Deke Dickerson first was known for his combo featuring the multitalented Dave Stuckey, but his solo material has taken on a life of its own. His forthcoming new album, the aptly titled The Melody, is his sixth and possibly best to date. From the 1960s-style tom-tom-driven beats of “Broken Heart” to the harmony-laden “Safely In Love,” there’s little room for improvement. “I wanted to put out an album of songs that had such strong melodies that they simply wouldn’t leave your head,” Dickerson said about his current release. Since Dickerson and his band, the Ecco-Fonics, tour quite regularly abroad and in the United States, this stop at the Palms Playhouse comes as no great surprise. If you’re a fan of early American country, swing and rockabilly, this Friday’s 8:30 p.m. show is a must. Admission is $15 at the Palms, located at 13 Main Street in Winters. Visit www.dekedickerson.com for more information. (SN&R)
Robbie Fulks doesn’t need a 10-gallon hat and a 5-pound belt buckle to prove his country cred.
The Palms Playhouse, once a barn located in Davis, always seems to be an epicenter for whatever town it happens to reside in. For the last couple of years, Winters has played host to the lovely club in a small opera house whose interior more resembles a high-school gymnasium than a place to hear arias and multipart love sagas. This week, Chicago-based Robbie Fulks, onetime member of Grammy-nominated bluegrass group the Special Consensus, will grace the venue on a tour in support of his latest release, Georgia Hard. Out now on Yep Roc Records, it’s largely a country record displaying Fulks’ penchant for off-kilter lyrics, awkward humor and musical prowess. Fulks’ unpredictability is his greatest attribute. If tracks like “Leave It To A Loser” and “All You Can Cheat” don’t put a smile on your frown, consider yourself hopeless. Fulks plays the Palms Playhouse, located at 13 Main Street in Winters, on Tuesday. The show is at 8 p.m. and costs $12. Visit www.robbiefulks.com for sound bites and more info.
Modern metal customs may dictate that short hair and baseball caps are suitable attire, but the boys in Nevermore are keeping it real.
Dave Mustaine, the fearless leader of Megadeth and ex-member of Metallica, has assembled a Lollapalooza for metalheads called Gigantour. The lineup boasts a bevy of high-caliber acts including Dream Theater, the Dillinger Escape Plan, Fear Factory and, of course, his own band. But one act stands out above the rest: Nevermore. Coincidentally, this Seattle-based band will release a new album, This Godless Endeavor, on the same day Gigantour hits the Cove in the Cal Expo Fairgrounds. The album promises to up the ante for “thinking man’s metal.” Vocalist Warrel Dane could make reading the Yellow Pages sound interesting, and his traveling band of gypsies—which now includes ex-Testament guitarist Steve Smyth—straddles the great divide between technical power-metal and unabashed thrash. Fans of Dane’s former band, Sanctuary, should be more than satisfied with newer songs like “Final Product” and “The Psalm Of Lydia.” Gigantour kicks off at (gasp!) 3 p.m. this Tuesday. Visit www.gigantour.com for info.
Around these parts, Anton Newcombe is known as the other Anton.
It’s hard to believe that Brian Jonestown Massacre, named after the sadly departed Rolling Stones guitarist, was formed more than 15 years ago. Since its inception, the band has maintained an unhealthy touring and release schedule interrupted by various member changes and countless pissing contests. Thanks to the enormous popularity of the Dig! documentary—which made BMJ vocalist Anton Newcombe’s existence appear much more dramatic than any tabloid ever could—the band is back on the road yet again and the buzz is stronger than ever. Though countless fools believe the Dandy Warhols’ performance in Dig! was mightier than Newcombe’s tour de force, the proof is in the pudding. One listen to BMJ’s recently released (and well-timed) Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: A Retrospective should be enough reason to trash your copy of the Warhols’ Welcome to the Monkey House. The fact that the band is gracing the tiny, two-foot-high stage of Old Ironsides is the other. Catch them at 1901 10th Street on Saturday at 9 p.m. with Th’ Losin Streaks and Quarter After. Bring $10 for admission and your mescalin.
The many moods of Krisiun, from left to right: “Don’t even take my picture, blowmonkey,” “Come give papa a hug” and “Satan!”
While Brazil’s Sepultura was garnering seemingly all of the South American metal coverage in the U.S. press, many bands were yet to be discovered there. Raebelliun and Krisiun, perhaps the most extreme bands in the death-metal genre, upped the ante for metal bands worldwide with hyper-speed drumming and unrelenting guitar onslaughts. Krisiun, on tour in support of its latest release, Bloodshed, has done many treks across our country and amassed quite a following along the way. Brothers Max and Moyses Kolesne, along with guitarist extraordinaire Alex Camargo, have formed a trio whose speed, precision and depth is unrivalled. Check out the “Murderer” or “Slain Fate” MP3 samples on their site at www.krisiun.com.br or visit The Boardwalk this Tuesday and hear for yourself. Krisiun shares the stage with Hate Eternal, Incantation, Into Eternity and All Shall Perish. The all-ages show starts at 8:30 p.m. at The Boardwalk, located at 9426 Greenback Lane in Orangevale. Visit www.boardwalkrocks.com for more info. (SN&R)
Your Fourth of July weekend has gone to the Dawgs.
