August 14, 2010: The Mau Maus / The Humpers / The Dragons / The Zodiac Killers / The Clorox Girls / Flexx Bronco / The Bourbon Saints @ The Beauty Bar
Oh gawd DAMN was I hungover! The previous night's shenanigans had ensured that I would wake up this afternoon cursing the people who invented tequila and Guinness, and cursing my stupid ass for mixing the 2! LOL I hit the ground running after a quick invigorating shower and some huge ass sloppy, greasy bacon cheeseburgers and fries I cooked up at home, since I forgot to eat all day yesterday. I figured the grease would help me drink even more today, which it did. I took some advice that I got from Joe 1/2 Ast about parking at the El Cortez whenever I'm downtown, but today, they had a guard checking all cars pulling into the parking garage for membership stickers or Player's cards, and since I had neither, I went in search of someplace to park. Since I was there so early, all the spots on 6th St. were wide open, and since it was late enough, AND the weekend, there was no charge to park there. Free parking. I took it as a sign of good things to come.
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Hey! You Look pretty good for a guy born in the 60's! The doorman at the Beauty Bar told me, and I thanked him as I always do whenever someone tells me I'm not as decrepit looking as I actually am. The toke sesh I had just finished in my car had me stumbling around downtown, high as fuck and with a mean case of dry mouth and a nasty hangover. Once in I headed straight to the bar. I could hear a band playing outside in the courtyard, but I didn't care. I needed Life juice. I needed Life. A couple of slammed Jameson's on the Rocks later, I headed out to the courtyard where the stage was set up and I could tell this was gonna be an adventure. The layout looked dangerous. You see, the people at the LVCS were smart enough to erect a barrier directly in front of the stage, making sure no one would fall over and get crushed with the surging of the crowd. Here, there was no barrier, meaning the fools up front were going to get crushed, regardless of anyone's good intentions. I planned on being one of those fools. This was gonna be fun.
The first band I saw was the Bourbon Saints, playing some greasy ass, down and dirty punk rock and roll that sounded pretty good to me. The 2 guitarists were sporting blue denim vests, which is always a plus, and the singer reminded me of a Mexican version of Dave Vanian. I was digging it. The drummer was this crazy looking trucker dude who was just pummeling the ever loving shit out of the drum kit, and I spent the majority of the bands set just watching him. I do love watching a good drummer play. If I wasn't so focused on getting 'normal' I would of snapped some pictures of the Bourbon Saints in action, but I didn't. I attribute the lack of picture taking to the 'Opening Band Curse', or maybe to just my laziness. The band played a good set and the quickly filling in crowd seemed to dig them. Anyways, good band. Check the Bourbon Saints out when you get the chance. They're pretty good.
I was talking to Senor Bobby Franks while watching Flexx Bronco set their gear up on the stage. We were both amused at the drummer who was walking around with a bath towel wrapped around him from the waist down, which was decorated with a cartoon drawing of a well endowed male, on the front and the back. Hey Now! LOL Flexx Bronco are a pretty righteous band. Not quite as manic as the Midnight Evils or the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, but more like a less intense version of both. I last saw the band @ Boomers a while back, and seeing them in the harsh lighting of the late afternoon sun was a bit unsettling, to say the least. These guys were PALE! hahaha Sorry. So once the music begins the guys in the band start going off. it's like a switch gets turned on or something. Everyone in the band is animated, bouncing around and off of each other, spazzing out, and as all this is going on, the 2 guitarists use their feet to set off some fire extinguishers they have set up on the sides of the stage, spraying the entire courtyard area with fire retardant foam and oxygen killing chemicals. Pretty good way to set the tone for the bands set, if ya ask me! LOL Once we could all breathe again Flexx Bronco then proceeded to play a pretty rawking set of boogie woogie Punk Rock and Roll that kept my feet tapping and wasn't boring in the least bit. The band is very energetic, putting on a Hell of a show, and giving each other those looks that are secretly ways that bands communicate while on stage, and I love seeing that shit. Shows that the band is tight, shows that they're having fun while up there, shows that they know what they're doing. The drummer apparently always plays topless, and the bass player looks like the friendly pot dealer we all had back in high school. You know, the guy that is everybody's friend, who walks freely amongst the Tribes. Something about his half grin and glazed over eyes he always has while performing gives me that impression. ;-) The band has drawn a good sized crowd directly in front of the stage, which, of course, cleared out again when the guitarists shot off what was left in those fire extinguishers they had on the side of the stage, and I'm glad people were digging their set, because Flexx Bronco seem like a bunch of cool guys who work their asses off to get the little bit of fame and recognition that they have, and you always gotta admire that in any band. At the end of their set they received lots of applause and even a few calls for an encore or 2, but I guess time restraints prevented them from doing so, which sucked. Flexx Bronco had just raised the ante a bit with their stellar performance today, and I think I'm starting to come around to what they're all about. I might have to buy one of their CD's the next time I see them. I bet it's pretty ace.
