March 2011

STAFF
Publisher/Editor in Chief:
Leo McGovern
[email protected]
Associate Editor:
Dan Fox
[email protected]
REVIEWS EDITOR:
Erin Hall
[email protected]
staff writerS:
Michael Patrick Welch
[email protected]
Dan Mitchell
[email protected]
Contributing
Writers:
Michael Bateman
[email protected]
Emily Elhaj
[email protected]
Laine Kaplan-Levenson
[email protected]
Sara Pic
[email protected]
Ashley Robison
[email protected]
Mike Rodgers
[email protected]
Brett Schwaner
[email protected]
Derek Zimmer
[email protected]
Ad Sales:
[email protected]
504-881-7508
Cover design by Dan Fox; This
page’s Vockah Redu photo by Bees
Knees
We like stuff! Send it to:
4916 Freret St.
New Orleans, La. 70115
VOCKAH REDU TAKES HIS SHOW ON
THE ROAD_PG 15
FEATURES:
COLUMNS:
REVIEWS_pg. 27
ANTI-News_page 4
Hello, Nurse_page 8
EVENTS_pg. 30
Guidance Counseling_page 9
March listings for the NOLA area...
Foburg II _page 16
Crowbar_page 18
Pygmy Lush’s Mike
Taylor_page 20
Mike Watt_page 23
Twitter:
twitter.com/antigravitymag
This month in theatre.
The Goods_page 11
This month in fashion.
COMICS_pg. 37
How To Be Happy, K Chronicles, Will
Frank’s Monsterhead and Quarter
Vomit by Otto Splotch!
Slingshots, Anyone?_page 12
This month in record spinning.
Photo Review_page 38
ANTIGRAVITY is a publication of
ANTIGRAVITY, INC.
Homepage:
Splash Zone_page 10
Beats per Month_page 13
[email protected]
antigravitymagazine.com
Advice from a local celebrity!
That sneaky Derek.
Have listings? Send them to:
Resources:
Medical advice from a local nurse!
The month in photos.
INTRO
G
reetings and general comments about all this weather
we’re having! This month’s issue is a funny one; as I write
this we are playing an intense game of chicken with the
Mardi Gras holiday, which is fast closing in on the last remaining
hours of productivity. You’ll be reading this, of course, long after
the festivities are over and our collective holiday pains have eased
a bit. I’m proud of this issue and all of the diverse talent that came
our way in bringing it together, from long time zineketeer Ethan
Clark contributing a Vockah Redu tour diary (we never get enough
of those around here-- keep getting out there, artists!) to another
solid piece on our friends in Pygmy Lush by Thou guitarist and
all around solid dude Andy Gibbs. I even roped in my room-andband-mate Izzy to help me interview punk icon and twisted guru
Mike Watt. That interview was a lot of fun. Throw in Dan Mitchell’s interview with Crowbar about their new album,
a rundown of a couple of different music festivals happening around town and it’s quite the casserole we’ve baked up
for you. Just add French-fried onions. Well, Izzy was nice enough to buy me a bottle of Maker’s Mark and I promised
myself I wouldn’t crack it until this issue was finished, so let me wrap it up and wish everyone a happy Spring. Lots
to do. Let’s get going! --Dan Fox, Associate Editor
3
ANTI-NEWS
ANTIGRAVITY PICKS FOR THE COMING MONTH
BY ERIN HALL & DAN MITCHELL
The Body/ Whitehorse/ Hull/ Battilus/ Mutilation Rites and more @ Siberia Monday, March
21st
This upcoming show at Siberia will mark the third time the Arkansas via Rhode Island doom duo
of the Body will tear through New Orleans in just one year. As far as doom metal acts in America
go, the Body is the crème of the crop. Their show brings a certain viciousness to the stage that few
other acts can even come close to replicating, and if you have missed their past shows with Thou,
go to this one! Joining the Body will be Melbourne, Australia’s down-tempo greats Whitehorse,
the Body’s Brooklyn label-mates, Hull, Vendetta Records’ crushers Battilus, also out of Brooklyn,
and the absolutely brutal, blackened Brooklyn band Mutilation Rites, whose 2010 demo recording
I just got a couple of weeks back and cannot stop listening to. The show is going to be serious—just
bring your earplugs, because things will certainly get LOUD for this one. -DM
Dom/ Parts & Labor/ Pterodactyl @ Circle Bar
Tuesday, March 15th
The show brings three bands together, two from Brooklyn, Parts & Labor and Pterodactyl, and
one from the small town of Worcester, MA, Dom. The curious thing about this show is that Dom
appears to be the headlining act here. Not to slight them, but Dom is the newest in formation out
of all of the groups, the youngest in age and has the most to prove, especially after critics across
the country praised the band for their brief debut EP, Sun Bronzed Greek Gods. While the effort
is pretty solid and points perhaps towards potential future greatness, it is by no means a stroke of
genius. Parts & Labor, on the other hand, are great and the band is set to release their fifth fulllength, on Jagjaguwar Records, on March 8, and they will be calling it Constant Future. From the
sound of things thus far with this record, it will certainly be one to watch out for when it finally
sees its release—put simply, it is solid as hell, knotted, yet exultant, and possesses a few songs
that rock harder than anything they have done in recent years. Parts & Labor is one of the best
‘straightforward’ rock bands in the country and we will have the opportunity to hear these new cuts
just days after their official release. Bring it on Dom and rock on Parts & Labor and Pterodactyl—
this show is going to be an interesting one. -DM
Tennis @ House of Blues (Parish)
Tuesday, March 15th @ 8:30pm
This husband and wife duo just released their nautically themed debut Cape Dory (which I reviewed
in last month’s issue) and will play the intimate Parish Room at the House of Blues this month.
Having just seen Lissie there last month, I was reminded of how cool that space is. Altogether
different than the overcrowded mess that can be the main room at HOB, the Parish is a warm, dimly
lit room with a dive bar feel. If our recent warm weather has stirred you to thoughts of sundresses
and white sand beaches, you’ll be right at home at this show. The band’s carefree, airy approach to
beachy pop is the perfect way to spend a low-key weeknight out. -EH
Queens of the Stone Age @ One Eyed Jacks
Friday, March 18th @ 9pm
SOLD OUT
So yeah, it sold out in about five minutes. If you’re one of the lucky few with tickets, you already
know why I’m recommending this as one of the shows to see in March. If you weren’t lucky enough
to score passes, maybe make friends with someone who did? Stand outside the venue weeping?
The Queens will be performing their 1998 self-titled debut album in its entirety, including some
rare B-sides and “more” (covers, perhaps?) I hate to list the show here as it feels like a taunt to folks
who didn’t manage to get in on tickets soon enough, but I’d be remiss to leave it out since I’m sure
it will be a show that’s talked about for a long time. -EH
Agalloch/ Worm Ouroboros @ the Hanger
Friday, March 18th
Last year saw the release of a great many extreme metal albums, but perhaps none more captivating,
intense and daring as Agalloch’s Marrow of the Spirit, released on Profound Lore last fall. Over the
past decade, Agalloch, from Portland, Oregon, has made a name for themselves because of their
earthy, equally ethereal and excruciating take on Black Metal. No one sounds like these guys and
that is coming from a genre where very few bands stand out from the pack. Speaking of standing
out from the pack, Agalloch will be joined by the San Franciscan/ Oakland female-fronted epic
metallers in Worm Ouroboros, also signees to the Profound Lore label. The Worm take a very
restrained approach to metal, and will certainly complement the headlining act well. While we all
know that the QOTSA will be performing a show on this very same night downtown, this show
at the Hanger will not disappoint—Agalloch after all, are some of the best metal merchants in the
world. -DM
Weedeater/ Zoroaster/ Sons of Tonatiuh/ A Hanging @ Siberia
Sunday, March 20th
What really can be said about the great Wilmington, North Carolina band Weedeater that has not
already been said?—well, nothing really. Any band that “Dixie” Dave Collins fronts or has a hand
in is great, including Buzzoven (who just played a killer show at Siberia last month) and Bongzilla.
It is a treat to be able to see Weedeater live, and this time is certainly not an exception. To add
to this treat though, Weedeater will be bringing with them Atlanta’s brutal-sludge/ blues outfit
Zoroaster with them. Last July saw the release of the superb Zoroaster full-length, Matador, which
coincidentally saw its release on E1 Music, the same label to which Crowbar signed for their latest
release, Sever the Wicked Hand. Matador, produced by the great Sanford Parker, is unforgiving,
while strangely inviting all at once, and finds the band moving away from their doomy/ sludge/
Eyehategod-y brand of metal in favor of a new realm that digs deep in each members’ musical
influences—check it out if you have not. Also in tow is the Atlanta band Sons of Tonatiuh, who
share a member with the awesome Withered, whose skuzzy, grime metal falls in line with not only
those opening the show for them, but takes liberally from a few local heavyweights as well (just
listen to their music and you will know what I am talking about). Rounding out the night is the local
group A Hanging, who always kill it live with their brand of demented metal fuckery; so, basically,
this show is going to rule. -DM
Hugh Cornwell @ Republic
Monday, March 21st @ 8pm
After spending 16 years as guitarist and one of the chief songwriters for seminal early UK punk
band The Stranglers, Hugh Cornwell embarked on a successful solo career that has seen him
release seven albums and tour extensively. His current tour brings him through New Orleans with
legendary punk drummer Clem Burke (of Blondie fame) on drums. The show will feature two
sets, one of which will be a cover-to-cover performance of The Stranglers’ debut album Rattus
Norvegicus. Cornwell is a consummate performer and great storyteller, so this show should be a
fun, low-key evening. -EH
The Civil Wars @ One Eyed Jacks
Monday, March 21st @ 9pm
Joy Williams was a solo singer-songwriter from California when she met John Paul White, a meek
Alabama guitarist and singer, at a songwriting conference/camp of sorts. They were put together
and tasked with writing a song as a duo. Something clicked and there’s been no looking back
since. The pair trade mostly in folk and country-influenced tunes, matching their pure vocals and
minimalist instrumentation. The inevitable comparisons have been drawn to The Swell Season (the
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova duo that arose from the film Once) and for good reason. Their
work is heartfelt, affecting and strikes a delicate balance between robust and achingly tender. -EH
The Whigs @ House of Blues
Sunday, March 27th @ 7pm
$10.50 advance, $12.50 at door
A simple three-piece garage band from musically rich Athens, Georgia, The Whigs blend grungy
guitars and catchy choruses with great aplomb. Their first two albums were raw and driven, but the
most recent release, In The Dark, was a bit more polished. Having toured extensively with Kings
of Leon, I worry some of that poppy shine may be rubbing off on them. That fact aside, they are a
good rock band. No frills or theatrics. Just strong chords and some good grooves. I suggest catching
them now, just in case they go down that sparkly road towards fame and we end up with another
“Sex on Fire” fiasco on our hands. -EH
Tennis (Photo by Takesha Suga)
4
The Black Angels @ One Eyed Jacks
Thursday, March 31st @ 7pm
$15
A fantastically psychedelic outfit from Austin, The Black Angels are a smoking cool bunch. You’ll
notice the Velvet Underground influence instantly (the band’s logo is a negative exposure image of
Nico). Tripped out, heavy, heady shows are their specialty and Jacks is the perfect backdrop for them.
There will be a lot of smoke in this room. And a lot of black clothing. Neither of which are bad (unless
you have asthma I suppose; but then you should probably move to a city with stricter smoking laws).
They were just in town last fall with fellow heavy hitters Black Mountain, but if you missed your
chance then, don’t make the same mistake twice. These guys are well worth it. –EH
ANTI-NEWS
THE RESIDENTS (FORMERLY NORTH LA.’S PHENOMENAL
POP COMBO -- AS RANDY, CHUCK & BOB)
T
he Residents’ prehistory begins in Shreveport, Louisiana, where four or so LSU
alumni with a shared enthusiasm for film-making and an apparent fascination
with re-shaping what pop culture had given them to play with became fast
friends and decided to migrate to the San Francisco area around 1966. They soon began
accumulating and experimenting with cheap-o recording equipment and instrumentation,
though having little to no music ability. Close attention was paid to the visual presentation
early on, an important aspect of the group that Homer Flynn (alleged singer/The Talking
Light’s Randy, perhaps), co-founder of the Cryptic Corporation (the band’s personal and
business management), has predominantly been responsible for. Work on film projects
to coincide with their music (or vice versa) started as early as ‘72. The early recordings
owed a lot to heroes of the time Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa without sounding
much like either of them. And there’s always been a very separate sense of humor and
general creepiness, paired with a somewhat confused approach to ‘song’ composition,
that was not comparable to anything, really.
Official Residential output started in 1972, with a ‘band’ name and a vinyl document
(the Santa Dog double-single; also the first release for their Ralph Records imprint).
British guitarist Snakefinger was already collaborating with the group at this point,
which would remain a long-lasting and mutually influential relationship up until
his death. Interest in the group remained relatively low until 1978, when the more
adventurous watchers of the New Wave clicked with the bizarre music-- most notably
the ‘60s bubblegum-pop deconstructions found on the 1976 Third Reich ‘n’ Roll
album-- and the equally strange performances disguised as mummies or as klansmen
covered in newspaper (the eyeball look came a little later). Inhuman, anonymous,
soulless and hilarious! The Duck Stab e.p. found acclaim with the press somehow
and continued the evolution of a sound all their own. ‘Hits’ like “Constantinople,” a
dizzying, modern sort of misanthropic psychedelia, found the lead manic country
bumpkin ranting becoming a more prominent feature. Concept albums Eskimo and Mark of the Mole followed, with the group taking these ideas on the road in the early ‘80s. The Residents
have continued to reinvent themselves and look for innovative ways to present their work (from records and tapes to floppy disks and CD-ROMs) with little rest. Apparently, two of the original
minds behind the group have remained a constant through all this, with countless hired guns over the years adding to the madness.
This time around the Residents seem to have a very human lesson to teach, through a series of ghost stories. There will be no top-hatted, unblinking eyes. We will be treated to two members
wearing masks that look like a dreadlocked bug creature ala Slipknot (Ha!) and the singer/storyteller as a robed old man, “Randy.” The often nameless voice heard on the Residents’ recordings
gets a little closer in teasing us with his “true” face... But wait, the fourth Resident figure is missing! Or is he? You can expect a bewildering, surreal, multimedia experience. The music will be
performed live with current guitarist/collaborator Nolan Cook as “Bob.” I guess “Chuck” at the laptop/samplers might be original member Hardy W. Fox. Not that it matters too much who they
are. It’s become a fun little game to speculate for many of us. Like many other Residents projects, The Talking Light, presented from a simulated comfy living room backdrop, may look harmless
at first, but be prepared to be left-- at least a teency bit-- uneasy once it’s all over. This will be a not-groovy, harrowing experience for sure, as far as I can tell.
This may be the Residents’ first ever live performance in New Orleans, or Louisiana for that matter. Evidence to the contrary is obscured and what few recollections there are are fuzzy at best.
According to Mandeville Mike, the Residents may have secretly shared a bill with Snakefinger at Jimmy’s Music Club, uptown, in May of 1982 and my sleuthwork has dug up a tape of this show.
The band is too musically able to be the Residents and are eventually introduced as Snakefinger’s own Vestal Virgins band. An email to the Cryptic Corporation, asking if they had in fact ever
played here (and if they missed their home state!) resulted in a very quick reply: “I’ll go ask”; followed shortly with a “no.” --Michael Bateman
THE RESIDENTS bring us The Talking Light on April 5th at Republic. Tickets are $17 from republicnola.com. Consortium of Genius opens the show. For more info, check out residents.com.
BANDS AND ONE MAN ARE THE TOAST OF MEATLOAF ONE
W
hen Felix frontman and all-around rabble-rouser John Curry
looks out over the landscape of New Orleans rock festivals,
he does not like what he sees. But rather than complain on
a barstool (or the internet), he has decided to take matters into his own
hands and produce “Meatloaf One,” a two day event celebrating several
select singer-songwriters and their bands from around the city. A pretty
simple idea, one that Curry says he came up with to “be productive,
not just mad” and also as a way to try his hand at some of the more
procedural workings of the music world. Gathering together some of the
most unique talent of New Orleans like Luke Allen, MC Tracheotomy,
Steve Eck and Curry himself as Blind Texas Marlin, night one will
spotlight the solo performances of these performers while night two will
bring together the bands that back them. So Eck will be joined by his
Midnight Still and Luke Allen will have his Happy Talk Band. Also
performing over the two nights are Sneaky Pete (of the Fens) and Ben
Arthur Ellis (of the Way). Equal parts ambition and gamble, Curry is
ready for it to go either way, saying “These are my friends. If it blows
up in my face, they’ll still be my friends.” And when asked if the fest is
named in honor of that certain well-known performer, he is quick to say
no. Meatloaf is the nickname given Felix drummer Adem Vant Hull’s
dog, Lucille. —Dan Fox
Meatloaf One takes place on Friday, April 1st at the AllWays Lounge,
2240 St. Claude Avenue and Saturday, April 2nd at the Hi-Ho Lounge,
2239 St. Claude Avenue.
5
ANTI-NEWS
NEW ORLEANS FRINGE WELCOMES HOUSTON FRINGE
A
new mini-Fringe Fest debuts this year but with a twist—a Texan twist.
For two nights only, Interstate Fringe brings back two favorites
from last year’s New Orleans Fringe Fest and pairs them with two
hits from Houston’s Fringe Fest. Kristen Evans, Executive Director of New
Orleans Fringe Fest (and one of Gambit’s 2010 40 under 40), says that this is
hopefully the start of a regular exchange between the states, part of the Fringe
Alternative Theater Incubator, “a sort of mad scientist’s lab in which we
try out new ideas and opportunities, and hopefully everyone benefits, grows
and has a great time in the process.” New Orleans Fringe will present Our
Man by Goat in the Road Productions and The Divine Feminine by Chard
Gonzalez Dance Theatre. In Our Man, two men in a small glass box narrate
the life and accomplishments of one of the nation’s most controversial leaders,
“The Gipper”—who has taken for the men the form of a tennis racket. The
Divine Feminine is “a ride through conflict and mayhem due to the seduction
of a goddess, the wrath of a bitter queen, the marvel of a heroine plus other
divine women and their boy-toys.” Houston Fringe brings their best with Yes,
Cassandra, a re-envisioning of Aeschylus’ Trojan War from the perspective of
Cassandra, the doomed priestess, and Rogue Improv, a group improv show that
takes spontaneous suggestions from the audience, using them as the inspiration
to create a “completely improvised, unscripted, 30 minute continuous theatrical
universe.” Evans says that, “Altogether it should be about two and a half hours
of wildly different performance—dance, storytelling, improv and theater.” And
if you have friends in Houston, let them know the same line-up will run the
following weekend on the stages of FrenetiCore, the host of Houston Fringe.
Interstate Fringe runs Friday and Saturday March 18th and 19th at 8 pm at
Michalopoulos Studio, 527 Elysian Fields. Tickets are $15 and available at the
door or online at nofringe.org. —Sara Pic
6
7
COLUMN
ADVICE
HELLO NURSE!
