Double Naught 3 at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, 1-4-25 Concert Review

Double Naught 3

It’s hard to believe a year has passed since Paul Lacques died. Time marches on, without any consideration, or even notice, of our personal travails. And I suppose that’s how it has to be. One of the bands he was a member of, Double Naught Spy Car, played last night at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, though under a slightly different name, Double Naught 3, the band now being a trio. The last time I had seen them perform was at Paul’s memorial concert at McCabe’s, which was back in April, with Danny McGough sitting in on keys. So I was thrilled to see them last night, and curious how they were doing as a trio. But, as it turned out, they weren’t a trio last night, for Kaitlin Wolfberg sat in on violin with them for most of their set. The rest of the bill was something to be excited about as well, a bill that included Lawndale, a surf rock band, and Backbiter, a hard rocking band, both of whom have been around quite some time.

Furious Nakamura

And kicking off the night was Furious Nakamura, a trio delivering some delicious instrumental covers. This band was a whole lot of fun, getting the night off to a great start. This is a band that is into Led Zeppelin as much as surf. They jokingly introduced “Immigrant Song” as “another surf classic.” A couple of guys joined them on vibraslap for their cover of the theme to Hawaii Five-0. These guys were ripping through their set, and everybody in the room was digging their music. How can you not dig “Cissy Strut,” especially with that great work on bass? There was brief talk about skipping “Surf Rider,” but the drummer was rightly adamant about playing it and counted it off before further discussion could happen. Then they began “Stairway To Heaven,” but quickly moved into “Pipeline.” Yes, this surf rock band loves its Zeppelin. Jonathan Hall, singer and guitarist of Backbiter, joined them on vocals for a kick-ass rendition of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star,” the band jamming on it. And then Bob Lee, drummer and vocalist from Backbiter, joined them on vocals for “Equalizer” to wrap up the set. That song had some crazy energy. The set ended at 9:40 p.m.

Lawndale

 

Fifteen minutes later, Lawndale was ready to go. “Let’s do it,” they said, starting their set a few minutes earlier than scheduled. Why wait? Everything was right. And they immediately got into things with a delicious number titled “Sasquatch Rock.” Seriously. With that title, how could it not be enjoyable? There was the slightest of pauses, and they went right into the next tune, moving along quickly, following the lead set by Furious Nakamura. Who the hell has time or patience for silence? There’s music to be made. And then, holy moly, they delivered a surf rendition of “Greensleeves,” because clearly this was the coolest night of music. After a moment or two of that piece, they went directly into “Manic Depression,” the perfect song for the holiday season. Right? And then back into “Greensleeves.” “Don’t forget to tip your bartender,” they told the audience, reminding everyone that they got in for free. That’s right, there was no cover for this fantastic night of music. A little later they asked, “It’s still okay to play Christmas songs, right?” And they proceeded to delight everyone with a great sort of surf version of Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus And Lucy.” Interesting to cover Vince Guaraldi without keys, but very cool. When they finished, someone shouted out, “Play it again!” That wasn’t the only holiday number of their set. They also did a surf version of “We Three Kings Of Orient Are,” sped up and way cooler than the song deserves to be, and then straight into “Little Drummer Boy” and back into “We Three Kings.” Their set also included “The Unforgiving Land,” taking us into darker territory. But at that point, we could handle it, as we’d fortified ourselves with large quantities of beer. Each note of that song rang out across the landscape.  That was followed by “Wingtips,” a totally fun tune. Their set ended at 10:34 p.m.

Marcus Watkins

“We’re Double Naught 3, but we’ve got a fourth member tonight,” Marc Doten told the crowd. However, after they were done setting up and ready to go, Kaitlin Wolfberg stepped off the stage for the first few songs. They opened the set with what initially hits you as a cool, dark western, a tune titled “Double Naught Spy Car.” So, yeah, that song puts the band in that category of groups that have a song sharing the band name, along with two other groups that Paul Lacques was a member of – Rotondi and I See Hawks In L.A. And with that we were off and running, the band delivering some wonderful stuff right out of the gate, which of course is nothing out of the ordinary for these guys. Marc switched from bass to keyboard then for “The Mooche,” and with this tune the audience entered a strange world of the band’s creation, a carnival on Saturn. Hey, I hear we’re losing our rings. Nothing to worry about yet. Step right up, step right in, the magic show has started. Leave your inhibitions and sanity at the door, they’ll be well taken care of, don’t you fret. And now that we’d been welcomed into the land of the weird, it was time for “Deutsch Bag,” where we became part of some strange gypsy caravan traveling through the seventh ring of hell. But of course it’s nice there this time of year. All three of those songs were included on the Comb In Blue Water album.

