A Sun That Never Sets

Neurosis / Tragedy / Author & Punisher / Kowloon Walled City
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
December 30, 2014

At this point in Umlaut's life, there are actually a few bands that I've shockingly been following for almost half of my life.. which for you keeping score at home means at least 25 years.  Hope I die before I get old..  Anyway, Neurosis is one of those bands.  It's been profound watching them evolve from playing pizza parlors and warehouses into the elder statesmen and volume icons they are here in the 21st Century.  Trippy, man.  I remember when they were hardcore vegans.  I also remember when they started eating meat again.  Full circle shit, man.

[Photos from the Umlaut Archives]

Top photo:  Steve Von Till and Scott Kelly with the xeroxed Umlaut Issue #2 'zine at Brave New World (R.I.P.), San Francisco circa 1992.   Bottom photo:  Neurosis visuals equipment on tour in 1992 at Spanky's Pizza (!), Orange County, California.

In what's turning into sort of an annual tradition, Neurosis closed out another year with hometown shows (tonight and a New Year's Eve shindig).  Considering that 2/5 of the band now lives out of state and this is about as heartwarming a gesture as you should expect from these dark lords.  Combined with the fact that several old friends who I rarely see in person were also in attendance and it made me glad I had ventured out on this very cold and windy San Francisco night.

I arrived early enough to catch the last part of the opening set by locals Kowloon Walled City.  I've seen the band a couple of times over the past several years and I will admit I wasn't really a fan early on... but they've won me over since then.. although I didn't think tonight was one of the better performances that I've seen by them.  Do I sound like a dick?  If so... sorry.. I honestly didn't mean to.. Anyway...

Next up was the one-man metal shop class come to life that is Author & Punisher.  I was only familiar with A&P by name only but my friend filled me in how it's the work of industrial artist Tristan Stone who made all of the harrowing equipment himself.  Honesty is my only excuse:  I can't imagine anyone listening to A&P at home or in their car.  It's like watching and listening to a drill press... but in a live setting A&P are kind of hypnotic.  My only smart ass suggestion is that it would be, like, totally cool if he manufactured trinkets during the show with the equipment (like maybe those souvenir pressed pennies..) to give out or sell after his set.  Just saying..  Anyway...

The final support act tonight was Tragedy.. and I knew absolutely nothing about them although the members looked like they've probably been to Gilman St... although the Interwebs informed me they're based in Portland.  I did not mind their Punky ways at all.. Anway...

Neurosis are probably the only band who can still turn my head inside out and affect me in the same way as they did in the 20th Century.  Their dark energy has matured and fermented into something that I find positive in a foamy dark way.  It creates a vacuum in my psyche that also pushes my mind out.  Hmm... Does that sound like Hippie Shit? 

I realized early in the set that, although this was around my 30th Neurosis show (dating back to 1991 or so), it was the first time I'd seen them headline a show without their once trademark visuals.  For the newbies:  The band jettisoned the visual side of their live performances in favor of a stripped down vision... and it completely works.  Back in the day the band's visuals were pretty cutting edge and relied on analog equipment like a slide projector and colored film placed on a bicycle rim turned by a film projector (see the photo I posted here).  Fast forward to the 21st Century and any half baked "artist" can "create" a "visual presentation" and use it with their "band" via their laptop.  Technology has ruined so many things by making them too easy, man.  I think Neurosis realized this and took themselves back to their roots... bloody roots:  Sound.. volume.. words.. music.

Opening with the appropriate 'At The End Of The Road' the set hit an early peak with the now vintage maelstrom 'Eye' coming early in the set... but the night's thematic heart came during 'Distill' for me.  It burned.. Tonight was possibly the most understated Neurosis set I've ever seen.  The energy level was a slow simmering darkness instead of the manic heated boiling madness of other shows I've witnessed.  It was mind bending for me in a different way than the past.  It was just an example of how this band can communicate differently within their own realm.  A slow burn destroys as effectively as a flash fire.  Closing the set with the constricting beauty of 'My Heart For Deliverance' (my favorite recent Neurosis song) was beyond perfect.

I didn't do a merch audit.. but I did drop $5 for a Neurosis patch and it was cool that their merch guy said how much he liked Murder In The Front Row.  Right on, man!  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.  In between bands there was a Von Till dog pile with some other dudes who I've known for 20+ years and who I first saw Neurosis with back in the hazy Red Hook-drinking days:

It was a brief but special moment.  This was also my final gig of 2014.. which was also the 10th (!!) year I've been ranting in this "blog".  Crazy, man.  The more things change.. the more they stay the same... sometimes. Let's see what 2015 brings...

Night Goat

Melvins
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
October 21, 2014

It's an interesting time (again) to be a Melvins fan.  Earlier this year Buzz embarked on a solo trek that was an epiphany for this longtime fan.  Now the band (aka Dale and Buzz), who are the masters of fucking with expectations and completely fluid at reinventing themselves, have joined forces with Pinkus and Leary of the Butthole Surfers for a new album.  Inspired!  Old School!  Not only that but the current Melvins tour has them back onstage as a power trio with Dale and Buzz being joined by Pinkus on bass.  I've been following the Melvins for almost 25 years now and they're the only band who I completely accept whatever they're doing and enjoy it.  I do this without any grain of salt or any rationalizing; they are the only band I don't nitpick about... and I can't say that about any of my other favorite bands. 

Backstage prior to their set I had a sportsmanlike conversation with hardcore Dodgers fan Dale about baseball.  It's cute how 2014 Dodgers fans clutch to the straws about how they won the Western Division... but, I must remind them, it's the Giants who stabbed and slashed their way into the World Series... to which they counter that the Giants are merely a "Wild Card" team... to which I say they don't fully understand 21st Century baseball since getting to the World Series meant the Giants had to win cage match-style games when they counted in THREE do-or-die confrontations with THREE of the leagues other best teams... including the Nationals who had the best regular season record in the MLB and the Cardinals who pretty much humiliated the Dodgers in the NLDS.  What?  Oh right... I guess I should go back to ranting about the Rock Show and not Jocks.  Sorry..  