BY NICHOLE BRINING, LPN
DRUG OF THE MONTH: MARIJUANA
T
his will be the first in a series of articles I’m undertaking called “Drug of the Month.” This
is not to glorify or demonize any form of plant, narcotic or chemical, but just to educate you
fine readers of what you are putting in your body. Now let’s get high… on knowledge!
Cannabis: this popular plant contains THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), which is classified as
a psychoactive chemical compound. It is usually smoked or ingested. Wikipedia defines a
psychoactive drug as “a chemical substance that crosses the blood-brain barrier and acts primarily
upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception,
mood, consciousness, cognition and behavior. These substances may be used recreationally,
to purposefully alter one’s consciousness, as entheogens for ritual, spiritual, and/or shamanic
purposes, as a tool for studying or augmenting the mind or therapeutically as medication.”
PROs:
* Marijuana can be used to ease pain. It has been so helpful in reducing pain in ailments ranging
from mild arthritis to Multiple Sclerosis to AIDS that it can be obtained (in some states) from a
Doctor’s prescription.
* It promotes appetite. Casual pot smokers refer to this as the “munchies” and it is very beneficial
to people whose medicine has made them nauseous or the elderly who have lost an interest in
eating. Cancer patients benefit from marijuana’s hunger-inducing effects greatly because the THC
doesn’t interfere with the absorption of other medications they need.
* It has not been linked with any true drug addiction and no studies conducted have ever found a
substantial link between cannabis use and escalating use of other substances (i.e.; smoking pot will
lead to smoking crack).
* There has been no hard evidence that sole marijuana use can lead to an overdose of marijuana. It
would take roughly 800 marijuana cigarettes to kill a person, but the death would be from carbon
monoxide poisoning. More people accidently overdose on aspirin than cannabis.
* There is no known evidence that links marijuana use to permanent mental illness.
* It has shown to relax the body, which promotes healing.
* Decreases intraocular (eyeball) pressure, which is beneficial to Glaucoma patients.
* Decreases the tics of Tourette’s syndrome sufferers.
* Helps decrease the deposit of Alzheimer’s “plaque” in the brain.
* A 2007 study showed a correlation between smoking pot and reducing breast cancer metastasis.
In fact, here is a list with ailments that are said to benefit from medicinal marijuana use: alcohol
abuse, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, collagen-induced arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, bipolar
disorder, colorectal cancer, depression, dystonia, epilepsy, digestive diseases, gliomas, hepatitis
C, Huntington’s disease, leukemia, skin tumors, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA), Parkinson’s disease, pruritus, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sickle-cell disease,
sleep apnea and anorexia nervosa.
CONs:
* If you smoke pot then you are still inhaling smoke, which is bad for your lungs. A marijuana
cigarette is not nearly as harmful as a brand tobacco cigarette but it’s still doing damage. It would
be healthier if the marijuana is ingested instead. There are some studies that conflict with this
statement, but the overwhelming majority of them conclude that pot smoke is still mildly harmful
to your lungs.
* There needs to be more studies. Although pot has been used for centuries, the research of pot has
been scant and inconsistent. Many dated studies had a bias-negative agenda and more long term
marijuana studies are still in trials or in its infantile stages.
* Although it has been reported that marijuana isn’t so addictive in a physiological sense, it can
still be addictive in a psychological sense. Many pot smokers, like cigarette smokers, smoke during
certain times or environments and get hooked on the routine, like making a habit of smoking after
work, essentially making it ‘habit forming.’
* Research shows little evidence of overdosing from marijuana but pot is linked to other actions
that are harmful. Cannabis does impair motor functions which can lead to accidents, some poor
decision making and behavior that otherwise wouldn’t have occurred. That’s where the danger lies
more so than any of the effects of THC.
* Just like any other substance in the world, some people can be allergic to marijuana. And an
allergic reaction can have severe consequences.
FUN POT FACTS
* During the temperance movement of the 1890s, marijuana was commonly recommended as a
substitute for alcohol, since use of marijuana did not lead to domestic violence, while alcohol abuse
did.
* Pot was used during World War II as a truth serum.
* The Declaration of Independence was drafted on hemp.
* To date, the world’s largest joint had 100 grams of marijuana in it.
From a medical standpoint it seems as though marijuana’s benefits far outweigh its harm. It does
affect people differently and not all marijuana users will experience positive reactions to the drug. I
hope that more studies reveal the potential this plant has in aiding those in need. And for those who
are just recreational users, I feel it should be available to them too. But keep in mind that in the state
of Louisiana, possession of cannabis is illegal and carries fines, jail time, community service and a
host of other penalties that’ll make your life suck. So be careful out there, friends!
8
ADVICE
COLUMN
GUIDANCE COUNSELING
THIS MONTH'S TRUSTED ADVISOR: KERI MCQUEEN
TRAIN WRECKS, CHEATING & CHARLIE
T
his isn’t the first time we’ve turned to a bartender for this month’s advice (we’ve
sought out Luke Allen in the past) and it certainly won’t be the last. This being March
and the month of St. Patrick’s Day, we turned, naturally, to the Irish Channel’s most
well-known Irish maiden, Keri McQueen. A longtime bartender at the old Parasol’s and
now Tracey’s, Keri “De Geh” (as she’s sometimes known) is regarded as someone who will
give it to you “straight,” with the gloves off. So don’t expect a pot of gold at the end of these
rainbows, but a shot of reality instead. Tip her well!
I can’t seem to get a girl that isn’t a drunk train-wreck of a human being. What’s the deal?
My advice is to stop waiting until 3 am to “get” a girl! You need to grow some balls and
make your move around 1 am. Most girls are still on track at this point. A drunk train-wreck
is easy for most folks to spot... seriously.
I’ve been reading on the internet a lot lately that human beings are not wired to be
monogamous and from my own experiences in life, I agree. I’ve cheated on every partner
I’ve ever had. What do you think? And, how can I explain this to my next potential mate?
Well... you have cheated on everyone you have ever been with. It sounds like you aren’t
ready to be in a real relationship. A monogamous relationship takes work!! Love, trust and
respect are all things required. I don’t think you should be looking for a mate... you need a
fuck buddy! PS- Go get tested.
Everyone thinks Charlie Sheen is losing it but he has become my hero. Everything he says
seems honest or at least from the heart and he’s speaking truth to power. Shouldn’t we all
be more like “bitchin’ rock stars from planet Mars?” I know I want to be!
Charlie Sheen is an asshole! Don’t waste my time asking about this hot mess. You can go
right back to being “bitchin,” buddy. I’m going back to hanging with rock stars from the
planet Earth. They are more fun... FACT!
9
COLUMN
THEATRE
NOTES FROM
THE SPLASH ZONE
by SARA PIC
[email protected]
MARCH MASHUPS
M
10
arch brings us Carnival, when borders are blurred and anything goes. March’s theatre and
performance scene follows, with many boundary-breaking events. The biggest March
event is the 25th Annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival. The
festival has a diverse slate of lectures and sessions for writers but also presents events for everyone
that are designed to “celebrate writing
in its different forms,” as Marketing
Director Laura Lane Miller explains.
Two festival events accomplish that goal
in unique ways: Literary Late Night
on Thursday, March 24th and Bedtime
Stories on Friday, March 25th, both
open to the general public at One Eyed
Jacks. Miller says, “People sometimes
assume a literary event will be a very
staid, academic, polite thing. We are
challenging that notion and presenting
literature as a bit edgier and showing
that the written word can be very alive,
visceral and exciting.” Late Night starts
with an improv show from the National Comedy Company, getting everyone warmed up for the
second half, a competitive poetry slam. Anyone can sign up for the slam and judges are chosen from
the audience. Miller laughs that the rest of the audience never has a problem strongly expressing
their disagreements with the judges’ decisions. Bedtime Stories is a night of erotica readings,
featuring local actors Veronica Russell, Chris Lane and Lisa Picone and local writers Jarret
Lofstead and Jeni Stewart, with more to be announced. The audience will be treated to a host of
titillating tales by a variety of authors including Milan Kundera, Leopold van Sacher-Masoch,
Anaїs Nin and, of course, Tennessee Williams, as well as some local authors. Additionally, local
lovelies from burlesque troupe Fleur de Tease will provide stimulation between readings. More
info on these and other events at tennesseewilliams.net.
Southern Rep presents the regional premiere of Intríngulis, written and performed by comic
actor Carlo Alban. This solo show was inspired by Alban’s own experiences as an undocumented
Ecuadorian immigrant who became a regular cast member on the PBS television program Sesame
Street (and later an actor in films including 21 Grams, Strangers with Candy and Whip It). In
Intríngulis, which, in Spanish, means “a complex web or ulterior motive,” Alban blends acting and
music to tell the story of his family who moved from Ecuador hoping to find, like so many, “a better
life” in the States. They arrived when Alban was nine years old and immediately applied for green
cards—but the process took twelve years, during which time Alban and his family had to survive
without legal immigration status. For Alban, the show is about “coming-of-age while carrying
a secret.” The dreams his formerly middle-class family had when coming to the U.S. proved to
not be a reality here. Jobs were more difficult to find than they thought and were below their
education and skill level. Options for college were restricted for Alban and his brother because
they could not qualify for student loans without documented status. Alban relates that because of
his undocumented status he felt like an “outsider” growing up. Using these experiences, he put
together a show of character monologues along with music he performs on acoustic and electric
guitar. Music is a way Alban feels he retained his Spanish language and Ecuadorian heritage
while growing up in the States. In the show, he performs some of this music, focusing especially
on political protest songs, which he describes as the “poetry” of the show. While the show tells
Alban’s personal story, he feels that it is also a way to educate people about immigration and
undocumented immigrants, who are used politically all the time though many people know very
little about their actual lives and struggles. Marieke Gaboury, Managing Director at Southern
Rep, relates, “What has always moved me has been the reaction of those who saw themselves in
Carlo’s story – especially young people who feel disenfranchised or ignored for reasons of race,
nationality, sexual orientation – anything.” Southern Rep is offering a special discount to AG
readers: use code ANTIGRAVITY for $10 tickets (subject to availability and ticketing fees) at
southernrep.com or call (504) 522-6545.
March abounds with many more border-busting shows, including the venerable rock musical,
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, with players from Skin Horse Theater (Curiouser: An Historical
Inaccuracy, Port/ Architect) and musical back-up by Whom Do You Work For?, featuring Bradley
Black, Kelsey Waite and Jonathan Hight. A cult favorite, Hedwig is the story of a fourth-wall
smashing East German rock’n’roll goddess who also happens to be the victim of a botched sexchange operation leaving her with an “angry inch.” Hedwig is at the Backyard Ballroom March
24th-26th, March 31st, April 1st and 2nd, and April 7th- 9th. Thursday and Friday shows at 8pm,
Saturday shows at midnight. Skinhorsetheater.org for more info.
The Contemporary Arts Center also presents Women of Calypso on April 1st and 2nd,
celebrating women’s contributions to the classic Caribbean art form of Calypso, a musical world
traditionally dominated by men. Three prominent award-winning women of the genre, Singing
Sandra, Queen Fayola and Princess Kizzie will perform an evening of music, theater, social
commentary and autobiographical musings, complemented with “singing narratives” which will
take the audience on a musical and spiritual journey. Cacno.org for more info.
Send me press releases, vague info on shows, or theatre/performance art news or gossip! Holla at
[email protected].
COLUMN
FASHION
THE GOODS
BY ASHLEY ROBISON
[email protected]
FASHION WEEK 2011
W
hile March is one of New
Orleans’ most beautiful months,
with clear and bright days
and warm sunshine, it can also be a quick
reminder of the weather ahead. Before we
know it, we’ll settle in to months of thick
humidity and unending, oppressive heat.
Some nights it leaves me feeling like the
heroine in a Tennessee Williams’ play,
but most nights I just want to peel off my
clothes.
This month we get to chat with Alison
Albright of Circular Accessories. Circular
Accessories, based out of Baton Rouge,
provides bold, graphic cotton tees and other
screen-printed objects.
You can find Circular Accessories online
at etsy.com/shop/circularaccessories.
Describe the guy, girl, and child that
wear Circular Accessories:
My wonderful customers are unique and like
to wear fun pieces of art that are not massproduced. They are eco-conscious people,
interested in supporting independent artists
that produce products in a sustainable
manner.
How does Southern culture play a part in your designs?
Many of my designs are inspired by the natural landscape of the south as well as cultural icons.
You can find animals, plants and symbols that are very recognizable throughout Louisiana.
Do you think the South has a different relationship to cotton clothing & casual clothing than
other regions?
I think Southerners have adapted their wardrobe to accommodate the warmer climate, and this
includes lightweight, breathable cotton fabric. Personally, I do not own many wool or polyester
items but my dresser is full of cotton tops.
If you could expand your current collection, what would you like to include?
I started using water-based ink last year to make my line more sustainable and will continue
production in this manner. I have begun sewing linens for household accessories and hope to
include more designs in this category this year. Sewing individual items takes time but I would
love to sew bedding, linens, aprons, etc.
You mention using water-based ink for sustainability. If you had all available means, what
other resources would you use for sustainability?
I would love to use all organic cotton, hemp and bamboo for my apparel and accessories, especially
the hemp. It is much more sustainable to grow and convert to wearable fiber than any other plant.
I have a hard time finding manufacturers using the fabrics in a stylish and affordable blank that I
can print on. I also try to get most of my blanks from companies made in the USA, but I will use
other brands that have really nice styles.
Do you think the South is more or less embracing of eco-friendly and sustainable work?
I think the south has a growing sustainable movement, not a big as some urban areas in the west
and northeast, but there is definitely a growing market for uniquely handmade, sustainable items
here. I sell at the farmer’s market once a month in BR and the customer base is growing for local
produce and handmade art.
What’s in store for Circular Accessories in 2011?
New designs of course, but I plan to dabble in more abstract patterns and incorporate those into my
designs. I will continue printing apparel as well as linens and more paper goods.
NOLA Fashion Week: LA is the New LA
Wednesday, March 23: Production, Marketing, and Styling Workshops
Evening: NOLAFW Fashion Connection
Benefitting Covenant House through JT AWEAR
Thursday, March 24: Production, Marketing, and Styling Workshops
Evening: Fashion Meets Art: Runway Kick-Off Party
Friday, March 25: 5 Runway Shows
Evening: Amelie G Magazine Spring Issue Launch Party: NOLAFW Tri-Coastal Fashion.
Running March 20th through 26th, NOLA Fashion Week will take place around our fair city, Benefiting Coastal Restoration through JT Aware
incorporating boutiques, art galleries, and event venues. This fashion week isn’t just for the Saturday, March 26: 7 Runway Shows
frivolous: featuring educational workshops, networking events, two full days of runway shows, Evening: Scene Magazine presents NOLAFW Wrap Party. Benefiting NOLAFW Fall 2011
and a philanthropic heart, NOLA Fashion Week is sure to make an impact on the city’s fashionable
and fun.
The following designers will be featured at NOLA Fashion Week: Sophomore by Madeleine
The schedule for NOLA Fashion Week is:
Von Froomer and Chrissie Miller, Jolie & Elizabeth by Jolie Bensen and Sarah Elizabeth
Sunday, March 20: Kids Fashion Day, Louisiana Children’s Museum, 420 Julia St.
Benefiting Louisiana Children’s Museum
Monday, March 21: NOLAFW Industry Engaged Party, Benefiting Friends of City Park through
JT AWEAR.
Tuesday, March 22: NOLAFW’s Night on the Town: The best of New Orlean’s Boutiques,
Shops, Restaurants, & Lounges open their doors to celebrate the fashion industry.
Dewey, Coco Bourgeois by Courtney Plauch, Amanda de Leon Clothing by Amanda de Leon,
Ottilie Brodman by Elsa Brodman, Leah Milana by Leah Bauer, Varella + Brooks by Isabel
Varela and Ashlee Brooks Patton, Nire Collection by Erin Tufts and Cassie Conrad, and
Matthew Arthur Apparel Architecture by Matthew Arthur.
More information about NOLA Fashion Week can be found at nola-fashionweek.com.
11
COLUMN
LOCAL CULTURE
SLINGSHOTS, ANYONE?
BY DEREK ZIMMER
[email protected]
SCENE RAPPORT
T
his month for my ANTIGRAVITY contribution I was
considering conjuring the music journalist within, composing
a substance-less write-up of some already wildly popular
band and dubbing it “alternative” media. But then my conscience
got the better of me and sent me swirling into the vortex of creative
straining.
A few columns ago, in the throes of despair, I wrote about how
everywhere I turned I found trauma. Developers destroying poor
residents’ housing and neighbors abusing their dogs. Cops prowling
every street and gunshots down the block. But New Orleans has
some great things going for it, which I’d like to highlight. There’s
the Iron Rail Book Collective, without which I would have
strung the noose long ago. Even if I don’t always treat it with the
reverence it deserves, it has been incredibly vital to me as a radical
and as an individual. I’ve spent hours pouring through the extensive
Aboveground Zine Library and regularly attend radical events
like the Tuesday movie nights, presentations or guest lectures. Hey
Cafe, Iron Rail’s Uptown annex, is co-run by my good friend Greg
Rodrigue, who along with the wonderful D-Ray, operates the ultraDIY punk label Community Records. There’s a small crew of
anarchists taking action around the city and publishing the magazine
The Raging Pelican. Even putting up guerilla bus schedules at bus
stops is a step forward for citizens still abandoned by their “leaders,”
and a new Food Not Bombs group has begun meeting to discuss
weekly servings. I cannot articulate my love for the all-ages shows
put on by Bryan, Osa, Candice, Greg and others—and all these
folks’ respective bands. There’s the Community Printshop that
does hands-on screen printing workshop nights, and Plan B next to
Iron Rail that helps folks build their own bikes. I am infectiously in
love with the graffiti all over the streets, the READ pieces and the
still-remaining Banksy murals (Fred Ratke, I wish you the worst).
Although I gave up skateboarding long ago, I am in complete awe
of the DIY skatepark in Gentilly, built from the ground up by a few
comrades. And even though I don’t buy many records, I appreciate
that Domino Sound is right down Broad Street. I’m inspired not
only by projects like Critical Resistance and Books 2 Prisoners,
but also by courageous individuals like Sharon Jasper and those at
the Fight Back Center resisting the genocidal developers at HANO
and the thuggish police who protect these private interests over
peoples’ rights.
In the spirit of celebrating these little joys around New Orleans,
I want to segue into a larger discussion. A month or so ago, on
a drive up to Baton Rouge for a show, I had a conversation with
a friend about the nature of our radical ideologies. We constantly
define ourselves, he said, in terms of what we’re against rather
than what we’re for. Such critique-based anarchism, he explained,
is a dangerous position to take: for if we’re only reacting against
what we hate and not actively struggling to create the alternative,
remaking our surroundings in the likeness of our wildest dreams,
then we’re forever doomed to live under systems that oppress us.
Like the heathen who curses god for the world of misfortune around
him, we validate our rulers’ power rather than actualizing the
potential in ourselves to offer something better.