Double Naught 3 with Kaitlin Wolfberg

Kaitlin Wolfberg then joined them on violin for the rest of the set. She has played with a wide range of artists, both in concert and on albums, including Robert Rex Waller, The dB’s, Fernando Perdomo, Alice Wallace, Chris Price, James Houlahan, Feef Mooney, Millie McGuire, The HawtThorns, Andrew Sandoval, and Tawny Ellis.  “We’re going to play a shopping song,” Marc told the crowd, and the band began “Kay Sara Sarah.” Kaitlin added a wonderful element to the song, and everything felt right in the universe. Then on “Helicopter,” Kaitlin managed to get a wonderfully eerie sound from her violin. This tune also featured a great bass lead, and some really nice back-and-forth between Marcus Watkins and Kaitlin, with folks in the audience dancing. Marc then told the crowd, “We’re going to send this song out to our friend, Paul Lacques,” and they played “I Rose In A Field,” which featured some beautiful work on violin. Oh yes, this jam was certain to carry us through, or drive us through. “Macedonia 6-5000” followed, and at the beginning we traveled through the outer reaches of space, eventually landing upon a dance floor already crowded with creatures from a dozen worlds. But we fit right in, no introductions needed. Marcus delivered some fantastic stuff on guitar. “The next song is a true story, and it’s our theme song,” Marc said in introducing “Jan-michael Vincent Rehab.com.” And the place became a crazy dance party. “I want to hear ‘Danger High,’” someone in the audience shouted out. Oddly, that was the next song on the set list, the last song on it in fact. It’s one everyone always enjoys, and last night was no exception. The set ended at 11:42 p.m.

Backbiter

 

Backbiter is another three-piece band, but not an instrumental group. This was the only band of the night to feature vocals on all the material. It was also the hardest rocking band of the night. Dez Cadena (of Black Flag and The Misfits) was scheduled to sit in with them, but, as Jonathan Hall mentioned at the start of the set, he wasn’t feeling all that great and so didn’t make it. The band rocked from the first tune, which I believe is titled “Can’t Be Free.” And from there they charged forward, tearing through their set, delivering some strong rock. At one point I thought the drummer was going to obliterate his hi-hat. After four or five songs, Jonathan said they were going to do some Astral Jets material, since three fifths of that band was on stage. Dez Cadena is one of the other two members, by the way, which is perhaps why these songs were included as part of the set list. The first of the Astral Jets songs they did was “First Thought,” which had a great, heavy, driving beat. It’s the title track from the new album (which I should have picked up while I was there). The next song was one of my favorites of the set, as it became an interesting jam, getting into some mellower, bluesy territory before rocking again. Bob Lee sang lead on “That’s The Way Of The World.” This set was a powerful ending to a great night of music.

The Scarlet Goodbye: “El Camino Adiós” (2025) CD Review

In 2023, The Scarlet Goodbye, a Minnesota band led by the duo of Daniel Murphy and Jeff Arundel, released its first album, Hope’s Eternal, which contained mostly original material. Then the summer of 2024 saw the release of “Speedway,” the first single from the band’s new album, a song that promised the next release would be at least as good as the first. And, indeed, El Camino Adiós is an excellent album featuring mostly original material written by Daniel Murphy and Jeff Arundel. If you haven’t yet heart The Scarlet Goodbye, you are likely still familiar with Daniel Murphy from his work in Soul Asylum and Golden Smog. And you might know Jeff Arundel from his solo career. The band also includes Pat Nelson on bass and backing vocals, Pat Frederick on piano and backing vocals, and Ben Peterson on drums. There are several special guests on this album.