"SOLD OUT!" said the sign at Will Call and it warmed my heart that the Melvins can still pull in a full but diverse house of followers.  However, it was kind of interesting that the front row tonight was noticeably female dominated.  Discuss amongst yourselves...  As I watched from stage left I could feel the collective heat and humidity coming off of the sold out room combined with the Great American's unfortunate ventilation system.  To paraphrase from that great Southern Rock live album, it felt "hotter than a box in a forest fire".  My first thought early in the set was that it was great to see the Melvins performing as a volume-riffic power trio again.  My second thought was that I was glad the waitress working the room was obviously a Melvins fan.  She took advantage of her workplace efficiently and stopped to watch the band at stage left while making her floor rounds... so I was able to place a beer order with her and not have to go to the other side of the room to the bar.  Hope I die before I get old.

 

 [Photos courtesy of Photo Ray]

Pinkus on the 4-string brought a funky rocking swing to the bottom end that the band really hasn't had live before.  A cover of the vintage Butthole Surfers song 'Moving To Florida' was a nice nod to Mr. Pinkus and the set also included 2 songs from the new album featuring the Buttholes as well.  Tonight's sonic hammer lasted around 14-songs I believe with the most ancient tune being 'Your Blessened'.  If you must know, my fave song of the evening was the vintage classic 'Night Goat'!  It was the perfect song to feature Pinkus on the 4-string.  If you're a Melvins fan.. you know what I'm talking about.  It also still fascinates me that 'The Bit' is basically the Melvins signature song here in the 21st Century; I guess they can thank Mastodon for that?

There was too much merch and I didn't do a merch audit, but I did score the new 'Night Goat' 7" reissue from AmRep with new badass screen printed art.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.  The Melvins are one of those bands that, as much as I love them, it's hard for me to feel like I have anything "new" left to say about them that I haven't ranted about already.  Seeing a band almost 50 times (according to the Umlaut Archives) will do that I guess... or probably I'm just getting lazy.

The Hype

Deafheaven
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
July 2, 2014

I literally knew nothing about Deafheaven before the show and, dog's honest truth, I had not heard one note of their music.  The only "facts" that I knew about the band going into the show was (1) they're evidently from San Francisco and (2) they're one of the most hated Metal bands amongst purests.  Both of these facts intrigued me so much that awhile back I decided to avoid listening or reading about the band until I saw them live.  My brain was hard pressed to remember the last time I went to see a band without having heard their music first.  I was curious to see if the hatred towards Deafheaven was warranted based on their music or if people hated them only because of their hipster fanbase. 

Anyway, I still don't believe Deafheaven are really from San Francisco.. but if they are I would like to know their favorite S.F. taqueria.  I think only 3 other people seemed to recognize the 'Jump In The Fire' riff when their tech played it during the changeover.  Of course, Metallica are that band their parents listen to anyway... I was also fascinated how well coiffed this "Metal" crowd was with the guys being very metro.. and no one was wearing a band tee except for me and a kid wearing a Forbidden shirt.  Awkward.  Then a hipster wearing a beanie and hipster chino shorts stood next to me but he smelled like a crust punk.  I was confused.

The set began promising with around 5 minutes of an ambient drone played over the PA as an intro tape; I liked that it wasn't the standard "Metal" intro.  Then the "local heroes" walked onstage... the packed in crowd got very excited... the band started... and then the singer started screeching.  I guess Deafheaven are called "Black Metal" because of the vocals?  If this is "Black Metal" it's the shopping mall Twilight version of it.  They'd be better if they had songs as I got bored pretty quickly.  Two songs into the set and I was also reminded how the whole 80's Post Punk sounding Metal thing confuses me.. but Agalloch and Beastmilk do it in a better and more interesting way.  Another random thought that popped into my head as I watched Deafheaven was that their crowd would be terrified at a Neurosis show.

My Deafheaven experiment ended up not being nearly as dramatic as I thought it might be.  They are an average "Metal" band whose singer is admittedly charismatic and has stage presence... but the screeching vocals subtract a lot of points.  The music isn't necessarily bad but I got bored pretty quickly.  I still don't know if all of the hate towards them is justified (there are ALOT of average Metal bands out there... ALOT..); I disliked Liturgy more when I saw them.  I am curious if Deafheaven are one of those "safe" Metal bands that serve as a gateway band for their fans to discover the real deal Metal.  Discuss amongst yourselves.

If you bought one of every Deafheaven merch item you would have paid around $160, which is weird because their fans don't seem to be a merch wearing crowd at all.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. I didn't hate Deafheaven but I did clean out my head on the drive home with another San Francisco band.

Yes, I have 490 Metallica tracks on my iPod.. and none of them are from Load, Reload, or St. Anger.  Guilty as charged... but dammit... it ain't right.

A Revelation

King Buzzo / Field  
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
June 15, 2014

This space has been both the bane of my existence and my "creative" outlet for 10 years now.  Right now it's a grind for me to put words together.  It feels like homework and that's not good.  So, with this in mind, I'm trying to hit reset and basically took a month off from ranting about shows in this space. For those who care here's where I was during that time:

• May 15th - Sammy Hagar with James Hetfield & Friends - Acoustic-4-A-Cure Benefit - The Fillmore, San Francisco.  Hetfield sang a Beatles song... Yeah.  It was definitely one of those "only in San Francisco" nights and it was for a good cause.  Oddly tickets were going for up to $500 via StubHub but Umlaut has a good friend who bought a ticket at face value only the week before via Ticketbastard.  Hmm...
• May 17th - Scion Rock Fest 2014, Pomona, California.  I had a TON of FUN and it was cool hanging with friends. I finally saw Midnight but was disappointingly underwhelmed; they had a large crowd but would have been better in a smaller space IMO.  Orchid's first show ever in Southern California and they owned.  Saw King Buzzo solo for the first time and I was impressed.  Then I walked the streets of Pomona with him for a bit which was entertaining.  I missed Coffins but Windhand were my favorite band of the fest.
• May 22nd - Black Cobra / The Cutthroat 9 - Slim's, San Francisco.  A satisfying evening of massive volume with my bros Jason and Rafa with support from Cutthroat 9 who feature Chris Spencer on guitar from the legendary Unsane and Will Carroll on drums from Death Angel.
• June 4th - The Damned - Slim's, San Francisco. The band were great.  The hits were played.. but old Punk crowds are WAY more uptight than old Metal crowds.  Lighten up, Punks Not Dead.

