October 2005

Metal? At the Boardwalk?

Eddie October 27, 2005 No Comments

Warning to Bob Marley fans: This Exodus has nothing to do with Jah people.

The ’80s produced much more than A Flock of Seagulls, Spandau Ballet and Kajagoogoo. The Bay Area’s then-burgeoning thrash-metal scene released such heavyweights as Metallica, Megadeth and Testament on an unsuspecting public, but lesser-known bands like Exodus were the real cream of the crop. The band’s first record, Bonded By Blood, is considered a desert-island disc by the most discerning metal aficionados. While Exodus has endured countless lineup changes, the death of its original lead vocalist and multiple drug problems, the band’s releases have always been one step ahead of the metal curve. Guitarist Gary Holt is the only original member these days, but he’s backed by ex-Slayer skins man Paul Bostaph and Lee Altus of Heathen. They’re touring in support of Shovel Headed Kill Machine, an album that echoes the band’s short-lived Capitol Records years. Exodus plays an all-ages show at the Boardwalk, located at 9426 Greenback Lane in Orangevale, on Wednesday with Three Inches Of Blood, Crisis, Watch Them Die and Irritant. Advance tickets are $20, and the music starts at 8:30 p.m. Missing this show wouldn’t be good for your health.

(SN&R)

Media

Cage match: Winters vs. Sacramento

Eddie October 20, 2005 No Comments

The frequency of quality shows coming to the town of Winters these days is enough to make Sacramentans jealous. With an October and November lineup that takes the best bands from Berkeley haunts like the Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse and Ashkenaz and mixes in regulars from San Francisco clubs like Slim’s and the Great American Music Hall, the Palms Playhouse is making quite a name for itself. Next Wednesday’s show features the inimitable Dave Alvin with his band, the Guilty Men, and country troubadour Robbie Fulks in tow. Sure, it’s been a while since Alvin’s old band the Blasters released American Music (25 years in fact), but that’s not the point. His solo material is the real meat and potatoes, and his new album, Ashgrove, surely will please old and new fans alike. If you like folk, blues and a little rock ’n’ roll, Alvin’s live show is a must. Opener Fulks can be quite a funny chap as well. The show starts at 8 p.m., and admission is $20. The Palms is located at 13 Main Street in Winters. Visit www.palmsplayhouse.com or call (530) 795-1825 for more information.

(SN&R)

Media

Metal with a hint of death

Eddie October 13, 2005 No Comments

The Boardwalk is one of the only local venues that consistently features national death-metal acts. The genre is making a much-needed comeback, and New York’s Suffocation, a band that practically coined the term “death metal” with its groundbreaking Effigy of the Forgotten in 1991, is living proof that this music has staying power. Although the band’s latest release, 2004’s Souls To Deny, is anything but new, this is the band’s first trek to the Sacramento Valley. Also on the bill are Canada’s progressive-leaning death-metal kings Cryptopsy, who release their new platter of splatter, Once Was Not, just a few days later. Both bands feature the core of their original lineups, a rarity these days, and both have live shows that bludgeon like a hundred-pound anvil. Catch these acts with Despised Icon, Aborted and On Broken Wings on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. at The Boardwalk, located at 9426 Greenback Lane in Orangevale. Tickets are $22 for this all-ages show. Visit www.boardwalkrocks.com for info.

(SN&R)

Media

The earning power of the Afro

Eddie October 6, 2005 No Comments

We’re still trying to decipher the gang signs Wonder Bread 5 is throwing.

Everyone’s got a few skeletons lurking in their closet. For example, the members of Wonder Bread 5—the Bay Area’s largest-drawing cover band, which uses (and abuses) the back catalogs of the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson and the Commodores—previously played in various rock ’n’ roll hair bands before moving on to their current vocations. Change has been a good thing for the quintet, who not only make good money playing the club circuit, but often get even better paying gigs for such heavyweight clients as Microsoft, Infinity Broadcasting, Yahoo, Chevrolet and, of course, the Active 20/30 clubs. Many cover bands playing the circuit draw capacity crowds, but few have the sheer musicianship of Wonder Bread 5. Not only can the band play for hours on end, but also the sets get better upon repeated listen. Whether it’s the Powerhouse Pub or the Red Devil Lounge in San Francisco, these boys know how to bring a party wherever they roam. Wonder Bread 5 plays Harlow’s, located at 2708 J Street, at 10 p.m. on Friday. Tickets are $12 for this 21-and-over show. Bring your best dancing shoes; it’s going to be a long night.

(SN&R)