Weekend Recap: Old Man Hands, River City 3.13.08 & The Boredoms 3.15.08

Sometimes I feel like bands would gain more interest if they didn’t play as much as they do- over-saturation can be a problem. On the other hand, there are musicians who, as far as I’m concerned, don’t play nearly enough. One of those is Old Man Hands. Anytime they play, I try to catch them because they’re so talented and honestly, Gabriel’s is the only voice in San Diego that makes me cry on the inside everytime I hear it. Conveniently, they played at the Ken Club on Thursday night and I made sure to arrive early enough to see them.

There were quite a few people there, but honestly, it was the first time I ever wished there were less people in the room because the crowd was incredibly rude. Old Man Hands, even with a full band, are quiet, and their music deserves a hushed attentive crowd. Instead, they got a bunch of chatty people who took the bands playing as a sign to talk even louder. It was really disappointing to see a band a band basically helpless and they were noticeably frustrated toward the end of the set. It’s a Catch-22 for a band- say something and you sound self-important, don’t say anything and the people there to see you wonder why you didn’t speak up. Gabriel handled it as well as he could and asked, “Can you guys turn it down?” Despite the crowd, the band sounded great. Rachel wasn’t playing violin with the band on this night, but they still sounded lush with the drums, guitars, mandolin, keys, and my favorite, the accordion. I was also happy that my ATM is across the street because I’ve been meaning to buy their CDs for a while but never had the scratch on me when I’ve seen them before. They started with my favorite song, Slip Away, and played a solid set, mixing in a couple all instrumental songs. I don’t know what the last song was called, but the mandolin sounded so beautiful and really helped distinguish the song.







River City were up second and had a louder sound and therefore weren’t bothered by the still loud crowd, and for a Thursday night there were quite a few people in the crowd. It was my first time seeing River City and I was really impressed. I’m always impressed when a band switches around instruments, and in this case the female drummer jumped in and played bass to join in vocals and the bassist picked up drum duties. I’ll definitely need to keep an eye out for these guys playing again.







The Common Loon finished up the night but it was kinda late for a Thursday night- I don’t think people knew they were gonna be on the bill, so the room pretty much cleared out. I, too, only stayed for a couple songs. They were pretty smart and had put out some free CDs so I’ll have to take a listen and check them out again, too.




Friday night came and went and I took such a lengthy end of the week nap, that by the time I went to the Ken, I’d missed Secret Apollo, then got so caught up talking to friends that I missed The Airlines and Anna Troy. I’m really disappointed that I missed The Airlines because they made such an impression on me the last time I saw them. I talked to Blake for a while after their set and he told me they’ve been recording a lot lately, mostly in LA, but they also were able to record a couple tracks in Nashville, so I’m really looking forward to that release.

I did my ritual of going home and catching up on the past week of In Treatment. If you have HBO, I highly recommend this show. It’s really well done, the characters are well developed, and it definitely builds tension in anticipation of each new episode.

Now it’s Saturday and I’m sitting in The Boredoms tour bus. They’re from Osaka, Japan, and they’re playing tonight at Cane’s. I’m babysitting the tour manager’s three year old, so we wandered around Belmont Park for a while, rode the carousel, played some video games in the arcade, made a quick stop on the beach, then hung around Cane’s.




He briefly wanted nothing to do with me which was a sure sign that he was tired, so I carried him to the bus while he shrieked in my ear screaming bloody murder. It was pretty cute, to be honest, because then some of the band guys came in and he was trying to get them to take him back to his mom, but everyone went about their business and eventually he snuck off and put himself to sleep in his bunk.

These are some pictures from inside the bus.






His mother is gonna try and come in here in a bit so I can see the band sound check and hopefully take some pictures. The bands setup is incredible, with three full metal drumsets. They’re not actually playing until 11, so I’ll probably be babysitting well past midnight, which is just fine by me. Maybe I’ll actually get to bed at a normal time.

That’s all for now. This bus is swaying side to side because it’s so windy down here. Get ready for the news to announce “Stormwatch 2008” or some exaggerated gimmick. I’m signing out now so my battery doesn’t die.

postscript: I went in for a couple sound check songs while Toma's mom watched him on the bus, but then she came in the venue so I went back to the bus. Here are some pics from the soundcheck:






It wasn't until fairly late that I discovered the pass word for the satellite wi-fi, so I didn't get to post this until today, Sunday. We all ate dinner on the bus, though most of the band and crew were up in the front and I was in the back room on the bus so as not to crowd them. After everyone ate, they all slept for an hour before they had to go onstage at 11, and of course that's precisely when Toma woke up crying for his mother. He kept saying something that I'm sure translated to "I hate you" because he thought I was just being mean not letting him see his mom.

