31-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 5-31-24 - Tyvek, Spring Breeding, Stagnetti's Cock at Red Dwarf

Saturday 6-1-24 - Punk Rock Flea Market at the Founder's Club during the day

Saturday 6-1-24 - Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones, the Implosions and Triadics at Fat Cat

Saturday 6-1-24 - Suburban Resistance Record Release Party at the Double Down Saloon with the Soldiers of Destruction and Femaliens

Wednesday 6-5-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down with special guests the Shock Troopers

Saturday 6-8-24 - the Minges, Santa MUerte, Broke in Vegas at Voodoo Brewing Co

Friday 6-14-24 - the Double Whammy’s at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 6-15-24 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 6-20-24 - Shanda and the Howlers at Fat Cat

Wednesday 7-3-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 8-7-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 9-4-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 10-2-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

John Prine

 

It's almost embarrassing to admit that I first learned of John Prine due to my sister's love of John Denver and his cover of Prine's terrific "Spanish Pipedream" ("blow up your TV"). But, I should really be embarrassed as I can still listen to early Denver, as well! I have been reminded of Prine (and Denver) relatively recently with Las Vegas' Big Like Texas covering this same song. In any case, I never really explored too much of Prine's work and don't believe that I have ever owned any full albums of his, so I thought it was time to rectify that.

With a Dylan-esque drawl and a folk/alt-country sound, comparisons to Zimmerman are inevitable, but regardless, Prine definitely has his own sound and style. With simple backing, John sings and plays basic acoustic guitar and provides humorous numbers like the opening "Illegal Smile" and the aforementioned "Spanish Pipedream" but then gets melancholy and serious in tales of relationships running their course ("Hello in There"), veterans fighting drug addiction ("Sam Stone"), the inevitable demise of small towns to "progress" ("Paradise" - this has a nice, easy, bluegrass feel due to the fiddle addition) and lots more.

He borrows a bit of melody from Dylan for "Pretty Good", but the guitar and organ gives it a laid back rocker-feel, humor'n'politics collide in the country-styled (complete with pedal steel) "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" that has a bit of melodic similarity with "Spanish Pipedream" - no one says you can't steal from yourself, do they? More pedal steel work highlights "Far From Me", another sad story of relationships gone south, with further terrific imagery, an old woman lives with dejection'n'depression in the catchy "Angel From Montgomery", "Quiet Man" has a nice, mid-tempo feel with a brief bit of nice lead guitar and lyrically is seems to be an exercise in clever couplets, "Donald and Lydia" is a slow, waltz tempo tale of small town romance broken up by the military, "Six O'Clock News" tells of a one-night stand which results in a single mom struggling and the son growing up to kill himself - pretty damn harrowing in a traditional folk song kinda way - and then the proceeding close with the more upbeat "Flashback Blues" in which the narrator relives his youth.

Prine's lyrics are pretty exceptional, he is a fine story teller, and the music is a nice 70's mix of singer/songwriter, folk, a touch of country'n'bluegrass, along with whatever else strikes his fancy. Not always as musically memorable as some of his contemporaries, but fine stuff, regardless. 

Mighty Marvel Masterworks - Fantastic Four Volume 3

 Of course, I've always been a fan of the FF and these early stories with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby teaming up pretty much always produce greatness, especially after the first few, somewhat tentative, issues. As the characters kind of fleshed themselves out and became more three dimensional - within this fantasy format, of course - the stories just become stronger.

Naturally, the early 60's misogyny is still apparent, even as Sue Storms powers expand with the abilities to turn others invisible and then her invisible force field, which becomes a "force" to be reconned with in later years and she is eventually portrayed as one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel universe. 

Some stories are almost uncomfortably relatable to this day, such as the Hate Monger, who is today embodied by Trump, and the latter doesn't even need to use a "hate ray" to control his cult (or doe he?!) but uses much of the same rhetoric. Of course, there are many other villains, such as their first nemesis, the Mole Man, the ever-returning Dr. Doom, the Hulk, The Avengers, The X-men, the Sub-Mariner and even aliens (not that unusual for the FF). Obviously, the Marvel staff learned early on that cross-overs helped all of the titles and characters within - a tactic that they never stopped using.

