Shellac, Shannon Wright, Ghost Camp, Frontyards, and Lunch Ladies, 10/21-10/23/16

Shellac by Ken Geiger

Broken Pipes and Steve Albini

by Ken Geiger

Ghost Camp, Frontyards, Lunch Ladies at Paradise: Lost, 10/21/16

Without any plans on Friday night, I realized that I was in New Brunswick and there is always a show to attend. So, after a few scrolls through various event invites, I noticed that Lunch Ladies would be playing at Paradise: Lost with Ghost Camp and Philadelphia natives Frontyards. I knew about Lunch Ladies' music and had heard good things about the latter two bands, so my Friday night plans were settled then and there.

First band I caught for the night was Lunch Ladies. I remember seeing these guys starting out early on and skipping out on them, because they simply were not in my musical spectrum of interest at the time. But seeing them now, I could tell their evolution to a full-on shoegaze / dream pop type band has been paying off for them. They sounded tighter as a unit, the songs are pretty catchy now; and I hope that the album they have been working on for some time drops soon. It's the curiosity over how they will be able to contain their reverb-soaked sound within the confines of a studio that draws me to that. I recommend checking them out if they roll into your area for a show.

The next time I ventured back down to the confines of the Paradise Lost basement, Frontyards were on.  All I can really say is that this is a band you just have to see live in order to kind of understand what they are all about. Sure, they had some moments where they messed up whatever song they were playing. Yes, the audience was crashing into them at some points (and even broke one of the water pipes, too). But these guys reveled in that crazy environment with the upbeat nature of their music. Perfection is not everything in a live setting, and Frontyards showed that sometimes the most fun you can have at a performance is when things do not go according to plan.

Frontyards by Ken Geiger

After that pipe broke, I did not think the show could possibly carry on. But the owners made sure to give Ghost Camp the performance they were promised. And the band made every second count. Growing up a kid that was raised on new wave by his father made me appreciate that influence that Ghost Camp brings into their music. It fits in with the tinges of jangly pop and shoegaze they add into the mix. Does this sound make up the “witch-punk” genre of which Ghost Camp claims to be a member?  Who the hell knows honestly?  I am listening to their new album Great Lakes as I type this out in hopes of figuring out the answer. Maybe that's a question they can answer sometime. For now, I will label it as "good music."

Shellac and Shannon Wright at The Bell House, 10/23

After spending Saturday inside, I spent my Sunday going into New York City to see Shellac and Shannon Wright at the Bell House. Shellac had sold out two shows at this venue, and the fact that they even let one of them be 18+ was a blessing for a young fan like myself to witness. When I made it to the area of the venue I was greeted by a familiar face in Killer Waves bassist / Halicarnassus mastermind, Joe Manginelli, waiting, like me, for doors to open.  It's always great to have friends at shows, especially if it is in a bit of a sketchy area like Bell House is (They make NYC tour buses here. I'm convinced this area was just the birthplace of all the scum in the city.).

First act of the night was Shannon Wright, who at first appeared to be the polar opposite of the type of music Shellac does. Her songs were intricate in structure. She made some busy work of her guitar with a great finger picking style and had a much more melodic singing voice than Steve Albini or Bob Weston usually have. As the set went on though, I realized that they had a lot more in common than I originally conceived. Her chord choices were very interesting; and often, at times, quirky, almost reminding me of some Primus bass slapping (which can be a little hard to believe, I know). Her stage presence also was nothing extravagant, just straightforward. It was all about the music for Shannon, and in that sense, I can tell why Shellac picked her to open. She definitely made a few new fans with that set.

Shannon Wright by Ken Geiger

Then came the moment many of us were waiting for: Chicago's own Shellac. Although Albini and Weston are more known for their vast producing work, Shellac is nothing to sleep on. These guys have not played in quite a few years, but their precision in tackling their material is second to none. The fact that they never counted in for any of the songs is extremely impressive. Along with the music, though, there are several parts of a Shellac show to marvel at that I must touch upon as well.

