2005, Oct-Dec

Living Colour; Danelia Cotton & The Pistoleros
@ Irving Plaza
New York, NY – December 17, 2005
*What an end to an incredible year of shows. 2005 just never let up for a minute, starting from April to the very end. Between April and mid-December, I saw a show on average of once every two weeks, if not less than two weeks. But more important than the figure, was the content.

New York legends Living Colour finished up their 2005 short tour and for that matter, probably finished up my 2005 concert year. The band offered a stunning set that lasted nearly 3 hours, showcasing their talents for mixing of pop, hard rock, prog rock, punk, funk, and thrash metal. A lot of the music didn’t personally appeal to me but the musicianship of the quartet is supreme. Lead singer Cory Glover still hits the high notes with shocking precision and he’s certainly the most soulful singer to front a band that mixes the Beatles, the Clash, and Slayer. And he’s got a kick-ass fedora to boot. Vernon Reid is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. ‘Nuff said. Bassist Doug Wimbish is the band’s secret heart, making the bass the equal of Vernon’s guitar. In addition, Wimbish does all the effects that make Living Colour a complete experience. Drummer Will Calhoun is the final piece of the puzzle, demonstrating his talents in a 15-minute drum solo that serves as the break before the encore. There has never been anything quite like Living Colour and there never will be again. Opener Danelia Cotton displayed the same eclectic nature as Living Colour but rather than pile all it on at one time, she does it song by song. Backed by fellow New York rockers the Pistoleros, Cotton has a seductively charming voice. When she sings hard blues, she rivals Shemeika Copeland. When she does pop, she outshines Michelle Branch. When she does country, she sends Shania Twain straight to hell (is that even a relevant reference point anymore?). She covered Dylan’s “To Make You Feel My Love” with grace. But when she was doing pop, rather than the hard blues, the songs were a little uninspired. She finished off by prefacing the last song with “You’ve never heard a black Puerto Rican girl sing this song before” and as it was AC/DC’s “Back In Black”, she’s probably right. Ironically, Living Colour was arguably the first all black Rock band to do that song when they covered it on their last album.

X; Juliana Hatfield
@ Roseland Ballroom
New York, NY – December 9, 2005

It is pretty ridiculous to call any one band or artist “the greatest of all time”. There is just too much music and too many artists for one person to proclaim such a thing. But let’s not mince words…if there is one band that would get that title, that does deserve that title, the one band that comes closest to living that ultimate title, it’s X. If the first four flawless albums weren’t enough, the live show solidifies it. And the fact that it’s been 25 years since Los Angeles debuted, and that X is still sounding fresh and better than anyone else, is more proof of their supremacy.
It’s been 20 years since X has played New York…that means for all intents and purposes, Billy Zoom never left the band. And thank goodness. With grace and ease, Billy plays like a madman without ever breaking a sweat. Wearing a Ramones t-shirt as he delivered the licks that made X the ultimate complete band, Billy Zoom was embraced by New York as he deserved. John Doe and Exene Cervenga sound better live and in-person than they ever do in the studio or on a captured live recording. DJ Bonebrake continues to make the case for being the greatest drummer of all time. That’s one claim I will defend to the end.
Tim Robbins introduced the band and came out to sing on “The New World”.
Other songs played include: “You’re Phone’s Off the Hook (but you’re not)”, “Johnny Hit and Run Pauline”, “Soul Kitchen”, “Sugarlight”, “The Unheard Music”, “The World’s A Mess, It’s In My Kiss”, “Beyond and Back”, “In This House That I Call Home”, “Year 1”, “The Hungry Wolf”, “Motel Room In My Bed”, “Riding With Mary”, “Devil Doll” and “True Love”.
Juliana Hatfield, who I only unfortunately caught the last 10 minutes of, offered more than decent alternative country rock with John Doe helping out on the last song.

The Deadly Snakes; Controller.Controller
@ Pianos
New York, NY – December 8, 2005

Toronto’s Deadly Snakes are an eclectic bunch in the studio, covering everything from garage punk to pop to Gaelic and all points in between and all around. Their trademark is keeping everything raw and noisy. A friend told me that live, the Deadly Snakes are pretty much a bar band, and that proved to be a fitting description indeed. Specifically, the Deadly Snakes live show recalls English bar band attitude, ala Joe Jackson, Graham Parker, Madness. With a guitar player who likes like a young Springsteen, a keyboardist who looks like Thom Yorke, and a pair of guys who alternate on tambourines, guitars, and horns…this is a full course rock band to take in. The songs are punchy and fun but there is a slight lack of hook to make them perfect. The opener I caught, the Snakes’ Canadian label-mates, Controller.Controller, impress more with their look than anything else. Bordering between goth punk and metal, playing in a solo red light emanating from the ground, and led by a witty, normal-lookin’ gal, CC focuses their music on dance-beat dark rock. Not as peppy as radio successes Franz Ferdinand or Kaiser Chiefs, this band is a sexy, dark alternative.