The "Commies" were a reoccurring enemy, so the Red Ghost and his simian cohorts were a threat for a number of years. Ben Grimm's paramour, Alicia Masters' step-father, the Puppet Master would often reappear, as well, along with the Mad Thinker and his awesome android (which I had forgotten that he had stolen from Reed and made his own). There are also cameos from non other than Dr. Strange, as well as the Thing's arch-nemeses, the Yancy Street Gang!

Great stories, fine artwork (although inker Chic Stone may not have been the best for details) and imaginative characters are all combined for some great comics. I gotta admit, I love these 60's tales to this day!

Crime Suspense Stories - Volume 1 -The EC Archives

 

I've been a sucker for EC comics ever since I've known about them and I always appreciate the various reprints that have come out over the years and I have a number of them. This seems to be a relatively new series of reprints and from what I see, it seems to be pretty comprehensive, if you start buying them all! Of course, since I already have various comps, I don't want to go crazy with these new ones, but I've started picking up a couple that I'm pretty confident I haven't seen the stories already.

The titles are, of course, pretty self-explanatory, although there is some crossover in that some of these "crime" stories could also qualify as "horror", as do some of the various sci-fi and other genres. This is not a bad thing, by any stretch, and, in fact, I think it shows that they knew what their audience was looking for - violence, suspense, death, gore and horrific twists where someone always gets some form of "justice" in the end!

The artists really sell these stories for me and there are some greats here - Johnny Craig, Marie Severin, Wally Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, Graham Ingels, Jack Davis and more! Of course, these folks all worked on practically all of the EC titles at one point or another, but that prolificness just goes to show how talented - and overworked! - these people were!

Murder is the main theme here - murder for love, murder for revenge, murder for power, murder for money, murder by accident and whatever other reason they can think of! The "Crime" is the title doesn't go much farther than that - no real thieves or mobsters, although EC told some tales of those folks, as well. I suppose murder was lurid enough to draw people in and, as I said, there is a bit of horror involved, even to the point of some of the horror comic MC's introducing the stories.

There's even some of the original advertising included, along with some short - just a page or two - prose stories minus the drawings. Altogether, it's a really nice, slightly oversized package and all for a very reasonable price. Certainly recommended if you're a fan of EC Comics - and who isn't?!

recommended gigs

 Friday 5-17-24 - the Minges with Todd Kerns at Vamp'd

Friday 5-17-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Skinny Bar

Saturday 5-18-24 - Santa Muerte, the Love Bombs, Broke in Vegas at the Founder's Club

Saturday 5-18-24 - late night - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 5-19-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 5-20-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 5-21-24 - the Way Outs and VaVoom at the Double Down

Wednesday 5-22-24 - The Implosions, Elevated Undergrounds, Hot Take at the Triple Down

Wednesday 5-22-24 - the Minges, Sandbox Bullies, Boss Hectic at the Stake Out

Thursday 5-23-24 - the Aggrolites, Franks'n'Deans, Empired at the Usual Place

Friday 5-24-24 - 5-27-24 - Punk Rock Bowling

Friday 5-24-24 - Redd Kross and more at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Friday 5-24-24 - Sun 5-26-24 - PRB/Memorial Weekend Festival with a wild lineup of bands at Hennessey's Tavern

Saturday 5-25-24 - Guitar Wolf, the Schizophonics, the Shakewells and Lords of Altamont at the Usual Place

Saturday 5-25-24 - late night - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 5-27 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 5-31-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 5-31-24 - Tyvek, Spring Breeding, Stagnetti's Cock at Red Dwarf

Saturday 6-1-24 - Punk Rock Flea Market at the Founder's Club during the day

Saturday 6-1-24 - Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones, the Implosions and Triadics at Fat Cat

Saturday 6-1-24 - Suburban Resistance Record Release Party at the Double Down Saloon

Wednesday 6-5-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down with special guests the Shock Troopers

Saturday 6-8-24 - the Minges, Santa MUerte, Broke in Vegas at Voodoo Brewing Co

RIP Roger Corman

Roger Corman, Hollywood mentor and king of the B-movie, dies aged 98

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Few people contributed as much to pop culture as Roger Corman - we are all forever in his debt!

The Psyatics, Big Like Texas at the Double Down, Friday 5-10-24

 

Of course, barring any extreme emergencies, I had to make it out for the final show (at least for the foreseeable future) from my fave local band, the Psyatics. In full disclosure, I played with them for a few years but had to be sidelined due to an ailing pup, who thankfully did not have another setback before this show!

