Occult Wisdom || Forgotten Gods equals Old Friends Getting Together

I got a call from Spencer, old Booty Chesterfield Trio bass player, that his band had just received copies of the debut album (pressed on Vinyl!!!) and they were heading up for a little Northern tour of the bay area and Nevada City.  I caught them at our old stomping ground, The Caravan Lounge.  To my surprise, Blue Lang (drummer, producer and founding member of the Booty) was in town and at the show.  It was great to see those two, especially at our old haunt.


One thing that I have always loved about those guys is their ability to know other great musicians.  I figured their would be a pretty hot band playing with Occult Wisdom and I was not disappointed by San Jose's own Forgotten Gods.  This three piece tour it up and were in sync from the go.  Plus, that guitar tone cut through the thick stank of the dive bar like a hot knife through butter.

As usual Occult Wisdom was on their own wonderful display blasting through some of their new cuts.  Andy on drums vocals sounded better than ever and Spencer's leads left the drunken crowd wanting more.  Just a warm up on their way further up north.  Good luck with the new album boys!

I also have to give a shout out to Owl.  They were a great opening band that had the look as well as the dueling guitar solos down.  This band took their night jobs as if they were day jobs and I enjoyed the heck out of their set.

Phone storage was full and I only captured a partial song from Forgotten Gods.  It was enough to make me want to buy a shirt.

A Dipslay of Passion || Bell Tower || Caravan Dive Bar Series

Mr. Gump is famous for pointing out the fact that "Life is like a box of Chocolates.  You never really know exactly what your going to get.  Much can be said that the Caravan is too like a box of chocolates.  However, with some good knowledgeable friends to help you out; you can minimize your risk on getting a dud.  Thanks to Mr. Okubo's diligent pressure to visit to the caravan to check out Bell Tower, we hit it out of the park.  Bell Tower is a band that is hard to describe.  It is best to just plainly say, "They kick ass." 

Pujol || Detroit Cobras || Rocking the Casbah || San Francisco Trip

photo by Jeff Okubo

I'm telling you this 42 year father of two kids finds it harder and harder to get up to the city for a concert.  Family commitments and work commitments make it just as easy to turn on the old boob tube and watch some crappy tv.  Or better yet, just go to bed early so I can prepare for a big Saturday of Home Depot and Bed, Bath & Beyond.  Unfortunately fewer and fewer things get me motivated to get off my duff and make the commute up to San Francisco.  Pujol was one of those artists that I just couldn't miss.  And I thank you personally for coming to SF on a Friday night.  That makes my life a whole lot easier.  Oh yes, you picked a great little venue too.  The Bottom of the Hill holds great memories of many great shows.  And now add another one to the list.

Daniel Pujol is from Tennessee.  I discovered his music through a random selection of the Live series at Third Man Records.  What luck!  The raw energy in the performance made my jaw drop while the record spun on the turntable.  I immediately went out and bought his just released solo record, The United States of Being.  Great album.  And I knew from first exposure that the talent of this artist transcended out of the recording studio and into live performance; now considered a lost art among many artists and fans alike.  After many years of waiting and his second full length album release, Kludge, he booked a West Coast tour with seasoned veterans, The Detroit Cobras.

I had read that due to the fact of not being pidgeon-holed within certain bands he decided to have a rotating cast of musicians play with him, both in the recording studio and live.  I knew that it would probably be different members than I had seen in the youtube videos, however there was more than a likely chance that they would all be ripping musicians.  I was right.  They came out of the gates locked and loaded with all instruments a blazing.  The intertwining guitars and the aggressive bass all were mixed quite well for the crowd to enjoy.  Then there was a lady drummer.  I have always been a fan of women hitting the skins.  There is a certain rhythm that transcribes when they play.  Live songs from the Third Man album definitely sounded different. These tunes definitely sound good.  It became the performance.  They were tight.  The other guitarist played with a technical ferocity that confirmed to the audience know why he is in the band.  The only critique I would have is when he dove into some amazing solo territory, just a little boost and clarity to his tone would've been a lovely addition.  But I am definitely not complaining.  They did all the songs justice from my position in the crowd and they seemed affectionate and sincere with the appreciation that San Francisco bestowed upon them. 