Yes, all of these gigs should have made for interesting blog rants..  Anyway, let's attempt to hit reset, shall we?  Here we go...

The opening singer / songwriter was named Field who evidently is also the drummer for the guy who sings for System Of A Down when he does his solo thing.  Field did exactly what you would expect from an evening of "acoustic" music.  He sat on a stool with an acoustic guitar and sang as if the ghost of Nick Drake would anoint him simply for sitting on a stool with a guitar and singing.  Field's time onstage made me ponder that if Nick Drake had lived 'Pink Moon' likely would have disappeared into obscurity and never been used to sell Volkswagen.  Discuss amongst yourselves.. Anyway, before the show this happened downstairs:

The Mary Poppins Guitar

 [Photo courtesy of Photo Ray]

Half of 7 Year Bitch were also downstairs, which was a nice surprise since I hadn't seen them in a long time.  Then Buzz went upstairs and set up his own gear.

I had seen the Buzz acoustic machine play an abbreviated set last month at Scion Rock Fest 2014 and it was an epiphany.  Seeing Buzz solo was like seeing the Melvins for the first time; I thought I knew what to expect but the reality was something different... and great.. and made me appreciate music in a different slanted way.  Buzz did exactly the opposite of what you would expect from an evening of "acoustic" music. He still brought the volume.

Buzz smartly opened his solo set with 'Boris' into 'The Ballad Of Bright Fry'.  These are songs that Melvins fans know well so they were old friends.. but the solo arrangements and interpretations made them new and engaging.  Alone on stage Buzz's guitar thunders and his voice booms.  Unlike with the Melvins, the words were as crushing as the chords. It was a revelation after having only known Buzz with an electric guitar in tandom with obliterating drums and bass all these years.  Buzz solo onstage was like having Thor slam the stage with his mighty hammer.  He also chatted with the crowd and told amusing anecdotes in between songs. Buzz was downright charming.

The songs off his brand new This Machine Kills Artist album work great in a live setting with 'Drunken Baby' being my fave of the night. Halfway through the set I moved to the back of the room to get another perspective.  I was struck by how completely Buzz filled the room with his voice and presence in a different way than his band does.  I've seen the Melvins more than a few times at the Great American and it was funny seeing only Buzz's hair onstage, but it worked.  It completely worked.  A very inspired and great version of the Melvins classic 'Revolve' closed out the 70 minutes and then it was Thankyouandgoodnight.

I didn't do a merch audit but there was a shit ton of Buzz merch for sale, only 2 of which were t-shirts.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.  It's very, very cool that an artist who I've followed for so long can still engage me and remove my jaded view of things and crush it under his shoe.  King Buzzo does that. 

The Lads Are Back In Town

Loop
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
May 9, 2014

In the late-80's and into the early-90's I abandoned Metal for various reason; mainly because I was bored with it.  I gravitated toward other bands and genres that had loud guitars and one of those bands was Loop... along with their peers and rivals The Jesus & Mary Chain and Spacemen 3.  For the newbies, click HERE for a good piece on Loop, their history, and why you should give a shit about them (Note:  The link to a "Loop" Facebook page at the bottom of the article is wrong.. so don't bother visiting it.).  Tonight was just one stop on the band's first U.S. Tour in 24 years. 

Going into the show I felt like I was walking back into 1991 and I was very dubious about it.  When you see a band that you followed 20+ years ago you remember them through rose colored glasses.   The reality of seeing Loop here in the 21st Century had the potential to be a huge reality check bummer that could confirm that I was an old fart with no grounding in the present.  Thankfully Loop was not a bummer.. but they were a reality check.. but in the best way.  Also, in the room with me tonight were a couple of friends who I've known for over 20 years including one who introduced me to Loop (and many other influential bands) a couple of lifetimes ago when we were co-workers.  Yes, it was a full circle show for Umlaut.

As soon as Loop walked onstage and Robert Hampson picked up his guitar and filled the space with his THICK guitar tone it was like no time or days or years had passed since 1991.  I actually turned to my friends and held up The Claw... which you kidz normally display for a silly Black Metal band.. but to me it means the grip of TONE.  Then Loop here in 2014 cut the rope and dropped the room into their signature song 'Soundheads' and a figurative screwdriver was jammed into my skull for the next 10 minutes... and it felt good.  For the remainder of the night my head was shoved into a bucket filled with profound tone and volume that I rarely experience here in the 21st Century.  Favorite song of the set?  'Pulse', dude... 'Pulse'.  Yes, many bands are "loud" but few bands now are capable of harnessing "loud" and ride it like a bucking bronco.  Few bands wrestle with "loud" and bend and mold it as you would molten glass.  Even after all these years Loop can still do that.

 [Photo courtesy of English Bob]

Back in The Day when I'd see a band like Loop, who filled the air with atmosphere that would crush eardrums, I'd close my eyes and shove my psyche into their dark space.  I haven't done that in a long time until tonight... I suppose some might call it meditation or whatever Hippie Shit might define it... but for me I've only been able to do it in the presence of a great live band of the same mindset.  Loop are one of those bands for me.   A couple of lifetimes ago, Loop were one of the bands that showed me you could fuck people up with cerebral volume instead of simplistically elbowing them in a mosh pit.  In the mosh pit your body will get bruised... with Loop it's your mind... and the bruising is a good thing.

If you bought one of every Loop merch item you would have paid around $150 I think.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags.  It was life affirming to leave a show feeling truly inspired and reminded that some old shit isn't bogged down in narcissistic nostalgia.  Some old shit can still be relevant and youthful.  Then 96 hours later it was...

Skid Row / Black Star Riders
DNA Lounge, San Francisco
May 13, 2014

I avoided the "reunited" Thin Lizzy like it was the Ebola virus; I never saw them and it was on purpose.  How could they call themselves "Thin Lizzy" without Phil Lynott??  Blasphemy, right?  For the newbies:  The name "Thin Lizzy" was recently retired and the 2014 version renamed themselves Black Star Riders in order to continue playing music.  I applaud this move.  Peace in Rest, Phil.

