Happy Veterans Day and Vox Jaguars in 3D

It was Veterans Day, sometime in the early seventies. Don Van Vliet was on stage with his musical ensemble, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, when someone from the audience hollered, "Happy Veterans Day." Don heard the voisterous statement and replied in his deep gruff voice, "WHAT is a happy Veterans Day?"

Speaking of questions on Veterans Day, whatever happened to the Vox Jaguars?

In keeping with Zenberg's monthly 3D post, here are a couple of Vox Jaguars related images to view stereoscopically, (a stereoscope is NOT required to view these images in 3D). Click on images to enlarge.

This bowling pin came from Mr. T's Bowl in LA where the Vox Jaguars played back in 2006 on their first Southern California tour. The band picked up this pin as a souvenir. The obsidian jaguar was carved by a latter-day Mayan at Chichen Itza, Mexico.

This is a 3-D image of the bass played by Vox Jaguars' bassist, Mason Rosenberg. Mason played this instrument on at least one of the tracks released on their awesome Anodyne Records CD last year.
This is a Jaguar carved from limestone.

Recently, a couple of unique Vox Jaguars videos have been uploaded to YouTube. The first is from a show they played at the Veterans Hall in Santa Cruz, CA, back in 2007, and features an unreleased, very Fallesque tune titled, Nevertheless, (which just so happens to be my favorite word). Nevertheless. What a great word. I could say it, spell it and type it all day.

The following video is from the Vox Jaguars' Halloween show in San Francisco, 2008. This may have been the first time they played the song, Swift Street, named after the street where the official Vox Jaguars practice space is located.

Happy Veterans Day Don Van Vliet!

Bring the troops home

Gilgal Revisited

Last winter, I found myself in mysterious Gilgal Garden in Salt Lake City. As usual, the park was empty so I took the liberty of shooting some video of the artsy-monoliths that make Gilgal their quiet home.

The soundtrack is provided by Mason and Trevor from the Vox Jaguars who recently formed a band with friends Lizzy and Duncan. Their new song, Little People, is featured in this video.

Coke Adds Life

Jan 6 - I've seen so many great shows this month. One of the perks that comes with living in Santa Cruz, CA, is the fact that so many wonderful musicians want to come here to play for our sophisticated, and musically elite audiences. January started with a bang... and boom, & thump when one of my all-time favorite guitarists, Alan Holdsworth, took the stage with three other all time favorites; Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto from King Crimson, and Terry Bozzio of Zappa infamy. This was my first live Holdsworth experience so I was pretty stoked, especially considering that last time he played Santa Cruz, I missed the show because I got the day wrong. Duh! I've been lucky to see Tony Levin a handful of times over the years, both with his own band, as well as the California Guitar Trio. I saw Pat Mastelotto play with King Crimson at the Fillmore in San Francisco back in 2000, and again with the California Guitar Trio at the old beloved Palookaville... may it rest in peace. I first saw Terry Bozzio with Zappa at the Salt Palace back in 1976, then again in 1979 when UK opened for Jethro Tull at the D Event Center. The show at Kuumbwa on January 6, was blissful, and consisted of a couple hours improvisational pieces.

Jan 7 - The following night, I got to see the Vox Jaguars play at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz. It was their first show in months, and the boys played a rousing set until 12:30 AM. Fortunately for the enthusiastic crowd, the Crepe Place allowed one last encore and TVJ's had fun with one of their favorite crowd pleasers, Metropolis. A fitting farewell tune for a band that may never play together again.

Jan 21 - Felton is only a few minutes from Sana Cruz, and that's where our whole family went to see the California Guitar Trio. Before my mom died last month, she gave us some money for Christmas, and told me to get something meaningful with it. When I heard that CGT was coming, I promptly used some of the money on four tickets for my family. Something meaningful. A night out with my family, seeing one of our favorite ensembles.