I took him outside and it was freezing, but he screamed for close to an hour, then finally the band went into the club so we went back on the bus and I entertained him for a couple hours finding videos on YouTube of Dora The Explorer, The Backyardigans, and a Japanese DVD he had. He'd cry between clips, but anytime music was on he seemed to be ok. The band finished about 12:30, but they all had to load out, so I didn't leave until after 1 am. It was an interesting day to say the least, and I was so exhausted that I actually slept in really late today, which happens frequently but not when alcohol hasn't been involved, so I'd say my body needed it. Now I'm all rested for the upcoming week. I'm gonna work on this week's listing now.

Friday Recap: Red Feathers, Old Man Hands, Ghost Buffalo, The North Atlantic, Swedish Models, The Muslims

I wish I had more time to write earlier, but it has been a busy, busy weekend. I'll recap as much as I can before I have to get some sleep.

My Friday night started at the Whistle Stop. I was really excited to see two bands that I haven't seen in some time. Red Feathers started the night and killed it. They sound so vocally strong and the bar was packed with people for the show, though the usual chatter on the bar side of the wall was a factor in the general buzz and energy of the night.











Lately I've been finding myself loving bands that switch it up between vocalists and instruments and Ref Feathers is no exception. I finally met Marco (thanks for the CD!) and it was nice to finally talk to him since we've been at the same place at the same time so many times before.

Old Man Hands was up second and I can't ever say enough about them and the talent of Gabriel. His voice can melt anyone and the accompaniment of keys, guitars, violin, mandolin, drums, bass just gave such a full sound. This was the most people I'd ever seen play under the Old Man Hands moniker, since when I have seen them in the past it's been at tiny spaces where they play more stripped down. There were moments that I felt amazement in the way I did the first time I ever saw "The Last Waltz."





Toward the end of the set, LaTaunya Lockett sang a song with the band and jaws were dropped. Get that girl a record deal, my god. Her soulful voice was a beautiful compliment to the band.



They finished a little after 11 and though I would've loved to see the Modlins, I had to mosey on my way. I hadn't been to Black Box Studios before but had no problem finding it and getting in via the alley. There were a lot of people there and I was impressed how overall, the crowd hanging outside was quiet and respectful to the neighborhood. It's obviously ideal, too, because of the studios sound proofing, that you couldn't hear the music at all from the outside.

The only bummer for me was that the show ran really late. I caught a little bit of the touring band, Ghost Buffalo, and they musically had a rockin vibe and lead by a female vocalist whose vox was somewhere between Jewel and Anya Marina, but the backing band kept her from sounding too folky.



After they finished, I hung outside with Kasey for a while then with Dave who had me cracking up. I was actually surprised to run into anyone I knew there, to be honest. By the time The North Atlantic started, it was nearly midnight. I had never seen them play before but it was a great performance that had the room packed (and really freakin hot). The crowd clearly loves the band and were singing along to most of the songs.









Unfortunately, I was at my tipping point and the crowd and heat became a little overwhelming added to the fact that I had to get myself home, so I left about midway through the set. I made my way back to Kensington and walked to the bar to find that show was also running very, very late. I was able to catch the final couple songs of Swedish Models.











It was 1:30 bar time when the Muslims finally took the stage and they played right up to the lights on kicking everyone out of the bar moment and a good amount of people stayed to watch them finish.









I was after anti-party since I had a big Saturday planned, yet somehow I ended up staying up pretty late loading all the pics up till I finally shut down and shut out calling it a great Friday night.

Friday Dilemma

While I'm thrilled San Diego is booming with solid local music, it bums me out immensely that I have to choose between these three amazing shows on Friday. Proximity usually wins in a case like this, but there are so many other factors to weigh in. Ah well, all solid shows and I hope they all draw well.

Who do you love?

It's funny how since I've started this little bloggy thingy, people ask me what I'm listening to, as if my opinion matters. They ask what local bands are on my radar, and what I like in general. I sit at a desk all day and the reality is that I can literally sit at my desk all day without exchanging any conversation with anyone in the office, so I like listening to streaming radio for stimulation. I like the radio banter on Indie. I like listening to the DJs get buzzed on Wino Wednesdays, I like how Jonesy just rambles whatever the hell he wants, and I like the sports reports from Timothy Oliphant (of the HBO series Deadwood) and news from Liz Warner. All this and the MySpace music I listen to or the Insound music player, and I don't listen to a whole bunch of CDs. And after work, I'm too busy going out to shows, you know?