I wholeheartedly agree, with a few addendums. Sometimes I
do feel our purest poetry should be written with gasoline, that the
greatest creation we could muster is the destruction of this entire
goddamn system. But at least part of this destructive impulse,
one could argue, feeds into a cultural urge of violence—and thus
must be questioned if not totally undermined. This reminds me of
a picture I saw recently of two masked black bloc figures—both
distinguishably male—high-fiving in front of a burning cop car at
Toronto’s G20 summit. Although this picture is incredibly moving
for me on a visceral level, after hearing a story of a group of men
elsewhere commandeering a ladies’ Take Back The Night march to
smash windows, I can unfortunately discern an air of bro-riotness
in it as well. Of course, I agree with Antiproduct (in a song about
12
“We constantly define ourselves in
terms of what we’re against rather than
what we’re for. If we’re only reacting
against what we hate and not actively
struggling to create the alternative,
remaking our surroundings in the
likeness of our wildest dreams, then
we’re forever doomed to live under
systems that oppress us.”
feminism, ironically enough) when they said, “Anger is just an inherent reaction to the pain we have suffered”;
and I believe no matter what your gender socialization, anger can at times act as a healthy guide. Experiencing
it is part of the wide emotional repertoire we command as whole human persons. But allowing anger to be
our primary guide and constantly reacting to it is not always conducive to the healthiest resistance. Not to
mention—just bad for the qi!
My friend had offered that instead of deliberately participating in an anarchist mobilization where one will,
with certainty, provoke altercation with police—a violence which might necessitate responding in kind—we
should work on building this beautiful new world that will make capitalism pale in comparison. I thought
about the South Central Farm, an urban community garden in LA which fed 400 families before being raided
by police in 2006. I thought about the Native Americans slaughtered at the hands of white colonialists. I saw
the Paris Commune and its deadly siege. “But any space we create that runs counter to capitalism cannot be
allowed to exist,” I said to him. “So what do we do when they break in and destroy our spaces?”
“Well, then we should defend it.”
More recently, at a house show, I found myself engrossed in discussion with another friend. The conversation
went along similar lines. We focus all our energy, she said, on overthrowing the system but wouldn’t have
anything to replace it with if we actually succeeded. She cited the recent insurrection in Egypt as another
revolution that will ultimately turn into a system that will stifle peoples’ autonomy. Cynical though this sentiment
may be, it’s noteworthy to point out that without a clear populist understanding of how government is inherently
oppressive, the people of Egypt are susceptible to being co-opted by the farce of liberal “democracy.” But that
doesn’t stop me from supporting their self-determination with every fiber of my being. I mean, c’mon—they just
overthrew their totalitarian regime and ousted their former dictator from power! Better, in my opinion, than our
predicament; at least they’re in the streets fighting their enemies, while us Westerners are holding theoretical
debates about when it is or is not appropriate to throw a rock! Like a job with a degrading boss or extreme
working conditions, one might not know what they would like to be doing for 8 hours a day instead, or have a
fully formed analysis of the alienation of labor and wage slavery; but they quit the job anyway because they know
they don’t want to be degraded any longer. I think there is something to be said for that.
But there’s more to it than simply wishing to end abuse. Our social systems (and this includes both jobs
and governments) limit our realities to such a degree that we cannot imagine our lives not beholden to them.
Such structures blind us from vast possibilities, and bind us into narrow ways of existing—ways ultimately
dependent upon the systems exploiting us. Those who have been abused by their partners know this dynamic
well. In this context it makes sense why the notion of resisting police is so foreign to many Westerners; they
literally cannot envision a society built upon mutual aid, and not competition and wealth divisions! I’ll tell you
a theory I’ve been working on: I think the reason why we cannot imagine these other ways of being is because
our rulers actively disallow us from building this more just world, as it would render their power and control
(to use the domestic violence terminology) obsolete. Hence, laws and police.
With regards to this dichotomy of confrontation-versus-infrastructure, my thought is—like most—the
dichotomy is false. We cannot birth the world we want without provoking street warfare from the old world’s
foot-soldiers and we cannot initiate these street confrontations without infrastructure to foster a vibrant
community worth fighting for. We cannot create viable spaces based on anarchist ideals without battling
the colonizers who would take them away from us; and until we wipe the chessboard clean of our enemies’
pawns—nay, until we destroy the entire fucking chessboard!—we will only be trying to beat them at their own
game, based on their rules. So forget the dichotomy. We need it all—every gesture, big and small.
With that, I’m going to leave y’all ninjas on shit like this: “I want the revolution to take place now and
fucking every second of my life. I want it to be the most revolutionary thing that ever happened. I want every
song, every lyric ever penned down, to be like the epitome of rebellion—of revolution. Every time.” —Dennis
Lyxzen, Refused
SPINNING RECORDS
COLUMN
BEATS PER MONTH
BY graham greenleaf
[email protected]
MADDIE DREADS
A
s I’m sure most of you can tell by now, the temperature in our fair city has started to
rise and it would seem we’re continuing the old New Orleans tradition of skipping
Spring and jumping headlong into Summer. Much the same can be said about our
neighbors to the south in the Caribbean, and the influence of this tropical region’s people
and culture has been evident in the Crescent City for hundreds of years. You can taste it in
the food and hear it in the music, and one of the biggest contributors musically has been
Jamaica. For such a small island, a lot of people would be shocked to learn of the influence
Jamaica has had not only in the States but worldwide. One of the biggest proponents of the
traditional Jamaican sound in the Big Easy is none other than Maddie Ruthless.
Immersing herself in the punk scene early on, Maddie found music as a perfect outlet
for creativity. Family vacations to London introduced her to the sounds of ska, rocksteady
and dancehall and upon returning to New Orleans for college, she met Prince Pauper, who
encouraged her to start DJing. Cutting her teeth on 45’s from Domino Sound, she still swears
by vinyl and makes regular trips to New York for the freshest dubplates and acetates. Apart
from Prince Pauper, her list of influences include the likes of David Rodigan, Deadly
Dragon (NYC) and Boss Harmony (LA), as proven by her selections. Her sets often span a
wide array of roots, early dancehall and ska from the early 60’s through the 80’s. Her focus
on conscious vibes and the “punky reggae party” is what makes her nights alongside her
partner in crime, DJ Karo, stand out. At 22, her knowledge of old school Reggae is quite
astounding and she keeps up to par with tradition as well. Expect to see sound boxes full of
sirens, blips and plenty of delay next to the turntables at any of her monthly Babylon Yah
Dun parties which, for the time being, split between the Maison Penthouse and the Saint.
Johnny Osbourne, Slim Smith, Ranking Judy and a wide array of versions all make
regular appearances in her sets. Complete with chatting and toasting (“rapping” in Reggaespeak), The Ruthless/Karo combination is more a live performance than strict DJ set.
Apart from selecting the finest Reggae classics, Ms. Ruthless also sings regularly with
Brooklyn’s the Forthrights and works on and off at Studio in the Country. Upcoming
from Maddie is her newest mixtape with Karo entitled, “Jaguar Sound #1,” which includes
some exclusive new material. She’ll also be DJing April 16th for Community Records’
annual block party, a gig that she describes as one of her favorites. With loads of upcoming
gigs, big plans for Jazzfest and dubplates by the pound, Maddie assures that big tings
agwaan in New Orleans for 2011. In other words, “de gyal bring it dutty an mek de people
dem bubble an wine seen.”
For all things Ruthless, visit maddieruthless.com.
JIM RUSSELL'S RECORDS
1837 MAGAZINE ST. NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130 (504) 522-2602
NEW ORLEANS #1 RECORD STORE
LARGEST SELECTION OF
USED VINYL LP's, 45's, CD's, CASSETTES, VHS & DVD's
VIDEO GAMES, LASER DISCS, 8-TRACKS
CLASSIC rock, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, COUNTRY
OPEN MONDAY thru SATURDAY 11am-5pm
WE SHIP WORLDWIDE
Find us on MySpace and Facebook
www.jimrussellrecords.com
13
MUSIC
PUSH UP THE FADER: ON THE ROAD WITH DJ BEES KNEES
AND VOCKAH REDU
02/03/11. When we first started planning this tour, I’d hoped to break even. After our first show
tonight I hope to start a revolution. Vockah took the stage with dancers and back-up singers Tater,
Shorty Whop and Eergyzah. I was on the floor behind the turntables, in the middle of the crowd.
These people were ready for this: Asheville, North Carolina’s first live contact with New Orleans
bounce music. After years of the same old hardcore, punk and metal shows, Asheville’s booties
were ready to pop. And if you’ve ever seen Vockah and the Cru, you know it’s about a lot more
than popping booties. Vockah appeared in a vinyl trench coat looking like Darth Vader, blessing
the stage in his customary fashion with a stick of burning incense. Soon the get-up was shed and
V was bouncing around the stage like Iggy Pop, spitting out rapid-fire call-and-response bounce
party hype mixed with spoken word acapellas, free-styles, throwback hip-hop lines and samples
a la Afrika Bambaataa and DJ Kool. We were at a punk club called the Get Down, a former
roadhouse called the Cowboy’s Nightlife that was a lot like the cowboy bar in the movie The Blues
Brothers. It was a sold out show (plus all the folks who snuck in through the fire escape) and the
crowd, a large portion of whom were queer or transgendered, were going BANANAS. It was like
a friendlier version of the old school mosh pit, with none of the testosterone-driven aggression.
At points I had to pick up my DJ mixer and hold it at a safe distance from all the booties popping
into my DJ gear. Popping and weaving through the crazy dance-floor were the other two members
of our caravan (literally, we were all traveling piled into a rented Dodge Caravan), photographercum-navigator/driver/tour mom Nicola Krebill (who would end up taking over 8,000 photos
on tour) and University of Texas student Alix Chapman, who is writing his dissertation for his
Anthropology PhD on New Orleans bounce music. After the show the crowd was so transfixed by
Vockah’s performance that when DJ Champale (a former New Orleans resident who had set up the
show for us) took the Cru to Denny’s, half the crowd followed along, taking over the restaurant.
02/10/11. After two shows in Baltimore and partying to a bunch of Baltimore club music, we took
a few days off in New York before diving into the bulk of the tour, four shows in the Northeast
on something called the Church of Love and Ruin Tour. The Church was the brainchild of a
political rapper named B. Dolan of Strange Famous Records, the record label run by indie-rap
guru Sage Francis. The shows were Vockah Redu, B. Dolan headlining, an MC who played sexcentric games with the audience, a drag queen and dancer named Nicholle Pride and 16-person
Providence-based marching band the What Cheer? Brigade. B. Dolan had sampled What Cheer?
in a song called “Border Crossing,” then asked them to go on tour with him. They’re buddies of
mine and I’ve done shows with them-- even remixed one of their songs-- and our tour had just
happened to coincide with theirs, so we were lucky and got on board. The shows were awesome;
B. Dolan is a true M.C. in complete control of the mic and his audience. The What Cheer? Brigade
was amazing as always and Nicholle Pride was totally charming. I, of course, ruled and Vockah...
well, he stole the damn show. It was incredible. New York was lukewarm (as New York always is)
despite the efforts of some die-hard fans who knew every word to every B. Dolan song. The next
night was Boston, which was fun but the smallest of the four shows, then...
02/12/11: We played in Providence, stomping ground of B. Dolan and What Cheer?. There must
have been 300 people in this place, a big club in Pawtuckett. There’s been a ton of Providence/N.O.
cross-over in the past couple years, between What Cheer? coming down and this arty-weirdo PVD
dance troupe that’s been down a few times. They have been listening to bounce music and, like
Asheville, they were ready, with butts shaking all over the place. The last show was in Portland,
Maine, at an art space named, cleverly enough, Space. Once again, everyone went bananas. Out
of the seven of us on tour, only photographer Nico had ever been to Maine. Energyzah, the twenty
year-old back up dancer, had never left Louisiana or Texas. Now we’re in Maine in freezing cold
February, about to try and bring the colloquial New Orleans sound to a bunch of Mainers? Crazy.
And it worked. The show was great, the crowd was stoked and B. Dolan closed the tour by saying
that Vockah and Cru had been the unexpected stars of the tour. He even had them come out after
his performance and do an encore. Then we pulled everyone up on stage and I jumped on the mic,
wished everyone a happy Mardi Gras and DJ’ed bounce music while everyone got sweaty. In
MAINE.
02/13/11: After the Maine show it was like, “Yo Thanks B., see you Nicholle, good show, hey
What Cheer? See you in New Orleans at Mardi Gras.” Then we all piled into our cramped, smelly
rental van and hauled ass toward home, with a quick stop in Richmond, Virginia (actually we
stopped in a Burger King parking lot and slept, then went to Richmond) to play a show with my
old pal and longtime Vockah and bounce supporter DJ Dirty Finger. We’d hopped on a party of his
in New York, too, after our Maine show and he was in Richmond DJing a few parties that week.
The show was definitely the lowest energy of the tour but that’s still pretty amped, and Richmond
went nuts. I was so exhausted I felt like I might literally collapse behind the turntables. Luckily,
Dirty Finger was more than happy to kick some N.O. bounce for the butts of Virginia. We crashed
at the house of Shanae, the very, very nice show promoter, then we climbed in the van one last
time for a 12-hour haul home, just in time to hurl ourselves into carnival. Victory! Were there
bad moments? Sure. We were all a bunch of divas in a packed minivan, New Orleanians taking
a crazy show on tour in the North East in winter. Attitudes flared up. People got sick. We had an
argument in Boston over how to get the Cru from Boston to Providence that was a damn-near
meltdown. But I’ve been going on tours since I was 18, from the crazy punk-circus-clown tours of
yesteryear to rock band tours. Of all of them, I think this was the most well-attended, the most well
put-together and hands down the most fun. Boo-yah. Go team Redu. Love y’all! -Ethan Clark, aka
DJ Beesknees
Help pay for Vockah and Cru’s parking tickets at an event showcasing the photographs of
Nicola Krebill as well as drawings and a new mixtape by Beesknees at Byrdie’s Gallery, 2422
St. Claude Avenue, Thursday, March 31st. For more information, check out vockahredu.com
and stingingcaterpillar.com.
15
MUSIC
FOBURG BACK FOR ROUND TWO
BY DAN MITCHELL AND ERIN HALL
I
n 2009, the brain trust behind the New
Orleans Indie Rock Collective (known as
the noirCollective) developed the idea for an
alternative music festival that would highlight
local indie bands while also giving national bands
on their way to Austin’s famed South by Southwest
(SXSW) an additional place to stop and play for a new
audience. The noirCollective is composed of young
men and women who are all involved with the local
music industry in some way and who aim to create a
legitimate and thriving community for the indie bands
around town. They release sampler albums multiple
times a year featuring up and comers and established
acts alike, as well as hosting showcases and other
smaller shows year-round. Their focus is on “raising
awareness of and building an infrastructure for the
New Orleans Indie Rock scene.”
Foburg 2010 was the group’s largest undertaking
to date. And it was, by all accounts, a great success,
featuring over 100 bands and drawing a crowd of
nearly 10,000. This year’s festival, which takes place
March 11th – 13th, boasts a beefed up lineup with
more venues and a few larger names. Like last year,
it will take place mostly in venues located on or
around Frenchmen Street in the Marigny. The spot
was chosen because the noirCollective felt the area
could benefit greatly from expanding their typical,
more traditional musical offerings to more offbeat
and alternative bands, thereby opening up their clubs
to a whole new audience.
While the bands on the bill mostly fall under the
“indie” label, there is a lot of style variety among
them, including everything from electronic/
dj acts to bounce and rap, country, folk and
psychedelic. There are established national acts
(Ra Ra Riot), regional darlings (Lafayette’s
rapidly exploding Givers), much-buzzed-about
national newcomers (Das Racist), some of local
label Park The Van’s newest gems (Brass Bed,
Empress Hotel) and beloved locals (Hurray For the
Riff Raff, Caddywhompus, Katey Red). Venues
on Frenchmen include The Maison, Dragon’s Den
and The Blue Nile. Just a few blocks away are the
Hi-Ho Lounge, Saturn Bar and Allways Lounge.
Further down St. Claude is one of the city’s newest
and most interesting venues, Siberia. The only
venue outside of the Marigny is One Eyed Jacks
on Toulouse.
There are currently three options for purchasing
tickets. For $40, you can get an advanced weekend
pass that grants you access to every show except Ra
Ra Riot + Givers + The Luyas at One Eyed Jacks
on Friday the 11th. For an extra $10, you can add
that show and score a $50 “advanced Weekend
Pass PLUS.” On Friday the 11th, a box office/will–
call will be set up on the corner of Frenchmen and
Chartres, where walk-up weekend passes may be
purchased for $50 and tickets previously purchased
online can be picked up (with receipt and photo ID).
Day passes will also be available the day-of at the
box office, but there is currently no price information
available for these tickets.
There are plenty of shows going on in this city
every night, so we know your time is precious. Allow
us to recommend a few of the Foburg shows we think
you should swing by and check out.
16
Ra Ra Riot + Givers + The Luyas
One Eyed Jacks
Friday, March 11th
The most established band on the bill, Ra Ra Riot is just a few years into its career. But thus far they’ve put out two albums of
thoroughly enjoyable indie rock/pop melding dark themes with jubilant instrumentation. Givers is the biggest thing to come
out of Lafayette in…well, a while. They’re popping up on the radars of scores of publications and blogs nationwide. Their
style is a mix of trippy pop and a touch of barefoot jam band – positively joyous fun. The Luyas are a Canadian indie pop
band with a personnel connection to Arcade Fire and a similar style of integrating orchestral arrangements into their music.
Debauche + The Lisps + Hurray for the Riff Raff + Luke Winslow King
The Blue Nile (upstairs)
Friday, March 11th
Debauche bills itself as a Russian Mafia Band and can most closely be compared to gypsy punk ringleaders Gogol Bordello.
I dare you to go to this show and not move your feet. If you can, congratulations – you are dead. The Lisps are an “indie rock
vaudeville” group from New York – one part Magnetic Fields and one part circus band. Hurray for the Riff Raff put out one
of the best albums of any local band last year in Young Blood Blues. Alynda Lee Segarra’s rich and luxurious vocals meet with
earthy banjo, accordion and percussion to create a truly unique sound that is not to be missed. Luke Winslow King breathes
life into traditional New Orleans music by folding strutting, robust horns in with smoky, cool vocals.
The Other Planets + Caddywhompus + Fights
Allways Lounge
Friday, March 11th
The Other Planets are a spacey, experimental group with sparks of ‘60s pop and jazz. Caddywhompus is a local favorite
whose explosive live shows have livened up many a New Orleans night. Their blend of fuzzed out vocals, driving percussion
and feverish guitar create a rather insane aural space to run around in. Fights is a relatively new group, so there’s not much
out there on them yet, but if they’re paired with these two, you can expect it to be two things: 1) crazy and 2) LOUD.
Ra Ra Riot
MUSIC
Brass Bed + Vagabond Swing + Hart
The Blue Nile (upstairs)
Saturday, March 12th
This showcase is home to all Lafayette bands, so obviously
something is brewin’ over in Cajun country. Another
quickly rising Lafayette band, Brass Bed follows in the
footsteps of the biggest band their label (Park the Van)
has ever hosted – Dr. Dog. They possess the same spirit
of sunny ‘60s instrumentation and sharp-tongued lyricism
and are just as much fun to see live. Vagabond Swing
steps away from the indie feel and boasts an infectious
brand of hot jazz-rock mixed with the exotic rhythms of
New Orleans and south Louisiana’s cultural melting pot.
