Man, what a great
year it’s been so far. I guess I’m still waiting for the other shoe to fall.
Sure, there’re a few new maladies, a couple more gray hairs, but rock ‘n’ roll
is still pogoing all around me. And you all look fabulous. Christmas shopping
was a cinch: I bought potholes on Lake Avenue and registered each in a loved
one’s name with The National Pothole
Registry. My friends don’t need no stinkin’ stars.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Uncle Rog’s memorial show went off
flawlessly. Thirty bands of virtually every genre paid tribute in front of
roughly 1,000 fans. Some highlights: The
Fugitives, with Nate Coffee,
covered the bottom end for Rog; The
Veins roared incredible and large with a little boost from Venice Beach
monkey man, Ron Mesh,at the dials; Bacci bopped acoustically tight and sweet; and The Buddhahood brought their irresistible polyrhythmic dirge to the
middle of the dance floor. Let’s do it again real soon.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย I recently surfed the Web in search of
ordination — the complete opposite
of what I’m usually searching for. A couple of clicks and a few random
questions later and I found myself ordained as a minister in The Universal Life Church of Modesto,
California. I can now marry, bury, bless, and confess. However, I can’t
perform circumcisions. I’m not sure I’d want to anyway.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย So last
Friday, in my first official duty as man of God, I stood in judgment of 16
high-school bands who battled for cash prizes while anointing the Water Street
stage in teen sweat and exuberance. Over 1,000 kids (and almost as many
parents) piled into the joint. This was an outstanding opportunity for budding
musicians to play for a big audience and field-test their music, as opposed to
pounding it into the basement.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย It
was also a great opportunity for parents to encourage their youngsters’ forays
into rock ‘n’ roll. As I pointed out to one young mother: “You hear that?
That’s the sound of you saving $20,000-plus in college tuition. Buy the kid a
good guitar and you’ll save loads of cash on an education, that as a musician,
he’ll never use. OK, so he may still be living at home when he’s 30, but just
think of the savings. And all the chicks.” She ran away sobbing.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The
one band with particular promise was Public
Aggravation, a band that copped a real punk sound with a real punk
attitude, despite being all of 14 years old. They just need to beef up the set
with a few more originals and they’ll really be something to see. Very, very
encouraging.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Caught The Steve Green Quartet at The Montage
Grille this past Saturday night. With all the kinks worked out — and a few
new ones worked in — Green’s new quartet played with elegance, precision, and
a smirk. Green’s slow-burn cool permeated the entire room like a comfy fridge.
He’s probably the only cat who can actually feel the earth spin.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Then it was
off to The Bug Jar to dig Rochester’s friendliest band. Keen chops and manners.
In a scene where the majority of band members look like they’d sleep with your
girlfriend and steal your car, members of The
Hi-Risers, though fiercely talented, look like they’d help old ladies
across the street. Or at least ask them to dance. This is barroom rock ‘n’ roll
as it should be.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Monty’s
Krown was the final stop Saturday, to dig Los
Fadeaways, a band I hadn’t seen in 20 years. Though they were a little
quieter than I remember, their Beatle-esque barroom rock grooved steady with an
occasional contempo-lean and a stomp on a wahwah.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย God bless
you all.
This article appears in Jan 7-13, 2004.