Anyway, going into this show I felt like I was walking into a show that could make me feel very old and very disconnected.  As I've said many times in this space, seeing my old heroes can be a double edged sword... because how can my salad day memories of them live up to the reality of time and age?  Then again, I've also said many times that you should see your old heroes while you can because one day they will be gone.  However, I didn't decide to leave Casa de Umlaut for the DNA until literally only a few hours before doors; getting a late guest list confirmation will do that.

As the opening bands played I hung out and caught up with a few friends in the DNA's pizza parlor that is connected to the main room.  The space has turned into a nice element to seeing shows at the venue... and, holy shite, but Scott Gorham himself spent a couple of minutes hanging out in the pizza space as some backstage issue was sorted. I suppose it would have been too fanboy to have sent him a pizza slice.

I'll cut to the chase:  In order it was 'Are You Ready', 'Bad Reputation', 'Jailbreak', 'Rosalie', 'Emerald'... Then 'Cowboy Song' into 'The Boys Are Back In Town' to close.  In between they played some assorted Black Star Riders originals... most of which sounded suspiciously like Thin Lizzy songs.  However, I will cut them some slack especially since only 1/3 of the crowd seemed to know 'Bad Reputation'.... What. The. Fuck.  No matter... because when Gorham kicked into his solo during 'Bad Reputation' I looked over at my buddies and we all had the exact same look on our faces: "Fuck... Yeah.." Magic.

 [Photo courtesy of Sensory Abuse]

It's not often these days that I have an epiphany during a concert, but I had one during Black Star Riders.  It specifically happened as Scott Gorham stepped up and into his solo during 'Rosalie'.  I realized that tonight was a case of THE SONGS transcending the moment.  No, it wasn't Phil Lynott onstage... but it was his lifelong band brother Scott Gorham... and that is the closest thing to Thin Lizzy that is possible here in 2014.  Umlaut generally loathes cover bands (sorry friends who are in cover bands... honesty is my only excuse..) and for all intents and purposes Black Star Rider are a cover band.  

However, magically, the old Thin Lizzy songs that brought Scott Gorham back to San Francisco on this Tuesday night are still all powerful and timeless.  I also realized how I've taken these Thin Lizzy songs for granted and I was surprised how emotional I got during the set.  Magic... and 'Cowboy Song' combined with 'The Boys Are Back In Town' are the greatest bar songs, like, ever.. and if the boys wanna fight you better let 'em.  I will also add that Mr. Gorham still looks and plays and performs like a badass muthafucker and does not look like he's 63 years old.  A Guitar God of the highest order.

Anyway, yeah... Skid Row.   I was never into them... but for some reason '18 And Life' became a closet fave song for Umlaut somewhere over the past 20 years or whatever.  A spoiler alert look at the setlist said it was the 5th song of the set... and they played it...  and then I was gone.  Yes, some would say I was misguided especially since right after I ducked back into the club Scott Gorham appeared and I could have "met" him again... but that's not the way this night played out.  No worries or regrets.  "Time is my crime.."

I didn't do a merch audit tonight.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. I would see Black Star Riders again in a heartbeat to bask in the warm youthful embrace of those old Thin Lizzy songs led by Mr. Gorham again.  I listened to nothing but Thin Lizzy the next day and pulled this out of the Umlaut Archives:

Gorham signed it for me in 1992 when he came through town with a band called 21 Guns... but I only went to their in-store appearance and not their show.. and I had completely forgotten about 21 Guns until right now.

"That jukebox in the corner blasting out my favorite song...  
These nights are getting longer and it won't be long... It won't be long...  
Til Summer comes and The Boys are back in town."

Auld Lang Syne

Sorry, guys... but December 2013 was my "lost" month as far as this blog goes.  For various reasons I didn't post show rants... but for the record these were the shows I attended:

12/11 - High On Fire / Kvelertak / Windhand - The Regency, San Francisco
12/11 - Fates Warning - DNA Lounge, San Francisco
12/18 - Megadeth - The Warfield, San Francisco
12/27 - The Oath - The Garage, London, England

Yeah, I've been sort of busy and distracted... blah blah blah.  In short:

• Windhand were great even if they channel Acid King a good bit IMO.  Kvelertak were awesome as usual (one of my fave live bands) and High On Fire were more thunderous than ever but I think I've seen them too many times and need a break, 
• Fates Warning was a nice face time reunion with old friend bassist Joey Vera (Armored Saint) and although I don't know anything about Fates Warning (aka I'm a poser) their Prog Metal was really good.
• Yes, 12/11 was a doubleheader night for Umlaut.  The last one was back in April 2012.
• Megadeth was another nice face time reunion with old friends Mr. Mustaine and Mr. Ellefson.  The band played basically the same set as I saw in September with Iron Maiden.
• The Oath were a nice cherry on the top of a great return Christmas visit to my spiritual home city of London (according to my passports it was my 15th visit to the birthplace of NWOBHM since 1995.. crazy how time flies..).  The Oath recently supported Ghost in Germany.  I'm glad I saw the band before their debut album, which is due out later this year on Rise Above Records.

This new year of 2014 marks the 10th Anniversary (TEN... YEARS) of this blog / rant space and at the moment I'm burned out on it.  Honesty is my only excuse.  We'll see if I can get inspired again in the near future.. Fingers crossed.  TEN.. YEARS.  Anyway, Umlaut's 2013 ended with..

Melvins / Redd Kross / Frightwig
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
New Year's Eve 2013

This was a very special bill for Umlaut because the Melvins and Redd Kross were THE two bands I gravitated to the most after I fell out of love with Metal in the mid to late 80's.   These bands specifically helped me to regain an innocent love of bands and music again. I had burned out on Metal and was disillusioned as "my" bands (specifically Metallica) had suddenly become popular with the types of people (specifically jocks) who had previously belittled and marginalized me.  These were the types of people who had made me feel isolated in the world... and music became my best friend... and via this music I suddenly found kindred souls who became my friends.  Then that scene was "gone" in my eyes... and again I felt isolated... but thankfully I was introduced to bands like the Melvins and Redd Kross by roommates and friends and I became obsessed with bands all over again... for the first time.  The Melvins and Redd Kross are as sacred to me as Mercyful Fate and Motörhead; they represent another phase in my life.  Anyway...

