Monday, 10/10, Shows w/ Surfbort, Darkwing, The Off White, Dentist, Beams, Fun While You Wait

Brooklyn's Surfbort come to APYC for a Monday night special.

Goodbye Blue Monday

CoolMom and I will still be in New Orleans this coming Monday, and I'll be missing a couple of really good, free, local shows. I'm not complaining. I mean, New Orleans. Plus, I won't have to choose between some solid bills. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to head out to one or both of these, have a great time, and tell me what I missed the next time you see me.

Little Dickman Records Presents: Surfbort, Darkwing, The Off White at Asbury Park Yacht Club, 8pm, FREE

I saw Brooklyn's Surfbort at SXSW. They played an early, indoor set at Cheer Up Charlie's in Austin. They call themselves SLIMY ICE-CREEEM LICKIN FILTH ROCK, and that just about sums it up. Vocalist Dani Miller is a weird, wild force of nature; and -- rounded out by our friends Darkwing and The Off White -- it should be a pretty interesting evening at the Yacht Club to say the least.







Happy Mondays: Dentist, Beams, Fun While You Wait at Wonder Bar, 8pm, FREE

Dentist are back at Happy Mondays this coming week. They'll be joined by Toronto's Beams and Freehold's Fun While You Wait on an eclectic bill that mixes Dentist's 90s and surf-influenced rock, with Beams's dark psych folk, and Fun While You Wait's ukulele-fronted pop.

My love for Dentist is well-documented here. Beams bring seven members, a singing saw, and the experience of having recorded their last EP with John McEntire (Yo La Tengo, Stereolab, Broken Social Scene). Fun While You Wait deliver upbeat folk pop fronted by Devon Moore's ukulele and soulful voice.







So, I don't want to hear any crap about how it's a school night or you have work in the morning. Free music. Cheap beer. Toughen up.

Dentist Released Ceilings at The Saint w/ Yawn Mower, Darkwing, and GayGuy/StraightGuy, 6/24/16

Dentist released Ceilings at The Saint.

Release Party

There really isn't much more for me to say about Dentist. In the run-up to the release of Ceilings, they've been the focus of several posts here: single releases, tour announcements. I've told you time and again that Ceilings, their second LP and first for Little Dickman Records, is a fantastic album. I've raved about many of their shows. What else can I say? Well, I can say that they sure know how to throw a party.

Last night, Dentist invited their friends Yawn Mower, Darkwing, and GayGuy/StraightGuy to The Saint to help them celebrate the release of their album. Fans and friends of all the bands packed out the venue, and each band was on their game. CoolMom came out, sporting a Dentist button on her collar. (Aside: CoolMom likes to travel light and often doesn't bring a wallet or purse. She looks just as beautiful and young as she did in high school, so The Saint wouldn't let her in without ID. After an arduous trip home and back and a frustrating search for parking, she eventually got inside and had a great time. Thanks to Justin for the use of his car.)

Yawn Mower are always a lot of fun and were a great choice to kick off the evening. The two-piece were joined by Jenn Fantaccione on cello for set-closer "Convenience Store." Darkwing came decked out for the beach, singer / guitarist Rich Gold wearing a wetsuit for most of the set. They definitely won over some new fans on their second (?) trip to Asbury Park with their "surf grunge." GayGuy/StraightGuy absolutely brought it once again, playing songs from their recently-released Shut Your Mouth and Eat Your Cake (egregious typo fixed) and throwing in a Radiohead cover.

Dentist played Ceilings in its entirety. Then they did that thing where they went out the stage door and stood on the sidewalk outside The Saint for a minute or two before coming back for an encore. Big time. Seriously, though, they played a joyful set; and the songs, especially the ones they almost never play live, sounded great.

Congratulations to Dentist and Little Dickman Records on the release of Ceilings, and good luck. You can order the record from Little Dickman or pick it up at a show like the one Dentist are playing tonight at NYC's Berlin with Best Behavior, Dead Stars, and Lightning Bug.

Pictures from all of the sets will be in the Flickr galleries and on the Facebook page.

CoolDad Does Austin: SXSW Day 5 (and a travel day)

Mrs. Magician

Car Seat Headrest and Little Dickman Records w/ Mrs. Magician, Sharkmuffin, BOYTOY, Dentist, and More

Saturday was my last full day in Austin, and I'd checked off many of the bands I wanted to see during the week. Car Seat Headrest were playing their last set of the festival for BrooklynVegan at noon over at Cheer Up Charlie's.