On the occasion that I do pop in a CD, here's what I've been listening to (new and old stuff):
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah- Some Loud Thunder: If Satan Said Dance, I better listen, right?
Gomez- How We Operate: This was one of my favorite albums last year and I'm listening to it a lot as I try to decide whether I want to see Cold War Kids at the Casbah, or sell my ticket and buy one for Gomez and Ben Kweller on the same night at the House of Blues. Gomez are coming from across the pond, CWK are just coming down from LA, but it might be the last chance to see them in a small venue. Also, seeing Gomez last year on a harbor cruise for a KPRI Private Listener Show was amazing but the live show (as pretty much all shows at the House of Blues) left something to be desired. This brings me to
Cold War Kids- Robbers and Cowards, Up In Rags (ep), With Our Wallets Full (ep): I love these guys and notice more and more bands (especially Monarchy bands) emulating their distinct onstage style.
The Long Winters- Putting the Days To Bed: A great show last year at the Casbah, but with the poor attendance, I can't blame them for skipping San Diego on the upcoming tour dates.
Rocky Votolato- Makers, Suicide Medicine: Rocky is hands down my favorite singer/songwriter and is playing at the Casbah on April 15. I hope that he's got some new material and hope he gets a good crowd because Barsuk seems to be more focused on their other artists these days (Menomena, Jesse Sykes, et al.)
Piers Faccini- Tearing Sky: Good gray day music. It will get heavy rotation if it does in fact rain this weekend as predicted by our meteorolgical "experts" of San Dieo news.
The Brian Jacket Letdown- Piratas: Last year when South played at the Casbah, I met Thomas, who was playing keyboards for the band on tour. The Brian Jacket Letdown is his fulltime band and they are planning on recording an album starting in April. Piratas is only a 2 song CD, but I like it a lot and the band is getting buzz in England because of a recent television appearance.

I also listen to local stuff and of course have been taking in the new Vinyl Radio, "A Better Time Coming" and listening to A Week's Worth and The Burning of Rome and still spinning Kite Flying Society's "Where Is The Glow?". I have been meaning to review some stuff, like Anna Troy "Ain't No Man" and Starcrossed "Waves" but haven't had the chance.

Since my local music collection is relatively sparse, mostly I catch my local fix live, which is why tonight's Casbah show should not be missed: The Roman Spring, Republic of Letters and Swim Party. Also some of the bands I love to see live include Old Man Hands, Matt Curreri and the Ex-Friends, Plural (did they break up?), Rafter, Bunky, among many, many others.

So there it is. Thinking about all of this, I think I need to go spend some money on Insound.

Weekend Recap: Saturday: Delta Spirit & caUSE co-MOTION! @ Beauty Bar, The Jade Shader @ Ken Club

Saturday I was surprised by my cousin arriving from LA. She and my sister wanted Ponce's so I had to order something different than usual but still awesome. We hung out at my parents' house for the afternoon and early evening. Back in Kensington, we chilled and then headed to dinner at Ken Grill. The food was amazing as always but there was an asshole birthday party of 12 being obnoxious. Thanks for fucking up the ambiance, douchebags. Even the waiters were pissed, but when people are tossing around money, there's not much they can do.

After a few cocktails my cousin didn't wanna drive, but I convinced her to head over to Beauty Bar with me. Sara dropped up off on her way somewhere else. It was only 10 and the BB was already pretty crowded. I was so glad I opted for this show over the Cat Empire.

caUSE co-MOTION! was as good as I'd hoped they'd be. A 4 piece from Brooklyn, they were jangly and rockin.


The drummer was adorable and made some cute expressions while he played and kept smiling.







After the show I was on a hunt to find Kevin from What's Your Rupture? who had sent me the CD earlier in the week. In the meantime it was fun seeing so many people...my fellow bloggers, Scott CatDirt and Lyn Chickrawker, Rich from SignOnSanDiego, and other friends like Francine, Vinyl Radio Matt, and Alex and Eric of Swim Party.

Delta Spirit hit the stage and when we tried to work our way back to the patio, it was packed. Delta Spirit has such a great sound, as I've mentioned before. At times I was even thinking there is a quality in the singer's voice that reminded me of Starsailor which I hadn't noticed before. The Christian bent lyrics still feel really preachy to me, but no denying this band has a lot of talent. The guitarist even moves like the CWK bassist. I love when the singer beats his huge drum with a maraca. That and other percussion experimentation makes these guys stand out from your standard typical rock band. I had grabbed the set list back at the December show so I'm gonna post that since I never did before...









After Delta Spirit, we finally found Kevin from WYR? and chatted for a while. Scott was heading out after the band, so I asked for a ride back to Kensington, and Connie and I were back in no time at all.

She crashed out, but I wasn't quite done with my Saturday, so I walked to the Ken Club and caught The Jade Shader.



I had heard these guys were good but I just hadn't caught them live in the past. Epic dramatic Rock, and Chris Prescott of San Diego bands (Tanner, No Knife, and Fishwife) and Terrin Duffy (Boilermaker), it is no wonder they rock. And Gabriel Freenburg, aka Old Man Hands, is in the Jade Shader.

They will be playing with Rob Crow at the Casbah on February 14. It was another night of staying until last call and walking home. Fortunately it was a lazy Super Bowl sunday and I had no responsibilities other than couching for an entire day. I'll post this weeks Things To Do in a few...