Jan 23 - Good, probably isn't the correct adjective to describe the Residents show in the Rio Theater last Saturday night. Spooky, creepy, entertaining, and even funny; the Residents' Talking Light Tour was something I won't soon forget. The Residents' simple stylish sets are always impressive. This show was no exception and exhibited masterful use of theme, lighting, depth, strobe, space, and technology to create a uniquely Residents experience that left me wanting a tall sparkling glass of Coca Cola...  

e-Z Listening: Adrian Belew Power Trio in SFO

An old-school Crimson fan poses for a photo

I hadn't planned on writing about the Adrian Belew Power Trio, but something so impressive is difficult NOT to mention. I've seen these three perform together about five times now and last night's show at Slim's in San Francisco was one of the finest performances I have ever beheld. I wrote extensively about this crew a couple of years ago, therefore I'll refrain from saying much more this time except that I had an opportunity to talk with the trio after the show, and was impressed with their warm and friendly reception to those of us who stayed late to say hello. I also had the privilege to meet one of my favorite bloggers, the mother of two-thirds of the Power Trio, Robin Slick. She must be so proud of her two outstanding children who are not only professionally adept, but friendly and personable as well.

The Power Trio played a handful of old favorites, and a few selections from their recently released CD simply titled, e. It's nice of Adrian to allow someone else to play on one of his records. He usually plays all of the instruments himself, but invited the Siblings Slick to play on this latest release. I may review e after I've had a chance to hear it a few more times.

Adrian Belew and Julie Slick playing new music from e

Eric Slick - percussionista magnifique

Santa Cruz' favorite bassist, Mason Rosenberg, (the Vox Jaguars and A Quantum Visionary), poses with the Adrian Belew Power Trio after the show. Mason admits that Belew has been one of his major musical influences because King Crimson was his very first live concert when he was just ten years old. That show at the Fillmore back in 2000 helped to inspire Mason to become the talented musician he is today, and the rest is history in the making. Maybe Mason and Adrian will have an opportunity play King Crimson's Level Five together next time the Twang Bar King visits the left coast.

The play list.
Moments after I snapped this photo, a young woman crawled up on to the stage and stole the list. A staff person chased her down and grabbed it from her.

Eric's sparkling drum kit is like the one used by the Vox Jaguars' drummer, Trevor Hope.

Studio E Santa Cruz - NEW Live Music Venue

Last Saturn-day night was the premier show of its kind at Studio E Santa Cruz, Surf City's newest venue for live music. A Quantum Visionary made history by being the first band to take the stage in the venue famous for Kids on Broadway, a non-profit, year-round performing arts organization for children.

As of late, many of Santa Cruz's favorite venues have had a moratorium on live music due to noise ordinance violations spurred on by annoyed neighbor's repeated complaints. Studio E Santa Cruz will be immune to noise violations because it is located near Harvey West Park in a non-residential area where the only neighbors are Costco and industrial businesses.

Finding Studio E Santa Cruz was easy and the route was well marked by signs directing us to the venue located just south of the giant Costco building. Inside I discovered an inviting atmosphere where a large, well lit prepared stage, decorated with a variety of musical instruments, waited to be manned by A Quantum Visionary. Comfortable couches lined the walls while several folding chairs were positioned thirty feet or so from the stage allowing plenty of standing room. The large facility can easily accommodate a larger crowd than either Pergolesi or the now defunct E3 Playhouse. There is even a snack shack where goodies and beverages can be purchased.

What could be better? Well, for one thing, Studio E Santa Cruz requires no rental fee for the bands who play there. The door earnings are split between the band and the venue. Studio E Santa Cruz donates its cut to performing arts programs for children in Santa Cruz. There's even FREE Wi-Fi!

With their community-minded approach to the arts, Studio E Santa Cruz appears to be the perfect venue for the Santa Cruz live music scene.

Saturday night's show featuring Picture Atlantic and A Quantum Visionary at Studio E proved that quality LIVE music is alive and well in Santa Cruz... again.

Wild Orphan

Yesterday I spent the morning shooting this video at Streetlight records. Everything went so smoothly... I don't get it. Usually I encounter one obstacle after another when making a video, but this time everything came together. Even the weather cooperated. I had been hoping for a foggy morning for the shoot, and got exactly what I asked for. Thanks fog controller, and thanks to everyone who assisted and helped with the viddy, most notably, the Vox Jaguars, KZSC Radio personality Scotty (the) K, Mason Rosenberg, Streetlight Records, Kirstannalice, and street performer #1 who didn't give her name but agreed to be in the video.