Prior to the show I met friends, some of whom I've known for 20 years, for a nice pre-show Thai dinner at Lers Ros Thai... and then we few, we happy few, waded through the human detritus of The Tenderloin and around the corner to the venue.  Sadly, while we were having dinner a 6-year old girl was killed and her mom and younger brother critically injured by an SUV as they crossed the street just around the corner from us.  Awful.

I only watched Frightwig for a couple of songs before going downstairs to say "Hi" to the headliners. Frightwig had Eric Drew Feldman (Captain Beefheart, PJ Harvey) playing keyboards!?  Interesting.

According to the Umlaut Archives this was around the 10th time I've seen Redd Kross. They played the perfect setlist that had a song or so from their latest album Researching The Blues and a slew of their most beloved songs like 'Annie's Gone', 'I Hate My School', 'Frosted Flake', 'Pretty Please Me', and 'Jimmy's Fantasy'. When they careened into 'Annie's Gone' I had a profound sense of deja vu back to my late 80's days in San Jose when I was first introduced to Redd Kross by an old roommate in a house we rented on 3rd Street.  Good times.. ain't we lucky we got 'em.  Things came full circle 20 years after the fact when they brought Frightwig onstage to perform 'Crazy World' with them; Redd Kross covered the song back in 1993.   They then closed with a roaring version of 'Deuce' complete with Jeff / Steve recreating the Gene / Ace stage moves just like the old days.

According to the Umlaut Archives this was around the 37th time I've seen the Melvins. Tonight it was the bedrock Melvins / Big Business version of the band performing.  I absolutely love how the Melvins (aka Buzz and Dale) have 2 or 3 different versions of the band that tour and record now; eclectic versatility that keeps their output and performances interesting.  The Melvins (aka Buzz and Dale) have found a way to adapt and change; they are like the cockroach.

Instead of taking to the stage in 2013 and then stopping their set for the obligatory midnight countdown, the Melvins waited until the stroke of midnight and walked onstage in 2014. They were accompanied by a vintage recording of 'Auld Lang Syne' that segued into a loop of the coughing intro from Sabbath's 'Sweet Leaf' as the obligatory balloons fell from the ceiling. Perfect!

I thought it was a nice touch for them to open with the crushing epic 'Hag Me' since 2013 had marked the 20th Anniversary (!!) of the Houdini album.. and 75 minutes or so later the show ended with 'Hung Bunny' / 'Roman Dog Bird' from the Lysol record.  In between those vintage bookends the 4 Horsemen of the Rockalypse played their usual enchanting mix of newer songs (like 'A Growing Disgust'.. 'City Dump'..) as well as more ancient songs that old fans like Umlaut still geek out over (like 'Sweet Willy Rollbar'... 'Your Blessened'..).  The cadence call and response classic that is 'The Water Glass' was a perfect New Year's song. 

As I've probably said before in this space, at this point in my life a Melvins show in San Francisco is as much of a reunion as a concert.  There are at least a couple of old friends from back in The Day who I only see at their shows now... and after being around the band for 20+ years it's nice just to be able to casually chat with the Melvins (aka Buzz and Dale) about different shit now.  It's not like that with some other bands who I've know for that long or even longer.  Anyway...

Footnote:  I can't remember the last time I didn't drink alcohol at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.  It wasn't by choice but because I didn't want to lose my cushy stage right spot and deal with the bar.  Priorities for 2014 have now been set.

I didn't do a merch audit.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags.  Then 48 hours later, one thing led to another, and I was at a San Jose Sharks game with this perspective:

[Pic courtesy of Old Man Moss]

Then this happened:

[Video courtesy of Umlaut's iPhone]

'Honeybucket' on Ice!  The song was selected by Sharks #22 Dan Boyle who is a big Melvins fan.  Pretty cool, right?   Also a damn fine way to start the New Year which, as I said at the start of this, is the 10th year of me doing this "blog".   Let's see what happens... THANKS for the support.

We Hit A Wall

Chelsea Wolfe / True Widow
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
September 30, 2013

 

I haven't really been interested in following a "singer / songwriter" artist like Chelsea Wolfe in a long while.  I will admit that my interest in her was raised after hearing about her via friends and press coverage that were all underground Metal types. The fact she appeals to that demographic intrigued me.  Her haunting, dense, and hypnotizing music is interesting and tonight would be the first time I would be seeing the icon who is Chelsea Wolfe live and in person.

As I approached the Great American I was rather shocked at the number of crazed crackheads wandering the surrounding streets.  Yes, it is The Tenderloin but it was unusually awkward tonight.  This was highlighted by one wacked out guy in particular who swerved up and down the Will Call line randomly talking about how many transvestites he'd been with since coming to San Francisco ... and how many transvestites he has punched since coming to San Francisco.  Ooookay get me inside already..

I saw about half of True Widow's set and it was good in that shoegaze way that sounds both dated and inspired at the same time here in the 21st Century.  Tonight was the final show of this U.S. Tour and was also basically a homecoming show for Chelsea since she has Sacramento roots... which is kind of charming.  However, her mystique was slightly blown for me as she set up her own gear and did her own mic check.  Check one...

I'll be completely honest and say I was not blown away by Chelsea Wolfe live.  After her band individually walked onto the dark and smoke machine filled stage, Chelsea breezed onstage behind them and began singing into her dual microphone stands.  Obviously, each stand ran her vocals through different effects to recreate her surreal recorded voice for the live setting.  Obviously.  Anyway, it was effective and Chelsea sort of has her onstage charisma down... but it didn't really engage me.  To be honest, my brain kept comparing seeing Chelsea Wolfe for the first time to seeing these female artists on their debut tours:

[From the Umlaut Archives]

Seeing Chelsea Wolfe's performance didn't change my head space like seeing the debut San Francisco performances of Sinead O'Connor (whose backing band included 1/2 of The Smiths on bass and drums!) and especially PJ Harvey (when she still played guitar and performed as a trio with a bassist and drummer) did.  The latter's performance started me down a path of musical obsession that exists to this day.  Anyway,  tonight was good... but not great... it wasn't you.. it was me.   I'm still a fan, Chelsea.  Honest.