The album opens with “To Feel The Sun,” which kicks in with a bright force. The first line of the song (and thus the album) is a question, “Where do you go when I feel so lonely?” It is the first of several questions, something that feels right. We all have questions these days, don’t we? So much is uncertain. But the music here offers something we can be sure of, with elements of 1960s folk rock, particularly in some of the guitar work. “There’s a place that you go where I can never find you/It’s where the glory goes to be the wanted one/And everything grows, there’s nothing to remind you/Of the ghosts you know, so it’s where you go to feel the sun.” There is ultimately something positive in the sound of this one. We all need those places, don’t we? Often we can find those places within music. That’s followed by “The Last Time.” There is a more somber sound as this one starts, for a brief moment I am reminded of “Rain” from Dream 6. “Time is short, the scene is set/In the end, it’s your face I can’t forget.” This is a compelling song, with a strong atmosphere. “Dreams go on, nightmares too/Do not fear, they are the same for me and you.” Yes, these guys create some excellent lyrics, and each of the songs on this album has lines that stand out, such as this line: “Set a fire to the fortress that we made.” I also really like the bass line. This song builds in intensity toward the end.

“Speedway,” which as I mentioned was released as a single, is a seriously good pop number inspired by a race at the Cedar Lake Speedway in Wisconsin, and for a brief moment the track includes the sound of cars and an announcer at the speedway. This track has such an interesting sound, for there is something dark here, and yet it is also fun, and is a love song of sorts. “Is there a speedway into your heart/Or is there loneliness, a world turn apart at the seams/You look so good in those jeans.” The lyrics also contain a play on that line you might have heard from time to time about the colors of the U.S. flag never running, with them singing “Red, white and blue – these colors never run away from you,” a slight pause after the word “run.” This track features special guests Steve Gorman and Amy Spartz. Then “Raylene” is a song of goodbye, with some striking images and phrases, such as “An angel in a guillotine” and “Castles painted tangerine.” The lyrics also mention “Eulogies can conjure up the memories,” and the song itself is a sort of eulogy. This track features some beautiful backing vocal work by members of the See Change Treble Choir. There is also some really nice guitar work. This song at moments seems able to cross over and bring something back from whatever afterlife might exist, maybe an answer or two. It ends with the message or instruction, “Learn to love.” It couldn’t be clearer, could it?

The album’s sole cover is good rendition of The Grass Roots’ “Temptation Eyes” that eases in with a haunting feel. There is power, and also a yearning, in Jeff Arundel’s lead vocal performance. This track also contains a moving guitar lead and some interesting backing vocal work. Pat Nelson, Jeff Victor and Daniel Murphy provide those harmony vocals. That’s followed by “Sad Burlesque,” an intriguing song. There is a dreamlike quality to it, and an uneasiness. We find ourselves caught up in the narrator’s unusual thought line, and so we step out of ourselves and into his world. “We’ll go dancing again to the voices inside of my head/Maybe come around here and watch me convalesce/Shoot out the lights at our sad burlesque.” And those final sad notes on the piano leave me wondering about the guy’s current state. It seems fitting for a rather haunting instrumental track to follow, and the band gives us “Three On A Match,” a piece that seems to take place just before twilight, with a wind moving across the land. Yet this time we feel we can watch it, and not get caught in it if we’re careful. We are able to step back and view the landscape. This track was composed by Daniel Murphy. Jeff Victor is on keys.

There is a haunting feel to the opening moments of “Great Again” too, on keys, yet it feels more personal, a song emerging from memory. Check out these lyrics: “What kind of path does someone take/When there’s a sadness that permeates/Sad blue eyes staring at the floor/You seem so ill at ease.” As with all of this band’s songs, there are many lines that stand out, such as “You hate the circus, but you love the clowns,” a line that surprises us, in part because many people feel the opposite. This track features some beautiful work on violin. I love the way this one builds, as other voices join in, the song becoming less personal, more universal, and more solid. Then it surprises us again just before the ending, with some rather lonesome work on piano. That’s followed by the album’s title track, another song of goodbye, though a different sort of goodbye. Check out these lines: “The heat never looked so good as it did on you/And even then I could tell, you were halfway down the hill/A sweet collage of black and blue.” This one was written by Jeff Arundel, and it contains some nice work on keys, particularly during the lead.