Art Rock is Alive and Well in Santa Cruz Dreamstate EP by A Quantum Visionary *****

I knew that the first CD release from A Quantum Visionary would be good.

DREAMSTATE EP is the title of the new CD by five of Santa Cruz's finest musicians who refer to themselves as A Quantum Visionary, and their new CD is even better than I expected it would be.

I knew that the CD would be good because over the past couple of years, this bunch has been demonstrating their unique and intense sound at various bay-area venues, surprising and shocking audiences everywhere they've played. Their catchy and intelligent songs are an eclectic blend of genres, that I can only describe as epic. Most of their works are upwards of seven minutes long, but there is never any meaningless meandering or boring jamming in their lengthy constructs. Rather, every note of their intriguing music is calculated and precisely delivered without a flaw, keeping the listener alert and engaged. Although the new CD is technically an EP, it is nearly a half-hour long and features a broad cross section of music that is consistently interesting, and occasionally challenging.

I'm fortunate to be among the first to receive a copy of the new DREAMSTATE EP and this will certainly be the first review of AQV's snazzy new CD release which is already a classic in my own music library.

The Review

As I embark on my musical adventure, I discover that the first half-minute of the first song, Insensatus Insania, makes me feel like I'm listening to early King Crimson. The song progresses through a multitude of movements and verses as powerful and involved as a Homeric epic. After nearly six minutes, the heavy-hitting first piece quickly transforms into the second track, Dragnet Enigma, a piece that begins as an almost Enoesque, ambient tune that begins to feel more like the Residents are nearby as it progresses. The hesitantly-calming track terminates as the third track, Battleship of Madmen, abruptly begins. The rowdy and unruly song reels me to and fro upon the rough seas of one of AQV's longest songs that includes a fifty-second drum interlude where three of the band members participate. PTA, the fourth track, is the shortest tune, clocking in at 1:22, and seems at first to be a bit of a tribute to Keith Emerson and further demonstrates this band's versatility and broad musical scope. The last song is listed as being 11:45 long but that is a bit of a misnomer because it is actually two songs... and a bit of dead air. Dreamstate Luz Mala, a poppy song that, at one point, makes me feel like I'm listening to Asia, is actually 4:54 long and is followed by 1:16 of dead air which quietly fades into The Hypocrite, a 5:40 version of a song that has become familiar on You Tube, where an instrumental version is used in a video by Rhetro Zenberg, called, Ching - Drive to De Laveaga.

The design of this artsy disc also deserves mention. All of the impressive album art was created by AQV member, Stefen Lazer Smith, the artist who created the now famous Vox Jaguars Cowboy. The photo, sketches and drawings on this disc are reason enough to own the CD which itself is a work of art.

In addition to the art on the CD, Stefen Lazer Smith also wrote lyrics, provided keyboards, percussion, and vocals to the DREAMSTATE EP.

Mason Rosenberg, the renowned bassist of the Vox Jaguars fame, who released a CD on Anodyne Records earlier this year, lends his mastery to this CD by contributing vocals and percussion as well as bass and production skills. He also plays guitar on the secret track, The Hypocrite.

Shane Terry plays ripping and intricate guitar without breaking a sweat. He lends his shredding skills to this CD in addition to providing backup vocals. Shane also plays bass on the secret track, The Hypocrite and helped produce the CD.

Trevor Brenchley also plays guitar, and as a lefty, provides a symmetric visual and musical balance to this unique band who's two guitarists shred harmonically and melodically as one. Trevor also provides backup vocals and production assistance to the DREAMSTATE EP.

The newest member of the band, Greg Wesenfeld, who plays hard-hitting drums and masterful percussion has proven to be an asset to this already powerful band.