Southern Culture On The Skids; Triple Hex
@ Southpaw
Brooklyn, NY – December 4, 2005

Legendary rockabilly surf rock trio Southern Culture On The Skids invaded Brooklyn playing their tongue-in-cheek trashy songs with a goodtime vibe and more importantly, expert skill. Guitarist Rick Miller and bassist Mary Huff trade surprisingly on-key and strong vocals with ease while they wail on their instruments, and drummer Dave Hartman pounds away on the skins as happy as a child but skilled as the long time musician he is. The gimmicky look and antics make you hungrier than anything else, but none of it matters because the music is so damn good. Local openers Triple Hex were a perfect compliment to SCOTS, offering a slightly darker, purer rockabilly feel, recalling many of X’s best songs. SCOTS and Triple Hex would both fit nicely on bills with X and Reverend Horton Heat…and fittingly enough, both those bands are playing New York in the coming days.

DirtBlanche 2005: The Dirtbombs; Blanche; Mike St. Jude & The Valentines
@ Beachland Ballroom
Cleveland, OH – November 26, 2005
*In terms of build-up, planning, meet-ups, the bands involved...the best gig ever...but still rivaled by that one night in October 2004.

How can it happen that two fairly unknown bands with small followings manage to turn a Saturday night after Thanksgiving in Cleveland into the biggest event of the year? By the small followings spreading the word and pumping up the energy for the most deliciously unexpected musical gig in recent memory. In the interest of full disclosure, I co-run two fan pages on My Space.com, one for the Dirtbombs and one for Blanche. In a limited tooting of our own horn, me and my partner in crime run fairly respectable websites, not simply sugarcoating the bands with praise but actually keeping up to date and serving as the unofficial resource for all things Dirtbombs and Blanche in the My Space.com universe and as a summary of news and info from the official sources.

Blanche and The Dirtbombs have very few things in common and none of them seem to be musically: They are part of the same, fairly small, Detroit Rock N Roll community. They play their different sounds with the same old-fashioned recording ethic as their Detroit cohorts. Dirtbombs leader Mick Collins and Blanche leader Dan John Miller are two of the more established rockers in this community, known to a significant number of Rock n Roll fans worldwide. And both bands happen to share a good deal of the same fans, not just in Detroit, but from without, spanning generations and the continent, and yes, even the globe. And, as already mentioned, they share the common authors of their unofficial My Space.com pages.

So how did the small following get this thing off the ground? The gig had already been announced in late August by those who do those kinds of things. But the small following did its part. For my part, I came up with, as far as I know, with the title of DirtBlanche. And when my partner came up with the first official poster, the year was slapped on it, giving off the hope that this would become something of an annual event. Other members of the small following starting using the phrase “DirtBlanche” in all their music communiqué. And sure enough, not too long after the DirtBlanche moniker was thrown out there, the official Blanche website used the term.

So now we come to Cleveland. Why Cleveland? Again, that is for those who do those kinds of things, but there is at least a couple good arguments for Cleveland: It is not too far from Detroit, and shares that same blue-collar Rock N Roll love…so much so, that the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame (which is kind of a disappointment for reasons not to be gone into here) is in Cleveland. And so DirtBlanche came to the Beachland Ballroom, a long time respected venue off the beaten path. A simple hall in a simple building, Beachland offered the exact simplicity and lack of hoopla that DirtBlanche needed to not become over hyped. Don’t ask me what I mean by that, I am not even sure that means anything. But I know it makes this paragraph fuller and helps emphasize that I thought the venue was damn good.

Opening act Mike St. Jude & The Valentines offered up gentle countryish pop-rock. Advertised as a new version of Squeeze and Nick Lowe, the band is actually more along the lines of Ryan Adams meets Credence Clearwater Revival. And that’s a good thing. But the sad fact is, no one cared about the opening act. No one was going to care unless the band was known to the small following that dominated the healthy but not overstuffed crowd.

Blanche came out to officially kick DirtBlanche off and boy did they ever. Dan welcomed everyone to DirtBlanche 2005 and throughout the set proceeded to call the night as such, tying it to the idea of it being a Saturday-After-Thanksgiving event, and giving the hope that this will indeed become an annual event. That set the buzz off into overdrive, and the fans loved every minute of it. Blanche introduced even more new songs than they had done all year, just one week off from recording the follow-up album to 2004’s Best Album of the Year, If We Can’t Trust The Doctors. Some of the very new stuff came off a little rusty but the band made up for it with skillfully playing their gorgeous old timey-country rock. Whether it was the now classic balladry of “Do You Trust Me?” or the newer Western Swing of “At Least I Didn’t Quit”, Blanche remains the most charmingly haunting band in America.