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Why, oh Why did I leave after Flexx Bronco's set to go to my car and drop off some free band swag I got from the Rip Offs and the Dragons, and to get high? I came back to the Beauty Bar just in time to see the Clorox Girls running through the end of their set, and I was kicking myself the whole time while standing there in shock and awe at what I was seeing. The Clorox Girls were playing this astonishing sounding Spirit of '77 Punk Rock music that had me checking my iPhone to see what year it was, and if that acid I took a few months ago was giving me flashbacks or something. ;-) The band sounded fantastic, and weren't lacking in the looks department either! The Singer dude looked like a dead ringer for Jim from the Crowd, the Bassist looked like Bruce Foxton from the Jam, and the drummer looked like the guy from the Undertakers! hahaha Visually it was like a Punk Super group, but musically it was like a combination of the Middle Class and the Dils and the Simpletones - just fucking phenomenal stuff. The singer was spazzing out and throwing his guitar around his neck and spinning the guitar in his hands and rolling around on his back while playing and then jumping into the crowd to mix things up a bit, making sure that you never had a reason to not be looking at him, and all the while the bassist and drummer were just locked in and hammering away at these bouncy punk riffs that had you tapping your fingers to the beat and your head a bobbing along to what the band was throwing out there. When I saw the line up for the bands playing the Shakedown, I kind of thought to myself, How did the Clorox Girls get such prime placement on the bill?, and after seeing them play I could definitely see why. I still don't know anything about them, but I know that I became an instant fan after watching them perform the short time that I did. I had to stop taking pictures of the band and pull my trusty little recorder out of my pocket to try to capture what I was hearing. I got a few songs which, although guitar heavy, sound excellent, and do a decent job of representing what the Clorox Girls are all about. I got to see them play 5 songs and then it was done, definitely leaving me wanting more and cursing my stupid decision to leave before they played. FAAAWK!! If you see anything by this band, buy it immediately. If they're playing anywhere near you, make the trek to check them out live. You will not be disappointed. They are seriously that good. Clorox Girls, fuck yeah!
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The Zodiac Killers were the Underdogs of the line up. Seeing as how the other bands that had played before them got a piddling amount of, or almost no crowd response at all. I was clueless as to how the band would go over with the gathering of people who were quickly making the courtyard of the Beauty Bar an uncomfortable place to be. And remembering how Greg was acting last night during the Rip Offs set @ LVCS had me wondering if I should be standing directly in front of him! LOL Instead, I set up camp directly in front of Ruba, their femme fatale guitar player, feeling a bit like the pervy old photographer dude you find at all the gigs as of late, but not really caring that I did. Just like the night before, I was overhearing various people commenting on how far they had traveled to see the Zodiac Killers, or how many years ago it had been since they had last seen them, blah blah blah. Devotion to a good band is always it's own reward, and today, we were going to get what we had coming to us. The Zodiac Killers start to assemble on the stage, checking that their gear works and shit like that, and it's getting pretty crowded near the front. Greg complains into the mic how hot it is, and how San Francisco is much cooler right now, and then the band launches into Man Of Action, from their Have A Blast LP, and that's it. It's on! The crowd explodes into activity, either twitching around like animals having shock treatment administered to them, or they are spazzing out and bouncing around to the infectious pop laden Punk Rock that the band is throwing down. It sounds great. The drummer is pounding away on his drum kit, evoking images of Keith Moon in his prime, powering the band at a furious pace that left no room for mistakes. The other guitarist reminds me A LOT of Captain Sensible, both in looks and stage presence, and the riffs he was throwing out there were hard and crunchy, fast and hooky. Greg is doing his best to have as much of the spotlight drawn on him as possible, cracking wise and making faces and jumping into the crowd, but it's Ruba that everyone is looking at. She's fucking gorgeous. She is bouncing around, smiling, shaking, talking shit and chewing gum, all the while cranking out these monster riffs with a guitar tone that would make Malcolm Young nod his head in approval. Throw in the fact that she is sporting some sexy ass short skirt outfit that's perfectly complimented by some fishnet stockings, and you'll begin to see why everyone, male and female, is glued to her every move. If it wasn't for the kick ass drummer the Zodiac Killers had behind the kit, I would of just been staring at Ruba for pretty much the entire set, but like I said before, I love a good drummer, and this drummer was killer, and on songs like Radiation Beach, UFO Invasion, Burned and Telephone Rings Again, he was just overpowering and outplaying everyone on the stage, which is saying a lot, because everyone else was running on the high setting too. The energy level never dissipated one bit during the bands set. This was nothing short of magnificent. Before the last song, Genetic Mutation, Greg announced that this was the last ever gig for the Zodiac Killers, and the crowd moaned with disapproval. Even if that WAS true, it would be a Hell of a way to end the bands run - playing a kick ass set to an audience full of drunken fans. The band stumbled off the stage and the crowd was howling for more, but nothing more was coming. That was it. It was over. Just a fucking incredible set from the Zodiac Killers. Gawd damn. The bar was set. This mark was gonna be hard to beat.