Something else that impressed me about the DREAMSTATE EP, is the fact that all of the songs were written, engineered, recorded and produced by A Quantum Visionary.

imho

AQV is currently the most interesting musical ensemble in the greater San Francisco Bay area. I see limitless potential with this crew of talented friends who see it as their duty to make music interesting and even a bit challenging. And, you can tell that they're having a good time too.

Good going guys, and congratulations on a splendid first CD.

Halloween $ong for the San Francisco Girls

On Halloween I went with the Vox Jaguars to the Halloween festival in San Francisco where they played with such notables as Cathy Richardson with Big Brother and the Holding Company, and the Jimi Hendrix Tribute. This is some of the video and a handful of photos from that show.

The Vox Jaguars in Videos

Here's a couple of Vox Jaguars videos to enjoy. The first is a short documentary by L.A. Solano that features interviews with the band. The second is a collection of video excerpts from several different venues the band has played over the past few years, set to an old version of TVJ's hit song, SWAGGER.

To Be Frank - Zappa Plays Zappa in Surf City

I was so excited when I heard that the Zappa Plays Zappa show was coming to Santa Cruz, and to my favorite theater to boot... a hop, skip and a jump away at the Rio.

I've been listening to Zappa since sixth grade, and have become a bit of a connoisseur of his compositions... most* of which are quite brilliant. As a premordial Zappa fan, who could be more excited to experience an evening of live Zappa music performed by the late Mr. Zappa's own son, Dweezil, and a host of Frank Zappa alumni?

Imagine my horror when I consulted the Rio website and read the following:

Tickets: V.I.P. $96.00 Reserved $ 55.50 additional fees may and most likely will apply.

WTF?**

OK, lets look at this rationally, in 1977, I saw Frank Zappa, THE Frank Zappa, NOT his son... THE Frank Zappa - for six dollars and fifty cents ($6.50). When you include those additional fees, this show ends up costing more than fifteen times more than the cost of seeing the bona-fide Frank Zappa. The reserved seating price isn't that much better, costing nine times what I paid in '77. What is wrong with this picture? Is Dweezil Zappa worth a hundred bucks? I think not. There are very few entertainers I would pay over fifty bucks to see. Actually none. I'm sure Dweezil is a nice enough fellow... He can't be too bad if Mr. Nice-Guy, Donny Osmond, hangs out with him. But, I have principles, and refuse to pay such a high cost to see the son of someone. I recently saw the Residents for twenty-five bucks, ($25)... THE Residents, NOT the son of a Resident, and it cost 75% less than this Zappa Play$ Zappa $how co$t$.

Across the street from the Rio Theater, is the Crepe Place, where on March 11th the Vox Jaguars will rock the house for only eight bucks ($8.00), and I know it will be as good if not better than the pricey show on the other side of Soquel Avenue tonight.

Viva le Crepe Place!

* Too often Mr. Zappa crossed over the line into tasteless potty humor, which is OK when you're in 6th grade, but... come on Frank, grow up already. Or as some would say, "Shut up and play your guitar".

** What The Frank?

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The Vox Jaguars CD Release: A Review

After months of anticipation, the new Vox Jaguars' self-titled CD has been released on Anodyne Records. In mid-January, I received a special edition*(1) advanced copy of the Vox Jaguars to review, and now that I've heard it more than a dozen times, I feel that I'm prepared to comment on one of this year's best records.

I've been paying attention to the Vox Jaguars since I happened upon one of their live shows at Cafe Pergolesi in Santa Cruz, California about three years ago. What surprised me most about the show was that the audience, (and there seemed to be about a hundred of them crammed into the small room), knew the songs and sang along as if they were part of the band. I thought of the Cavern in Liverpool and the energy and comradary that must have existed there among early Beatle fans. It isn't every day that I see an audience so enthralled with a band, and that night, the patrons at Pergles were at one with the Vox Jaguars.

It wasn't long til the Vox Jaguars recorded a demo*(2) CD at the home studio of a friend. The exceptionally well recorded demo featured four completed tracks exhibiting plenty of musical variety and skill. The demo received quite a bit of notoriety and it seemed only natural when the Vox Jaguars' popular song, Swagger,*(3) was featured on the major prime time FOX Television program, Canturbury's Law. Producers of the show had stumbled upon the song on the Vox Jaguars' My Space page, and negotiated its use on the show.