After the show I had the opportunity to buy the bass player, Clayton, a beer.  It was the least I could do for the band considering they had no shirts to purchase (I had already pre-ordered Kludge).  He seemed appreciative of the gesture however in a way that it seemed like it was something new to him.  Innocent.  I also had the opportunity to meet Daniel and let him know how much we enjoyed their performance as well as a big "thank you" for coming west and a "please come again".

By now you can tell my main focus was on Pujol.  I had seen the Detroit Cobras before and had really enjoyed their show.  Still, after Pujol I felt I was done for the night.  Then the Cobras came on and did what they did best.  Rachel teased the crowd with a boozed up seductiveness that got people interested.  They had their routine down and it sounded good!  I had forgotten what a tight, straight up Rock & Roll band they are when they step up on that stage.  In between the puffs from the vaporizer and sucking down Moscow Mules, Rachel put it all on the front lines for the crowd to see.  Reminiscent of a wayward rock and roll era of the past, this show was a treat to see.  Unfortunately, I think that this type of performance is fading into the past as technical beats are infiltrating the minds of the future.  Go see them while you can!

Just gotta post this.....great, inspiring video that gets to the truth

I have always been a fan of this guy.  If you are ever thinking about starting a band, follow this logic laid upon the masses in this video and you can't go wrong.  Long live the Melvins!!!!

Them Slack Jawed Sons of Bitches || Nashville Pussy || The Blank Club || February 9, 2013

Last Saturday night The Blank Club delivered again with another great show.  I've seen Slack Jaw a bunch of times and I've seen Nashville Pussy many times too.  Both bands delivered great sets.  They crowd ate up the energy these bands were giving out.

To start off the night local yokels, Them Slack Jawed Sons of Bitches, gained the crowds attention with some rim shots, light picking and a sweet steel slide.  After that attention was gained, song two blasted into the realm of "rubber burnin' honky tonk".  Too punk to be country, but with the solid addition of Mr. Vaughn on pedal steel they never lose their country roots.  Basically, they just plain and simply rock.  And with newer addition Mr. Smith on bass guitar this quartet is really gelling as a whole.  They sure surprised the hell out of the crowd who came for Nashville Pussy!

However the majority of the crowd came to see The world famous Nashville Pussy.  That name has so much balls attached to it.  Give them props for that alone.  Now if you have never seen Nashville Pussy, I have to say if you like live rock and roll music, this should raise a few notches on your priority list.  This band has been one of the hardest rocking bands for years now.  People should stand up and take notice.  And to boot, a marriage has stayed whole through it all.  Pretty crazy if you think about it.  If you ever want to get a good lesson in the business of rock, check out the film "It's a long way..." that came out in 2010.  Nashville Pussy only hit the tip of the iceberg on what band business is all about.

There is one singular reason that these energetic middle-aged musicians still rock; they truly enjoy performing the music.  It shows with the energy that is them.  Again, another great show.  Thanks for coming to town.  And if that is not enough to convince you, the last time they came to town they opened for ZZ Top. Billy Gibbons must love them too.


To wrap it up, it is always so nice to see an affordable show in a comfortable atmosphere and have no problem getting a drink.  Many local shows do not have the crowd that these bands brought on Saturday night, but still I have to thank the owners for staying open and continuing to put up good, original traveling (and local) bands for those who have interest in seeing something different.  Thank you!  Here are some pics and videos of the action Saturday night.  Enjoy!  All photos by Jim Brick.  Thanks Jim!

El Buzzard || Flying Off With The Scraps || Hidden Rock'n'Roll p. 9

 
I had been contemplating why I wanted to write about El Buzzard since the inception of Lofi San Jose.  They have always been on the short list of 408 bands that I wanted to document.  I couldn't  really put my finger on it.  I only saw them once, about 8 years ago.  They opened for someone at the Blank Club; but they were the main attraction.  Then I found out that Josh Santaga was throwing himself a 40th birthday party and his two former bands, Curbside and El Buzzard were going to play.  I was stoked. Beyond stoked.  I wanted to re-evaluate El Buzzard in a new perspective.  Last night they played and they kicked some major ass.  What a treat to see them again.

check out that drum kit!

