It was another fantastic show last night at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. I had been listening to Drool Brothers music most of the day, and was excited to see them again. That band alone would have made it a great night. But in addition, we got a special acoustic duo version of Legendary Swagger, something that hadn't happened before, and, according to the musicians themselves, won't happen again. And on top of that, we were treated to a set by The Weirdos, or Roman's Weirdos, a band that wasn't originally on the bill. It was supposed to be The Furys, but that band's bass player had a medical emergency, and The Weirdos filled in. That was three excellent performances, and with no cover charge. Have I mentioned how great this city is for music fans?
 |
| Legendary Swagger |
The night kicked off just after 9 p.m. with the acoustic set by two members of Legendary Swagger, Dino Everett (whom you might also know for his work in Streetwalkin' Cheetahs) and Skot Pollock, referring to themselves as Leg Swag for the purposes of this particular show. "
We're going to stumble through some acoustic songs before the real musicians get up here," Dino joked at the start of their set. They played a few songs written by Dino's friend John David Baldridge, a songwriter from Florida, including his "Cocaine, Marijuana And Alcohol," which had a great raw edge. They also covered The Ramones' "I Just Want To Have Something To Do" and The Dogmatics' "Thayer St." Perhaps the most surprising cover was Cat Stevens' "The First Cut Is The Deepest," delivered as sort of punk folk. "
Okay, we've got one more, then we're gonna break up," Dino told the crowd before the final song, "Is It Ever Over." The set, and the duo's career, ended at 9:40 p.m.
 |
| Roman's Weirdos |
The Weirdos (or, Roman's Weirdos) were up next. Before they started, Jeff Wolfe, who is also lead singer of The Furys, mentioned how that band's bass player was rushed to the hospital, and that's why the night's lineup was changed. The Weirdos focused on songs from early in the punk band's career, opening the set with "Happy People," which had a delicious energy, and following that with "Life Of Crime," which rocked. Cliff Roman mentioned in the introduction to "Destroy All Music" how the song was recorded the day that Elvis Presley died, and was the band's first single on Bomp. That was followed by "Solitary Confinement," a song that is slower at the start before kicking in with a wonderful punk force. They also did three of the four songs from the
Action-Design EP, including the cover of The Doors' "Break On Through," which always felt like a punk song anyway. "Helium Bar" came on at a gloriously furious pace. They wrapped up the set with the great "We Got The Neutron Bomb" and "Fallout." Their set ended at 10:28 p.m.
 |
| Drool Brothers |
Drool Brothers closed out the night, Tom Slik sporting a cool Slade T-shirt, and Chuck Mancillas wearing his "Fuck You Fame Whore" shirt, which, if I recall correctly, was for sale at Richard Duguay's merchandise table the first time I saw Drool Brothers perform. Anyway, the band was ready like fifteen minutes before they were scheduled to start, and didn't bother waiting around for those minutes to pass before kicking things into gear. They opened with a couple of songs from their new
Psychology album, "Have Fuzz Will Travel" straight into "Kaleidoscope." "
Enjoy the show," indeed. I especially loved that bass line to "Kaleidoscope." That was followed by "It's A Drag," which featured a cool lead on guitar. Chuck introduced "Psychology" as a disco song, adding, "
Disco is the new punk." This was another song with a totally delicious bass line, and the guys threw in a bit of "Get Off Your Ass And Jam" in the middle. And why not? In introducing "Frat Boy," Chuck mentioned, "
We have a Supreme Justice that is a frat boy." Indeed, a frat boy and rapist, but those seem like prerequisites for advancement in the country's Fascist Party these days. Drool Brothers then played one of my personal favorites, "Fullerton," a song from the band's debut full-length album. It has a delicious groove, and is a total delight. That was followed by "Alice," a song that is like a great carnival ride, a roller coaster through California darkness and light. "
Go ask Alice, she knows everything," Chuck added at the end. The band was then cooking on "Fame Whore," which was a lot of fun. They wrapped up the set with "Get Drunk Talk Shit," from
Mondo Electra. "
All right, we want to hear you on this one," Chuck told the crowd, reminding them they only had to sing four words. The show ended at 11:25 p.m.
No comments:
Post a Comment