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Me and the Dragons have a History. We go waaaaaay back. Been into these guys for years upon years now, and they have never failed to rock my face off each and every fucking time I have been lucky enough to have seen them play. A brilliant band. I heart these dudes like nobody's business. Always have, always will. Unfortunately, they officially disbanded a few years ago, with Ken going off to play guitar with the Bronx and Mario forming MEX, the Mario Escovedo Xperience. Steve went and wrote plays and Jarrod went domestic with his wife and kids. ::sigh:: When the first announcement of bands playing this Shakedown festival were announced, there were 4 bands I was beyond hyped on seeing, and the Dragons were one of them. There was no way in Hell I was gonna miss out on seeing them play in my own back yard. No fucking way. I secretly wondered how the band was going to sound though, wondering if over 5 years of lay off would affect the Rock and Roll machine that is the Dragons, and I'm sooooooooo glad to say it was like they never stopped playing! Once I heard Ken cranking out that opening riff to Oh Yeah , and saw Steve clapping his hands and encouraging the crowd to feel the vibe and get into it, I knew everyone in the place was about to witness a true example of some seriously kick ass Rock N Roll musicianship. Ken is just flaying away on his trademark Flying-V guitar, playing a cacophony of musical notes so gawd damn fast and furious that it made my eyeballs hurt just by watching him. Such a dazzling guitarist. I could seriously watch that guy play all fucking day and never be bored, and I hate noodlers! I was kidding with Jarrod before he started playing about being up to snuff to supplying the muscle to the Dragons music, and he assured me that it wasn't going to be a problem and Damn if he wasn't right! LOL The consummate drummer, just sitting back there behind the kit with that Billy Zoom kind of Cool emanating from him, and pounding the ever loving shit out of the drums and bashing away at his cymbals like a man possessed. I am sooooo envious of him, in case you couldn't tell. The band was sounding magnificent. They were jumping around a bit, getting more and more loose as the songs were going by, and by the time the band played their 3rd song, Insatiable, I was completely lost and completely unaware of anything and everything that was going on around me. I was totally in the Dragons kill zone. I didn't know what to look at, and I wasn't even taking pictures anymore, because the music sounded so ace. Bliss and Heaven it was. Nirvana. So, so awesome to watch. I wish you all could of been there. Steve is still one of the coolest bass players I have ever seen play - the man just oozes Rock N Roll attitude from every pore in his body. Very Paul Simonon like. His passionate back up vocals and harmonizing with Mario are a big part of the Dragons overall sound and tonight the duo were sounding great. I love Mario's raspy whiskey tinged vocals. His voice and guitar were hitting all the right notes and chords, and considering that he was probably the most sober that I have ever seen him play before, I was pretty impressed that he was killing it like he was. I always assumed he got his bravado from the bottle like we all do, but apparently, it's all natural to him. Kudos. I'm such a fanboy of this band, like in a totally ghey way. Watching them ripping through such classic Dragons material as Roll The Dice, My Confession, Three Steps From The Bar, Fade, Take It and Loaded, is easily gonna be one of the highlights of my year. I couldn't tell you what the crowd was doing during the bands set, because I was soooooo mesmerized by seeing the Dragons perform after way too many years. I just stood in the front, probably grinning like an idiot, and just let Ken's magically flailing fingers take me away. After what seemed to be too short of a time, the Dragons were done preaching the gospel of Punk Rock and Roll, stomping off the stage with a well honed swagger and a well deserved round of thunderous applause. Minor complaint - they didn't do Sin Salvation, even though it was on the list. Other than that, it was a performance for the ages, a set of tunes perfectly executed and brilliantly performed. Gawd damn did the Dragons make my year. Just fucking amazing. I could die a happy man now.
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The next band up, Throw Rag, I have never gotten the appeal of. I saw some of their now 'Legendary' gigs @ the Divebar a while back and just went, Ehhhhhhhhh. They're not my cup of tea, that's for sure. After the Dragons were done blowing up the place, I limped off to the bar where my new favorite bartender Deana was awaiting for me with a cup full of whiskey and a smile on her face. What more could you ask for? LOL I sat there chug-a-lugging away and putting onethirtyeight.org stickers all over the place, some alongside Szandora's SatanicWitchery.com stickers, and after a bit I wandered back outside to catch the tail end of Throw Rag's set. "I don't like this band. I don't get it" N.J. Pete said to me, and I have never agreed with him more. We just stood there silently for a few minutes, checking things out before heading back inside for more drinking and where the music was better. Seemed like the more appealing thing to do at the time.