Hart is a Lafayette legend, a wooly bearded godfather of
roots rock. That’s pretty much all you need to know about
him.
debut, Causers of This, and the Cloud Nothings releasing
their propulsive, pop-infused, self-titled, Carpark debut.
The venue is intimate and the songs ever more so--- this
show will be the perfect destination for anyone looking to
escape the downtown crowds in favor of a more laid-back
evening, maybe. After all, it is the Saturn Bar and things
are known to get rowdy there. Regardless, this show is
going to be a good one.
Jeff The Brotherhood + King Tuff + Dead Gaze +
X-Ray Eyeballs + Holly Tamale’s Variety Show
Siberia
Sunday, March 13th
Hailing from Brattleboro, Vermont, the prolific and allaround, super-talented King Tuff (a.k.a. Kyle Thomas)
will be gracing New Orleans with his presence on March
13th, at Siberia. Aside from releasing solo material under
the moniker King Tuff, the King is a member of the
Sub-Pop garage/ power-pop group Happy Birthday, who
released a great, but largely unappreciated, eponymous
debut one year ago on the venerable West Coast label.
Tuff’s solo material is a bit more sunny, druggy and
free flowing than his work with Happy Birthday and if
you have not yet checked him, get his solo album Was
Dead, immediately. Tuff will be joined this night by
the Nashville tour-aholics Jeff the Brotherhood and the
Brooklyn garage-punk weirdoes, the X-ray Eyeballs, as
well as a number of other acts. It is going to be a busy
weekend for music in town, but this show needs to be on
everyone’s list.
Das Racist + Katey Red + Shanook + 8188 + PYMP
The Maison (downstairs)
Saturday, March 12th
Das Racist @ Maison (downstairs) on 3/12
2010 was a big year for hip-hop, specifically with the
emergence of two groups/ collectives, one from L.A.,
the insane Odd Future collective helmed by Tyler, the
Creator, and one from NYC, the trio of Das Racist, who
we are concerned with here. This Das Racist show, set
for the evening of 3/12 at the Maison, will mark the very
first time the city of New Orleans will have the pleasure
of experiencing this group, made up of lyricists Heems
and Kool A.D., and hype-man Dap. Last year, Das Racist
released two phenomenal mixtapes, the first being Shut
Up, Dude, which featured the hilarious song we all now
know perhaps too well, “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco
Bell,” and the second being their insanely wide-ranging
collaborative effort called Sit Down, Man. Their singular
brand of hip-hop was a game changer last year and
introduced the world to a group that can at once by ironic
and comical, while countering that silly side with some
serious verbal skills and unique insights into the strange
society we live in nowadays. Das Racist, in New Orleans
finally—rejoice!
Big Freedia + Lil’ Dee + Plane Jane + KLC (DJ set)
The Maison (upstairs)
Sunday, March 13th
Big Freedia is one of the cornerstones of the bounce
scene in New Orleans. Her live shows are always wild
and audience participation is mandatory. I mean, one her
songs is called “Azz Everywhere!” for God’s sake. Just
shake your booty please. Lil’ Dee refers to himself as
God’s Gift to Rap Music, so this showcase should be a
good chance to test that claim. Plane Jane is a bit of a
rarity– a female rap duo. Garnering some comparisons
to Salt-n-Peppa, the ladies mix energetic rap flows with
electronic music and unique beats. KLC has worked as
a producer with some of the south’s most prominent
rappers, so his dj set should be chock full of swagger and
dirty south flavor.
Toro y Moi + Small Black + Cults + Sun Airway +
Cloud Nothings
Saturn Bar
Sunday, March 13th
The night of 3/13 will see another great show, this time
at the Saturn Bar on St. Claude, featuring two of Carpark
Records best talents, Columbia, South Carolina’s Toro y
Moi and Cleveland, Ohio’s Cloud Nothings. Both bands
have just released new music in the past couple of months,
with Toro y Moi just dropping his solid and spacey
Underneath the Pine, the first since the 2010 breakthrough
Das Racist
17
MUSIC
CROWBAR’S FINALLY GETTING THEIR RIGHTFUL DUES
BY DAN MITCHELL
PHOTO BY GARY LOVERDE
O
ver the past 20-plus years, Kirk Windstein has been making music under the moniker
Crowbar. It has been a long road (with numerous line-up changes along the way) that
has yielded nine full-length records, including Sever the Wicked Hand, which came
out on February 8, 2011, standing as the newest addition to their catalog. Coming out
exactly six years to the day after their prior album, Lifesblood for the Downtrodden, Sever is huge
in scope, strangely uplifting and wickedly rewarding from beginning to end. Over the course of the
twelve songs held within, fans can once again celebrate one of America’s seminal metal bands, who
are back once again and stronger than ever. On the verge of taking off to join the Metalliance Tour,
which kicks off in Texas in a few weeks, and also features legendary acts like St. Vitus and Helmet,
we thought it best to chat with Windstein before they hit the road. After trading calls over the past
few weeks--the guy is busy--Antigravity finally got a few moments to speak with the founding
member (also member of local heavyweights Down and Kingdom of Sorrow) about the experience
of signing to a new label, where their varied and unclassifiable sound came from and what music
influenced Windstein from an early age.
ANTIGRAVITY: I wanted to start with your singing to E1 music in the past year or so to
release this new album [Sever the Wicked Hand]. The label itself has focused on hip-hop and
rap music in the past when it was Koch Records. How did you link up with these guys and sign
the deal with them? Are they going in a new direction?
Kirk Windstein: Yeah basically it is a really good label. They have had a lot of successful artists. They
started in the last year-and-a-half, two years, doing a lot with metal and heavy music. Ya know, they signed
High on Fire, they signed Black Label Society, they recently signed Overkill, Crowbar obviously, and
they put out a Hatebreed cover song record [and] put out a Hatebreed DVD. So, they have been dealing
with all genres of music, but really been getting into the heavier stuff [recently] and doing a really good
job with the bands that they [have] had. For us, it was a no-brainer really. Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed
co-manages us with Steve Ross, who is Hatebreed’s manager, and they had ties and connections and kind
of shopped it, and the label bit on it. Lucky for us, we were able to sign a really good deal with them and
they’ve done a really great job promoting us. We are really happy with everything.
I remember the release of the video for “The Cemetery Angels” came out back in December.
[Did] they have a hand in getting that together?
Yeah, absolutely. It was filmed in New York City, in Manhattan, and we had played in New Jersey
the night before. The morning it was filmed, we had a show that night in Manhattan. It was still dark
out and I got up, hauled ass down to the Hudson River, and started filming. It came out really good,
ya know, we were lucky.
18
You released this last album earlier in the month, on February 8th, which was exactly six years
to the day from the last album, Lifesblood for the Downtrodden. Was there any significance to
it coming right down to the day, six years later, for releasing Sever the Wicked Hand?
It was definitely nothing intentional. They always release them on Tuesday and it has been six
years, and it just fell on the same day. It was totally just ironic that it did. It just came out six years
to the day, which is crazy that it did.
On the new album, songs like the title cut and “Cemetery Angels” and “Cleanse Me, Heal
Me” definitely have a hardcore vibe and feel to them, whereas a track like “Liquid Sky and
Cold Black Earth” or “Echo an Eternity” were more on the doom side. There is a lot of
variation on the new record--is that the way you do things?
Pretty much, that is just kind of what Crowbar is. On Sever the Wicked Hand we pretty much
touched upon every element that has ever been a part of the sound. Really, what we are is a mixture
of the hardcore, fast, aggressive stuff with slow, doomy, melodic, depressing-type stuff. It is a
combination of both. It is not all about being super-slow and drop-tuned and it’s not all about being
upbeat, it is both. [There are] a lot of fast songs, break downs--we always thought it was funny
because the break-down at the end of “Cemetery Angels,” [people were saying] that it almost
sounded modern, like a lot of these [newer] metal-core bands. I was laughing because I was like,
‘all it is, is just like anything else I have written over the past 20 years.’ It has just happened that
things have come full circle. For us, we feel very fortunate to be considered an influence on a lot of
bands. It is cool that a lot of bands are into us, but I thought it was funny [that people] were hinting
that maybe I was taking something from some of these newer bands. Ya know, no disrespect, but
no I didn’t, I just wrote the same thing that I always do.
The Metalliance Tour that you are going to be doing, [is] one of the coolest tours I have seen
put together in recent years, with you, Helmet and [St.] Vitus. But, there is this newer crop
of bands that are also on the bill. Are you familiar with a band like Kylesa?
A little bit. What I have heard form them I really like. I have heard nothing but great things about
all of these bands. Ya know, I’ll be 46 years-old [this year], I have a daughter from a previous
marriage, I’ve got a house and a wife now--when I’m at home, I’m kind of out of the scene, out of
the loop as far as what is really going on with the newer bands. Obviously, I am familiar with St.
Vitus, I am friends with the guys, and I am a big Helmet fan, so I think in general it is going to be
fuckin’ great. It is a great mixture of three older bands, that really have three completely different
styles, but all three styles go well together--it’s odd. Then you have a newer crop of bands coming
up that are killer, so it should really be an awesome bill, we are looking forward to it.
MUSIC
With the record itself, the title, Sever the Wicked Hand, is that at all a reference to your
sobriety over the past six months?
Yeah it is about that, but it is really just a metaphor about getting rid of anything negative in your
life. By no means am I the poster board for sobriety, I am never going to be, but for me, it just got
out of control. It was like, ‘shit man, you need to get a new direction in life, turn yourself around.’
For me, it was just alcohol spinning out of control. Whether it is a bad relationship, or alcohol or
drug problems, anything, it [the title] is just a metaphor for that and moving forward in a positive
light--finding a light at the end of the tunnel, finding something positive in life, just getting rid
of the bad shit and moving forward. All I know is that when I am inebriated and spiraling out of
control, it is not very fun, and when I am sober and being productive, my life is a helluva lot better.
That’s where I am at today, man.
I know that a lot of very productive work can come out of the morning hours, is that how you
have been writing recently?
Lyrically, yes. All of the lyrics were pretty much written [when] the sun would barely be up. Ya
know, I’d go downstairs and have a jam box next to me on the couch, really low, and just feel the
vibe and just write down my thoughts and there you go, there’s the lyrics and a new song. It has
always been that way--whenever I worked a regular job, I always liked to get up, get it done and then
relax later on in the day. If I get up and it is 6 o’clock in the morning, even if I am tired, I’ve got too
much going on and I can’t, with a good conscience, lay back down and fall back asleep for a couple
of hours. [Now] this [Crowbar thing] is a 24-hour-a-day, seven day a week, 365 day a year job. I am
always on call; the phone can ring at any time, day or night. I feel bad for my lady Cait because it
just doesn’t stop. Now that the record is out, it has slowed down, thankfully, but for a while, it was
maniacal--just non-stop, hours a day at the computer and [always] on the phone. Now it is kind of a
sense of accomplishment, ya know, ‘wow, we have done it, the record is out and it is doing well, we
are looking forward to touring’--I kind of get to be a little bit more normal. It is a good thing.
What you have said in the past as far as influences go, from Thin Lizzy to the Melvins, to
bands like the Cro-Mags and Agnostic Front--are there any others that really speak to you as
far as the founding days go, what inspired you to make music?
In the beginning, for me, it was growing up on music, early rock n’ roll, early ‘70s music--music
for me struck a chord, no pun intended. When I was really young, my dad was a big music and
rock n’ roll fan. He was a Rolling Stones fan, that was probably my first introduction to rock n’
roll. When I was a kid, I worked a summer job with my father, who was actually a wholesale milk
distributor, so we’d be riding all around New Orleans listening to WRNO, or whatever it might
be, and that is what I grew up on--‘70s rock. It just went from there. I found bands that I liked;
early Kiss was a huge influence on me and from there it just snowballed. After the Kiss, Zeppelin,
and Aerosmith American rock n’ roll, ‘70s thing, I started [getting into] bands like Thin Lizzy and
UFO and in the very late ‘70s Motorhead, and going into the ‘80s, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and
Saxon. Then I found my hardcore bands, I found the Agnostic Front, Sick of it All, the Cro-Mags
and whatnot. It is all part of me, part of my love for music--all of it is important with what I sound
like today with Crowbar, and Down and Kingdom of Sorrow.
I feel like that is one of the very cool elements to music--you can almost always find something
new. I find personally, I listen to a lot of new music and they introduce me to a lot of the older
music I might have never heard.
Yeah that kind of happened to me. For me personally, I didn’t originally flip on bands like Zeppelin,
I went through cycles. As I got older, I would go back and rediscover a band like Uriah Heep or
Wishbone Ash, ya know, a band that was never super-big--I like to do the same thing. A lot of
people would look at bands like Cream or Led Zeppelin, and then realize, oh the early Rolling
Stones, and then realize oh, Muddy Waters and the blues guys. I think it is a common thing to do
and a good thing to do, to go back and find them. I think that is what is happening, to be honest,
a little bit, with this interest and resurgence in interest in Crowbar. So many of these bands that
are up-and-coming are kind of mentioning Crowbar as an influence, which is very flattering and a
great thing--I’m glad that we could influence somebody. What’s happening is, I think, a lot of these
[younger] people are mentioning it, ya know, Crowbar, and [others] find out that they have never
really heard of us. The band was always just an underground thing, and it still is to some degree,
but it is really starting to get some of the respect and recognition I think that we deserve, and that
is great, ya know.
I guess you got to put in your dues, not that being bigger is necessarily a good thing, but it
does afford you the opportunity to reach new fans that maybe you wouldn’t have reached
otherwise.
Absolutely. It is important to us, and it is not necessarily about the money, but [some] sure helps. I
mean, these days nobody is selling records and getting stupidly rich, but to me, getting to the next
level is an important thing. Ya know, I have been doing Crowbar for 20 years, plus, and it is my
heart and soul, its my passion and my vision, and I just want to see us get to the level of recognition
that I think that we deserve.
Crowbar plays One Eyed Jacks on Saturday, March 19th Revolver as part of the Metal Alliance
Tour w/ Helmet, St. Vitus, Crowbar, Intronaut, the Atlas Moth, Howl and Naam. For more info,
go to crowbarmusic.com.
19
MUSIC
WHISPERING WARRIOR: CATCHING UP WITH MIKE
TAYLOR OF PYGMY LUSH
BY ANDY GIBBS
I
PHOTOS BY DAN FOX
t was a lazy Sunday afternoon in March a few years back, and we were gathered
on a porch in Baton Rouge as five mostly bearded gentlemen quietly set up some
amps, drums and an old organ. Soon enough, notes coalesced into a wash of
soothing, ethereal melody and the gray clouds above us began to let forth a handful
of unassuming droplets. No one seemed to mind the light rain that day and in fact it fit
the ambience perfectly. Most of us would’ve been happy to post up in a hammock and
drift off while the band whisked our cares away.
It’s hard to believe that, only two hours later, the same band--a band called Pygmy Lush,
who many of you are surely acquainted with by now given their longstanding penchant
for making New Orleans a mandatory tour stop-- was ripping through grunge-inflected
hardcore jams in a living room while a throng of weirdos let loose their animalistic urges.
I don’t mean “animalistic” as a metaphor, either: one young man ripped his shirt off, beat
on his chest and imparted a deafening shriek mid-song.
Despite the incongruity of these two scenarios, the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of Pygmy
Lush doesn’t seem odd to me. For one, I don’t find it strange that someone could enjoy,
say, the easygoing grit of Neil Young and the caterwauling bombast of a band like the
Jesus Lizard. Additionally, I rather like the way they have unapologetically cast these
dual natures side-by-side on some of their records. And besides, if you lived in a nice
old home in the woods of Virginia, could you really resist your inner urge to wax folksy
20
with some of your best friends, who just happen to write beautiful, melancholic lyrics
and melodies?
Listening to that side of the band, the “quiet” side to use their term, feels to me like
putting on my favorite old shirt that’s perfectly broken in. When I first heard “Asphalt”,
the opener on their second LP Mount Hope, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was
some badass song I swore I knew, some wonderfully depressing lullaby that was sung to
me as a child. This is what draws you into Pygmy Lush as they begin to spin their yarn.
The members of the band are no strangers to the road, having toured for over a decade
in amazing bands like Pg.99, Mannequin, Malady, and Hissing Choir. I was fortunate
enough to coax guitarist Mike Taylor into answering a few questions about life and
music as they prepare to hit the road once again.
ANTIGRAVITY: How do you typically describe Pygmy Lush to someone who has
never heard the band?
Mike Taylor: Hmmm, that’s always a tough one. Sometimes it will depend on who I’m
talking to. If I’m referring to the loud stuff I can easily say it’s noise rock/grunge-influenced
punk rock. The quieter stuff, which keeps getting less quiet, is hard for me to describe. A
lot of influence from all over go into that sound. I can say the songs start simple, like a
singer/songwriter-type song with a guitar and vocals and we usually build from there.
MUSIC
After all the traveling and touring you’ve done with
this band and previous bands, what inspires you to hit
the road every year?
The great unknown my friend, the great unknown! Nah,
I don’t know. That’s just what you need to do if you’re a
band making music and recording albums. A band needs
to get out there and make a connection with people and
find its crowd. If a band did nothing but played their
hometown for five years they would probably grow
stagnant and uninteresting. People present a healthy
challenge for musicians to be great. I also rather enjoy the
traveling. It’s good to step away from routine to hit the
road! A peace of mind, if you will.
Having been active musicians for a long time now, how
does one successfully balance band life with personal
responsibilities like day jobs or relationships?
That’s a good question and I’m sure the answer will
change depending on one’s time and place. I am a firm
believer that if there’s a will to play music then one will
always find a way to make it work. I have married friends
who make it work and friends with children who do the
same. It will always be a labor of love in a lot of ways
for people but that just comes with music. For us, we just
try to be considerate of everyone’s needs and make sure
we’re all on the same page-- which needs to be affirmed
from time to time, but that’s all a part of being in a band
that works.
How does growing up affect one’s decision to be
involved or not be involved in a DIY punk scene?
I’m not really sure age or growing older has much to do
with our involvement in the DIY scene. I don’t even think
we make an effort to say we’re staying a part of any scene
in particular. It’s very limiting to shelter your music with
any one belief or way of doing something, especially when
“DIY punk” is such a broad term these days, anyhow. We
feel comfortable doing what we’ve been doing so far, I’ll
say that.
“It’s very limiting to shelter your
music with any one belief or way of
doing something”
would sooner just stay home than to have too much in
their face at all times. I don’t know... tough question. Too
many awful bands are out there touring, though. That’s
just me.
Where is the band headed from a stylistic point of
view? Is the heavy side of the band being phased out?
I feel like this band could kinda go anywhere from here.
A lot has to do with the fact that we’ve switched a few
members over the years, which has lent itself to the
changing sound. Our new record is more upbeat and a
bit louder than Mount Hope. I think we wanted to do less
droning on this record. I’m sure we’ll still drone out but
the music on [soon to be released] Old Friends just kinda
came out the way it did very organically and naturally.