After Friday night, noon felt extremely early for me on Saturday; but I managed to make it downtown just as Car Seat Headrest were starting their set. The outdoor stage area at Cheer Up Charlie's had already packed out, so pictures weren't really going to happen. I'm glad, though, I got to check out the band. Their sound is based heavily in a lot of the acts that I love (Stephen Malkmus, Yo La Tengo), and it was a great way to start the day.

From there, I decided I'd spend the day with our friends at Little Dickman for their showcase at Dozen Street. Lots of friends would be there as well as some bands I hadn't seen before. One of the latter was Brooklyn's Rosebug, who started things off. Formed by members of Sideasideb, Rosebug are a dream poppy band fronted by vocalist Becca Chodorkoff. I really enjoyed their set, but I didn't quite figure out the lighting in the room for pictures until after they were done.

Then it was time for a run of familiar faces as Psychiatric Metaphors, The Off White, Dead Stars, Darkwing, and Dentist all took their turns on stage. Psychiatric Metaphors and The Off White had just arrived in town, and both showed how much touring has honed their performance. This was the second time I'd seen the very busy Dead Stars this week, and I still love them. Darkwing brought members of Sharkmuffin, Fruit & Flowers, and Sidebitch up for a song. Dentist played a great set to a room that was really starting to fill.

Psychiatric Metaphors

Sean Jones of The Off White and Amy "Dickman"

Dentist

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Darkwing with help from Sidebitch, Fruit & Flowers, Sharkmuffin

Dentist have been recommending San Diego's Mrs. Magician for some time. Little Dickman booked them for the show, and the room filled up nicely by the time they took the small stage. The Swami Records band shook the room with a sound that mixed garage, surf, and pop. They had fans singing along and turned out to be some of the sweetest guys around. Check 'em.

From there, things went at a breakneck pace as the time (even though it had been extended by the venue) was running short. In quick succession we got BOYTOY (for whom I'd been waiting all week and sounding a little beefier with Lena Simon from La Luz on bass), Sharkmuffin (who won the "Who Did CoolDad See the Most at SXSW" contest. Congrats to them!), T.V. Tramps (featuring Tony Bones), Fruit & Flowers (doing a great Zombies cover), and Sidebitch (Chris Pierce on drums. First show ever.).

BOYTOY

T.V. Tramps

On Friday, I'd run into A Deer A Horse's Rebecca Satellite. She came by the show; and, when the venue told Little Dickman they had more time, A Deer A Horse became a late addition to the line-up. They waited patiently and then delivered an intense four-song, fifteen-minute set that was a great capper to the day.

A Deer A Horse

Dinner at Waffle House with Dentist and the crew from Little Dickman. I headed back to my hotel and stressed about my early flight the next morning.

On Sunday, the line for security at 6am was disastrously long. I was randomly chosen to have my shoes swabbed in case I was the second person in the history of commercial aviation to try boarding a plane with exploding shoes. In the confusion, the TSA gave my MacBook to the wrong person; and I flew to Nashville with tears in my eyes thinking of all the things I could've done and didn't do to back up my pictures for the week.

As I waited for my connecting flight, the very conscientious Samuel DiRaddo of the TSA called to tell me that my laptop had been located in Miami. The individual would be FedExing it to me immediately. Disaster averted, and I just had to wait until Tuesday to get my baby back. I will cover it with stickers and other identifying markings when it arrives.

In all, I absolutely loved my time at SXSW. Sure, I didn't even attempt to see some of the very biggest acts, but you can check out SPIN or Pitchfork or Rolling Stone or NPR to see how those went. I punished myself a little bit physically in the name of taking in as much as I could, but I got to see some new bands and bands that I love and lots of friends. I'd no doubt do it again.

Once I get my computer back, I'll finish going through the pics and post them to the galleries.

Leonia's Darkwing Touring To SXSW

Darkwing at Porta JC in December

Twice In Asbury

Like lots of our friends, "surf grunge" trio and "The Pride of Leonia," Darkwing, are heading out on a tour that will take them to and from Austin, TX for South By Southwest.

In the band's own words, "Darkwing has a sound crafted in basements and backyards. Yes, the deepest darkest basements." Having seen Darkwing a few times now, I can vouch for the dark, surfy, grungey, garaginess of their sound; and, if you're near any of the spots that Darkwing will be hitting on this tour, you should make it a point to check them out.

For those of you in my neck of the woods, that will be easy to do as the current tour brings Darkwing to Asbury Park twice. First, they hit APYC on 3/4 with Sharkmuffin. Darkwing wind things up with a show at The Saint on 4/2. Check out all of Darkwing's tour dates below.

Flyer: Ana Asnes Becker, Photo: Thomas Ignatius