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As soon as Throw Rag was done stinking up the place, I snaked my way through the crowd in an effort to get as close to the stage as possible. I saw the singer of the Humpers, Scott "Deluxe" Drake, doing the same thing, so I followed directly behind him to get myself right into position dead front and center stage, with Jesse and Roxie directly flanking me to my right. "Gilbert, it's time to destroy the Beauty Bar", Jesse, playing devil's advocate, was yelling in my ear, and I was almost to the point of not caring and agreeing with him. I somehow enjoyed the thought of sitting in CCDC and telling everyone in the place that I got arrested for destroying the Beauty Bar while the Humpers played. Seemed like a mighty proud thing to tell people that I had done, but common sense or sobriety kept me from following through with my devilish plans. Instead, I just braced myself for what I knew was going to be an onslaught, trying my best to prepare for the worst. I popped a few more pills to go with the massive cup of whiskey I was sharing with Scott. He didn't seem to mind. So yeah, all the Humpers are assembled on the stage, looking like lions about to feed on a tied down deer, with a look in their eyes that says 'kill', which was appropriate, since they opened up with Murder City Revolution, the first song off of their Positively Sick On 4th Street LP, and the place went bonkers! It's a great feeling screaming out REVOLUTION!!! with hundreds of others with your same ilk, lemme tell you! Then they went into My Machine, the title track to the first Humpers album that may or may not have been released in the United States, and I was just losing it. Between getting pummeled by stage diving maniacs and with Scott using me as an anchor / launch pad for his excursions into the audience, I was literally getting beat the fuck down front and back and loving every minute of it! LOL The David Johansen lookalike on lead guitar was just shredding through the Humpers catalog, shining on such amazing tunes like Space Station Love, Apocalypse Girl, Cops And Robbers, Migraine Shack, Losers Club, Soul Surgeon, fuck, they were just playing anything and everything that I could possibly want to hear (except for Sick Of Tomorrow Today), and just leveling the place while doing it. I swear a few times I saw the buildings surrounding the Beauty Bar courtyard area vibrating. Must of been because of the rhythm section, rumbling and plowing through every song like a runaway train - powerful and scary and intimidating they were. The bass player looks like a male model, and the drummer looks like a Bowery bum - a great combination! LOL I couldn't even see what the rhythm guitarist was up to, nor did I care, because I had everything I needed right in front of me. The crowd was a HUGE part of the performance, with people stage diving, crowd surfing, and trying to sing into every available microphone that they could, with the band taking it all in stride and encouraging everyone to just go nuts and get into what they were playing. The Humpers are probably used to it by now, but you'd never know. Every gig I've seem the Humpers play has always been a semi-Religious experience, and tonight's set was no exception. The Humpers owned this night. No band could even come close to this dazzling display of Power. No one. The band played for what seemed like forever, and when they finally left the stage, the crowd howled for blood to get them back on the stage, where the Humpers delivered the 1-2-3-4 knockout combination of Fast, Fucked And Furious - Anarchy Juice - Rocket Reducer No. 62 - Rocket And The Retards, and that was it. Stick a fork in me, because I was done. My back was fucking killing me, my arms and legsHURT, my head felt like it got kicked a few times by errant stage divers, which it had, and I felt like a whore that was ridden hard and put away wet. Once the Humpers left the stage I ambled around aimlessly, making eye contact with a few of the survivors, silently nodding to each other to imply just how lucky we were to have witnessed what we just did and that we lived to tell the tale. Viva Los Humpers! Gawd damn did they ever deliver the goods on this glorious day of Punk Rock N Roll extravagance.
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I wandered back into the Beauty Bar, where Deana was waiting for me with a big red cup of Jameson's on the rocks. God bless her. I sat on a stool in a drunken stoop, silent and numb, processing everything I had just witnessed and wondering if I'd regret what I had just put my body through come the morrow. By the time I got my wits about me, and gathered up the gumption to head back outside and see the Mau-Mau's play, Szandora & Joe were coming back in and telling me how awesome the bands set was. Fuck. Oh well. The effects of both the booze and the pills had my head spinning, so I wandered off and grabbed a hot dog from some street vendor and just took it all in, letting the night air and the greasy lukewarm meat prepare me for my drive home. I was gonna seriously try to be back to the fest later on today, but even if I wasn't, it was still a Hell of a past 2 days. Thanx to everyone for making it as fun as it was. Let's do this again more often! ;-)
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For more Pictures of the Humpers, please click here. For more Pictures of the Dragons, please click here. For more Pictures of the Zodiac Killers, please click here. For more Pictures of the Clorox Girls, please click here. For more Pictures of Flexx Bronco, please click here.
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