We’re not done with the louder stuff. I couldn’t live
without the loud Lush!!!
Your house is burning down. Which classic Nirvana
album do you run and grab before flames engulf them all?
Ha! Well, Chris [Taylor, Mike’s brother and bandmate]
says In Utero. [Mike] Widman says he wouldn’t save the
Nirvana records because you could buy ‘em anywhere,
but says he’d go Nevermind. I’d have to save the split with
Jesus Lizard or the Hormoaning 12 inch picture disc!!
How about you?
Me? I’m with Chris. In Utero all the way. How has
living away from a big city affected the way you write
music?
We talk about traffic a lot! We’ve been practicing at our
farmhouse for the past five years, so that’s kept us at
peace and more relaxed when we write, allowing us to
get into more of a zone. We play into the wee hours of the
morning some nights. I guess that might be hard in a city
or a shared practice spot.
What is your favorite memory of New Orleans?
There’s way too many to recall! For Widman it might be
when he turned 21. I turned 30 in New Orleans! Jamming
at ol’ Dixie Tavern, Verti Mart, Molly’s’ Bloody Marys,
eating at Rita’s Olde French Quarter, Bryan Funck’s
jambalaya, Eric [Martinez] cooking us rabbit, the first
Pg.99 show at Movie Pitchers and definitely St. Patty’s
Day parade were all amazing!!!!
One of the young girls who was on the cover of the
Smashing Pumpkins’ album Siamese Dream is now
rumored to be in the band. Does this mean we are
about to enter a new Grunge Revolution?
Hahaha, hopefully! And maybe Pygmy Lush will tour
with them! I heard that the baby on the cover of Nevermind
played music too!? We’ll see.
Pygmy Lush plays a matinee show with Des Ark, Thou
and Screaming Females at Euclid Records, 3400
Chartres Street, on Sunday, March 20th, 2pm. For
more information, check out noladiy.org or pygmylush.
wordpress.com.
How has the way you handle band
business changed now that more
people rely on the internet? Is it
easier? Harder?
In a lot of ways it’s made people
a lot more lazy with setting up
shows. I don’t see fliers nearly as
much as I did ten years ago. On the
other hand, email, cellphones and
GPS are a touring band’s dream!
Booking tours before email was
tough. We’d just look in band’s
records for an address or phone
number. Phone bills were always
a tour expense that you’d have to
take into account. Our last tour
was booked pretty much through
text!!
Is the fact that there are more
bands touring the country now
than ever before a positive thing or
a negative thing?
I guess I don’t think it’s the best thing
that so many bands are touring. Who
am I, though, to say people should
stay out of the way and off the road?
I just know that promoters and showgoers tend to get overwhelmed and
21
MUSIC
MIKE
WATT
IS OUR CO-PILOT
BY DAN FOX WITH ISIDORE GRISOLI
PHOTO BY EIKO KOBAYASHI
23
MUSIC
N
ow that Johnny Cash is no longer with
us, I’d like to submit Mike Watt for
consideration as the new American
grandfather, someone to lead the way for
the wayward youth (i.e. the punks, man!) and show
us how it’s done. While so many musicians his age
(and he is only a paltry 53, we should point out) are
gasping and clinging on for dear life to shells of their
careers, mailing in weird reunion performances and
cannibalizing their own work, Mike Watt is still
turning out fresh music and firing on all cylinders,
in this case literally as he embarks on yet another
tour-- though he still pays homage to his past and
fellow Minuteman D. Boon, who was killed in a van
accident in 1985, an event that sends deep echoes
into today.
As the bass player for the Minutemen (one of the
most influential punk bands to come out of the early
’80s), Mike Watt was part of the movement that
spread punk rock around America and established a
DIY culture and community that we’ve sadly come
to take for granted. Since D. Boon’s death, Watt has
continued on, helming such bands as fIREHOSE and
taking the bass duties on for the reformed Stooges.
But then you probably knew all that already. Mike
Watt gets around.
When his latest solo album, Hyphenated-Man,
arrived at AG headquarters, I picked it up with great
amusement. What I heard was a surprising burst
of energy, a thirty-song sprint that evoked a range
of emotion from humor to sadness, bewilderment
and sometimes just straight awe. “Be brave, Watt.
Stop never reflecting” he coos at the beginning of
“Pinned-to-the-Table-Man,” and that’s just one of
many lines that will twist inside you the way only a
zen riddle penned by a master can.
For this interview I asked my friend and band
mate Isidore Grisoli to join me, as he’s a longtime
Minutemen/Mike Watt fan and also a bitchin’ bass
player. It was a thrill for both of us to speak with him
and get a good dose of Wattspeak, but it was Izzy
who was greeted with “Hi, bass brother” a moment
I’m sure he’ll not soon forget (You’ll also have to
ask him about how his conversation went about a
certain three-piece blues band from Houston). He
spoke to us from his home in San Pedro, California
(pronounced PEE-dro so you know) at an hour not
usually hospitable to musicians. Of course, we came
to find out he had already been up for hours.
ANTIGRAVITY: Do you normally keep these
kinds of hours?
Mike Watts: I wake up usually around four-thirty,
five. I only stay up late for gigs so it’s a little tough
sometimes. I’m a crack-a-dawn person. I conk early,
maybe eight, nine o’clock at the latest. I like the early
mornings. I do the bicycle and the kayak. Tuesdays,
Thursdays, Saturdays. Wednesday was a pedal day.
You just ride around Pedro?
Yeah, well, Pedro’s a harbor, so I’m right by the
cliffs and the docks.
New Orleans is a port, too. Have you been to New
Orleans much?
I haven’t played there in six, seven years. Yeah, with
my Secondmen... House of Bourg. Blah. Last time
I was in Louisiana was at Baton Rouge, almost two
years ago. But I didn’t make it to New Orleans. I will
this time, though. I’m playing Baton Rouge and New
24
“Some of this rock and
roll stuff has got too
much royalty: built in
pampered, tiara-wearing
bullshit...”
Orleans. You know, Minutemen played there. There
was a club called Jimmy’s there in the old days...
That’s where we played in 1984. There used to be a
good band from there called the Sluts. Dave Slut the
singer…
The Sluts, yeah! He’s got a band now called
O.L.D.
Oh he’s still playing? Great.
He even does a Sluts reunion once in a while.
They were good. You know, he almost ended up a
Black Flag singer! It was between him and Hank.
With the really long mic cable, he’d run all over the
fuckin’ place. [He’s] a climber.
We’re really excited for you to come down this
time; we’ve been enjoying your latest album.
Kinda trippy, kind of insane! Big song in thirty parts,
which is weird. They all fit together to make one. It’s
kinda semi... You know, it wasn’t a Minutemen idea.
We got it from this band called Wire, in England.
They had an album called Pink Flag. That’s where we
got the idea for tiny songs. There was a documentary
on the Minutemen called We Jam Econo. Well, those
guys asked me to help them do spiel in it. And so I had
to listen to Minutemen again because I didn’t really
listen to it a lot after D. Boon got killed. It kind of
brought me down. But then checking it out again, it
was like “Man, this is... I like this.” No filler. So I said
I want to do this again, this kind of style. And I was
on tour with the Stooges at the same time in Spain and
I was in Madrid. There’s a museum there called El
Prado. There were paintings there by this guy I used
to trip on as a young man named Hieronymus Bosch.
And I got to see them in person, not just pictures
in a book and it was like, whoa. I was thinking, he
makes the one painting out of all these little things.
This is kind of like Minutemen. I thought I would
kind of use these little creatures combined with the
little song format to talk about myself, this 53-yearold punk rocker. So it’s different than the other two
operas [1997‘s Contemplating the Engine Room and
2000’s The Secondman’s Middle Stand] where they
had beginnings, middle and ends where I was talking
about the older days, something that happened before.
First one was about the Minutemen, second one was
about the sickness that almost killed me. This one’s
more about me right now.
How did you write all these songs?
I wrote ‘em all on D. Boon’s guitar. Now, ninetyfive, ninety-seven percent of the time I write on bass,
but I wrote the whole thing on guitar. I wanted to
write the bass second this time. Usually I write with
the bass first because I like to give the other cats
room to express themselves. And I can’t play guitar
very well. I only know stuff that D. Boon showed
me. I’m pretty feeble but much respect to [guitarist]
Tom Watson for following my palsy demos and
then I taught it to Raul [Morales, drums]. One thing
about the Minutemen connection was I was kind of
paranoid about respect to Georgie [Hurley, drummer
for the Minutemen] and D. Boon because I shouldn’t
be ripping off my own band. I had Tom and Raul
learn this stuff without ever hearing the bass. I
thought, just get rid of the only Minuteman and
maybe it won’t be too Minutemen-y sounding. So
they learned it and recorded it in Brooklyn in three
days without ever hearing the bass. A year later I
went back and put the bass on and spiel. So it was
made kind of strange. You can’t really do that at a
gig: here, wait a year I’ll bring you the bass. And it
wasn’t too influenced by the Minutemen guy, Watt.
So even though I wrote it, I thought if they got a
rapport together, if they had a good conversation
between the drum and the guitar, it would be good
for that, it wouldn’t be too bum-rushed by me on my
bass. I wrote the bass parts as soon as I wrote the
guitar parts; I just didn’t let them see it.
Even trying to take out the Minutemen influence,
it’s still there.
I know, you’re right. A little different, but you can
tell that this guy was in the Minutemen that wrote the
shit. [Laughs]
You can tell that he loves them, too.
He’s pretty into them. [Laughs]
How often do you practice?
We practiced yesterday; we’re going to practice
again today. I gotta tell you, this piece is fuckin’
hard to do. I did a tour of it in Japan in October
and November. That’s the first time I played it
for people. And it’s got a lot of shit to remember,
man. A lot of words, a lot of parts. Raul and Tom’s
got it pretty good but I’m still struggling a little
bit... So we have to do a lot of practice. [Laughs]
That’s okay. You know, one of the main messages
I wanted to get through the piece about where I am
in my life is that I think everybody’s got something
to teach me. Life is for learning. I got fifty-one
gigs in fifty-two days on this tour so I should get a
little bit of practice there, for sure.
MUSIC
“In the old days, the scene
was so small and most
people hated punk. You
had to be into it or it was
going away.”
What’s a day in the life of touring for Mike Watt?
The U.S. is big, man. There’s some fucking driving
involved. No New Orleans to Baton Rouge rides,
okay? Ninety miles?
Yeah, but that’s the longest 90 miles of your life.
[Laughs] It’s about a hundred miles from here
to Santa Barbara. Phoenix is like 400 miles, San
Francisco four hundred miles-- out west here you
got some hell rides. What you’re doing is you’re
getting to the gig, okay? Then you get there, you
do the sound check, right? I’m doing all the driving
unless it’s too whuppin’, then I conk in the boat so
I can be ready for the gig and not be totally wore
out... My sound check’s the Blue Oyster Cult song
and that’s it. “Red and the Black.” We play that and
that’s done. I hate long sound checks but you gotta
do something. I don’t bring my own sound man. I
believe in the house man and I want him to see a
little bit of what we’re doing.
It sounds like the way you tour now really isn’t
that much different from the way you’ve always
been doing it.
Exactly right. Because it worked then, why shouldn’t
it work now? When you ain’t playing, you’re paying.
Someone wanted me to ask you: when’s the last
time you’ve slept on a floor?
That’s all I do; I don’t own a bed. I’m a deck man. I
don’t know why but when I conk I’m fuckin’ rolling
all over the place so I used to always fall out of those
things as a boy and hurt my face. I said fuck this shit!
Let’s start off down here.
Is there anything you have to do different now?
Tour is so grueling when you’re young, but when
you get older…
Not older, less young.
Of course, I’m sorry!
[Laughs] Some dudes like to say rehearse. I say
actors rehearse; we practice, okay? Anyway, you’re
right. The body ain’t as resilient. I gotta pace myself
a little better. Whiskey after the gig. [Laughs] It ain’t
like the other days with the body. But my spirit is still
fired up. And I got great guys who help me; Tom and
Raul, they’re really there for me. We come together
as a team. That’s why I like trios. But when you talk
about grueling, just think about working in the salt
mine and having five starving kids. You gotta keep
perspective. It is a little tough but there’s some other
tough stuff. Some of this rock and roll stuff has got
too much royalty: built in pampered, tiara-wearing
bullshit anyway, so doing a little work’s not too bad.
We heard about that tiara. Can you explain that?
I had to put one on the dash! [Laughs] Luckily, I’ve
never been with whiners and bellyachers who can
feel the pea under twenty-five mattresses. I don’t
come from that tradition and it’s nothing I want to
graduate or work up to. Those folks that like whining
and needing assistant hair techs and whatever the
fuck; let ‘em have it. Not in this boat. I’m lucky I
got guys who have the same philosophy. Actually,
in the old days, you couldn’t do it because the scene
was so small and most people hated punk. You had
to be into it or it was going away. That’s where I
come from. There’s no kink in my character. It’s
all right. Honest wage for an honest living, honest
work. It’s cool with me. Also, when you’re doing
a big tour, the thing that people don’t talk about
but it’s a big reality besides the physical things is
the morale. You got to keep the spirits up. You got
motherfuckers bellyaching, man, it’s like anchors
dragging behind.
got the spirits up, all that other stuff that can grind
on you, you can kind of keep it in check. Once the
spirits get down, oh man! It’s hard... You keep the
spirits up: you look forward to the next gig, you
don’t drag. The “o” word: opportunity, not the “b”
word: burden.
One thing you said a minute ago struck me. You
said your priority in touring is to get your guys
back safe and obviously for you that’s a special
mission because you lost D. Boon when he was
killed in a van accident. I also noticed that you
dedicate this latest album to him. How much is he
with you today?
He’s with me all the time. I’m always asking him
things but he don’t like to answer me; he wants
me to think about it. I ask him about everything.
Something happens like this Qaddafi is about to
tumble: “Hey, what do you think, D. Boon?” I saw
a fishing boat coming out and it had a dinghy. They
were towing it. “What do you think about that, D.
Boon? Who’s in the big boat, who’s in the dinghy?
How do they work that out?” I’m always asking
him stuff because that’s how it was in life. Always
asking him, always interested in his opinion. D.
Boon had righteous perspective. If it wasn’t for D.
Boon I wouldn’t be doing music. His mom put me
on bass at 13. I got to acknowledge that. But then
I think he wants me to be my own man, so I don’t
want to lean on him too hard... What do you do, you
know? It was an accident. He jumped out a tree on
me. I can’t be sad forever, I gotta keep pushing. But
that don’t mean I’m going to stop thinking about
him.
What’s one way you’ve learned to avoid that?
What happens is, little things start getting on you.
One thing I do that might seem kind of weird is
I don’t really chow with my guys on tour. You
need a little space, I think. Because all of a sudden
the smacking of the lips is getting on your nerves
or you’re smacking your lips... things like that.
It gets the little short and curlies. You stay away
from those and you keep the eyes set on the big
target, which is playing this piece for the people.
They work all week to get the bones up to come
to your gig and so you want to do good for them.
I want to get my guys home safe. That’s the first
promise I make myself when I start a tour. We’re
going to try and work this piece for the folks as best
we can so we keep that in mind. Also, lots of jokes!
Remember the Wipers? I met the first drummer
man, Sam Henry and I was asking about the Wipers
and he said “Yeah there were some trippy things.”
He said-- you know the main man was Greg Sage,
right?-- Greg said “Number one rule for tour: no
laughing in the van!” [Laughs]
Any new stuff you’ve been jamming to?
Oh shit, I got like ten or twelve things in the pot.
That’s why I’ve had to start my own label again.
The fourth Dos album’s coming out in a couple
of months, my longest running band, twenty-five
years with K [Kira Roessler, Watt’s ex-wife and
former Black Flag bassist]. I got an album I did
with two Italian guys in Italy last year; it’s coming
out in a couple months after that and then one I
did with two Tokyo musicians backing up Richard
Meltzer’s spoken word, called “Spiel Gusher.”
I got a lot of things coming. Clenched Wrench,
that’s my new label, it’s only a couple of weeks
old. I just started it. But I want to get this stuff out.
These recorded works, they’re like my children. I
gotta get them out there. I don’t have children so
this is the closest thing to it. And it’s mainly for
Mike Watt stuff. Remember, I started one thirty
years ago with D. Boon so I got a little experience.
I just don’t want any filter, you know? I don’t
want to have to “shop” the thing “Hey do you like
it? Please like this!” No, it’s getting pushed out
there no matter what because Watt says. [Laughs]
I want it out there. When I’m gone, that’s what’s
left. That’s one thing especially thinking about D.
Boon and middle age. One day I gotta leave, get
off the stage, get out the boat. I’ll be kicking and
clawing but it’s gonna happen so I want some stuff
here after me.
What? That sounds terrible!
I mean, every band does it different but on a Watt
tour there’s lots of laughing. Lots of jokes, lots of
funny voices. Just keep the spirits up; if you’ve
Mike Watt and the Missingmen play One Eyed
Jack’s in support of his new album, HyphenatedMan, on Sunday, March 20th. For more
information, go to mikewatt.com.
25
26
REVIEWS
ADELE
21
(xl)
Initially lumped in with the wave of
young, British, female soul singers
of the early 2000s (Amy Winehouse,
Duffy, Joss Stone, Leona Lewis etc.)
Adele is making fantastic strides to
set herself apart with her new album, 21. Her debut, 19, was,
like much soul music, powerful, melancholy and wrapped up in
the trappings of love. But 21 sees her maturing at a rapid level,
delivering crushing emotion with a mere quiver of her voice.
A breakup album from cover to cover, 21 takes the listener
through every stage of grief. There is denial (“Don’t You
Remember”), anger (“Rolling in the Deep”), bargaining (“I’ll
Be Waiting”), depression (“Take It All”) and finally, acceptance
(“Someone Like You”). The single and album opener, “Rolling
in the Deep” is already seeing amazing chart success with its
propulsive blues-driven melody and massive vocals. “Rumour
Has It” is a deep, punchy groove with a vintage girl group vibe
and a deliciously dramatic breakdown. “He Won’t Go” is a
subdued tune that utilizes a more traditional R&B sound while
“Set Fire to the Rain” is more pop-tinged and wouldn’t be out
of place on Top 40 radio. More than just her impeccable style,
Adele has a way with those most vulnerable of universal human
emotions. When she sings “Take it all with you/Don’t look back
at this crumbling fool” I doubt there are many people who can’t
relate. The album is a deeply personal account of the end of
a relationship that began before her first album debuted. The
album closer, “Someone Like You” is a pitch-perfect endnote
and it sees Adele running into her ex years down the road,
finding him happily married. Her acceptance of the reality of the
situation paired with her deep heartache makes for an absolutely
stunning song. Vocally, Adele deserves a place alongside the
best divas in soul music. Her talent for truly capturing the human
experience in song is what artistry is all about. Expect to hear
much more from this phenomenal young woman. –Erin Hall
BLACK JOE LEWIS AND THE
HONEYBEARS
SCANDALOUS
(LOST HIGHWAY)
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears’
sophomore LP Scandalous is not so
much a record as it is a tour through
every seedy juke joint and roadhouse
from North Mississippi to East Texas. It is dirty and chunky, and
above all, thick. There are obvious and warranted comparisons
to 1960s soul legends (Otis Redding, James Brown - no, really)
and contemporary “neo-soul” practitioners (Sharon Jones & the
Dap-Kings, the Heavy - there is a horn section after all), but
Lewis & the ‘Bears get their shake and swagger and smoke not
from Muscle Shoals or Memphis, but from the Mississippi hill
country. They’re not a true soul band or a straight blues band,
but they are sweaty and brash, and they’re what you’re hoping
to hear if you pull off Highway 61 in Tate County around 1 a.m.
on a Saturday night. If Animal House were filmed today, these
guys would be in the basement playing “Shout.” The most apt
label that gets stamped on this vital outfit is “garage soul,” and
while that captures a lot of the d.i.y., punk-influenced, first-take
ethos of the band, it misses out on one essential driving factor
behind these dudes: that they’re playing for an audience. Music
this Funky, infectious, and conversational is wasted in a garage.