For the better part of 20 years, Bawb Pearce has led one of the Sacramento Valley’s best blues-rock attractions. Pearce and his three accomplices—Steve Wall, James Curry and Otis Mourning—make up the current incarnation of the Beer Dawgs. While most bands fear playing too much in the area, the Beer Dawgs maintain a regular regimen of four or five local shows a week, drawing capacity crowds regularly. From the band’s regular stint at the Torch Club to local biker gatherings, Time-Out Tavern and the Sands Regency in Reno, the band makes the rounds and then some. There’s a reason it’s flourished in a scene where countless others have failed, and you can find out why when the Beer Dawgs play Constable Jack’s, located at 515 Main Street in Newcastle, this Friday at 9 p.m. The cover is $6. So, head on up the hill toward Reno and stop your car just before the real traffic starts in the lovely ol’ town of Newcastle. You won’t be sorry. Call (916) 663-9385 for more information. (SN&R)
If they gave out Sammies for best hair, Th’ Losin Streaks would be in the Hall of Fame.
Few bands in Sacramento can top the visual onslaught that is Th’ Losin Streaks. Although the band has only been around for the better part of two years, its live show is unrivalled. From drummer Matt K. Shrugg’s spastic hand and foot work to guitarist Mike Farrell’s one-armed, nouveau dance-guitar shtick, there isn’t a dull moment. Frontman Tim Foster knows how to whip a bored bar crowd into a frenzy with his off-kilter stage persona. Sure, the sets are short and the songs are brief, but, like any good garage band, that’s the lure. If you haven’t heard the band yet (or are in need of a good, swift, ass kickin’), Th’ Losin Streaks will deliver on all fronts. While the band prepares to record the follow-up to its debut platter, Sounds of Violence, it has a small handful of local dates to appease its ever-growing fan base. This Saturday’s show at the Blue Lamp, located at 1400 Alhambra Boulevard, includes the legendary Bananas and the up-and-coming Black Dahlias. Hide your girlfriend. (SN&R)
If you haven’t seen Mikey Hood, guitarist and founding member of Hoods, around these parts of late, it’s because his band of traveling gypsies has been on the road celebrating its emancipation from Victory Records. Although the joining of forces with a label seemed inevitable, based on the band’s work ethic alone, it was only a matter of time before label shenanigans infuriated the energetic Mikey into threatening a bloody coup. Thankfully, before any blood was spilled in the streets of Chicago, the band signed to Eulogy Recordings, home to such noted acts as the Warriors, Calico System, Rag Men and On Broken Wings. Hoods play with one of their labelmates, Donnybrook, this Saturday at West Coast Worldwide. The all-ages show starts at 8 p.m. Admission is $7. The band likes to keep the whereabouts of its favorite downtown haunt limited to those “in the know.” If you’re not, visit www.westcoastworldwide.com and tell ’em Fast Eddie sent you.
Immolation makes a long-overdue return to Sacramento
A death-metal band with long hair, black clothes and grim expressions? How unusual!
8:30 p.m. Thursday; with Deicide, Skinless, the Misery Index and With Passion; $22.50; all ages. The Boardwalk, 9426 Greenback Lane in Orangevale, www.boardwalkrocks.com.
After several thwarted attempts to speak with Ross Dolan, the bassist and vocalist for Yonkers, N.Y., death-metal band Immolation, I almost decided to pack it in. As the band’s current tour made its way through parts of Canada and onto U.S. soil, it seemed like our 15-minute interview would never come to fruition. Nevertheless, after the tour manager’s sincere apology, I finally caught up with the band’s fearless leader in the lovely town of Prince George, British Columbia—during sound check.
It’s been way too long since Immolation has played Sacramento. “Man, we haven’t played there since about 1997,” said the enthusiastic frontman above the din of a bass-drum sound check. “I forget the name of the place, but it had a barbeque and shit. We were on tour with Six Feet Under. … I guess it was Bojangles?”
Right. It has been a long time.
For the better part of 20 (gasp!) years, Immolation has been releasing quality albums and demos that continually push the intellectual boundaries of its commonly ridiculed genre. To the outsider, Immolation is merely another death-metal band with Cookie Monster vocals. Upon further inspection, nothing could be farther from reality. Immolation’s sound—a quirky mixture of extreme metal with British metal’s chord structures and odd phrasing—is anything but typical fare.
