Show Review: Dark Black: 12/5/10

AKA: With Fear I Kiss The Burning Stenchcore

And with mild feelings of regret I missed the opening band, D.H.C. (Demonic Harlot Children), because they would have lightened my mood, been a final breath of fresh air before descending into the brimstoney dimensions of eternal stench.

Infernal Graves were some mildly interesting crust(core from the depths of hell). I watched a few songs maybe, then went into the back room to hang out.

If the bands were going in the order of the flier, then the next band was Bruxers. They looked kid of dumb, so I took off and went to Merchants cause I was bored and out of beer. Jimmy Jazz was there, and let me ask you WHY is that guy is ALWAYS at the bar whenever I decide to randumbly go drinking somewhere by myself? Uncanny.

I was hoping that when I got back, Dark Black would be about to play, but there was some (true infernal stench)crust being provided by Battleshok, it seems.

My main objective of the night was to see a full set by Dark Black, because I had missed most of their set the night before. I had also gotten them on this show, and wanted to be a lone voice of support in case they were panned by the moldy denim vest and rat infested dread crowd, living in protest of all things melodic and non stenchy. It turned out that Dark Black were really sporting lads, and agreed to play a short set on this over booked and running late Sunday night show. It also turned out that the crusty crowd loved them. They didn't throw their rotten dumpstered vegetables or or unleash their snarling trainyard hounds.

Dark Black got kind of mad at me because I bought their old CD instead of their new one, which is what their whole set list was from, but the old shit is way better, let's face it. I was really tired, so I bailed before Dodsfalla played. Sorry Jaraldo.

Einsty: 10/6/10

Einsty, Wah Wah Exit Wound, Atomic Bomb Audition: Yor Hauz: October 6, 2010

(Full dick-closure: I set up this show for the touring Wah Wahs, as I am a prog sympathizer, and I'm sorry if this is a lame review, but I literally just finished writing the Sleep review, and I am almost out of words.)

Atomic Bomb Audition: Post Rock!

Wah Wah Exit Wound: Gawd, what a dumb name, but these gentlemens play play prog rock in the true sense that there seems to be no sense... bizarre but deftly executed passages going off in odd directions for no apparent reason, and then you think it's coming back, but it's just making yet another left turn out of sight. Oh, and damn, that octopednal drummer!

Einsty: Those bros from the Victory Warehouse. Funkier and heavier than a one ton block of Wisconsin limburger.

Ecocide: 8/6/10

Having been back for a week and a half from my very long tour, and having experienced sickness, unhealth, and a general feelings of inpleasantness and undigestion, I got the idea in my crazy head that I was going to not drink, and possibly even commit to some sort of bodily cleansing fast for a period of time.

So it was with clear senses and poison free body that I arrived this show at the Hazmat. And the first thing I noticed is 'FUCK', it sure is annoying to be sober at this place. If nothing else, being drunk had always made me blissfully unaware of how much my lungs are irritated by the clouds of acrid cigarette smoke which are trapped in the unventilated room like whirling vengeful Kami spirits. In addition to BEING an old man at an Oakland crust show, which is not unusual, I actually felt like an old man too. Boo!

Sooner than you could say 'get me a fuckin' drank', I was pumping foam out of a somewhat faulty keg and waiting for it to settle into a beer-like fluid which I could consume. I had enough patience to get maybe a cup and half... not enough to get drunk, but at least take the EDGE off. This was followed of course by liberal puffs of Crystal Airplane Bomb and Blueberry Karma Ice, or whatever it is that kids are packing into joints these days. So much for a a cleansed body and soul.

The band that was playing when I first walked in must have been Out Of Spite. They were a ragtag crew of young brutes, and they looked like a Pyrate Punk band, so I kind of ignored them.

Next was Badr Vogu, who are definitely some of the best up and comers in the East Bay metal scene. For those who don't know, their ranks include Sean from Worldeater, Rob from Farticus and countless GRIND bands, and my good ol' boy Bryce from Hotblack Desiato, and the currently amazing psyche/prog band Hollow Mirrors. BV play the kind of tarry, crusty sludge that inevitably boils up from the cracks of the East Bay. To me, this kind of stuff is like musical comfort food. A style that has always, and should always exist in the filthiest warehouse shows and most flea ridden back yard barbecue parties of Oakland.

Bird is from San Jose and is considered somewhat of a grind band, or at least they are always put on shows with grind(ier) bands. Stylistically they mix it up though, with some fast blast parts, mid tempo sections and even some slow shit. It's only my second time seeing them, and I haven't heard any recordings, but I definitely like it, whatever it is.

The main reason I came to the show was to support Ecocide, who succeeded where others had failed, in booking Genesis Climber an awesome show in San Antonio Texas a few weeks prior. Thanks guys! If enviro-politcal epic sludge crust is your thing, you should probably get down with Ecocide. That's your jam! One problem that was present in Ecocide, which is not an uncommon one in this gloomy corner of the underground, is that crust bands with violins and/or cellos often play venues that lack the adequate PA system which would allow the more delicate instruments to be heard over the pummeling guitars and drums. The classical instruments do indeed add class and tastefulness to the recordings in which they are present, but I could count on one mutilated hand the times when I've been able to appreciate these effects in a live setting. So it goes.

I escaped out the door and past one hundred awkward goodbyes into the brisk Oakland summer night. Outside, crowds of mutants drifted through the neighborhood from the East Bay Express party in Jack London Square. Wondering, as they walked past, 'what is this strange, unmarked heavy metal warehouse over here?'

Show Review: Huff Stuff Magazine: 6/5/2010

After an exhaustive day of Genesis Climber rehearsals I went up to the "New Apgar" compound up at 24th and Linden to catch Huff Stuff Magazine. Pop punk dudes from Drunken Boat, Jean Claude Jam Band (and many others) doing what they do best.

Then I went to Donnie's house to see the bands from Seattle I had been partying with the night before. The Bill Collectors were good old rockin' fun punk stuff. They told me later that they were nervous and played everything too fast. I though they were pretty slow. Then the Chemicals played. Weird NW garage rock style with gimmicks (scientist jacket costumes, a song about peppermint schnapps where the singer goes around pouring said drink down people's eager throats). Ahhh... how they create fantasy fun worlds in the gloomy boring Portland.

Right after this I went to the Stork Club to see if I could catch Australian X. Dan Rincon was outside and he said they were just about to go on, but don't waste ten bucks cause Australian X is terrible and the good band (A-Frames) already played. Cheers to free advice.

So then I went down to the Haz Mat to see if I could catch Filth a second night in a row. I had been intentionally avoiding this show because I though it was going to be a disaster and things were going to catch on fire and people were going to die. And while that is punk as fuck I did not really feel like spending the last night of my life beneath pile of burning crusties in a collapsing warehouse. When I got there, the show had just ended and a parade of scumfuks was dutifully evacuating out into the street. Kenny Weiss was outside, working security and he said everything had gone smoothly, after all they had let "only" 300 people into the venue (you've seen the size of that place!)

After that I went home, played on the internet, ate jalapeno hot fries and passed out in bed.