There are funky romps (opening track “Livin’ in the Jungle”),
delta-style breakdowns (“Messin’”), and talking blues in the
most “Hey man, you won’t believe what happened last night”
groove (“Mustang Ranch,” about a visit to a brothel that Lewis
claims to be “a true story, pretty much”). The honesty and
carelessness with which these guys play and sing is undeniable,
and it’s also addictive. This is not a headphones record for
intellectuals; it is a party record for much booty shakin’. –The
Rev. Dr. Daniel P. Jackson
BRIGHT EYES
THE PEOPLE’S KEY
(SADDLE CREEK)
Conor Oberst announced a hiatus from
Bright Eyes three years ago to focus
on side projects like his country-pop
Mystic Valley Band and a funky, folky
collaboration with M. Ward and Jim
James of My Morning Jacket (Monsters of Folk). And while
he has returned to Bright Eyes, he also has stated this will be
the last album released under the moniker. If that is so, it’s a
fitting swan song. Known mostly for their early albums full of
angsty, often whiny, indie wallowing, Bright Eyes has opened
up a whole new mature universe on The People’s Key. Oberst’s
lyrics are still pregnant with meaning and brimming with fire,
but the delivery is diversified and intriguing. Throughout the
disc there are scattered bits of spoken word ruminations on
God, the cosmos and yes, half-reptile/half-human babies that
can move between dimensions. Also, pomegranates. Bizarre as
it is, it works. The opener “Firewall” is moody, detached and
psychedelic with a recessed groovy organ and ample religious
and cosmic subtext. “Shell Games” and “Haile Selassie” are
upbeat and catchy with staccato vocal pacing and an intuitive
swing. “Jejune Stars” sounds, at least in the instrumentation,
like a track The Strokes might have penned for their upcoming
release. It’s all severe shredding guitars crashing into synthy
pop keys – something virtually unheard of on any of the band’s
previous outings. “Approximate Sunlight” is a sparse song
with layered echoes and vocal samples that conjure a desert
wasteland while “Ladder Song” is a beautifully tender ballad
with dreamy ebb and flow. It is, overall, a marvelously paced
album with the perfect balance of light and dark. Its lyrical focus
on the interconnectedness of humanity is stirring and relevant.
The album shows maturity, invention and conviction and if this
is the note Bright Eyes chooses to go out on, it will definitely be
one of their highest. –Erin Hall
CUT COPY
ZONOSCOPE
(MODULAR)
Cut Copy’s second record, 2008’s
great In Ghost Colors, tipped the
world off to a new force in the dancerock realm (an ‘80s-referencing genre
still on the rise at the time). A lot has
happened in music over the past three years, with the dance-rock
trope seemingly running its course, yet the announcement of Cut
Copy’s long-awaited third album still sounded like cause for
celebration. And, just a few months after the pronouncement of
the new album, we have Zonoscope. And it is absolutely a cause
for celebration. The album begins with the lead single “Need
You Now,” a slow-growing and ecstatic cut that buoys itself on
the impossibly suave vocal restraint exhibited by frontman Dan
Whitford. After opening an album on such a masterful note,
it is almost as if the rest of the album doesn’t even matter, as
we, the listener, are hooked. The rest of the album does matter
though, as Cut Copy explores textures and emotional states
that stand as new ground for the group over the next ten tracks.
For instance, “Pharaohs & Pyramids,” the fourth cut, channels,
somewhat vaguely, Brian Eno and David Byrne’s work together
in the intro, and also falls in line with Yeasayer’s brilliant effort
from last year in the middle section--- it is a new direction
for the band entirely. The fifth cut, “Blink and You’ll Miss
a Revolution,” is another example, with an intro reminiscent
again of Yeasayer and vocal stylings and slant akin to Byrne
or Bryan Ferry, yet also possessing undercurrents of post-punk
percussion mixed with Trinidadian steel drum tonality. The
brief, woozy and abstract “Strange Nostalgia for the Future”
blends an Animal Collective atmosphere with an Erik Satie ear
for note placement, and showcases yet again a new direction
for the band. All said, even without a single as brilliant and
exuberant as 2008’s “Lights and Music,” Zonoscope is a strong
and studied statement from a band that has lost none of their
relevance since their last outing. –Dan Mitchell
DAVID LYNCH
GOOD DAY TODAY / I KNOW
(SUNDAY BEST)
David Lynch is a visual genius. His
work opened up possibilities for
intense visual surrealism in American
filmmaking. What’s not quite as
apparent is the amount of sonic
design Lynch has done: from staging a live musical theater
presentation, to hand crafting the sonic profiles of his films,
to working on musical collaborations like Thought Gang and
BlueBob. How do these two tracks fit into the David Lynch
oeuvre? Opener” Good Day Today” is a retro sounding electro
track reminiscent of Chemical Brothers or Underworld at their
chilliest. The song is simplicity personified, building off a deep
bass bump with stuttered organs and Lynch’s heavily distorted
vocals floating angelically in the ether. It’s pretty and easy to
drift away on, but it’s not the most Lynch-like song you could
imagine and its repetitiveness isn’t alleviated by its less than
27
REVIEWS
complicated structure. More representative of Lynch’s usual
modus operandi is “I Know.” It’s a slow bleeding, spook show
blues dirge, using sparse, slow paced bursts of percussion,
sudden trebly guitar wails and the hollow space lurking between
each note to generate mountains of shadowy atmosphere. Once
again Lynch’s voice hovers above the clank in a fog of pitchshifted distortion. The package here is also fairly retro, looking
not unlike one of those old maxi-singles people were so fond
of collecting. There’s a nice handful of remixes here ranging
from Underworld’s decidedly ‘90s reworking of “Good Day
Today” to the wider, echo and bass-laden creepy crawl of the
“I Know (Jon Hopkins Remix).” The atmosphere and creativity
are here, but let’s hope Lynch pushes his musical structures a
little further if this project turns into another facet of his work.
–Mike Rodgers
DEERHOOF
DEERHOOF VS. EVIL
(POLYVINYL)
Maybe it’s the most obvious
comparison, and sure it’s not a
complete fit, but Deerhoof reminds me
of Can. In both cases we have a band
that can’t be contained to one genre,
even within the usually safe confines of a four-minute pop
song, a band that pushes the limits of melody and form creating
dizzying musical hybrids yet adds an element of humor and
inclusion by way of a non-classical Japanese singer resulting in a
distinctive sound that’s both easily recognizable and impossible
to pin down. The songs are mostly shaped from chopped bits of
instrumentation, a plucked guitar here, a wall of feedback there.
The album is schizophrenic in its seemingly disjointed nature,
but like all schizophrenics there’s a strong framework to the
disparity. Haunting melodies bubble up from beneath mounds
of scattershot sounds. Within each song the trick is to bend a riff
or phrase into a hook through sheer repetition, but as a whole the
record seems more interested in keeping its listeners off guard
rather than cohering to a unified plan. There’s a lot of good to be
found in this Ritalin-free methodology: the increasing presence
of massive waves of heavy rock like the downright groovy
“Secret Mobilization,” or the glossy art pop of “Super Duper
Rescue Heads!” Deerhoof Vs. Evil is all of that and more, but at
key moments it’s less. Skipping through the screeching, battered
madness is a song like “No One Asked to Dance,” as simple and
sweet as a jangly guitar ballad can be, its only flourishes gentle
analog keyboard and flamenco acoustic arpeggios. There are
enough moments of bliss, interesting diversions or instances of
strong song craft to make up for what Deerhoof might be losing
in thematic solidarity. So while Deerhoof Vs. Evil isn’t their
strongest record, and a bit of a loose cannon at that, its more
intriguing aspects outweigh its misfire. –Mike Rodgers
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS
GO-GO BOOTS
(ATO)
After the lukewarm reception to their
last release, The Big To Do, the DriveBy Truckers were probably hoping
to knock it out of the park with their
soul-influenced Go-Go Boots. And
while it’s certainly not a complete miss, it’s not quite a hit
either. The album suffers from strange pacing and a general lack
of the snarling attitude they’re so famous for. Perhaps we’re
hearing the sound of aging/maturity, but something tells me
these guys (and lady) still have plenty of fire in their bellies.
There are not one, but two, songs about preachers having their
wives murdered on the album (the title track and the grisly,
all-too-descriptive “Fireplace Poker”). Both are soul-filled
slow burners. Written by de-facto lead singer Patterson Hood,
the tracks perfectly encapsulate his talent for honing in on the
macabre details of the southern gothic tale. At the climax of
“Go-Go Boots” he rattles off “Stained glass windows, Jesus
looking down/Organ playing music to the middle aged crowd/
His wife’s in the ground, the devil’s in his head/Them go-go
boots are underneath the bed” before hissing “It’s a small town
and the word gets around.” The soulful R&B boogie is also
present in “Used To Be A Cop,” a dark tale of a man whose
temper and the shakes cost him everything. The album is host to
28
two covers of songs originally done by Eddie Hinton, a pretty
obscure member of the Muscle Shoals studio musician’s crew
that worked with Hood’s father and played backup on a number
of seminal recordings in the late ‘60s. “Everybody Needs Love”
is rousing, familiar and jovial whereas “Where’s Eddie” is
melancholy and haunting (especially considering it was written
by Hinton himself as he imagined a woman searching for him
to declare her secret love). Guitarist and co-songwriter Mike
Cooley is sadly somewhat absent on this album, as he was on
The Big To Do. And something really is missing without a
more significant contribution from him. His tracks (“Cartoon
Gold,” “The Weakest Man” and “Pulaski) are charming as
usual; the man surely knows his way around a turn of phrase.
An interesting note is that Cooley’s songs have a very distinct
country feel this time around. “The Weakest Man” is especially
rooted and could have easily been sung by Waylon Jennings or
Hank Williams. Bassist Shonna Tucker contributed one original
song, “Dancin’ Ricky,” which is a delightful mix of twangy
guitars and soul organs but her vocals on “Where’s Eddie” are
the true revelation (and further proof that her skills are rapidly
evolving behind the mic). Given some time, the album will grow
on you. At first, however, it may leave you longing for the piss
and vinegar of Decoration Day or The Dirty South. While not
their most memorable outing, the Truckers have put together a
solid album deeply rooted in the music of their Muscle Shoals
upbringing. –Erin Hall
JAMES BLAKE
JAMES BLAKE
(A&M)
An artist like James Blake does not
come around every day, month, year
or even decade. In fact, the last artist
of this integrity, range and worth as a
vocalist may just be Antony Hegarty,
who made her debut way back in 2000, with the Antony & the
Johnsons full-length. So perhaps it is fitting that James Blake
broke, with a slew of EPs in 2010, exactly one decade after
the world was first introduced to Hegarty. Blake’s EPs, The
Bells Sketch, CMYK and Klavierwerke, were all released in the
past year and only acted as teasers to the impending debut fulllength from this young British prodigy. The EPs exhibited his
mastery of the keyboard/ piano and sampling and fell in line
with contemporaneous dubstep artists working in England at the
time, but this eponymous debut is another story altogether. His
previous work had focused on his musicianship and ability to
craft soundscapes based off a knack for the emotive. This time
around, his voice is the centerpiece and this 21 year-old not only
has a voice, but also possesses the musical restraint to allow it
to shine. The debut kicks off with the track “Unluck,” a dusty,
worn, crooner cut that exhibits his range perfectly, despite
his use of auto-tuning. In fact, this track, and many others
on Blake’s debut, confirms, much as Bon Iver proved on his
Blood Bank EP, that the auto-tune can be used tastefully as an
accompaniment and layering tool. The difference between Bon
Iver and Blake’s implementation of this vocal manipulation is
that Blake’s usage remains intimate and aching, while Iver’s
came off as being chilly and disconnected. Put simply, Blake’s
vocals on this album stand as the best execution of the device I
have ever heard. With the album centering around a number of
cuts, the single “The Wilhelm Scream,” the cut “I Never Learnt
to Share,” an aching and introspective piece on childhood
guilt, my personal favorite love song in recent memory, a Feist
cover called “Limit to Your Love” and “To Care (Like You),”
it is very hard to deny the brilliance in this brief yet affecting
twelve-song debut. Much like Antony’s heart and soul that she
pours into her music, Blake moves you in ways that you never
thought possible. –Dan Mitchell
LIGHT ASYLUM
IN TENSION EP
(INDEPENDENT)
When I first saw the Grant Worthdirected video for the Light Asylum
single “Dark Allies” a few weeks ago,
I was blown away completely. Not
only was it stylistic--- dark, sexual,
violent and mysterious--- but the song was the best dance song
I had heard in years, perhaps since Cut Copy’s “Lights and
Music,” from a couple of years back. Unlike Cut Copy however,
Light Asylum sounded, and looked, dangerous, razor-edged
and menacing, due in large part to vocalist Shannon Funchess’
impossibly fantastic voice. I was intrigued, if not utterly
enthused, as this is my kind of music and I wanted more. I then
took to the internet (as they are unsigned and only have four
official tracks in circulation on the interweb) to find a copy of
their EP, aptly named, I would come to find, In Tension. While
“Dark Allies” was a great cut, I was skeptical that the other
tracks I had heard about would live up to this behemoth of darkwave. As it turns out, the other three tracks are solid as well.
From the glistening, pony-naying, stutter-chill of the opening
track “A Certain Someone,” to the feedback-laden, KMFDM
of “Knights and Weekends” and on through the compressed,
witch-house propulsion of “Skull Fuct,” I found myself
enraptured and wanting nothing but MORE. Alas, I (and you)
will have to wait for more, but this four-song, teaser offering is
certainly enough, both in its variety and its force, to tide us over
until the next batch surfaces. Comprised of Shannon Funchess
(who has worked with TVOTR), handling Vox/ percussion gun
drums, and Bruno Coviello, dealing in synths/ drum machine
Italo crush, this duo is the most exciting dance group this new
year has to offer thus far. –Dan Mitchell
MOTORHEAD
THE WORLD IS YOURS
(MOTORHEAD MUSIC)
Motorhead is elemental. Motorhead is
a force of nature. Motorhead simply
is. Here we are in 2011, somewhere
around four million years into their
career Lemmy and the whole gang of
filthy rockers are still eating Jack bottles like candy and slaying
crowds of longhairs. Motorhead’s sound has evolved at a
Paleolithic pace. The band still preaches their dirty speed, fuck
’em all punk-metal; The World is Yours is no reinvention. On
tracks like “I Know What You Need,” when the band clicks into
a sweaty, snaking boogie riff and Lemmy’s voice is grinding
over everything like a strained shout, it’s a white-knuckly thrill.
The only departure on the record is the brooding and black
“Brotherhood of Man,” wallowing as it does in a mid tempo,
hypnotic sludge riff with Lemmy playing the snarling tyrant
at its center. The World is Yours does raise a few questions,
most importantly is there any reason for Motorhead to grow as a
band, especially this late in their game? Motorhead has attacked
their particular piece of the heavy metal landscape for decades,
perfecting what they do to, if not to a fine surgical point then
at least a rusty bludgeon. If you know anything about Lemmy
and the band members then you’ll see this is the only kind of
music they could make; a nervy, drunken mutation of punk,
a metal monster that only wants to fight or screw. How many
other legends of heavy metal can put out a record as powerful,
as soaked in rock and roll madness, as badass as Motorhead can
so far into their careers? If records like The World is Yours is the
result then pray that the whiskey keeps them going for another
album or two. –Mike Rodgers
PJ HARVEY
LET ENGLAND SHAKE
(VAGRANT)
Polly Jean Harvey wastes no time
getting to the point on her new album
Let England Shake, with the opening
title track proclaiming “England’s
dancing days are done.” The album,
which took a year and a half to make, is a concept record of sorts,
with Harvey analyzing her homeland (and Western society as a
whole) circa WWI and thereafter with a brashness that is both
striking and uplifting. When PJ Harvey’s career began in the
early ‘90s, with the seminal releases Rid of Me and Dry, no one
at that time could possibly predict that PJ would go political.
20 years into her career, Harvey has not only done just that,
but has also crafted an album that could be argued as being the
pinnacle of her storied career. Let England Shake is unforgiving
and richly historical lyrically, with songs like the great “The
Last Living Rose,” the sampled “The Glorious Land” and “The
Words That Maketh Murder” exhibiting this completely, but is
REVIEWS
also musically the most attention-grabbing set of songs in her
catalogue. The album was recorded in an abandoned English
church with the help of John Parish, Mick Harvey, Jean-Marc
Butty, Sammy Hurden and producer Flood, amongst a few
others, and is well worth the wait of its lengthy crafting period.
Her words can be viewed as hauntingly pertinent throughout the
album, but especially when she sings, “Death was everywhere/In
the air and in the sound,” on “All & Everyone.” While she could
not possibly foresee the political landscape unfolding before
us at present during the time of the song’s writing, it gives her
problematic take on affairs an even more grave and profound
quality. PJ Harvey has always pushed the envelope, but here, her
haunting and accusatory tone is as scary as it is beautiful. This
album might be the best she has ever put out. –Dan Mitchell
the parting gifts
strychnine dandelions
(in the red)
The Parting Gifts are a new band
consisting of front-people Greg
Cartwright (Oblivians, Compulisive
Gamblers, Reigning Sound) and Coco
Hames (Ettes) alongside a half dozen
musicians from the more rocking end of recent music. As the
band’s name suggests, the songs on their debut primarily deal
with break up. But these songs are not pitiable, downtrodden,
or down-tempo. Instead, Cartwright and Hames deliver their
laments with energetic conviction against the strong beat
of drums, guitars and organ. Both singers sound equally at
home trying to get a handle on an implacable special someone
(“Strange Disposition”) as they do gleefully walking away from
a relationship gone sour (“My Mind’s Made Up”). The resulting
play between form and content makes for music that is good for
listening to carefully at home or during a night on the town. Since
an enormous amount of great rock and roll is about breaking up,
it could come as a surprise that The Parting Gifts get a lot of
mileage out of their subject matter without sounding tiresome.