A few months back I started to write this piece.  I began to re-evaluate why I was writing this post.  El Buzzard must be explored deeper.  Why does this band resonate in my consciousness?  I only saw them once.  Why?  I must dig deeper.  Upon digging deeper into the thoughts concepts and perspectives of El Buzzard I found their simply, yet informative website.  A place where you can download all of their music for free.  I did just that and then placed it on heavy rotation in my Ipod.  The low fidelity music was great.  A chanting tribal blast of adrenaline.  Gringa is a must, however they all have some hits and some misses.  The misses basically fall into the category of background static, however the hits are a true onslaught of tone.  And what better way to see & feel the tone than in a live performance.  They are a POWERFUL band.  Big and bad.  That is what rang the truest in my memories and was re-awakened again last night.  They came out of the gates like a seasoned band who just wrapped up a 50 date tour, not one that has been sitting idle for the last 5 years.  What a true joy to see them.  I captured a video, but it doesn't do the live show justice.  It just allows a glimpse into what El Buzzard is/was.  My advice, if you see that they are playing go out and check the live show.  I'll be there!


Let me wrap up this post with an evaluation of the whole show last night.  It was Josh's birthday bash, so in regards to that he brought Curbside out of retirement as well as a band called 4Banger.  Both bands had not played in a while either but they sounded great.  Curbside has a lively frontman in Sean Bjordahl, and really got the crowd going.  They were before my time moving to the southbay, however it seemed like the veteran crowd really really dug the noise.  Shawn Packer was filling in on Bass and their drummer was a sheer join to see live.  You wanna talk about a live, snappy, quick punk drum sound....this dude was the backbone in Curbside.  Truly amazing that he still has the tightness after 20 years.   Here are a couple of videos of the other players.  All and all a really good night!

  4Banger

CURBSIDE

Diarrhea Planet / Jeff the Brotherhood || The Blank Club || Oct. 16, 2012

Ah, to feel young again.  Any time that I am blessed with the strength to rally on a Tuesday night, I am stoked.  Especially when the real treat is a couple of hot bands from Nashville, TN making their way through San Jose winning over fans one orchestrated note at a time.  This is a simple description of what was bestowed upon my eardrums on last Tuesday.

Diarrhea Planet are an onslaught of guitars.  A true orchestra in every sense of the word.  A rhythmic based band built on simplistic tunes that show their true colors in a live performance setting.  Yes, there is noodling.  But is done well and doesn't take center stage.  Whenever you get 28 strings all up on one stage...that could equal a lot of "ego" strapped around 5 dudes necks.  In other words, upon first appearance you go, "this could either be really good or really bad".  It was awesome.  They have worked through their material for the live show and come across textured and full of energy.  No wanking here.  Plus, you can tell that they truly love playing together.  It really shows that they are up there to have fun.  They blistered through a 45 minute set winnings over the locals.  I told myself there was no way I could buy a shirt that says, "Diarrhea Planet".  But song by song they won me over and adding money to their commission on the sales job they laid forth.  Good job Lads!

Next up was the headliner, Jeff the Brotherhood.  These guys have been getting a lot of attention lately in the underground music world.  And rightly so.  They have worked hard at their craft.  Youtube them.  It shows in their live performances that they have played together for a long time.  Hell, they are brothers by birth.  Tuesday night they came out guns a blazin' with stage theatrics and a whole routine.  My only complaint would be they seemed to run out of steam for a midweek non-premium city show.  It is a lot of hard work touring around the countryside trying to spread the word of your own creative forces.  And being a two man outfit (minimized by the fact that the guitar only has 3 strings on it) you don't get much support from the outside world when needed.  Comparing it to DP, one guy can have an off night and nobody in the crowd may notice.  In JTB, if one guy has an off night, the set is fucked.  Well, maybe that is a little strong, because they still were a treat to see live.  And they finished really strong.  However, compared to DP, who had the energy of a mid-level manager

after a two-week Hawaiian vacation, it'd seemed that JTB went a little flat about half way through.  Flat or not, thank you both bands for making your way through San Jose.  Music fans around here really appreciate it.  And you can tell it is working.  My favorite line of the night from JTB, "Hey is that one guy who was the only person in the audience the last time we played here in the crowd tonight?"  The joint will be full next time, JTB.