With members of Dog Party and Swimmers ensconced in studies at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, a benefit for their radio station KCPR was a natural, kicking off the current fundraising drive. Bay Area surf-soul-punk titans Shannon and the Clams headlined the all ages do at San Luis Obispo's SLO Brewing Company, and a sweaty evening was had by all. It was just in January that we last caught up with Dog Party, and they got the ball rolling in style with the big takeaway being a preview of Volume IV, their forthcoming LP on Asian Man Records, with Burger Records doing the cassette duties. "Dead Man" was the first new blast, and fit in perfectly with their catalog to date. Calling out a friend's 21st birthday, "Flamingo Go" set the moshing in motion, and it didn't abate through "Lost Control". Late set highlight included a pair of Swimmers brought up for a tune (Swim Party?!).
Oakland's Swimmers, (formerly Emily's Army), were the new-to-me takeaway of the evening. Scheduling conflicts meant missing them at Burgerama, but fortune smiled on this night. From the first song, they were a blur of motion, bringing to mind the energy level of the much missed At The Drive-In. Pausing between songs to ensure audience safety, they immediately ratcheted the energy levels back up, with crowd surfers ping-ponging between the support beams. Finishing off with a high energy take on the Cure's "Boys Don't Cry", it was a memorable introduction. Bonus points awarded for the skate deck serving as a pedal dock.
As evidenced by past gigs, Oakland's Shannon And The Clams have a gift for The Show, and this was a rare opportunity to see them shorn of the spectacle, just the trio in small club, up close and personal, and it was all of that and more. Keeping it tight and wired, they never let the intensity lag, and considering the energy from the stage throughout the night, that was no small feat.
These are new times for punk duo Dog Party, with Gwen having decamped to Cal Poly to start her college adventure, and Lucy still at home in Sacramento. Last time we caught up with them was in August, at Burger Records' Burger A Go Go shindig in Santa Ana, and while apart for the first time, many years playing together has given them a telepathic connection that a few months won't impact. They hit the stage Saturday night at SLO Brew, setting the stage for Agent Orange, blitzing through a set heavy on their latest album, Lost Control, (on Asian Man Records), and the treat of the night was hearing brand new music from them.
It was a pleasant surprise to have a long line before doors at the usually laid back brewing house, and a sizable crowd was already in place when the ladies hit the stage with the all-purpose greeting jam "How Are You Doing". From there on out, it was non-stop, and full-throttle takes on "Flamingo Go", a loose but powerful rendition of "Lost Control", "Jetpack" (which stirred some pit activity), and their trusty cover of X's "Los Angeles" won the night. Fun fact: Gwen shared with us that 7 years before, Dog Party's very first show was opening for none other than Agent Orange, bringing things full circle. Keep an eye out for Dog Party on the road, including some dates next month with The Thermals.
Interesting historical fact: when I first moved to the great state of Arizona in the late '80's, practically the only things I knew about it were Barry Goldwater and the Meat Puppets, and in the case of the latter, that was enough. A trio of the Kirkwood Brothers and Derrick Bostrom in their initial incarnation, the band upon rebirth is now a quartet, sans Bostrom and anchored by the brothers. Dogged by more than enough travails to fill an episode of Behind The Music, including label issues and drug shenanigans, the band seemingly never met a bridge it didn't burn. For me they were always a talisman, helping to pave a brave new post-hardcore world by helping to lay the groundwork for what would become Americana, and it's hard to imagine the current San Francisco psych scene without their trailblazing. Their legacy is secure from their early 80's run on SST Records that influenced many, including a young man named Cobain, who repaid the debt by featuring a cycle of their songs during Nirvana's Unplugged performance.
On this night, it was back to basics, as two albums into their resurrection, the band is on the road working its way back up, shining a light for those not fortunate enough to catch them the first time, or gray vets looking for that taste, trying to recapture that first vivid high. While mixing in new tunes, they didn't ignore the old, working in SST-era material, including a handful from high water mark Meat Puppets II, including "Oh Me", "Plateau", and "Lake Of Fire" to much thrashing from the assembled. Audience response seemed heaviest for songs from Too High To Die and a high octane cruise through early classic "Lost", but the high point of the night, and the moment where the set elevated for keeps was a burning take on Freddie Fender's "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" into "Que Paso", investing them both with the Meat Puppets own brand of badassery. Based on the number of fresh faces in the audience, it looks like the Meat Puppets are building a new bridge.
It hardly seems five years since the last time I saw Dave Alvin grace the tiny stage at SLO Brew in San Luis Obispo, but a lot of living has gone down since then, a lot of miles on the highway. California's unofficial Poet Laureate came in to town with his current outfit, The Guilty Ones, and proceeded to observe the fact that it was Saturday night by laying down a raucous set, pausing only to tip his hat to those who haven't made it this far on this journey. The Guilty Ones are drummer Lisa Pankratz, Brad Fordham on bass, and guitarist Chris Miller.
Alvin is the maker of a righteous stew of blues, soul, folk, and country-referring to it simply as: American Music, and for converts and uninitiated alike, it's a heady brew. While the setlist contained less than a dozen songs, in the hands of The Guilty Ones, it was a solid two hour show. Songs routinely ran past five minutes and beyond, but the soloing was focused, and in service of the songs. Opening with "4th of July", Alvin interspersed songs from his most recent LP, Eleven Eleven, with staples of his songbook. "Harlan County Line", a well earned lucky break by its inclusion in FX TV's "Justified" led the charge, along with "Black Rose Of Texas" and "Run Conejo Run", salutes to past band members Amy Farris and Chris Gaffney. A brief snatch of "Please Forgive Me" was the perfect setup for his ode to the tragic end of Johnny Ace, "Johnny Ace Is Dead". "Long White Cadillac", the Hank Williams tribute that dates back to his days with his brother Phil in The Blasters, made an appearance as well, with Dave giving thanks to Dwight Yoakam's country hit cover, but noting that "Nobody, but nobody, sings this song like my brother."
Alvin's beloved California, overtly or covertly, was always present. From citing Coalinga and his grandparents in "King Of California", to his own roots in Downey, ("Dry River"), to the landmark folk and blues club "Ashgrove", that gave name to the song that's become his anthem, his gift is reaching beyond the stereotypes of the state and looking at people's lives away from the bright lights. The first time I heard "Ashgrove" performed, years ago, it was a revelation, simultaneously an acknowledgement of roots, and a preview of a return to a harder edged bluesy sound. When the LP, (Ashgrove), was released, it certainly lived up to that promise, and in concert the song grew to be a focal point. Like Alvin's career as an under appreciated journeyman who keeps honing his craft, out on the road, "Ashgrove" keeps its promises.
It's hard to pick one highlight from the night, but an unforgettable moment was opening his encore with a tip of the hat to the late Joe South, before proceeding to sing the ass off of South's hit "Games People Play." Amid the volume-soaked night, it wasn't all doom and gloom, as Dave alluded to, and later followed up with a story of a recent Phil health scare, neatly dropping into another Blasters classic, "Marie Marie", with the band at full throttle, putting a punctuation on the night. While just another date in a tattered logbook, for us it was a night of communion with an American original.