The band makes this traditional song topic sound fresh and
natural. Cartwright, who contributed 70% of the songwriting,
succinctly describes his despairing characters in commonplace
situations. The instantly memorable vocal melodies and guitar
hooks add to these heartfelt vignettes, making Strychnine
Dandelion a record with immense pop value. The majority of
these songs sound as if they definitely could have had a top
position on rock stations back in the day. The band cycles through
stomping country, garage rock, and girl group pop and weaves
them into there own cohesive style. The Parting Gifts carry
themselves through this album as an impressive balancing act.
In less capable hands, this music would turn out cliché or overtly
retro. The musicianship and songwriting align themselves into
honest expression. Even the production style carefully mixes
the band with crisp clarity without sacrificing any of the raw
intensity the performers display. The band’s overall strength lies
in this balanced approach, making them essential for listeners
seeking quality contemporary rock. –Brian Campbell
the SKULL DEFEKTS
peer amid
(thrill jockey)
The Skull Defeckts, a four-piece
post-punk/ minimalist group from
Gothenburg, Sweden, have released
twelve albums in just six years. Their
sound has a certain quality to it that can
best be described as being cyclic and mesmeric skull-fuckery.
Their guitars fly tangentially, often meeting in unexpected ways,
while their drums and bass plod and lock (for a modern reference,
think a more concise and better Oneida). Now on their thirteenth
release, things have changed a bit. Daniel Higgs, the exceptional
and mercurial frontman of Lugfish, is a full-time member, lending
vocals, and whatever else he does, to the mix throughout this
the great new LP, entitled Peer Amid. Apparently, the cover art
(comprised of interlocking, multi-colored stone-shapes within an
Ouroboros) defines the record’s sound, which makes sense after
a few listens. On the surface, Peer Amid sounds loose and busy,
but give it time, because the album begins to take shape the more
you ingest it. This is in large part due to Higgs’ contributions
in the vocal department, which work to tie the music together
perfectly--- just add a bit of Higgs, and everything gets better,
this is my philosophy. The album kicks off with the nine-minute
title track, which pushes and pulls musically, with Higgs acting
as séance ringleader, calling out directives amidst the madness.
This first cut spills beautifully into the spacey punk/ hardcore of
“No More Always,” which takes a new direction in sound, but
still finds Higgs at his most orderly. “Gospel of the Skull” is the
next track up, with Higgs warbling, “Do you hear that sound…
in your skull,” repeatedly--- the track is the minimalist manifesto
of both the group and the record and sets up the rest of the album,
including the highlight track “Fragrant Nimbus” and the closing
folk recapitulation of “Hidden Hymn.” The nine tracks found
within Peer Amid are strange, circuitous and moving, resulting
in a superb listen, from beginning to end. –Dan Mitchell
TRIUMPH OF LETHARGY
SKINNED ALIVE TO DEATH
SOME OF US ARE IN THIS
TOGETHER
(DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’)
Aside from having the best name in
music right now, the ironic/ challenging
title of the sixth record from this
Pacific Northwest collective, made up of members of Pretty
Girls Make Graves and the Murder City Devils, is the perfect
descriptor of the sounds held within this new full-length release.
The Some in the title refers to the very few that may find this
group infatuating. It is the few that call David Tibet a god and the
few that understood what Slint, Fugazi and Unwound stood for/
against back in the 90s--- rejection, dejection, disillusionment,
conformity. The sounds held within are harsh, brooding and
cantankerous, yet ultimately uplifting and cathartic; a Slint or
Fugazi really, to the proper listener. “As I kneel before you…
one mile up, one mile down… Don’t lust after other women…”
goes the opening track, which finds Spencer Moody, vocalist/
exorcist, bearing your soul, on the opener “Don’t Lust After
Other Women.” Delivered with immediacy, accompanied by
sparse musical destruction, you cannot help but feel arrested
within the spiraling decrees. From here forth, the album’s guitars
encircle, the bass pulverizes and the cymbals crash without limit.
“Hey asshole, hey asshole” cries Moody on “Hey Asshole,” a
highlight cut which finds the band ripping into those that have
“never worked a day in their lives.” “Greedy Man” follows, a
patchwork of punk-in-the-clouds, leading into the propulsive,
industrial, down-tuned slink of “Let’s Leave the Elephant in the
Room;” if you are not hooked yet, you have already abandoned
the album and group altogether and should not even attempt the
second side. Triumph of Lethargy makes difficult and grating
music, but for those in tune, this group channels the heavens and
more importantly, hits you straight in the gut. —Dan Mitchell
WANDA JACKSON
THE PARTY AIN’T OVER
(THIRD MAN)
It was just a matter of time before
Jack White ended The White
Stripes so he could pursue his true
calling: resurrecting the careers of
septuagenarian shit-kicking female
musicians. All kidding aside though, what is it about these kinds
of artists that makes such an alluring pairing for both parties
involved? Loretta Lynn’s White-produced Van Leer Rose was a
stripped back piece of country greatness, but The Party Ain’t Over
heads in the opposite direction. Forget minimalism, Jack White
piles on crunchy rockabilly riffs, slide twang, organ, honkytonk
piano and balls out horn section until Jackson’s piercing vocals
are cocooned in sound. The end result is something that holds
certain charms, but falls under its own weight. There’s just too
much going on here, layer after layer, until it sounds less like
take-no-shit rockabilly and more like a Branson revue. The
interplay should be between a fuzz-busted Les Paul and Wanda
Jackson’s road-toughened snarl, instead of drowning her voice
in various hokey arrangements. Hearing her casually moan, “Dig
it mon, Dig it,” on the goofball “Rum and Coca-Cola” is one
of the more painful moments. There’s just something artificial
about the record, coming off as more of an experiment in
camp than a revitalization of a rock and roll legend. When the
pairing does work out it makes the missed opportunities of the
record more galling; album closer “Blue Yodel #6” is a simple
acoustic number with more blue soul than the rest of the album
combined, while the record’s slap-bang opener “Shakin’ All
Over” lets Jackson’s snarl and a surf rock riff give the added
instrumentation a sturdy backbone to hang from. The Party
Ain’t Over tries far too hard to link up Wanda Jackson with her
early days as the Queen of Rockabilly, but there’s no excuse for
her to be pushed aside on almost every track by goofy, obtuse
and overbearing affectations. –Mike Rodgers
YUCK
YUCK
(FAT POSSUM)
There are bands that write music
steeped in nostalgia and drown in their
influences’ wake, and then there are
bands like Yuck, the young, five-piece
British indie/alt-rock group whose debut
album was just released on Fat Possum a couple of weeks back.
In listening to this eponymous debut, it is easy to hear Dinosaur
Jr., Pavement, Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo, but their ability
to breathe new life into yesteryears’ greatest sounds is what sets
this group apart from the pack. It also helps that these kids know
how to write a catchy tune, and on this offering, they have written
twelve of them. To say that these aforementioned heavyweights
influenced Yuck, at least in their early, teenage years may not be
entirely fair, since these musicians were not even ten years old by
the time the ‘90s came to a close, but the touchstone sound is there,
and it is undeniable. Over the course of the album, Yuck breeze
through one fetching hook and chorus after another and subsequent
to consuming the entire album, the listener is left with the desire for
nothing more than another spin. Singling out cuts as highlights here
is difficult, as every track is strong, but if you are looking for a few
good examples of their talent, look no further than the Pavement
slacker-swank of “Shook Down, the touching and earnest “Suicide
Policeman,” the swaying haze of “The Wall” or the Sonic Youthindebted, riff-heavy “Operation.” Just as the weather has begun to
turn toward spring, think of this debut record from Yuck as your
windows-down, radiance record for a new season. While it is
exciting to think of the potential of this young group down the line,
for now, Yuck is more than enough to tide us over for months to
come. –Dan Mitchell
BORIS
LIVE IN JAPAN DVD
(SOUTHERN LORD)
Boris, that Japanese anomaly of godlike
proportions: From monolithic doom
epics soaked in gallons of feedback
to psychedelic explorations of the
eardrums with amplifiers to boogiedown rockers embracing the heavy
metal foundations of blues, Iommi, Page
and ultra-magnified riffing, I have maintained and will continue in
the future to insist they are the best rock and roll band in the world.
No other group can shift so effortlessly from head scratchingly
dense to straight up crowd mauling rock like Boris. I have had the
extreme pleasure of witnessing this band crush minds live twice
now and with all due respect to Spinal Tap, they are the loudest
band I’ve ever experienced. Boris’ Live in Japan is as close to
a show as is possible on DVD. There’s nothing flashy about the
camera work; close ups, multi-angle mediums and wide shots rule
the day, but there’s nothing particularly extravagant about Boris’
stage show either. The music is bombastic enough and its sheer
hurricane force would overcome any dragons leaping out of the
p.a. or inflatable monsters dancing onstage. When the band edges
towards the inevitable nuclear impact at the heart of “My Neighbor
Satan,” the lights drop, snares rattle off like AR-15 fire and an
unholy plume of smoke pours into the crowd as the mighty doom
riff plasters hair to scalp, jaw to floor. Boris cut a strange figure
onstage; relatively restrained, drummer Atsuo acts as the hype
man, rising up from his pedestal to send off a manic, “whoooo”
while guitarist Wata stands solemnly, almost dwarfed by her guitar
and Takeshi hides behind a mop of hair and double necked bass/6
string. Cuts like “Farewell” and “Buzz-In” lose nothing from the
transition to a live venue, a testament to Boris’ live chops, and in
fact their slightly looser skeleton adds new wrinkles to the already
amazing sound. Boris is the true successor to the legacy of the
great heavy rock bands. They wield riffs like powerful weapons,
Mjolnir, the Hammer of the Gods. –Mike Rodgers
29
EVENTS
N.O. VENUES
All-Ways Lounge/Marigny Theatre, 2240 St. Claude Ave., (504) 218-5778, marignytheatre.org
Banks St. Bar And Grill, 4401 Banks St., (504) 486-0258, www.banksstreetbar.com
Barrister’s Art Gallery, 2331 St. Claude Ave.
Bayou Park Bar, 542 S. Jeff. Davis Pkwy.
The Big Top, 1638 Clio St., (504) 569-2700, www.3ringcircusproductions.com
The Blue Nile, 534 Frenchmen St., (504) 948-2583
Broadmoor House, 4127 Walmsley, (504) 821-2434
Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow St., (504) 865-9190, www.carrolltonstation.com
Checkpoint Charlie’s, 501 Esplanade Ave., (504) 947-0979
Chickie Wah Wah, 2828 Canal Street (504) 304-4714, www.chickiewahwah.com
Circle Bar, 1032 St. Charles Ave., (504) 588-2616, www.circlebar.net
Club 300, 300 Decatur Street, www.neworleansjazzbistro.com
WEDNESDAY 3/9
Hi-Ho Lounge: Marco Solo Acoustic w/ Michael
James and his Lonesome, Luke Allen, Big Country,
Helen Gillet, Samuel Doors, Riley Downing,
Kaioko & Squash, 10pm
House Of Blues: Yes, 8pm
THURSDAY 3/10
d.b.a.: Lynn Drury Album Release, 10pm, $5
House Of Blues: Innerpartysystem, Swiss Chriss,
Midnight (The Parish)
The Maison: Natalie Mae, 7pm; Déjà vu Brass
Band, 10pm
The Country Club, 634 Louisa St., (504) 945-0742, www.countryclubneworleans.com
FRIDAY 3/11
Der Rathskeller (Tulane’s Campus), McAlister Dr., http://wtul.fm
AllWays Lounge: Dirty Coast Presents the Other
Planets, Caddywhompus, Fights
Antoine’s Hermes Bar: Shannon Powell Trio,
9:30; 11pm
Babylon: The Rivers Delta
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Soul Project, 10pm
Blue Nile: Chckn & Egg Presents Flow Tribe, Blue
Party, Mississippi Rail Co. (Downstairs); Powdered
Sugar Presents Debauche, the Lisps, Hurray for the
Riff Raff, Luke Winslow-King (Upstairs)
d.b.a.: Meschiya Lake & Little Big Horns, 6pm;
Good Enough for Good Times, 10pm, $5
Dragon’s Den: Instrumental & Progressive
Showcase w/ I, Octopus, Zorch, High in One Eye
(Downstairs); the Revels Group Presents G-Eazy,
D.P., DJ G-Cue (Upstairs)
Hi-Ho Lounge: Live New Orleans Presents Vox &
the Hound, Modern Skirts, the Beams @10pm
Howlin’ Wolf: Lagniappe Brass Band (Live in the
Den)
The Maison: B.O.M.B. Fest Presents Sun Hotel,
the Yes Way, Native America, Booty Trove, Torgo;
Kristina Morales, 7pm (Upstairs)
One Eyed Jacks: SimplePlay & ActionPacker
Present Ra Ra Riot, Givers, the Luyas
Republic: 8 Bit Anatomy, Billsberry Flowboy
Saturn Bar: the White Bitch Presents the White
Bitch, R Scully’s Rough 7, the Green Demons
Siberia: NOLA Party Presents Megafauna, Luke
Starkiller, General Bye Bye, Enharmonic Souls
d.b.a., 618 Frenchmen St., (504) 942-373, www.drinkgoodstuff.com/no
Desperados, 801 Frenchmen St., (504) 943-9900, [email protected]
Dragon’s Den, 435 Esplanade Ave., http://myspace.com/dragonsdennola
Eldon’s House, 3055 Royal Street, [email protected]
Ernie K-Doe’s Mother-in-Law Lounge, 1500 N. Claiborne Ave.
Fair Grinds Coffee House, 3133 Ponce de Leon, (504) 913-9072, www.fairgrinds.com
Fuel Coffee House, 4807 Magazine St. (504) 895-5757
Goldmine Saloon, 701 Dauphine St., (504) 586-0745, www.goldminesaloon.net
The Green Space, 2831 Marais Street (504) 945-0240, www.thegreenproject.org
Handsome Willy’s, 218 S. Robertson St., (504) 525-0377, http://handsomewillys.com
The Hangar, 1511 S. Rendon. (504) 827-7419
Hi-Ho Lounge, 2239 St. Claude Ave. (504) 945-4446, www.myspace.com/hiholounge
The Hookah, 309 Decatur St. (504-943-1101), hookah-club.com
Hot Iron Press Plant, 1420 Kentucky Ave., [email protected]
House Of Blues / The Parish, 225 Decatur, (504)310-4999, www.hob.com/neworleans
The Howlin’ Wolf, 907 S. Peters, (504) 522-WOLF, www.thehowlinwolf.com
Kajun’s Pub, 2256 St. Claude Avenue (504) 947-3735, www.myspace.com/kajunspub
Kim’s 940, 940 Elysian Fields, (504) 844-4888
The Kingpin, 1307 Lyons St., (504) 891-2373
Le Bon Temps Roule, 4801 Magazine St., (504) 895-8117
Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., (504) 581-5812, www.cabaretlechatnoir.com
Lyceum Central, 618 City Park Ave., (410) 523-4182, http://lyceumproject.com
Lyon’s Club, 2920 Arlington St.
The Maison, 508 Frenchmen St., maisonfrenchmen.com
Mama’s Blues, 616 N. Rampart St., (504) 453-9290
Maple Leaf, 8316 Oak St., (504) 866-9359
Marlene’s Place, 3715 Tchoupitoulas, (504) 897-3415, www.myspace.com/marlenesplace
McKeown’s Books, 4737 Tchoupitoulas, (504) 895-1954, http://mckeownsbooks.net
Melvin’s, 2112 St. Claude Ave.
MVC, 9800 Westbank Expressway, (504) 234-2331, www.themvc.net
Neutral Ground Coffee House, 5110 Danneel St., (504) 891-3381, www.neutralground.org
Nowe Miasto, 223 Jane Pl., (504) 821-6721
Ogden Museum, 925 Camp St., (504) 539-9600
One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St., (504) 569-8361, www.oneeyedjacks.net
Outer Banks, 2401 Palmyra (at S. Tonti), (504) 628-5976, www.myspace.com/outerbanksmidcity
Republic, 828 S. Peters St., (504) 528-8282, www.republicnola.com
Rusty Nail, 1100 Constance Street (504) 525-5515, www.therustynail.org/
The Saturn Bar, 3067 St. Claude Ave., www.myspace.com/saturnbar
Side Arm Gallery, 1122 St. Roch Ave., (504) 218-8379, www.sidearmgallery.org
Southport Hall, 200 Monticello Ave., (504) 835-2903, www.newsouthport.com
The Spellcaster Lodge, 3052 St. Claude Avenue, www.quintonandmisspussycat.com
St. Roch Taverne, 1200 St. Roch Ave., (504) 945-0194
Tipitina’s, (Uptown) 501 Napoleon Ave., (504) 895-8477 (Downtown) 233 N. Peters, www.tipitinas.com
The Zeitgeist, 1618 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., (504) 827-5858, www.zeitgeistinc.net
Vintage Uptown, 4523 Magazine St., [email protected]
METAIRIE VENUES
The Bar, 3224 Edenborn, myspace.com/thebarrocks
30
SATURDAY 3/12
AllWays Lounge: Dirty Coast Presents Simon
Lott’s Very Cherry, Telegraph Canyon, Birds and
Batteries
Antoine’s Hermes Bar: Leroy Jones Quartet, 9:30;
11pm
Babylon: The Green Mantles, Chris Rico, First
Time
Banks Street Bar & Grill: J Monque’D, 10pm
Blue Nile: Chckn & Egg Presents the Revivalists,
New Grass Country Club, Moon Taxi, Jon Hugo
(Downstairs); Powdered Sugar Presents Brass Bed,
Vagabond Swing, Hart (Upstairs)
d.b.a.: John Mooney & Bluesiana w/ Chickasaw
Mudd Puppies, 11pm, $10
Hi-Ho Lounge: Live New Orleans Presents Big
Rock Candy Mountain, Glasgow, Venice is Sinking
@10pm
Howlin’ Wolf: Soundclash Beat Battle (Live in the
Den)
Louisiana Music Factory: John Sinclair, 2pm;
Kipori Woods, 3pm; My Graveyard Jaw, 4pm
The Maison: Hood Internet and Big History
(Upstairs); BONES Dance Party w/ Das Racist,
Katey Red, Shanook, 8188, PYMP (Downstairs)
One Eyed Jacks: SimplePlay Presents Jean Eric,
Royal Teeth, RYAT, the Botanist
Saturn Bar: Open House Music Presents Los
Po-Boy Citos, Backword and Little Maker, Sam
Doores and the Tumbleweeds, Loren Murrell
Siberia: NOLA Party Presents the Local Skank,
the Unnaturals, Modoc, the Groovocrats
SUNDAY 3/13
AllWays Lounge: NOLA Party Presents Remedy
Krewe, Syllable 7, Ugly Elephant, Jason Frilot
Blue Nile: Powdered Sugar Present T-Bird and the
Breaks, Headless Horsemen (Downstairs); Chckn
& Egg Presents Coyotes, O’ Brother, Death on
Two Wheels (Upstairs)
Checkpoint Charlie’s: 2nd Annual Mardi Gras
Recovery Party w/ the Pallbearers, Before I Hang,
Dummy Dumpster, the Unnaturals, Terranova, the
Split()Lips, the Green Mantles, the Rotten Cores,
Fat Camp, 4pm
d.b.a.: Jake Eckert Band, 10pm, $5
Dragon’s Den: Conway Presents TBA (Upstairs);
the Revels Group Presents Aquaforce, Team Robot,
Lyriqs, Jim-E Stack
Hi-Ho Lounge: Live New Orleans Presents Giant
Cloud, Futurebirds, Lee Bains and the Gloryfires
@10pm
House Of Blues: SOJA, Mambo Sauce, Chris
Boomer, Seedless, 8pm (The Parish)
The Maison: WTUL Presents: Big Freedia, Lil
Dee, Plane Jane, KLC (DJ set) (Upstairs)
One Eyed Jacks: OpenHouse Music New Orleans
Presents Janka Nabay, Empress Hotel, Monogold,
Tiny Victories
Saturn Bar: Deftjams Presents Toro y Moi, Small
Black, Cults, Sun Airway, Cloud Nothings
Siberia: Jeff the Brotherhood, King Tuff, Dead
Gaze, X-Ray Eyeballs, Holly’s Tamales Variety
Show
MONDAY 3/14
Circle Bar: Birds of Avalon
House Of Blues: Rock 92.3 Presents Young the
Giant, 8:30pm (The Parish)
Howlin’ Wolf: Caspian, Moving Mountains,
Native, Into It, Over It, Chiaroscuro, Aiua,
Marathan, 9pm
One Eyed Jacks: Great Lake Swimmers, Sharon
Van Etten w/ Ava Luna
Republic: Class Actress, Millionyoung, Nicos Gun
TUESDAY 3/15
House Of Blues: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings,
Los Po Boy Citos, 8pm; Tennis, Callers, La Sera,
9:30pm (The Parish)
Howlin’ Wolf: LiveNewOrleans.com Presents
Parts & Labor, DOM, Pterodactly (Live in the Den)
Republic: Menomena, Megafaun
WEDNESDAY 3/16
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Andrew Duhon and
Tony Italiano, 9pm
Frat House: Liquid Peace Revolution, Ozzy Cash, 9pm
Hi-Ho Lounge: Soars, Arc in Round, Elephant
Stone, 10pm
House Of Blues: G. Love and Special Sauce,
8:30pm; Fang Island, Maps and Atlases, 9:30pm
(The Parish)
THURSDAY 3/17
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Fat Stupid Ugly
People, Comm. Of Theives, Orku Saki, 9pm
d.b.a.: Paul Sanchez, 7pm; the Louisiana Cane
Cutters, 10pm, $5
31
32
EVENTS
THURSDAY 3/17 (Cont...)