Immolation’s devoted legion of fans is growing in number. Many seem drawn to the band’s obvious disdain for Christianity and organized religion, evident on its latest recording, Harnessing Ruin. “I’ve read really positive and really negative things about the record,” said Dolan. “The fact is you’re never going to make everybody happy,” he added with a hearty, evil laugh.
There’s even a bit of politics on the band’s latest long-player, out now on Olympic Recordings. As Dolan explained, “It’s very subtle because, again, we’re not a political band. Yeah, you could interpret [the lyrics] how you wish. It is very vague how we address topics, but the new album addresses what’s going on in the world and stuff.”
Although most bands rise to notoriety on the coattails of others, Immolation actually has headlined most of its tours. “We’ve actually been headlining since the Failures for Gods record [in 1999]. We’re enjoying the support slot this time around,” gloated Dolan. “At times, we would get the ‘headlining blues’ on an off night, since there are always kids that have to get to work the next day.”
Their current tour finds the members of Immolation—Dolan; guitarists Bill Taylor and Robert Vigna; and the newest member, Steve Shalaty on drums—playing direct support to Florida hate machine Deicide. “Deicide has been really cool to us on this tour, and so have the other bands,” Dolan said amicably. “We’re hoping to land another support gig near the end of the year.”
It turns out that the addition of Shalaty, though the band most likely would disagree with the wording, was a godsend. “Steve did such a great job. He just became ‘the man.’ On our first tour with Steve, we only had four or five days for him to learn the material, and he even learned two more songs on the road. Even now, we had a bunch of older songs that he didn’t know, and we’d go to his house, and he’d nail them,” Dolan said.
Unfortunately, getting the band together these days for practice isn’t as easy as it used to be. “Bob and I live in Yonkers, 15 minutes north of Manhattan. Bill lives in Tampa, Fla., and Steve lives in Ohio with a roommate,” he said. “Bob and I drive to Ohio on any given Friday [almost 10 hours away] and drive back on a Sunday.” If that isn’t dedication, what is?
“We’re very passionate about what we do and think the world should be handed to us,” Dolan said in closing.
There was a short period during the 1990s when our great city deserved the moniker “Suckramento”—the only town where White Zombie could fill Arco Arena, and you could still find tickets available to Paul McCartney on the day of the show. But, over the last couple of months, unless you were busy playing with your TiVo, recording Fear Factor reruns, you may have noticed that more than a handful of national acts have graced our stages.
Yes, Sacramento has been on many tour schedules as of late, rather than being a mere pit stop on the way to a larger Mecca, such as San Francisco or Reno. Once considered a “tertiary” market by major labels, known mostly for its ties to Tower Records’ corporate headquarters and for being home to our beloved governor’s office, the capital city has slowly made a name for itself.
On that note, 2005 has been an interesting time for local promoter Brian McKenna. Although it seemed like his independent company, Abstract Presents (at www.abstractpresents.com), had been downshifting and moving away from the spotlight, his current lineup has proven just the opposite. Like any sport or extracurricular activity, music is seasonal—and then some—and it’s just starting to get good.
While attendance varies from artist to artist, one thing is clear: People are coming out to live music again. Filling a venue like the 900-capacity Empire is a much more daunting task than one would presuppose, but the various capacities of venues like the Blue Lamp Lounge, UC Davis’ Freeborn Hall, the Crest Theatre and Old Ironsides offer a little something for touring troupes of any size.
From Queens of the Stone Age to Social Distortion, from the Aquabats to Benevento/Russo Duo, we’ve been (and will be) getting treated to a bevy of varied music without having to endure the long, arduous trip to San Francisco.
Perhaps if you’ve seen promoters like McKenna pacing a venue before a show, you might be able to realize the added pressure of promoting as opposed to merely attending. Twenty-five bucks for a Digable Planets show or even 10 bucks for the Ditty Bops is a small price to pay when you consider that the promoter usually is paying upward of 50 times that amount to secure the act.
Artists get paid a fee for services rendered, which is, for the most part, negotiated through a second party—usually a talent agency with multiple artists—by local promoters like Abstract. Nearly all touring acts require some kind of compensation; usually half of their guarantee is due up front, between 30 and 60 days before the scheduled performance.
For some ungodly reason, cover charges and ticket prices scare the common folks. Considering that the average person rationalizes spending almost double the amount of a given cover charge on various libations, this fact still is most perplexing.
Perhaps the changes in season are to blame for Sacramento’s obvious change in status. Perhaps it’s a shift in the economy. Whatever the reason, we’re finally coming into our own, and attendance is up. (SN&R)
Eddie