The album concludes with “End Of Summer,” which was written by Daniel Murphy, Jeff Arundel and Pedro Mariani. Its first line, “Time’s a jet plane,” comes from Bob Dylan’s “You’re A Big Girl Now,” and just as we expect to hear something about it moving too fast, these guys surprise us by singing “Delayed at a gate,” taking the line in a totally different direction and thus changing our expectations about where this song will take us. And this is a song about changes. “The summer’s gone and so are we.” This line also stands out: “The things you can’t imagine become the times you can’t explain.” Wow, that is a line for our times, isn’t it? And the line “Temptations never tasted” provides an unexpected link back to the Grass Roots song. There is also a beauty to this track, heard especially in the vocal work.

CD Track List

1. To Feel The Sun
2. The Last Time
3. Speedway
4. Raylene
5. Temptation Eyes
6. Sad Burlesque
7. Three On A Match
8. Great Again
9. El Camino Adiós
10. End Of Summer

El Camino Adiós is scheduled to be released on March 14, 2025. The band will hold its album release party that night at Aster House in Minneapolis.

Continental Drifters Book Signing, Discussion And Performance at Book Soup, 1-3-25

Gary Eaton, Vicki Peterson, Mark Walton

There has been a whole lot going on in the Continental Drifters world lately, what with the release of the compilation, the two-disc tribute album and the biography. I love the band’s music, but I am one of those poor, unfortunate bastards who did not see those guys in concert. But last night I got a little taste of it, and it was a treat indeed. Book Soup hosted a special discussion of Sean Kelly’s book White Noise & Lightning: The Continental Drifters Story, which meant a discussion of the band itself, and not only by author Sean Kelly (who had flown in from Georgia for the event), but by three members of the band – Gary Eaton, Vicki Peterson and Mark Walton. It was a delight. David Jenkins moderated the discussion (Jenkins co-produced We Are All Drifters: A Tribute To The Continental Drifters, which was released in late September). As you might expect from these folks, there was a playfulness to the evening, right from the start.

At 7:05 p.m., an employee at Book Soup began the introductions, while the band was joking around until Vicki Peterson playfully shushed the others. Then John Cowsill gave his impression of white noise before introducing David Jenkins, who then introduced Sean Kelly, who then introduced Gary Eaton, Mark Walton and Vicki Peterson. Gary then joked that they were out of time, after all the introductions and conversation regarding the seating arrangements. That set the tone for the evening. The discussion began with Mark talking a bit about the beginnings of the band. Vicki said that after she and Susan Cowsill first saw the band they were thinking, “These guys are cute and they’re good – we should get them to be our band.” Instead, as it turned out, they joined the band, first as auxiliary members. By the way, some of the other auxiliary members were among the audience last night.

The band’s story is long, strange, and uncertain, as each member remembers things a bit differently, which I imagine must have been a bit frustrating for Sean Kelly as he was writing the book and trying to get at the truth of the matter. But what emerges is a greater truth, even if parts might be less than completely accurate. It also led to quite a bit of humor last night as they gave their own conflicting stories regarding key moments in the group’s chronology, many of the anecdotes dealing one way or another with Carlo Nuccio, who sadly passed a couple of years ago. At one point, Gary got up to get a bottle of water. Vicki started to tell him that several bottles had been set aside for them on the shelf behind them, but Gary said, “Mine’s a special one.” “I’m sure it is,” Vicki joked. “This is the Drifters, after all.” An allusion to the group’s special and storied relationship with alcohol.

The best part of the evening for me was when the musicians got out their guitars and played a couple of songs. Gary and Vicki were on acoustic guitar, and Mark was on bass guitar. The first song, interestingly, was a cover. “You Don’t Miss Your Water” is a song that was written and originally performed by William Bell. A live version of it was included on the Continental Drifters’ Drifted: In The Beginning And Beyond, which was released in 2015. Gary and Vicki provided the vocal work, and Gary delivered a nice lead on guitar. Then Annette Zilinskas, who was a singer in The Ringling Sisters, a band that also included Gary Eaton, joined them on backing vocals for “Dallas.” This is a song that she performed on We Are All Drifters: A Tribute To The Continental Drifters. And getting to hear this song last night was such a treat. And that was that, at least as far as the performance was concerned. They joked that it was not a typical four-hour Drifters show. No, but it was wonderful. A Q&A followed, and then they signed copies of the book. It was a special night celebrating a special band, something that was not lost on the musicians themselves.

author Sean Kelly