Category Archives: Honorary KLAYMERS

Art, Bloodshot Bill, concert review, Honorary KLAYMERS, King Khan, Local Music, Mark Sultan, Music, music video, pictures, Punk, reviews, The King Khan & BBQ Show, Video

Review: The King Khan & BBQ Show, Bloodshot Bill, Aykroyd @ The Sinclair (4/10/13)

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APRIL 2013 013

Bands: The King Khan & BBQ Show, Bloodshot Bill, Aykroyd
Date: Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Venue: The Sinclair (Cambridge, MA)

First time at the Sinclair, place gives me the willies! What is this monstrosity before me? I almost feel like I’m at some quasi House of Blues. For a few moments, I forget where I am, I think I am in some other city, some foreign land. Then I see King Khan and Mark Sultan/BBQ at the merch table and all is well. I am in the right place, it’s April 10, 2013 and The King Khan & BBQ Show are back in Boston! Last time, we  saw these two on stage was way back in October 2009 at the Middle East Downstairs. Great times! One of the finest shows we have ever witnessed. Since then, we’ve seen King and Mark separately several times as King Khan & The Shrines and Mark Sultan solo, respectively and those were all kick ass shows, but KKBBQ is superior. After saying some hellos, we make our way to the stage.

Aykroyd plays first and you may remember them as The Needy Visions, y’all know. The one from that Maine Coons song, “Fast and Easy Livin.” Maine Coons, you know, one of the greatest bands of all time. Quick, here’s their bandcamp page: http://themainecoons.bandcamp.com/album/s-t We’ll just act like this never happened. But, enough of those dogs, I mean cats, I mean that dude, ehhhh, Aykroyd/Needy Visions is the topic of discussion and they totally rule, looking like mighty beings on top of this massive stage in front of me. I look up and see lead vocalist/guitarist Dan Shea making bizarre faces and awkward, uncomfortable, high pitched shrieks that are oddly appealing. The whole band sounds top notch, like a blend of 90’s “college rock,” right cause everyone who plays music goes to college – err like Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh, and other bands of that era that didn’t hail from our great state of Massachusetts mixed with classic rock.  It’s ginormous  Sam Potrykus flails about and passionately rocks out on bass, whilst he boogies around in his funky, unusual dance style. With all of this eccentric behavior in mind, it brings me back to nearly three years ago when I first saw The Needy Visions opening for No Age. That was a sick performance, but I enjoy this one even more.

Sam and Dan are the masterminds behind Bodies of Water Shows, Boston Hassle, and the Boston Counter Cultural Compass. They represent the Boston underground better than anyone else and best of all they have a killer taste in music. Dan name drops the Compass, which is available at the merch table and the band expresses their gratitude for being on this bill tonight. Dan says, “We love King Khan & BBQ, A LOT.” So, do we, Dan!  You guys rule and promote so much great music around here that I probably would have never heard of otherwise. In fact, any Boston garage/punk slime KKBBQ fans reading this, if you haven’t heard of Boston Hassle or B.O.W.  check it out. I’ll bet you a PBR that you will dig at least one if not numerous fun loving rebel rousers making plenty of punk slime noise in your very own backyard. Here’s some links:
http://www.bostonhassle.com/
http://bowaac.blogspot.com/
http://www.bostoncccompass.com/
http://theneedyvisions.bandcamp.com/

And then there was Bloodshot Bill… Bloodshot Bill has appeared on my list of people to see live for at least two years now. Much like King Khan and Sultan, who he has collaborated with in Tandoori Knights and The Ding Dongs, respectively, Bill is no bullshit, real, old school, greasy rock ‘n’ roll. No trendy, mindless fluff; it’s not a haircut band to paraphrase one, Ian St. Pe. Though he does slick his hair with his own brand of grease known as “Nice ‘n’ Greasy!”  But, greasy hair aside, also like his Canadian comrades, he is an incendiary performer, and tonight is a blistering, steamy show.
Bloodshot Bill has the Mark Sultan set up: stomping the drums with his feet, clutching his guitar real, real close, and melting everyone’s brains with an incredible voice. It’s an obvious comparison, considering both men are collaborators, they play solo, and they play this raw, original style of rock ‘n’ roll. The original rock ‘n’ roll as it was meant to sound. But, the comparison should end there, because they are actually quite different. Bill channels Chuck Berry, Elvis, country, and rockabilly with a nasty, fiery punk edge. Dude sweats and spits unlike any other performer. He spits more than that lady in Heavy Cream!

