Damaged?

I managed to catch a few shows in the last week, here’s the rundown:

The Eyeliners – I got an email freebie for this one. I had planned on going anyway, so that just freed up some money to buy a CD. The Eyeliners are a trio of cute sisters (Gel, Laura, and Lisa) from New Mexico who play pretty cool sugary punk music. Nothing all that incredibly original, but a good time nonetheless. Laura drums and sings lead, so they bring along a drummer on tour nowadays so that she can be more of a front woman (she did drum for the first couple of numbers and on the encore). The real focal point, however, is guitarist Gel. She is a constant blur of energy – pogoing around in circles, playing on her knees, going into the splits, playing with one hand while drinking a beer with the other, playing behind her back…the woman never stops moving! Overall, a very fun show, and I’m glad I caught them again. The only downer was a drunken dude in a backwards baseball cap who felt the need to get onstage and sing a few times (which was painful, as he apparently didn’t know the words), the rest of the time he was throwing his faux gang signs in time to the music (my number one pet peeve – white homeboys). Security, very politely I might add, made him leave the stage (they could have thrown his stupid ass out). After the show, he was ranting to the band in the lobby that they “need to do something about your security.” Oh, and he was having the band sign a shirt – not a shirt he bought, just his grimy white undershirt. After Gel politely signed, he thrust it back at her and rudely demanded “you have to write a message.” It makes you realize the kind of crap a small level touring band has to deal with sometimes, and I have no doubt that it’s even worse when the band is comprised of young women.

Sleater-Kinney – One of the biggest turnouts I’ve ever seen at the Gothic in Engleweed. This band hasn’t played D-town since I moved back, so I was extremely excited to see them. The show was good, very good, if not as terrific as the other times I’ve seen them. Like their latest release, The Woods, their sound was really loud, dirty, and overdriven this time around. That album was hit heavily, and older tunes were played in the same style. Definitely the loudest show I’ve ever seen them play! After the set, drummer Janet came out and asked if anyone had any Benadryl – guitarist Carrie was having an allergic reaction to something, and was breaking out. Nobody had any, so Janet said she’d be right back. Then she and Corin came out and performed an encore tune as a duo – Carrie was being taken somewhere to get an allergy shot. This was perhaps the strangest ending to a concert that I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed (every other time I’ve seen Sleater-Kinney they’ve done multiple encores), but it didn’t sound like the premature ending could be avoided. Corin and Janet both seemed a little bummed about the whole thing.

The Gore Gore Girls – With the Sleater-Kinney show ending so early, I didn’t really feel like I’d had a proper night out. After running the li’l woman home, I rushed over to the Hi-Dive to catch these Detroit garage femmes. I got there just as they were starting their set, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I had a few cold brews and ran into a few friends, so I was glad I showed up. Still, they played a pretty short set as well – I guess I just wasn’t destined for a long night of rock on this particular evening. There was nothing left to do but go home and laugh at Ernest Borgnine and William Shatner in The Devil’s Rain – what jackasses!

Gang of Four – Okay, this one exceeded my already high expectations - an amazing show by this recently reunited British post-punk band. Singer Jon King stalked the stage like a man possessed, flailing madly while his eyes nearly popped out of his skull. Guitarist Andy Gill laid down sheets of mad noise and feedback, reminding everyone who did this sort of thing first and best. All the while bassist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham anchored things with their solid, funky rhythms. Needless to say, they hit their influential debut album Entertainment! pretty hard. Another big turnout at the Gothic, with so many terrific tunes: Natural’s Not In It, Damaged Goods, At Home He’s a Tourist, Guns Before Butter, To Hell With Poverty, I Love a Man in Uniform, among many others. The feedback Gill produced during Anthrax was mind blowing, and King “played” a microwave oven (with a baseball bat!) during He’d Send the Army. And check out this encore – Gang of Four was joined by opening act Men Women and Children (who played fun disco tunes with noisy guitars) for a cover of Parliament’s Flashlight. Gill chanted the verses in monotone, and then everyone (including the audience) sang along on the chorus. I was disappointed that they didn’t play I Found That Essence Rare (my personal fave), but I really can’t complain when a show is this good.

Last week I was listening to KVCU, the commercial free station from Boulder. It was their pledge drive, and one of the premiums they were giving away was tickets to see Henry Rollins. The announcer called him “the guy who used to sing for the Misfits who now does spoken word.” The Misfits??!!?? Geez, these kids nowadays…