Anyway, I was also distracted by the drama going on directly behind me as a couple started having a fight during the first song.   It was obvious the jock-type boyfriend did not want to be there and was being a dick about it.  This can be summed up by 3 things the girlfriend said loud enough to hear:

"Don't fuck this up.."
"Are you fucking kidding me..."
"I've waited over a year for this.."

Hopefully Romeo and Juliet were able to appreciate the appropriate irony of Chelsea and her band playing 'We Hit A Wall' shortly after this exchange.  I got out of their way and went back to the bar.

Number of Angel Witch back patches = 1.  If you bought one of every Chelsea Wolfe merch item you would have paid around $220.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.  The next day I listened to The Cure all day for some reason.  Boys don't cry.  Not Metal.

Year End

(the) Melvins / Pins Of Light
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
December 29, 2012 

Parking around the Great American can be a pain in the ass these days.  However, the evening got off to a nice start when I spotted a lone parking space just around the corner from the venue.  Unfortunately the space was on a one way alley and I was at the wrong end of it... but I seized the moment and drove the wrong way down the alley, flipped a y-turn, and got the space.  That's how you drive if you wanna survive in The Big City, motherfuckers..

This was best show to end Umlaut's 2012. At this point a Melvins show in San Francisco is as much a reunion as a concert for Umlaut. Old friends who I never see anymore always come out of the woodwork for the night and that old school vibe is always thick in the air for me. Tonight was no exception as I was able to catch up with several friends who I hadn't seen since the last Melvins show I attended.  Very good times and the show hadn't even started yet.

Pins Of Light have become one of my favorite local live bands this year. Their Punk stylings combined with a very subtle Classic Rock bedrock works perfectly with their blazingly charismatic onstage personality. It was cool seeing them win over a Melvins crowd that was unfamiliar with them... 45 minutes well spent.  It was equally cool seeing all of the Melvins guys watching at least some of their set from stage left as well.  Check. Them. Out.   

According to the Umlaut Archives this was at least my 36th Melvins show. There was a time between 1992-99 when I thought the Melvins were the greatest band, like, ever.  Fast forward to the 21st Century and I'm starting to think that way again here at the end of 2012.  At this point the Melvins basically do whatever the fuck they want, tour in whatever configuration (Melvins / Big Business combo or Melvins Lite) they fucking want, and release whatever the fuck they want.  The recent explosion of Melvins crazy cool vinyl releases via Amphetamine Reptile puts Jack White and Third Man Records to shame.  Anyway, right around 10:30pm I followed the Melvins up the backstage stairs to the stage:

Unlike the Melvins Lite tour earlier this year (which Umlaut unfortunately missed) tonight featured the now classic Melvins / Big Business lineup that has revived and renewed the band's juggernaut in a way I never would have thought possible. There was a time back in the 20th Century when the thought of the Melvins with TWO drummers seemed like a very bad joke... but this configuration still totally and completely works.

Tonight's set was a surgical 75 minutes that featured a nice slice across most of the Melvins world.  Seeing the old brain damage hammers 'Hag Me' and also 'Hung Bunny' / 'Roman Dog Bird' from Lysol (!) performed again was great but it's now awesome to witness the absolutely epic 'Civilized Worm' unfold onstage and watch the crowd unfold with it.  Epic.  Absolutely epic.  Also, the cadence call-and-response of 'The Water Glass' is now a performance wonder to behold as well.  "We are ready!"   At one point Buzz broke a string mid-song (during 'The Bit') and after his tech switched him out his wounded weapon lay next to me. 

It looks so peaceful laying there, right?  Shhhh...

The Great American was pretty much at capacity for the headliners and I could feel the heat from the collected humans from where I stood every now and then.  I watched the set from stage left and it was nice to see that the front rows were mainly younger fans who are probably not much different than I was 20 years ago as a Melvins fanatic.  It's hard to fathom that the Melvins will be celebrating their 30th Anniversary next year.  On the flip side, it's inspiring to see that their crowd isn't just old fart Music Geeks like me but rather a healthy mix of aging Music Geeks as well as the younger generations of Melvins aficionados.  "We are ready, ready, ready!"  As I told Buzz and Dale afterwards:  They're still awesome even after all this time... and I was not blowing smoke up their ass.  Melvins Rule O.K..

Rock Star sightings = Mike Patton.  The next time I see the Melvins won't be until next May at Maryland Deathfest 2013... or as Buzz called it "some Metal Fest".  Should be epic.  I completely spaced because of the socializing and didn't do a merch audit... but the Melvins were offering the limited edition red / white swirl 12" split with Redd Kross.  I thought was only going to be available at the New Year's Eve show the two were playing together in L.A..  Of course a copy went home with me.  The Geeks shall inherit the Earth.

On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.  Oh, in the backstage hallway the Great American has a small tribute to the legendary epic Amebix show that the venue hosted in 2009!

 

Pretty cool, right?!  No gods, No masters.  Melvins. This was Umlaut's 47th and final gig of 2012..  It was a good year for me (dog bless) and this show was the perfect volume finale.  See y'all next year!

Neurotica

Redd Kross
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
August 8, 2012


It's been a special week for Umlaut, with 3 of my all time favorite bands visiting The Bay Area within a week of each other. First it was Iron Maiden and Cheap Trick last weekend and then on a Wednesday night it was Redd Kross! Amazingly this was Redd Kross' first show in S.F. in 5 years and I think 1 of only 8 shows the band is playing this Summer.

Warning: Umlaut is in a Non-Metal frame of mind; I've simply burned out on seeing most mid-level Metal bands these days. I need a break from the same-old vocal style and the same old guitar tone and the same old drumming style. Yawn... It will be interesting to see what shows I actually make it out of Casa de Umlaut for in the coming months. I'll come back to The Metal at some point (I always do), but right now Metal is that good friend who's become annoying because we've spent way too much time together. Sorry, Metal... It's not you, it's me.