If Blanche was the concert, the Dirtbombs were the party. Starting off with “Trainwreck” before the now requisite “Start the Party/Get It While You Can”, Mick and company did what they always do, what they seemingly can only do, play funked-up, soul-driven punk garage rock. And even that term doesn’t do justice. Seeing the Dirtbombs for the fifth time this year, I expected the same set as all year long, but the band surprised this old dog with new songs and refurbished energy. It was a fitting culmination for a Dirtbombs year that included the ultimate compilation experience, If You Don’t Already Have A Look. As of right now, the next round of Dirtbombs touring, for the upcoming New Year, begins in Hoboken and Brooklyn next February. Start the party over again.

All night long, before, during, and after their performances, Dan and Mick kept the crowd involved, through jokes and conversation. It could have been an empty echo-filled hall, or a packed, sweaty crowd, but either way or in between, the Dirtbombs and Blanche emphasized what DirtBlanche and Detroit Rock n Roll is all about. It’s about a community. It’s a community of fans and accessible down to earth artists. Though much of the praise from the bands’ following may sound like making these folks larger-than-life figures, the truth is these bands are beloved because they play their music so well and don’t let it get to their heads. It’s like if your own friends played music that should be on the radio. Even when it happens that a certain leader of a certain band has a major role in the Hollywood film about Johnny Cash’s life, Walk the Line, currently in theaters, you’d have no reason to think anything other than the truth: this is a community, almost a family, that loves to do one thing: get together and have a damn good time. The Dirtbombs are a little more well known than Blanche, and a lot harder, and they’ve garnered enough buzz that there are more reports of moshing at shows (the pattern repeats itself…if you know what I mean). So the future may be a little shaky, but the DirtBlanche community, the good time Rock n Roll community, will stay strong. A good community does that. That’s the spirit of DirtBlanche, and that’s why it’s fitting to have it on Thanksgiving weekend, and that’s why it needs to be an annual event.

King Khan & BBQ Show
@ Magnetic Field
Brooklyn, NY – November 11, 2005

Responsible for one of the best albums of the year, the Montreal guitar/guitar & foot pedal duo King Khan & BBQ Show reflect what’s best about the stripped down minimalist retro movement when it takes different roads. In this incarnation, it’s old time 50’s rock n roll and doo-wop with a twist of hardcore punk. Opening up with a surf rock/Chuck Berry-ish wallop, Khannie & The B drive right into a bevy of hard driving but foot stomping good rock n roll. “Fish Fight”, arguably the single best song of 2005, is the ultimate garage rock anthem while “Shake Real Low” maybe even surpasses it’s dance-craze ancestors of rock n roll yore. Forget maybe. It blows “The Twist” away, that’s for sure. In between, songs like “I Love You So” and “Outta My Mind” reflect the skill with which the duo ferry between hard and soft. If there was one problem this night, besides instrument problems (which seem to haunt BBQ every time he comes to Brooklyn) it was the venue. It was too small in its anticipation of a crowd for King Khan & BBQ as well as headliners the Black Lips. The stage was too small and was obscured from all in the bar except for the handful of people right upfront.

The Black Keys; Nathaniel Mayer with Troy Gregory, Matthew Smith, and Dave Shettler
@Warsaw
Brooklyn, NY – November 10, 2005

Another night of absolutely flawless rock n roll and blues. Warsaw is an excellent venue, which only helps the vibe of the night (you can’t beat an intimate show with cheap booze and kielbasa and potato pancakes and perogies). This night, however, featured a flawless opening act as well – the one, the only Nathaniel Mayer, an aging old soul and blues rock n roller, who scored a couple hits in the Golden Age before being resurrected by Fat Possum Records. Dressed in funky kung fu attire, Mr. Mayer aims to please…especially the ladies. Kitschy? Yes but so what? Nathaniel Mayer has earned it. And with this kind of band, he can do whatever he wants. That’s right, another Mr. One-and-Only, the unstoppable, unfailing, ubiquitous, humble Mr. Troy Gregory on bass. Outrageous Cherry leader Matthew Smith wailing away on guitar…he seems to surprise himself at his ability to play in a powerhouse rock n roll way, rather than his usual psychedelic pop ease. Drummer Dave Shettler, formerly of the Sights and Nathaniel’s regular band the Shanks, is as solid as they come, and he also carries a disarmingly charming pop singing voice to help the gruff, scorched voice of Nathaniel along. And that’s the thing about Nathaniel Mayer…his voice is by all means gone. It sounds like a robotic voice box when he speaks. Years of booze, cigs, and god knows what else have taken their toll…but when the music begins, that voice is something from another planet. Whether it be a rockin’ blues number (especially the unbelievably impressive opener “What’s Your Name?”) or a touching ballad of old, that voice is stunningly on track and full of what every inspired rock n roller wants…soul.