Big Like Texas is a terrific local combo that only plays rarely so we were happy to hear that they were the openers for this evening. We got there early to make sure we caught their entire set, which turned out to be quite lengthy, but thankfully there were only two bands this evening! This 5 piece (3 gits, bass, drums) are a little hard to pin down, but they are a mix of alt-country, rockabilly, and maybe a bit of Western Swing, among others. Covers of the Stones' "Dead Flowers" and John Prine's "Spanish Pipedream" as well as something that sounded like it might have been a Louie Jordan tune are mixed with originals that defy easy categorization. Everyone is super strong on their instrument and bassist Guy at time picks up a guitar along with some harmonica for extra variety. Always a good time with these cats! 

This final incarnation of the Psyatics consisted of singer/bassist Rob with longtime (12 years) cohort Jack on guitar, now joined by ex-Water Landing Ron Hudy on drums (he appears on their fine - if I say so myself - final album, Cease To Exist) and Joe Matkowsky (from too many bands to list, but most currently, the Minges) on guitar trading off leads and rhythms with Jack. They pulled out tunes they hadn't played in years (songs I never learned, in any case) sprinkled with newer originals and plenty of cleverly interpreted covers from the likes of the Scientists, Velvet Underground, Hoodoo Gurus, Pink Floyd, the Banana Splits and more!

The originals are their greatest strength, though, including theme songs like "Psyatic Nerves" and "Bourbon Sway" (especially appropriate while I was in the band), along with the railroad-related numbers "Oncoming Train" and "Trainwreck", and newer tunes such as "Tapeworm" (about a boy and his pet), "Phantom Limbs" and "Tabula Rasa" (particularly interesting to hear Joe's variations of my lead themes since our styles are different enough and he does not use a slide). They smoke through numbers from pretty much all of their 5 albums and closed with the potent combo of "Gentlemen of Four Outs", "When Fate Deals Its Mortal Blow" and, finally, "I Can't Stand It", and I couldn't hold back from joining in on the choruses for that one!

There was a super impressive turnout - the DD was pretty well packed throughout the night - and a great finale to this Vegas musical institution. Our scene will not be the same without them - besides their numerous musical contributions, Rob and Jack were responsible for lots of touring acts stopping in our (not always so) fair city. The Psyatics will be sorely missed. Thank you to the Double Down for hosting this bittersweet event and thank you to everyone who came out to support this night as well as over the years!

(pic of me & Rob by John Armstrong) 

Final set list:

You Got Me Humming

Psyatic Nerves

Cease to Exist

Tapeworm

Gonna Find Me a Cave

Bourbon Sway

Oncoming Train

Trainwreck

Navvy (that's what it said - not sure what this song is now!)

Trouble 

Death of Me

I Like To Die

Bad Man

Pigs

Evangeline

Tabula Rasa

Sin Eater 

Phantom Limbs

Dig It Up

GO4O

Fate

Can't Stand It

RIP Dennis Thompson

Dennis Thompson, MC5 drummer and ‘last man standing,’ dies at 75 

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If anyone knows me at all, they know that the MC5 changed my life. Hard to believe that they are all gone now...

recommended gigs

 Friday 5-10-24 - The Psyatics final show at the Double Down Saloon with Big Like Texas

Saturday 5-11-24 - late night - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Sunday May 12 - Bear Supply at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 5-13-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 5-13-24 - The Hypnotiques at the original Sand Dollar

Wednesday 5-15-24 - the Femaliens, Popperz and Gob Patrol at Red Dwarf

Friday 5-17-24 - the Minges with Todd Kerns at Vamp'd

Saturday 5-18-24 - Santa Muerte, the Love Bombs, Broke in Vegas at the Founder's Club

Saturday 5-18-24 - late night - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 5-19-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 5-20-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 5-22-24 - The Implosions, Elevated Undergrounds, Hot Take at the Triple Down

Friday 5-24-24 - 5-27-24 - Punk Rock Bowling

Friday 5-24-24 - Redd Kross and more at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Saturday 5-25-24 - Guitar Wolf, the Schizophonics, the Shakewells and Lords of Altamont at the Usual Place

Saturday 5-25-24 - late night - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 5-27 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 5-31-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 5-31-24 - Tyvek, Spring Breeding, Stagnetti's Cock at Red Dwarf

Saturday 6-1-24 - Suburban Resistance Record Release Party at the Double Down Saloon

Rip Steve Albini

Steve Albini, US alt-rock musician and producer, dies aged 61 

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I didn't know him at all but appreciated his production work, especially.