Anyway, Redd Kross are a very sentimental favorite for Umlaut dating back to the late-80's. After I burned out on Metal the first time back then (TRUE!), they were a band I discovered through an old roommate via their Teen Babes From Monsanto EP and Neurotica album. They reminded me of Cheap Trick and, for the newbies, although they were from L.A. Redd Kross were a big influence on the Seattle Scene that begat Grunge. Fast forward to 2012 and original guitarist Robert Hecker plays on the band's brand new album, but is not touring with them like he did in 2007... which was a bummer.

Anyway, at this point I've seen Redd Kross double digit times and seeing or hearing them is like running into an old friend. The McDonald brothers and their supporting cast of Jason Shapiro on lead guitar and Roy McDonald (no relation.. I think..) on drums walked onstage a bit late at around 10:15pm and flipped the switch on a musical time machine that lasted for a good 80 minutes. As I said earlier, Redd Kross had not visited San Francisco in 5 years and tonight was also only the band's 2nd show here in 15 years (!). It's crazy how time flies, man... but Steve and Jeff McDonald have not aged at all.

[Photo courtesy of Sensory Abuse]

The set was a nice cross section of the band's history. It featured ancient favorites like 'Blow You A Kiss In The Wind', 'Annie's Gone', 'Annette's Got The Hits', and 'Frosted Flake' and also nuggets from the early-90's with 'Lady In The Front Row' and 'Pretty Please Me'. The songs from the band's brand new album Researching The Blues translated great to the stage and, of course, Steve used At Budokan-isms to introduce them ("This is the 1st song off our new album, etc etc"). The more things change, the more they stay the same!

Just as they did the last time they played San Francisco, Jeff and Steve gave a shout out to the city for being "the first" to accept Redd Kross a million years ago. This was followed by their cover of the song 'Crazy World' by the underground 80's S.F. band Frightwig. They also namechecked some of the clubs here like The On Broadway; ironically that space is hosting live events again here in the 21st Century. Nice touch, guys.

Later in the set Jeff's teenage daughter came out for lead vocals on a new non-album song called 'Pop Show' and it was interesting to watch the offspring of Power Pop Royalty (her parents being Jeff and Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Go's) perform. The set also highlighted a of bunch of early Born Innocent-era songs which was also interesting considering that Steve has been resurrecting old L.A. Punk ghosts with OFF! recently.

It was very much a time machine night; I hope someone bootlegged it! On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. By the way, Redd Kross have a direct connection to my catchphrase "On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.".. For those who are interested, the story began with this show review from the very first issue of the original Umlaut xeroxed fanzine in 1992:

From Umlaut - Issue #1 (The debut Umlaut review...)
Metallica - Arco Arena, Sacramento - 1/11/92
We were supposed to be on the guest list. We weren't. We were pissed. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. We drove 300+ miles, halfway across the fuckin' state for nothing. Metallica probably cleared $200,000 that night. Corporate rock sucks.

Those pimply-faced teenagers were partying in the back of a pickup truck as we walked back to Big Wayne's car. What that original review didn't say was how Big Wayne and I drove like crazy all the way back to downtown San Jose from Sacramento in time to catch REDD KROSS at the Cactus Club (R.I.P.)! Redd Kross were greater than Metallica in 1992. So there you go and now you know.

"Laughing at all the assholes at The Rainbow.."

Souls At Zero

Neurosis / Yob / USX
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
January 15, 2011

It's taken me a good 3 days and nights to try and get my head around what Neurosis unleashed on San Francisco last weekend. This was the first epic bill of 2011 and definitely THE hottest ticket in the city last week; Neurosis’ first hometown area shows in over 3 years (!). Tickets for these sold out shows were posted on Craigslist for $150 - $200 each! WTF... but given the magnitude of this weekend I wasn’t that surprised Capitalism reared its opportunistic head. I was stoked to be seeing The Bay Area's legendary sons of darkness again since I have a long history with them dating back 20 (!) years. Neurosis were basically THE soundtrack when I first started Umlaut as a xeroxed fanzine back in the early-90's. Click HERE to read something about those crazy, crusty days.

San Francisco - 1993
(From the Umlaut Archives)

USX (aka U.S. Christmas): USX caught me off guard by how good they were... I've seen their name before but, to be honest, I thought it was one of the lamer band names around. However, seeing the band and hearing their songs made me remember that sometimes you can't always tell a book by its cover. USX has one of the more eclectic lineups (vox / guitar, 2 drummers, bass, multi-instrumentalist, violinist, and guitar) and they generated some attention grabbing music that was more Classic Rock than anything to my ears. Their 40 minutes onstage won me over... and that doesn't happen very often because I'm a jaded mofo. I made a note to arrive early the following night and pay closer attention to USX from their opening note.

Yob: Having Yob on this bill ratcheted things up 100x… To be honest, my anticipation was higher to see Yob than it was for the headliners. Yob treads the same trail laid down by Sleep, but they manage to blaze their own way on that sacred volume path. As expected, The Beast from The Northwest were unbelievably heavy and laid waste to the land in the short time they were onstage. For some reason the band only played an abbreviated 3-song set that lasted all of 30 minutes… which wasn’t nearly enough time. However, because Yob plays live about as often as a Sasquatch sighting, their short time in San Francisco was still a landmark event.

Neurosis: I’m having a very difficult time trying to put the 2011 Neurosis live experience into words; it’s an all out assault on the ears, eyes, and (if you’re down front) body. There are very few bands who can legitimately be called a force of nature and it's not bullshit... and Neurosis is one of those few. As I mentioned earlier, I've been following the band for 20 (!) years and it's frightening how they seem more like a living breathing beast onstage rather than simply a band of 5 musicians and a visual artist... Neurosis are not unlike the Balrog in Lord Of The Rings.

Seriously... and, yes, I'm a dork for referencing The Lord of The Rings.

According to the Umlaut Archives this was my 19th Neurosis show. The men of darkness walked onstage and started the slow and crushingly dramatic intro to 'Through Silver In Blood'... which is one of the greatest Metal songs ever written IMO. That initial 5 minutes of having the music build… and build… and build until the song fully detonated is a live music moment that I can’t imagine being equaled for me this year. I’d forgotten how powerful Neurosis is onstage as they deliver their inspirational message of enlightenment rooted in despair and conflict via the 3 distinctive voices of Steve, Scott, and Dave. Within minutes I was reeling from how Neurosis could give my jaded mofo mind a shift in perspective and make me see things new again even after all these years. I was blind and now can see (again)... although my hearing is a little less now... but that's the trade off.

