Boss Style: Speedy Ortiz live

SPEEDY ORTIZ

ALEX G

TANCRED

CATALYST, SANTA CRUZ, CA

23 MAY, 2015

Touching down in Santa Cruz as the gateway to the northern California leg of their current tour business, Speedy Ortiz brought the goods to the Catalyst. Also booked that night for the venue's big room was UK reggae vets Steel Pulse, making for a fascinating mix of crowd outside the hall. Ever since our first taste of Speedy Ortiz, last year at Pappy and Harriet's in Pioneertown, we've been awaiting their return out west. Working primarily from their latest release, Foil Deer, the band hit the stage with a vengeance, heralded by Petey Pablo, turning the new songs inside out, and the main question was, with this being their most produced/intricate LP...how would the 'difficult' songs translate live? The mid-set combination of "The Graduates" into "My Dead Girl" answered handily, proving the emotional high point of the night. Other highlights included an airing of "Bigger Party", a song cut for last year's Adult Swim singles program, and a welcome addition to any set.

Quality was the evening's watchword, and extended all the way down the line, with both opening acts more than measuring up to the challenge. Tancred is the solo project of Now Now's Jess Abbott, and she seems to have found her comfort zone, spinning off songs from the self titled LP, as well as previewing tunes from a forthcoming album that they just wrapped recording on. Working with Anna Waronker and Redd Kross/Off's Steven McDonald, we look forward to the finished product. There's video below to get a taste of the band. Reminiscent of the 90's Fort Apache scene in Boston, with echoes of Juliana Hatfield and Throwing Muses/Belly, Tancred is a name to make a note of.

Philadelphia's Alex G (Giannascolit) hit the stage with a full band, the Temple U. student transforming bedroom indie songs into vibrant workouts, crossing the pull/release tension of classic live Television with a Malkmus-ian songwriting bent to deliver the goods. Stuck in the unforgiving middle slot, the band seemed intent on punching their way out. Since picking up the latest release, the oddly compelling DSU, it has rarely left my turntable, and like Mitski's Bury Me At Makeout Creek, will probably be one of my favorite left-field releases come the end of the year. Due to technical snags, the video from their set met a cruel fate, but we'll drop in a song to give you a taste.

SPEEDY ORTIZ

 

ALEX G

TANCRED

We Want The Airwaves...

A BENEFIT FOR KCPR:

SHANNON AND THE CLAMS

SWIMMERS

DOG PARTY

SLO BREWING CO, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA

16 MAY, 2015

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.

SHANNON AND THE CLAMS

SWIMMERS

DOG PARTY

 

"Swim Party"