First of all, is Steve Albini and Bob Weston's gear. Aside from the fact that they play very rare aluminum guitars from Travis Bean, they also managed to build their own custom amps. Those are just as essential to their sound as the guitars and songwriting. Those things are LOUD. Warning to anyone who wants to see this band live: You should stand center stage by the drums, or you will only hear Albini or Weston playing. The amps are THAT commanding. Along with the impressive gear though, is also the humor the band injects to their shows. Whether it was Q&As with the audience (I was lucky enough to ask Steve about discussing beef jerky with Neurosis), Steve talking to his "roommate" Jesus about hummus, or drummer Todd Trainer infamously yelling out "hard rock and pussy," the band knew how to keep the the audience laughing in between their manic tunes. I do not know if I expected to be riddled with laughter that much by the end of that show. I guess that’s another reason why Shellac has garnered such a great reputation over the years.

Shellac have a few more shows on the East Coast before they go back into hiding for God knows how long, so I suggest going to see before them before it's too late. Who knows the next time we will be blessed with great music AND great comedy of this caliber?

California X, ROMP, Casual, American Lions Played Paradise Lost, 1/24/15

MA's California X finished their tour at Paradise Lost last night.

I Did the Basement Thing

I had the best time last night.

My complaining over the last week or so has been well-documented here. I've been kind of under the weather -- just enough to be annoying, but not enough to keep me laid up at home. I'd been looking forward to this show at Paradise Lost in New Brunswick since I got the invite a few weeks ago; but, when the day came, I wavered.

"It's all gross and snowy out. I'm gonna see ROMP next week, and I'm gonna see California X two weeks from now in Brooklyn."

I sucked it up, though. Went and grabbed Chris from Speak Into My Good Eye, and we drove up to Hub City together.

Paradise Lost is a dark, low-ceilinged basement somewhere in New Brunswick. Bands perform at one end, and the "green room" area is at the other, behind the furnace. Did I mention that the ceiling is super low?

New Brunswick's American Lions started things off with a wild set of pop punk. The tight quarters caused a few cables to get kicked out at points -- something that would happen throughout the night. It didn't slow anyone down. Things were pretty packed out from the beginning.

Casual, the Flemington band I'd seen open for Screaming Females, were next; and they seemed a lot more comfortable playing to the tightly-packed basement crowd than they did standing up on stage, playing to the early arrivals at The Lanes. I liked what I heard both times and put their self-titled cassette on again when I got home.

Chris and I decided to make our way forward for California X, a band whose latest LP came out on Don Giovanni on my birthday and who Chris and I have been enjoying since their self-titled debut two years ago. We slotted ourselves in at stage left, just next to the stairs. It was way too dark and crowded for any significant picture taking, but I think I managed a few shots of California X that capture the feel of the night.

For the band's part, they played a great set with all of the fuzz and riffage anyone could want; and it was kind of amazing to see them in that environment. I'll have the experience in the back of my mind during their set at The Knitting Factory on February 7th so that I can compare.

ROMP were just back from tour. Singer / keyboardist Madison Klarer had "won" a poll conducted by the band, receiving the most votes as the band member who would wear a bike helmet for the entire set. The helmet butted up against the ceiling joists a few times, but she was a trooper.

The audience turned out in force to welcome ROMP home and screamed along with every song, causing Klarer to stop a few times and declare her amazement. Picture-taking was out as our little area filled up with friends and fans of the band making any kind of movement extremely difficult. Guitarist Lucas Dalakian pogo'd throughout the set, stopping once to take a selfie with the section of the crowd on his side of the performance area.

Again, it will be interesting to see what the vibe is like when ROMP play the Court Tavern next week with Monterey, Semiotics, Deal Casino, and Dollys. The Court Tavern is in their hometown and "basement-y," but there's definitely more room to move around. I feel like the wild expressions of love and adoration may be a little bit less up-close and personal. We'll see.

There were definitely moments last night, as I wheezed and coughed in the tight space, when I wondered about my choice to head out to the show. But, by the time it was all over, I was feeling pretty good. As we left, I heard someone say, "Wow. That was the biggest, wildest show we've had here in a while."

I'm glad I didn't miss it.

Here are some pics of the set by California X. The rest are at Flickr.