For almost 2 hours the band assaulted the senses and souls of the 600 humans in the room... Ambient sounds filled the air between songs before another song detonated. Neurosis onstage are a seamless audio and visual presentation; a full on sensory assault that is profoundly crushing and cerebral. A numbing version of 'Locust Star' kind of changed my life all over again as the band performed it with an astonishing amount of bile; I was caught off guard by how the band can still muster and project so much anger after all these years. A force of Nature... maybe even beyond Nature. The nature themes of many of the visuals (trees... wolves..) also made for a nice mental contrast to the urban filth just outside the venue’s door on the streets of The Tenderloin. For those who care, tonight's setlist:

• Through Silver And Blood
• At The End Of The Road
• The Doorway
• [new song]
• Given To The Rising
• [new song]
• Locust Star
• Water Is Not Enough
• Distill
• Stones From The Sky

I was blown away how seeing Neurosis live again could make me feel like my mind was being cleansed and reset; I felt profoundly connected to *something* again. Also, here in the 21st Century, it's hard for me to remember that this is the same band that I used to see in venues like pizza parlors...

(Photo by Umlaut)

I took that photo at a show in Orange County, California at Spanky's Pizza. Neurosis live visuals back in April 1992 with their former visual artist Adam Kendall... Long before laptops and DVDs.. A bicycle wheel with colored film attached to a movie projector to turn it.. slides.. a milk crate.. blocks of wood. Neurosis have come a LONG way.

A huge THANKS to TLB for helping me get into this sold out show! On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. Click HERE to see SF Sludge's pics from the night! Then 24 hours later it was.....

Neurosis / Saviours / USX
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
January 16, 2011

Originally I kind of wasn't planning to attend the second night.. but after the mind altering, life affirming experience of the first night it was Carpe Diem time; seize the fucking day, man. Life is too short to pass on experiences just because you're tired... and leaping back into the Neurosis abattoir again was the best thing I could have done.

USX (aka U.S. Christmas): Following their excellent set the night before, I made sure that we arrived early to see all of USX's set. Because I'm a jaded mofo it's not often that a band catches my attention and I was looking forward to picking apart what I liked about USX while seeing them again. As their set unfolded before me again I was struck by how they wouldn't be out of place opening for Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds with their hybrid of North Carolina mountain music and retro Psychedelic Rock. I was fascinated watching all 7 of their parts (guitar / vox, multi-instrumentalist, violin, 2 drums, bass, guitar) working together like the parts of a clock... Tick tock ticking out their hypnotic volume. USX are a tricky band to define so I'm just going to say that since the show I've bought most of their recorded material... to study... and pick apart.

Saviours: Seeing the Saviours on this bill was like watching Motörhead open for Pink Floyd... but it totally worked. The Saviours brand of NOWBHM-influenced Classic Metal washed away all of my mental grime and prepared my ears and psyche for the Neurosis assault that was to follow. Plus, seeing a "To-Cool-For-The-School" hipster girl get a beer spilled on her by the crowd action as the band started 'Acid Hand' made me laugh out loud. She was bummed... but she should have known better. Rookie. The local boys played a SOLID set and it was my first time seeing them with new bassist Carson, who joins his Saviours bandmate Austin and Matt Pike in the "Band Dudes From Oakland Who Don't Wear Shirts Onstage" Club.

During the stage changeover I found myself up in the boxseats chatting with old friends and ended up staying in that lookout position for Neurosis' set (THANKS Todd).

Neurosis: The set tonight had a different pace than the previous night; it was more deliberate... slower... on its path through the darkness. The song selection ebbed and flowed between quieter cerebral to the blasting cerebral more profoundly than the previous night. The highlight was having my mind blown when the intro to 'The Web' (from the Souls At Zero album) announced the band unleashing that song... HOLY SHIT! Hearing and seeing that song played again felt like the past 20 (!) years of my life were being sucked into a vortex to land on top of me as I sat there in the balcony. Also, is 'The Web' the only Metal song to sample dialogue from a Star Trek episode? I think so ("Eternal bloodlust... Eternal warfare." - J.T. Kirk).

From my vantage point I became completely hypnotized watching the scene below me play out... From the ferocious audio / visual violence of the band to the human waves as the crowd action matched the rhythm of the band's beautiful violence. I thought my ribs were starting to ache from the memory of all of those Neurosis shows from long ago when I was down front getting hammered by elbows, feet, fists, and bodies. Time travel through volume.

After another 2 hours of catharsis, Neurosis closed their homecoming with 'Through Silver And Blood', which they had opened with the night before... which gave the weekend a sense of coming full circle and giving it closure. Nicely done, lads. Those Neurosis boys... always thinking. Oh, who else noticed that Scott was flying his East Bay Oakland Raiders colors onstage tonight by wearing his #87 - Dave Casper jersey? Cute. The Geeks shall inherit The Earth. For those who care, tonight's setlist:

• At The End Of The Road
• The Web
• Given To The Rising
• Burn
• A Season In The Sky
• [new song]
• Water Is Not Enough
• [new song]
• Fear And Sickness
• Through Silver And Blood

According to the Umlaut Archives this was my 20th Neurosis show. My favorite bands are those who make me confront my inner darkness in order to appreciate them. It's not something "normal" people want to do, but without darkness there is no light... etc.. cliché.. etc.. If you’re willing to make an effort to weave Neurosis' music into your head it’s like looking into a black tinted mirror that reflects back on yourself. Is that weird? Oh well… Only darkness has the power.It was a stunning 2 nights of Neurosis.... completely amazing... I know it's another cliché, but it really is CRAZY how time flies, man.

I was so moved and blown away by these shows that I bought a merch item from every band. If you bought one of every Neurosis merch item you would have paid around $250 (I think). On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. After only 16 days into this year I've already reconnected with two of my favorite bands from the 20th Century: Melvins and now Neurosis. The more things change the more they stay the same, man. Trivia: This Neurosis band photo was taken at the Great American Music Hall:

Click HERE to see Photo Ray's shots from the night!