Now, The Vox Jaguars have released their first CD, and it is sure to be popular among the indie generation in general, and spread in popularity to a broader audience in the years to come.
Beyond their darling and daring youthfulness, what makes The Vox Jaguars interesting, is the precision and power with which they play their upbeat clever and catchy songs. Smarter than punk, but not too technical for the uninitiated ear, this band has successfully drawn upon a long eclectic history of music to come up with a sound uniquely their own.

Something that can't go unnoticed at a live Vox Jaguars performance, is the display of teamwork between their powerful percussionist and bassist who keep the band timely and intriguing. Trevor Hope is truly an incredible drummer who's intricate percussion is perfectly augmented by master bassist, Mason Rosenberg. The two sound as though they've been playing together forever. This foundational backbone establishes a powerful template for high school student Jordan Topf to present his songs about teen struggle, and modern dilemma. I find it surprising that this CD exhibits a subtle LA nuance. I keep expecting Jim Morrison to belt out something ridiculous... that notion amuses me.

The current line up of the Vox Jaguars includes newest member, Noah Bond on lead guitar*(4) and voices, Jordan Topf on guitar*(5) and voices, Trevor Hope on drums, and Mason Rosenberg on bass.*(6) The lineup on the new CD features former band member Sam Copperman on keyboards. Sam recently left the band to attend to his higher education. The Vox Jaguars have not replaced him with another keyboardist, and don't plan to any time soon. Rather, they picked up high school senior Noah Bond to play guitar, and he is working out wonderfully. Noah plays like a pro and provides the ensemble with a rich round sound. A favorable addition to an already great band. There is still room for keyboards in my opinion.

I like the new self-titled release by the Vox Jaguars very much, and will surely play it on my hi-fi many more times. I think four clever boys could have come up with a more suitable title for this release however. If I had been given the opportunity to name the new Vox Jaguars CD, I would have turned their name into an anagram, such as, Jug Has a Vortex, or called it something controversial and relevant like, Obama's War Now, but I'm just an old punk who still likes to ruffle feathers. It's like eating peanuts...

The Vox Jaguars, on Anodyne Records.

*(1) My special edition copy of The Vox Jaguars arrived in a standard hard plastic case, however a more environmentally-friendly paper-box version is currently available on line and in fine stores everywhere.

What makes this special packaging unique, is the inclusion of a segment of broken guitar string from one of the instruments played by the Vox Jaguars.

The guitar string is clearly visible through the usually empty plastic window on the left-edge of the CD case. I love it when this space is used for something other than nothing at all.







*(2) The Vox Jaguars Demo CD titled, Good as Gone, rivals the new release, and in some ways is preferable to it. The songs on Good as Gone are recorded so well that they could have been included on the new release as bonus tracks. I hope Good as Gone will one day be made available again. My copy is worn out.

*(3) A new version of Swagger is the only song from the demo that has made it's way onto the new CD. Not even Metropolis, the most beloved of all the Vox Jaguars songs, appears on this new release. I should also note that the Canterbury's Law season one DVD, (featuring Swagger), will be released on February 24th, 2009. If we're lucky, they'll also release a Canterbury's Law soundtrack and include the original version of Swagger.

*(4) Noah plays a Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster

*(5) Not surprisingly, Jordan plays a Fender Jaguar

*(6) Mason usually plays an Ibanez Roadstar but lately has been seen with a Specter*(7) at some of their shows. Most of the tracks on the new CD sound as if a different bass was being played.

*(7) I've noticed that Mason usually plays his Specter in his other soon to be famous band, A Quantum Visionary, who take musical intricacy and variety to new heights.

JUG HAS A VORTEX

Festival For Freedom: The Rhetro Review

Last night I attended the Festival For Freedom at the University of San Francisco. It was a charity event sponsored by the Erasmus Community at the University who raised many hundreds of dollars to fight modern slavery.