The Monsters, the Delta Bombers, the Psyatics, the Implosions at the Usual Place Wednesday 5-1-24

It's been a long time since I've made it out to a club show, but had to get to the Usual Place for Switzerland's The Monsters (featuring the great Rev. Beat Man) along with two of the best local bands, the Implosions and the Psyatics, the latter for their second to last gig before singer Rob moves out of town!

Las Vegas' own Vegas-themed band, the Implosions, opened the night with their brand of Cramps-ian garage. This co-ed combo (two married couples - sorry folks, no one is available!) have done a number of other projects together over the years but this one is certainly my fave! Songs about taking pics with a million dollars, playing the ponies (an old school arcade-styled game, not live animals) and buildings being "imploded" are backed with strong dynamics, cool riffs, fuzzed guitars, snappy drums and hip singing/ screaming/dancing from front woman Adrienne. At least a couple of new songs appeared in the set - a feedback/fuzzed-out, bass-riff groover really stood out - and they are hoping to record again soon (make sure you pick up the CD they already have out!). Their tunes are only getting stronger! One of Vegas' best!

Of course, I've always been a fanatic for The Psyatics and I had played with them for a couple/few years until my ailing pup sidelined me. Now guitar-about-town-man Joe Matkowsky is sitting in the second guitar slot (playing with/against Jack Ball, of course) and it's quite interesting to see his version of my version of the songs that we played together. They have also pulled out a couple of older numbers since I last sat in with them for a strong set of garage/psych/noise rockers from the Banana Splits' "Gonna Find Me a Cave" to Pink Floyd's "Pigs" to the Hoodoo Gurus "Dig It Up" to the Scientists' Fate Deals Its Mortal Blow" mixed in with their fab originals including new-ish ones like "Cease To Exist" and "Tabula Rasa" along with older numbers like "Oncoming Train" (which they hadn't done in years), "Trainwreck", "Psyatic Nerves", "Bourbon Sway", "Sin Eater" and "Gentlemen of Four Outs". Everyone was on top of their game for this set with Joe filling in different licks, Jack moving from wild washes of sound to jazzy riffs, Ron' terrific and complex drumming and, of course, Rob's highly original bass runs and great singing (even the Rev Beat Man complimented  his style)! They've been a mainstay of the Vegas scene for 12 years now and they will leave a huge gap here when they stop playing. You have one more chance to see them at the Double Down Saloon on Friday May 10th so be sure to see them one last time (at least for the foreseeable future).

There was a secret surprise set by the new version of the Delta Bombers, now with the acoustic-guitar-playing singer of the Guana Bats - so, the Guana Bombers or the Delta Bats? They did a short sets with covers like  a sped-up "Lonesome Train" along with some Bomber originals to a very appreciative crowd. Obviously, it's a very different vibe without Chris fronting the guys, but I think that their audience will still dig 'em.

The evening's headliners were Switzerlands The Monsters, featuring the fantastic Rev. Beat Man, who put on a fabulous one-man-band-plus-one a few years ago out here so I had to get out to see his full band. I believe that the line-up has been fairly fluid over the years but this version of the Monsters is a snappily dressed trio, who packed a wild'n'powerful punch. They were extremely loud - to the point that it was hard to discern what they were doing at times - other than the fact that it was simple, loud'n'fast punked-up, garage rev'n'roll. The Rev. is a fun'n'funny front man, with a good rapport with the audience and while most of the songs are just a couple chords played at a high speed, there were times of dynamics and some nice lead guitar work here'n'there. There are also some truly heavy moments when the fuzz guitar sounds almost Sabbath-y doom-y as well as times of extremely prolonged single chord beginnings and endings. So primitive that it's clever in its "stoopidity"! Considering how many legends come to Vegas and play to next to no one, I was surprised and impressed by the turn out and the number of people who were Monsters fanatics, singing along with the songs and raving with them from start to finish!

Once again, Brian Moy's Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party brought a fab line-up to Vegas and the Usual Place! Great night all the way through!