beloved binge and the highway drifters

this was an awesome show--i'm going to try to squeeze in a little blog about it, just to be caught up--going for a record 3 blogs in 1 sitting--only 2 bands tonight, really we were still recovering from the thunderstorm experience (and those comfort creatures really know how to party) in fact this show almost didn't happen everyone is feeling so lazy and relaxed in the backyard, but i'm glad it did because these were 2 bands right up my musical tastes--the Drifters were such a tight 3 piece, all instrumental, really fun--to me they sounded kind of like the allman brothers, big heroic power chords over fast almost bluesy beats--but without all the over kill guitar solo stuff you'd expect from the "jam band" scene--these kids had tight well crafted songs, almost a pop sensibility, like i said really fun and great to juggle to--and the Binge, how much talent can you squeeze into a 2 piece--he plays guitar, she sings, plays keyboards, and plays the drum kit--catchy songs that stick in your head for days--now they are a pop band--but with that cool indie garage ethic--i don't like people but i'm trying--and my favorite the anthemic set closer--i want to be at peace and war with everything--just goes to show--go on with the show-you never know

September 11th

this is the one we've been waiting for--the kids biking all the way from LA to arrive in Lexvegas on this our day of national mourning--obviously with so many bands canceling--the road is a fickle mistress--we were a little worried these guys would make it, so when they pulled up on their very loaded down mountain bikes and trailer at about 2 in the afternoon, we breathed a sigh of relief--in fact Funderstorm pulled in just ahead of the thunderstorm--so it seems all cosmic and shit--but first the Comfort Creatures--wait i do want to mention, hanging out on the perch with Funderstorm, not only talking bikes and the road (plus being a cyclist in LA, critical mass, alley cats, bike snobs etc) we got in our mandatory Sept. 11th conspiracy theory theorizing, an integral part of the, uh, holiday is the wrong word--but you don't forget and we won't forget either--but Comfort Creatures--these guys were on fire, when they played at the music festival this summer they were a really good folksy, old timey melodies band--but that didn't prepare me for the rock and roll vibe they brought to the shack tonight--still pretty, but now with soaring guitar solos, trance inducing tidal surges of rock--time enough to shoe gaze, i have to step outside it is so intense--and that portishead cover, wow, it's all over too soon--though the set does have this timeless, like it could last forever feel--admittedly the Straight A's have a hard place in the line up, between the Creature's who everybody loves and Funderstorm that everybody is intrigued by--but they perform admirably--straight and hard punk, a little hesitant at first but quickly finding their feet as they play through the set, eventually opening up and finding a tight groove to settle into--then it's time for the storm--not so much a band really as a performance art interactive group experience--mark-coast on the beat machine thing, cranking the crunky beats while B-rad is on the mike--and of course they play up the bicycle thing--the beat machine starts and B-rad shouts "are you ready for the first song, we have biked over 3,500 miles to play you this song are you ready"--then he grabs all these inflatable toys, starts throwing them around the room , throwing his tarp over people's heads--eventually he's writhing around on the floor (i guess he was trying to do the worm, kinda hard to tell)--they call their genre bike hike funk punk chant rant electronic hardcore dance music--and they lead us in these, let's call them bicycle chanties--BAMBI your mom was shot by a hunter, BAMBI your best friend is thumper, you got white spots on your butt, your tail is always up, so what--you get the idea, kind of stupid, but these guys, through their sheer enthusiasm and heart pull it off--at one point they have everyone put their hands together in a huddle like your soccer team may have done to yell go team or whatever, but we make a heartbeat--up and down up and down--and we chant slowly--at heart beat tempo--everyone has got to stop doing cocaine--and who could forget their self proclaimed break out single--monster truck--they did bike all the way from LA--i can almost hear them now in my mind's ear riding through all those huge hurricane winds and rain yesterday somewhere in ohio--Bambi, your mom was shot by a hunter--one less touring van--may the foos be with you brothers

aura and tree

sounds like a cool line up, doesn't it? and it was--have to admit, a little like the first time joe came over and i missed his set narrowly avoiding setting the backyard on fire, i almost missed this, the debut of his new hard core band--no excuses, i was just really tired--went into my room (where you can easily hear the entire show--in a house so small there is no avoiding the muse) just to lay down for a second, and,well, as Tree starts their set and the overpowering wall of hard core sound surrounds my thoughts and i lay back contentedly--i guess i fell asleep, what woke me up was the absence of sound--but before, as i'm settling into sleep, i admire not only the very punk wall of sound thing, but how Joe's voice still comes through all that guitar amp, orienting the songs around meaning so many hardcore bands lack--punk anthems--this is going to be big--next time i will be ready (and not red eyed)for the Tree--and Aura, i know i'm overusing the concept of psychedelic metal (seems like we have had a wave of psychmetal) so let me elaborate--classic metal 2 piece, a drummer and a shredding lead guitar--but with another element, the sampler, who lay in all the extra low rumblings, weird pitched bells and buzzes, snippets of conversation etc. to give Aura a kind of psychic tvish experimental, well aura--but definitely balls to the wall metal as fast as that drummer can go--i call it psychedelic metal--but whatever, it was fun.