The festival featured nine different SF Bay-Area acts who played to a large hall full of college kids who all seemed to have a good time. The show was supposed to begin at 5:30, but the first band, Man/Miracle, took a long time to set up, and then overplayed their allotted twenty minute segment which threw the event further off schedule. It was fun to watch Man/Miracle play their brand of poppy indie rock even though they overplayed their welcome. I especially enjoyed their cool vocal effects.

Man/Miracle, the first of nine bay-area bands to play at the Festival for Freedom at the Univesity of San Francisco Friday night

A Quantum Visionary, the second band, gets the award for most efficient ensemble. These guys from Santa Cruz had all their equipment set up in less than five minutes, and played for precisely twenty minutes. This band's efficiency and precision is reflected in their highly technical music which is difficult to describe because one song may include metal, funk and progressive elements. A far cry from a garage band. I was shooting some really good video of AQV when, 51 seconds into the first song, someone turned off the lights, making it impossible to continue filming.

A Quantum Visionary efficiently setting up their equipment

Following A Quantum Visionary, another Santa Cruz band, Depth Charge Revolt, played an impressive set of hard-hitting technical-punk. DCR featured two drummers who played tight and powerful rhythms. Their bassist boomed big and the guitar shredded magnificently while their vocalist hollered and howled as he paced back and forth between contortions. Next time they're playing in Santa Cruz, I'll be there.

Depth Charge Revolt doing what they do best

Another band worth mentioning was U of SF's own, Ghost Town Refugees, who had the most interesting visuals of all the bands. On their home turf, GTR stood silhouetted against the visual images being projected on the wall behind them. They get extra credit for their inclusion of an atomic detonation.

Ghost Town Refugees making the most of their home court advantage

Next, the Vox Jaguars took the stage to play a rousing set of songs. No wonder these Santa Cruz boys have been signed by Anodyne Records. They played like pros, and really got the crowd on their feet and moving. Their first CD will be released on Tuesday, February 10th, but they had a few copies on hand to sell at the festival.

A Quantum Visionary's master bassist, Mason Rosenberg, also lends his skills to The Vox Jaguars

The Vox Jaguars

The Vox Jaguars' Jordan Topf showing off the new Vox Jaguars CD to Depth Charge Revolt's Hector Lee Heaviside
The self-titled CD was available for the first time at the Festival For Freedom in San Francisco

Flower Punks of the Festival For Fredom

The following article was published earlier today in the San Francisco Bay Guardian Online. I was going to write about the festival, but Mr. Andre Torrez appears to have beaten me to it. There isn't much to add to his article other than, (if I'm not mistaken), Santa Cruz' A Quantum Visionary, will unveil their new keyboardist at this show. AQV keeps getting better and better and more interesting every time I see them. They have been compared to Yes, but that would be an unfair comparison... not to Yes, but to AQV who's style and range exceeds that of the classic prog band. AQV is an eclectic collage of all things progressive, and influences like ELP, King Crimson, Yes, and even Coheed and Cambria can be detected in their epic songs all of which last over six minutes, and never become boring. AQV is a side project of the Vox Jaguars master bassist, Mason Rosenberg who will make an appearance with both bands at the Festival for Freedom. I have also received information that the other band I was looking forward to seeing, Mountain Animal Hospital, may not play due to a bicycle accident suffered by guitarist Chris Holcomb who is still recovering from the January 12th incident.

-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-

San Francisco Bay Guardian Online

Festival for Freedom

An interwoven clan of West Coast outfits with garage rock tendencies and psychedelic leanings

BY ANDRE TORREZ

Wednesday February 4, 2009

It doesn't take six degrees of separation to link the new breed of local bands performing at the University of San Francisco's Festival for Freedom benefit show. They're an interwoven clan of West Coast outfits with garage rock tendencies and psychedelic leanings. And they're just about all in each other's MySpace top eight. If I had to label, I'd consider the term "flower punks" for 'em. I mean, c'mon, San Francisco has a huge Haight-Ashbury legacy to live up to. So, in the spirit of hippiedom and smiling on your brother, the undergrads from the university's Erasmus Community has decided to take on the cause of fighting modern-day slavery and is planning an immersion trip to Uganda and Rwanda, where they will focus their efforts on rehabilitating child soldiers.