The Maison: Influencia de Jazz, Magnetic Ear,
Robot Dance Party
Tipitina’s: WTUL Presents St. Patty’s Day
3-Band Blowout f/ Art/Official DJ All-Night
Dance Party w/ Jean-Eric, Big History, Super
Nice Bros., 9pm, $7
FRIDAY 3/18
Antoine’s Hermes Bar: Shannon Powell Trio,
9:30pm; 11pm
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Elliott Cohon’s
New Cosmic Sweat Society, 10pm
The Big Top: Dancing Room Only Presents
Rhythm & Soul, 10pm, FREE
d.b.a.: Hot Club of New Orleans, 6pm; Johnny
Vidacovich Trio w/ Matt Perine and Keiko
Komaki, 10pm, $5
Hi-Ho Lounge: Steve Eck, Suitcase Junkies,
10pm
House Of Blues: BET Music Matters Tour
Presents Marsha Ambrosius, Melanie Fiona,
8pm; MashUp NOLA Presented by Jermaine
Quiz, 10pm (The Parish)
Howlin’ Wolf: Lords of Acid, Angelspit,
Radical G, Chant, 9pm
The Maison: The Mumbles, Daria and the Hip
Drops, Brass a Holics
One Eyed Jacks: Queens of the Stone Age
Republic: Bassik f/ BARE and Ana Sia
Tipitina’s: Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, 10pm, $15
SATURDAY 3/19
Antoine’s Hermes Bar: John Rankin Trio,
9:30pm; 11pm
Babylon: Black Primer, the Pests, Mad Dog
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Joystick,
Reagabomb, Stereohype, 10pm
d.b.a.: Cedric Burnside Project Album Release,
11pm, $10
House Of Blues: Raphael Saadiq, Quadron,
8pm; Lost Bayou Ramblers, Brother Dege,
10pm (The Parish)
Howlin’ Wolf: Filthy + Social Service +
SimplePlay Present SXNO f/ Salva, B. Bravo,
Epcot and Carmine P. Filthy
Louisiana Music Factory: Washboard Chaz
Blues Trio, 3pm; HG Breland, 4pm; Crowbar
Album Signing, 5pm
The Maison: Smoking Time Jazz Club, Ashton
Hines Big Easy Brawlers, Captain Green
One Eyed Jacks: Revolver, Brooklyn Vegan
& Loudtrax Present Metal Alliance Tour f/
Helmet, St. Vitus, Crowbar, Intronaut, the Atlas
Moth, Howl, Naam
Tipitina’s: An Evening with the North
Mississippi All-Stars, 10pm, $15
SUNDAY 3/20
d.b.a.: The Louisiana Hellbenders, 10pm, $5
Hi-Ho Lounge: Madison Square Gardeners,
Cave Singers, Lia Ices, 10pm
House Of Blues: Collie Buddz, New Kingston,
Los Rakas, DJ T-Roy, 9pm
Howlin’ Wolf: Filthy + Social Service +
SimplePlay Present SXNO f/ Daedalus,
TOKiMONSTA, Shlomo, Rekanize, Ryan
Pearce
The Maison: Corporate America
One Eyed Jacks: Antigravity Presents Mike
Watt and the Missingmen, Lite, Narcissy
Republic: Deep Dark Robot
MONDAY 3/21
Louisiana Music Factory: Tyne Darling, 6pm
One Eyed Jacks: The Civil Wars, Grant Watts
and the Old Family
Republic: Hugh Cornwell
The Saint: Moon Duo, 8pm
TUESDAY 3/22
The Big Top: Burstness w/ Xylos, Simon Lott
and Justin Peake’s Beautiful Bells, 8pm, $10
House Of Blues: Rebelution, Giant Panda
Guerilla Dub Squad, Kris Royal, 8pm; Omar
Rodriguez Lopez Group, 9:30pm (The Parish)
One Eyed Jacks: Eddie Spaghetti
Republic: Peter Murphy, Livan
Tipitina’s: Ryan Bingham and the Dead
Horses, Liam Gerner, 9pm, $20
WEDNESDAY 3/23
House Of Blues: Surfer Blood, 9pm (The Parish)
THURSDAY 3/24
House Of Blues: Apocalyptica, We are the
Fallen, 8pm; Murs, Tabi Bonney and Jermaine
Quiz, Simon Lott, 9:30pm (The Parish)
The Maison: The Loose Marbles; the
Tumbleweeds, Hurray for the Riff Raff;
Doombalaya
FRIDAY 3/25
Antoine’s Hermes Bar: Luke Winslow-King,
9:30pm; 11pm
Babylon: Harvester, Cauldron, Disfigure the
Monuments
33
EVENTS
FRIDAY 3/25 (Cont...)
THURSDAY 3/31
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Ritmo Calypso
Beach Party, 10pm
The Big Top: Friday Night Music Camp w/
Susan Cowsill, 5pm; Seguenon Kone and
Friends, Kossa Diomande, Martin D. Zagbo,
Bruce Sunpie, Boubacar Cissoko, 9pm, $7
d.b.a.: Linnzi Zaorski, 6pm; Lightning
Malcolm Band, 10pm, $5
Howlin’ Wolf: Fresh Millions (Live in the
Den)
The Maison: Tuba Skinny; the Honey Pots; the
Pinettes Brass Band
One Eyed Jacks: Meschiya Lake and the Little
Big Horns
Republic: Ethical Fashion Show w/ Big
History
Tipitina’s: Soul Rebels Brass Band, Naughty
Professor, 10pm, $10
d.b.a.: Andrew Duhon, 7pm; Chris Thomas
King, 10pm, $5
The Maison: Influencia de Jazz
One Eyed Jacks: The Black Angels, Suuns,
8pm
FRIDAY 4/1
Babylon: Control Room, the Acadias
House Of Blues: Senses Fail, the Ghost Inside,
Man Overboard, Transit, 5:30pm; Reckless
Kelly, 9:30pm (The Parish)
Howlin’ Wolf: DMC NOLA
SATURDAY 4/2
Babylon: Overtime Coverband
House Of Blues: Bustout Burlesque, 8pm,
10:30pm; Honeyboy Carencro Album Release
Party w/ Khris Royal and Dark Matter, 10pm
(The Parish)
One Eyed Jacks: Alexis Marceaux Album
Release Show w/ Sun Hotel, Butter and Jelly
WEEKLY EVENTS
MONDAYS
SATURDAY 3/26
Antoine’s Hermes Bar: Paul Sanchez, 9pm;
11pm
Babylon: No Room for Saints, Resurrection
Man, Black Market Halos
Banks Street Bar & Grill: P.Y.M.P., 10pm
d.b.a.: OTRA, 11pm, $5
Hi-Ho Lounge: Debauche, 10pm
Louisiana Music Factory: JC & Company,
2pm; Davis, 3pm
The Maison: Arts Market Show; the Ramblin’
Letters; Storyville Starlettes Burlesque; Jeremy
Phipps n the Outsiders; Bones Dance Party;
Yojimbo
One Eyed Jacks: Dax Riggs
Tipitina’s: The Real Davis Album Release
Party f/ DJ Davis Rogan, All That Reunion and
16th B-day Party, 10pm, $14
SUNDAY 3/27
d.b.a.: Margie Perez, 10pm, $5
House Of Blues: The Whigs, 8pm; EOTO,
9pm (The Parish)
The Maison: Cristina Perez; Chegadao; DJ
T-Roy
One Eyed Jacks: Fleur de Tease
MONDAY 3/28
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Spillway, 9pm
d.b.a.: Panorama Jazz Band, 9pm, $5
One Eyed Jacks: Exene Cervenka and Kevin
Seconds Acoustic Tour
TUESDAY 3/29
Howlin’ Wolf: Matthew Mayfield (Live in the
Den)
WEDNESDAY 3/30
Banks Street Bar & Grill: FICUS, 10pm
The Big Top: Seguenon Kone and Friends,
Kossa Diomande, Martin D. Zagbo, Bruce
Sunpie, Boubacar Cissoko, 9pm, $7
34
Banks Street Bar & Grill: N’awlins Johnnys,
9pm
Bayou Park Bar: The Hooch Riders, 9pm
Checkpoint Charlie’s: Mad Mike, 8pm
Circle Bar: Kelly Carlyle, 6pm
d.b.a.: Luke Winslow King, 6pm; Glen David
Andrews, 9pm, $5
Desperados: Kickball Disassociation After
Party & Old Timey Music, 9pm
Dragon’s Den: Domenic
Hi-Ho Lounge: Blue Grass Pickin’ Party, 8pm
Spotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm; Dominick
Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars, 6pm;
The Jazz Vipers, 10pm
TUESDAYS
Bayou Park Bar: The Trouble Clefs, 10pm
The Big Top: Brit Wit, 8pm
Carrollton Station: Acoustic Open Mic, 9pm
Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk, 7pm
Checkpoint Charlie’s: Acoustic Open Mic w/
Jim Smith, 10pm
d.b.a.: New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings, 9pm
[Dark 3/8]
Desperados: Noxious Noize Tuesdays, 9pm
Dragon’s Den: Climate Change Hip-Hop Nite;
Goth Nite (Upstairs)
Hi-Ho Lounge: Euclid Records Triva w/ DJ
Lefty Parker, 8:30pm
Howlin’ Wolf: The Big Busk, A Night of
Burlesque and Live Music (Live in the Den)
The Maison: Caroline Fourmy, the Sextet
The Rusty Nail: Open Mic w/ Whiskey T.,
8pm
The Saint Tikioke, 9pm, FREE
Spotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm; Smokin’
Time Jazz Club, 6pm; Meschiya Lake and the
Little Big Horns, 10pm
WEDNESDAYS
AllWays Lounge: Marygoround & The Tiptoe
Stampede
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Major Bacon, Free
BLTs, 9pm
The Bar: Musician Appreciation Night, 7pm
Bayou Park Bar: Jazz Wednesdays w/ Grunge
Jazz Trio, 9pm
EVENTS
Blue Nile: United Postal Project, 8pm; Khris
Royal and Dark Matter, 10pm
The Box Office: Dan Wallace Quartet, 7pm
Carrollton Station: Standup Comedy Open
Mic, 9pm
Checkpoint Charlie’s: Kenny Holiday and
the Rolling Blackouts, 9pm
Circle Bar: Jim O. and The No Shows w/
Mama Go-Go, 6pm
d.b.a.: Tin Men, 7pm; Walter Wolfman
Washington and The Roadmasters, 10pm, $5
Deckbar: Blues & Beyond Jam w/ John Lisi
& Delta Funk, 8pm
Dragon’s Den: DJ T-Roy Presents:
Dancehall Classics, 10pm, $5
Hi-Ho Lounge: Local Piano Night w/
Various Musicians, 8pm
Howlin’ Wolf: Booty Trove Brass Band,
FREE
The Maison: Jerry Jumonville, Cats Pajamas
The R Bar: DJ Lefty Parker
Spotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm; Free
Swing Dance Lessons, 5pm, The Orleans,
6pm; St. Louis Slim and the Frenchmen St.
Jug Band, 10pm
Yuki: Mojotoro Tango Trio, 8pm
THURSDAYS
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Dave Jordan’s
Neighborhood Improvement, 10pm
Bayou Park Bar: Classic Country w/ Ron
Hotstream, 10pm
Blue Nile: DJ T-Roy, 10pm; Gravity A,
10pm (Upstairs)
Checkpoint Charlie’s: The Fens w/ Sneaky
Pete, 10pm
Circle Bar: Sam and Boone, 6pm
Desperados: Loose Marbles, 9pm
Dragon’s Den: Basebin Safari w/ DJ Proppa
Bear, 10pm
Hi-Ho Lounge: Stooges Brass Band, 9:30pm
The Hookah: Exhale: A Ladies Night, 10pm
Howlin’ Wolf: Comedy Gumbeaux, 8pm
(Live in the Den)
La Nuit Comedy Theater: A.S.S.tronot,
8:30pm
Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels, 11pm
The Maison: The Crescent City Ears
One Eyed Jacks: Fast Times ’80s Dance Night
Spotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm; Miss
Sophie Lee, 6pm; New Orleans Moonshiners,
10pm
Republic: LEGIT, 10pm, $7
FRIDAYS
Bayou Park Bar: R & B w/ Dragon
Cushionberry, 9pm
The Big Top: Friday Night Music Camp,
5pm
Blue Nile: Mykia Jovan and Jason Butler,
8pm; DJ Real and Black Pearl, Midnight
(Upstairs)
Circle Bar: Jim O. and The Sporadic
Fanatics, 6pm
Desperados: Michael James and His
Lonesome, 9pm; Bobby Bouzouki, 11pm
The Hookah: The A-List Unplugged w/ EF
Cuttin’, 10pm
La Nuit Comedy Theater: God’s Been
Drinking, 10pm, $10
The Maison: Clarence and the Funky People,
5pm; Buena Vista Social Latin Night
Republic: Throwback, 11pm
Spotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm;
Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, 6pm; New
Orleans Cottonmouth Kings, 10pm
Tipitina’s: Tipitina’s Foundation Free
Friday!, 10pm
SATURDAYS
Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, 7 pm
Circle Bar: The Jazzholes, 6pm
d.b.a.: John Boutte’, 8pm
The Hangar: Ladies Night
The Hookah: Hookah Hip-Hop w/ DJ EF
Cuttin, 10pm
House of Blues: Sabado, Fuego, DJ Juanes,
DJ Q, Midnight (The Parish @ House Of
Blues)
La Nuit Comedy Theater: ComedySportz
(1st/3rd Saturdays), 7pm
LePhare: DJ Jive
The Maison: Cristina Perez, 5pm
Republic: DJ Damion Yancy, 11pm
Spotted Cat: Luke Winslow King, 3pm;
Panorama Jazz Band, 6pm
SUNDAYS
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Open Mic Jam w/
Ron Hotstream and the F-Holes
Bayou Park Bar: Swing w/ Johnny Angel,
9pm
Blue Nile: Mainline, 10pm
Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk, 7pm
Checkpoint Charlie’s: Acoustic Open Mic
w/ Jim Smith, 7pm
Circle Bar: Drink N Draw, 3pm; Micah
McKee and Friends, 6pm
d.b.a.: The Palmetto Bug Stompers, 6pm
Desperados: Stumps the Clown’s Variety
Show Sundays f/ Jo Robbin, Stalebread
Scotty & More, 9pm
Dragon’s Den: Base Church, 10pm
(Upstairs)
The Hookah: Ear Candy w/ DJ Rik Ducci,
10pm
House of Blues: The Sunday Gospel Brunch
Howlin’ Wolf: Brass Band Sundays w/ Hot 8
Brass Band
Spotted Cat: Rights of Swing, 3pm; Pat
Casey, 10pm
The Maison: Dave Easley, 5pm, the Rhythm
Jesters, 7pm
Tipitina’s: Music Workshop Series,
12:30pm; Cajun Fais Do Do f/ Bruce
Danigerpoint, 7pm
featured cocktail:
BLUSHING LADY
Pama Pomegranate Liqueur
and Pink Grapefruit
Featuring Sobieski Vodka
Served Up with a Sugared Rim
and a Lemon Wheel
www.slicepizzeria.com
1 5 1 3 S T. C H A R L E S A V E . 504.525.PIES (7437)
5538 MAGAZINE ST. 504-897-4800
P I Z Z A B Y T H E S L I C E • A N T I PA S T I • S A L A D • C A L Z O N E S
P I Z Z A B Y T H E S L I C E • A N T I PA S T I • S A L A D • C A L Z O N E S
W I N E • P A S TA S • S P E C I A LT Y P I E S
Come try our
“Cucumber Margarita"
— Made with Lunazul Blanco 100% Agave Tequila —
It’s Refreshing and Clean!
The Perfect End-of-Summer Cocktail.
UP TO WN
13 0
ns , Lo uis ian a 70
ee t | Ne w Or lea
Str
e
zin
ga
ma
20 18
00
00
(5 04 ) 56 9-
MI DC ITY
11 9
ns , Lo uis ian a 70
en ue | Ne w Or lea
Av
on
llt
rro
Ca
47 24 So uth
50
48 6- 99
(5 04 )
ww w. ju an sf ly in gb
ur ri to .c om
35
Get the first issue of FEAST,
published by ANTIGRAVITY!
28 over-sized newsprint pages
of new work by NOLA cartoonists (like Caesar Meadows, Happy Burbeck, and Jeff Pastorek)
plus out-of-town artists like Josh
Neufeld (A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge) and Josh Simmons (Happy)!
Available in comic shops and other cool locations around New Orleans, and for three bucks out-oftowners can order online at:
feastcomic.com
36
COMICS
37
PHOTOS
38
PHOTOS
39