The Black Keys; The Mighty Imperials
@ Irving Plaza
New York, NY – November 9, 2005

For all my praise and love of Detroit bands, one band that rivals this love when it comes to consistent studio work, and especially on stage, is Akron, Ohio’s The Black Keys. Guitarist/lead singer Dan Auerbach defies the mind when his light speaking voice turns into a soulful, blues, dare-I-say…black…growl and melodic cadence. The guitar work is stellar to say the least, mixing it up and chopping it down like a blues scythe. Drummer Patrick Carney pounds it out with rhythmic fury despite his seemingly emotionless persona. The Black Keys are the ultimate nexus between blues, garage, and arena rock (the best of Zeppelin gone garage with Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters). Talk about a bang for your buck. Openers The Mighty Imperials are a professional funk-rock jam band. If you like that sort of stuff, then you’d like these guys.

Demolition Doll Rods; The Choke; others
@ Scenic
New York, NY – November 4, 2005

One of the older, and certainly more distinct, Detroit garage acts, the Demolition Doll Rods come on stage barely wearing anything at all, and when they do, it’s something akin to a whorehouse meets Flash Gordon. Yeah that’s about as good as I can come up with. The Doll Rods, featuring Dan Kroha of the legendary Gories, serve up hard rock n roll, a little punk, and a big helpin’ of soul. That streak of soul is the defining difference between the Doll Rods and the other bands of the night. The Doll Rods lead female singer wails like she’s taking you to church in her banter between songs – a sexy church. While the other bands played soulless hardcore punk, the Doll Rods summon the gods of old and rock out on “That Spoonful”, the Howlin’ Wolf classic. Now that’s how you’re supposed to do it.

The Detroit Cobras; Reigning Sound; Hell on Hells
@ Southpaw
Brooklyn, NY - October 13, 2005

Continuing this year's stream of Detroit bands refusing to go away, the Detroit Cobras defy the odds and continue to pound out good old time rock n roll. The Sinatras of garage (they've only written 1 original song and do old obscure covers), the Cobras are led by the jailhouse chanteuse (and I mean that totally as a compliment) Rachel Nagy, who maintains a sensational voice live though she doesn't go nuts with it (the constant booze and cigs don't help though, it should be said). Maribel Restrespo is the able lead guitarist and the rest of the band are just some good playing guys they string along...except on this night. The loud, raw Memphis-basedReigning Sound are led by Greg Cartwright, and while a few Reigning Sound songs get a bit overdone and bland, it is all made up for by earnest heart-pounding playing and other excellent songs. Cartwright is a madman on vocals and his "Tennessee Rose" Grestch. And so it was perfect when Greg returned to play guitar with the Cobras. Truly a fun time had by all. Mwahaha. Openers from Phoenix, Hell on Hells sport a gimmicky 50's bad girl look but they play fun punk garage. They have a Little Steven played ditty, a cover called that goes along the lines of "You Ain't So Cool (sha la la)"...they were good, satisfying openers.

The Decemberists
@Webster Hall
New York, NY – October 4, 2005

Colin Meloy is the most unlikely frontman in music today. The literary, articulate, creative writing master’s guy with his bushy hair and glasses (yes he has the Rivers Cuomo look) with his unnervingly off-key yet on-target frail voice does not seem like the kind of guy who gets animated on stage. But after the crowd surfing, the taking of some audience member’s cellphone for his own use, and the ability to get the packed crowd to all sit down in the stifling heat of Webster Hall, all indicate that Cap’n Meloy has a few tricks up his sleeve. In true Decemberists fashion, all these antics take on a sense of the theatrical, especially when accompanied by props and quirky outfits. Summoning David Byrne as much as Bob Dylan and Wes Anderson, Meloy meshes it all together for one unique brand of leadership. Portland’s Decemberists, one of the current vanguards of indie-pop, take full advantage of Meloy’s musings – love and the human spirit, generally set in Marine and Sea-themed stories. The lush, gorgeous music of the Decemberists, Celtic aura always hinting at a folk-pop sound, is as unique as the frontman. The Decemberists are a polished, professional band but they are far from droll or by-the-book. The ability of the band to surprise in the midst of the polish is their trade. Even after rollicking renditions of “July, July” and “Sixteen Military Wives”, the Decemberists defy expectations and take it to the next level: Meloy crowd surfing to “Hava Nagila” and then making everyone sit (including the band) to the tune of “Smoke on the Water”, all in the same polka song. You are not going to find this anywhere. Special guest John Wesley Harding was a welcome treat, just a little bit of icing on the cake that is the Decemberists’ practicing their craft.