This benefit show for that trip is a culmination of the group's efforts in social justice awareness and activism, combined with a dose of peacenik-punk rock. Taking the stage on campus: Ty Segall, Man/Miracle, and a very Birthday Party-era Nick Cave sounding Depth Charge Revolt, among others. The bands will bring the noise, so you should bring your bucks to help support this worthwhile cause for the marginalized children of Uganda.

FESTIVAL FOR FREEDOM: USF BENEFIT FOR THE REHABILITATION OF UGANDAN CHILD SOLDIERS With A Quantum Visionary, Depth Charge Revolt, Travis Hayes, Ghosttown Refugees, the Vox Jaguars, James Rabbit, Ty Segall, and Man/Miracle. Fri/6, 6:30 p.m., $5–$8. McClaren 250, Phelan Building, University of San Francisco campus, SF. (831) 588-3537

BY ANDRE TORREZ

SLC PuNk Meets the MeaT puPpeTs

In the early eighties, PuNk rock was still a fairly new phenomenon and hadn't yet sold out, (or bought in), to the corporate machine that seems to condemn everything it touches to some kind of entropic doom. According to many, that's what happened to PuNk the following August.*

I don't know how the Indian Center came to be the primary venue for the early bands in Salt Lake City, but I can't imagine a better place for raucous mosh-pits to slam to the sound of the new genre. The old brick building on 1300 South had large windows open wide, allowing fresh air to relieve the hot and sweaty moshers. The 60' x 80' theater could accommodate a substantial gathering too. The Indian Center was mainly used by the Native American community, however on occasion, a different kind of Mohawk touting tribe made use of the social center. SLC PuNks!

Flyer Image Thanks To writermama... Link

I had already heard lots of Black Flag before Henry Rollins joined the noisy ensemble. Jon and I wondered skeptically about Rollins addition to the band; we had seen first-hand what Steve Perry had done to Journey, plus, we could see the direction the new PuNk music was heading and it didn't look good.

Even though it was April, the weather was unseasonably cold and had even snowed. We arrived early at the Indian Center because we didn't want to miss any of the bands. We had paid seven bucks each for the fancy yellow-green transparent tickets and wanted to make sure that we got our money's worth, (unlike my own kids, I had to work to for my money when I was their age).

There were already a couple hundred kids there. A far cry from the old days when a handful of PuNks would show up with self mutilated hair. Now there were lots of short hairs and bald hairs running around with home-made t shirts and lots of black leather jackets. Those without the courage to cut their hair, had it PuNked up with lots of hairspray or some kind of goo. It was easy to spot the poseurs. Jon and I both still had long hair. Neither of us were into fads, and figured it was more PuNk to be different from all the conformist PuNks. We kind of stuck out and could only see two other guys with long hair in the entire Indian Center. One of them was sitting against the wall watching everyone nervously. I got the feeling that he was probably with one of the bands. Maybe even the new Black Flag guy. I was right. There he was, casually leaning against the cool brick wall, the very un-famous and young (nearly baby-faced) Henry Rollins on one of his first tours with Black Flag. I hope he had fun in SLC. I'm sure he was surprised that there were so many PuNks behind the Zion curtain.

Act One
Snot and Snowballs

The first band nearly caused a riot. Nig-Heist came out wearing only little white briefs. They seemed more interested in antagonizing the crowd than playing music. Their hair was long and flowing, like Ted Nugent wore his at the time, and that didn't go over well with the PuNks who began spitting big lougies at the nearly naked musicians. Oddly, the band seemed to enjoy the attention. The snot was getting out of control when a large snowball just missed the drummer's head and smashed into the wall behind the band. Jon doesn't usually miss. It was cold and snowy outside, but everyone inside was sweating from the mass of people crowded together moshing chaotically. We were covered with sweat, while the band, covered with snot, played on. More snowballs began to fly in through the large open windows on the east side of the building. Rage!

