Nuclear Rays From My Halogen Haze

music, politics, art, Elvis apologism

the Trashwomen at Mr. T’s Bowl July 13, 2008

Filed under: Bands,Mr. T's Bowl,Performers,Personal Shit,Punk,Shows,Surf Music — orangehairboy @ 11:22 am

We just saw the Trashwomen at Budget Rock at Mr. T’s Bowl.

Jeezuz Christ, was it good.  It was so good, it was like reliving some wonderful time in my life that never actually existed.  While they made a lot of mistakes, that only made it more authentic, more had-to-be-there.  It was like the surf rock version of hearing X-Ray Spex live: lots of omissions and power outages, yet somehow you feel the energy and the rock and the wonder of it all.  I imagine that some of the original surf bands had similar experiences in the Memorial Halls of yesteryear,  but these gals crystallized what was so wonderful about those old bands–the staccato reverb, the instrumental boom boom, the matching outfits, the confused singing. 

Oh God in heaven, sometimes I get the existential blues, wondering what the meaning of my life is when all humans live in isolation and there is no goal to attain in the afterlife.  But the Trashwomen reminded me that rock and roll is a meaning as rich as Jesus to the sacrament-minded athiest.

 

one more month until the Trashwomen play Los Angeles! June 10, 2008

Filed under: Bands,Garage Rock,Los Angeles,Mr. T's Bowl,Performers,Personal Shit,Shows,Surf Music — orangehairboy @ 12:27 am

Specifically, they’re playing Mr. T’s Bowl in Highland Park!  I can’t believe how awesome this is.  Imagine your favorite underground band that was active in your college years that you never got to see.  Then modify that by maybe a thousand and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

I actually had a panic attack this weekend that I’d misremembered the date and that I might have missed this show!  But thank god it’s happening July 12.  I will be enjoying the crap out of this amazing surf-garage-trash rock band that was perhaps my favorite band of its era and genre (the Bomboras and Showman & the Thunderous Staccatos being also in my top three somewhere).

 

Nikki Corvette at Mr. T’s February 20, 2008

Filed under: Bands,Mr. T's Bowl,Performers,Shows — prodigalsonnybono @ 3:12 am

My main man Danny just blogged about Friday’s Real Boss Hoss celebration at Mr. T’s, over on the L.A. Record.  I was there as well, but had seen some of these bands last week already, so it was interesting to get a fresh perspective.

While Danny does give lots of well-deserved praise to the opening band, Some Dudes [that's their real name, not a journalistic flourish, e.d.], he kind of skipped over talking about Nikki Corvette.  And let me tell you why–not because we were both totally drunk by that point, but because she was dull as dishwater!  I’ve seen her live before a couple times over the years, and it strikes me that the secret to Nikki Corvette’s rockster success is that she was sorta-kinda in the same girl-rock genre as the Runaways at a time when Every Band Counted, and so we talk highly of her as if she’s formative.

But she’s not.  I’m not saying that she’s not catchy in those old old recordings.  But at best, she is an also-ran in a sea of better also-rans.  She’s from the seventies, she was lucky enough to land on a couple Bomp comps next to Stiv Bators and Willy Alexander, and people probably think she sang “Johnny Are You Queer?” even though she didn’t.  I’m sure she’s a nice gal, and she has a lot of youthful enthusiasm.  But all’s I’m saying is, I’m trying to drink less these days, but not when she’s playing.

P.S. Real Boss Hoss is still awesome, and you should go to every show.

 

 
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