Act Two
The Massacre Guys

One of Salt Lake's local and most successful old-school PuNk bands, the Massacre Guys, played next. Jon and I had been outside cooling off, but when the MG's began to play, we gathered an arsenal of snowballs which we carried inside and distributed without prejudice. The most fun ever mosh pit ensued.

Act Three
Pinochio Wants to be a Real Boy

The Meat Puppets brought some sanity back to the Indian Center. The snot supply had dried up, and no more snowballs were directed at the stage, but the floor had become slippery from a combination of snow, snot and spilled drinks, resulting in many fallen and trampled moshers. Ouch! I went to the restroom to take a leak. As I washed my hands, I realized that there was no mirror, but could see that one had previously hung on the wall above the sink. Out of the corner of my face, I noticed a Native American guy standing in the doorway keeping an eye on the restroom. I pulled a comb from my back pocket and combed my hair as if I was looking at myself in the nonexistent mirror. He liked that. When I returned to the dance floor, I met a girl who I spent the remainder of the Meat Puppets set with. We danced together for about a half hour by the time the Meat Puppets stopped playing. I could see that Jon was feeling dissed, so I left her there with her friends who swiftly wisped her away. As our friends ushered us off in different directions, our eyes met as she was swallowed up by the mass of people, never to be seen again. I was smart enough to know that she would be one of many girls, and that my best friend comes first. We went outside to cool down while throwing snowballs at passing cars. Thump!

Act Four
Name with no Anagram
Black Flag was fun to watch but it wasn't the Black Flag I knew. I was standing against the stage with Mr. Rollins directly in front of me. He was heavily tattooed, and incredibly sweaty. He wore no shirt, and little Dolphin shorts. His long stringy black hair draped over the shaven side of his head when it wasn't thrashing about. Squatting and screaming, he stood before me at less than arms length, and I was strongly impressed with the feeling that Henry Rollins was an egotistical jerk. I realized that if I reached out and pulled his leg out from under him, that he'd fall right on his arse in front of everyone. I amused myself with the notion, and fought off the impulse. I did pull out some hairs on his legs though. He didn't like that, and offered a bit of a sissy-kick and a glare, before retreating a half-step, out of my reach. It was the beginning of the end of an era. Black Flag - Kills PuNk Dead!

A Quarter Century Later
PuNk is dead, but the Meat Puppets live on. Not many bands have the staying power of this trio from Arizona. I hadn't seen the Pinocchio brothers in nearly three decades, but a hat-full of hours ago, I had the opportunity to see the Meat Puppets live in my own town, in my favorite local theater. The Meat Puppets I saw all those years ago in the Indian Center appear to have become real boys... actually men now... old men. Nevertheless, the well weathered remnant of an age long gone demonstrated their craft with skill and professionalism as they presented their two-hour show at the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz. The Brothers Kirkwood expressed their kindred familiarity as they played a variety of multi-tempo songs ranging from Cashesque cowboy rythms to psychedelia. I was impressed by Curt Kirkwood's exclusive usage of an acoustic guitar throughout the show. It reminded me how versatile the acoustic guitar really is and how much fun I used to have playing mine through effect pedals to achieve unique** sounds.

The audience at the Rio Last night was much tamer and respectful than the snot hucking snowball chucking juveniles that attended the Meat Puppets show twenty eight years ago. I'm glad the Rio didn't get trashed. There was no stage diving and no mosh pit at last night's show either. In fact, there were only two moshers who gave it a go during the opening act.***


*MTV launched on August 1, 1981. About that same time, I attempted to start a PuNk is Dead campaign, but it didn't catch on.

** One of my favorite acoustic guitar sounds was created by holding the inner wire of a broken E string with needle-nose pliers and applying tension while laying it across a pickup. The tension in the string causes the outer wire to uncoil, making a nifty whirring sound.

*** Shaky Hands from Portland Oregon played an enthusiastic set, but I was disappointed that our favorite local band, the Vox Jaguars, didn't open the show. I assumed they would since they share the same recording label with the Meat Puppets (Anodyne).

PuNk isn't what it used to be

SKI KIRKWOOD!