What I love about Bloodshot Bill is his interaction with the audience. He can hold a crowd real tight and when he wants to let them loose, he can. When he tells them to shout “YEAHHHH!” They do it on command. It’s hard not to obey Bill, with his enigmatic, unique sounding voice. His range is unbelievable and he switches back and forth from high to low, low low. Sounds like an animal at times. How is a human making these noises? It’s not just Bill’s voice, however, that entices me. The musician sounds like a full band all by himself and he puts his entire body and soul into his performance. He shakes his hair violently and taps on his guitar, banging on the strings. You can tell he’s having fun, everyone’s having fun, that’s the idea. One woman even throws her black bra up on stage haha. Definitely one of the more distinct and skilled performers I have seen to date. Catch Bloodshot Bill live or on record. Check him out here: http://www.bloodshotbill.com/

The King Khan & BBQ Show is one of the original KLYAM beloved bands. King Khan and Mark Sultan/BBQ are legends, responsible for much of the music I have come to love over the years. As usual, the duo come out on stage, dressed up in some wacky, colorful attire. King Khan stands towards the front of the stage, on guitar and vocals, while Mark sings, plays guitar, and plays drums with his feet. Together, the two rip through three albums worth of rock ‘n’ roll classics, getting everyone in the Sinclair to dance and mosh in the process. KKBBQ represent the fun spirit of rock ‘n’ roll as a whole. Their mixture of punk and doo wop is unmatched. Some bands may be able to master these styles and combine them in an effective way, but this duo’s music ranks up there with the best of the best themselves. Sultan’s crooning is comparable to that of Sam Cooke, while King Khan’s deep, doo woppy voice harkens back to 50s groups like The Five Satins.

In between songs, there is constantly inner band banter in which the pair crack jokes, amusing themselves even more than the crowd itself. You can tell these two are good friends and there’s a sarcasm to them that is pure entertainment. The set tonight is not too different from the one we experienced three and half years ago, which isn’t a bad thing, because the band plays most of the songs a die hard KKBBQ fan would want to hear. Some of my favorites include fast, punk driven bohemoths, “Fish Fight” and “Zombies,” sing a long, doo wop anthems, “Waddlin’ Around” and “Invisible Girl,” or soft, gentle, love songs such as “Into the Snow,” which display Sultan’s vast, intimidating vocals. Then there’s the straight up funny songs like “Tastebuds.” I love screaming out the filthy  nonsensical lyrics to this song (“Tastebuds on your cunt/So you can lick my booty from the front”), but I get an even better kick out of hearing most of the kids around me completely fucking up the words. They also play one of my favorite songs from Invisible Girl, “Truth Or Dare,” a great, heavy punk number with some of King Khan’s best vocals tonight. I don’t recall this one from the previous Boston show, so it’s a pleasure to finally hear it live.

The moshing is fun, definitely a sweaty, beer flying frenzy, but not nearly as chaotic as I expected. I never lose my sense of place or whatever. Per usual, King and Mark are exciting, lively performers, but I feel like King is more animated when he is performing with The Shrines. Mark, on the other hand, seems to be more fervent in this setting than when he plays solo. That’s just my reaction anyway. I’ve seen Mark Sultan only a few times and he’s just as passionate, but I feel like he is more entertaining when he interacts and plays beside King Khan. In some ways, they bring out the best in each other. At the end of the day, these two are legends and they bear their souls for rock ‘n’ roll. This show is a lot of fun, but not nearly as marvelous as that initial KKBBQ performance I experienced several years ago. Still, I’m always grateful to see one of my favorite bands live and I look forward to the next show.

Set List (in no particular order):
“Fish Fight”
“Zombies”
“Too Much In Love”
“Waddlin’ Around”
“I’ll Be Loving You”
“Into the Snow”
“Pig Pig”
“Hold Me Tight:
“Treat Me Like A Dog”
“Dock It #8”
“Invisible Girl”
“Tastebuds”
“Truth Or Dare”
“Shake Real Low”
“Why Don’t You Lie”
There may have been more…

KEWL CATS: This is the latest segment in KLYAM live reviews. A shout out to the new and old pals we encounter at shows. It was terrific seeing Eric and Kelly from the Atlantic Thrills, Ryan from Fagettes, Justin from Earthquake Party!, Dan from Aykroyd/Needy Visions, and of course Kiyal, the KLYAM guardian angel. Y’all rule.


This was the first song I ever heard by The King Khan & BBQ Show!

Art, concert review, Fat Creeps, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

Review: Fat Creeps/ZEBU! Split 12″ Release Show @ Discovery Zone (4/5/13)

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ZEBUBACK_zps017aa89fFATCREEPSCOVER_zpsb22c95f2
Bands: Guerrilla Toss, Fat Creeps, ZEBU! Omnivore, Don Gero
Venue: Discovery Zone (Allston, MA)
Date: Friday, April 5, 2013

It is like running through a maze to get to this place, but thanks to some friendly Allstonites, we finally land on our desired location.  Making our way into the space, I start to hear blistering, ear splitting noise.  This assault on my deafened ears is brought to you by one man powerhouse, Don Gero. Dude smashes the drums with lightning fast precision and has some sort of electronic set up as well.  We come into the set mid way, so I hope we didn’t miss much, but from what we see it is pretty nuts.  He has this siren sounding thing, which adds to the sheer noise that’s still ringing in my eardrums. Towards the end of the set, he provides vocals on one of the songs. Meanwhile, random movies are being projected behind Don Gero (this occurs during each of the band’s sets). I recognize a young Sly Stallone and some actors I’ve seen in John Waters films, but I don’t know what the actual movie is. Looks kooky and campy and most likely the product of vast amounts of cocaine use. In any case, Don Gero is a sweet soundtrack to the images being projected on the screen. I’ve never seen him before or listened to any of his music, but I am going to give it a listen right now. Oh, and I should probably inform you that Don Gero is Zack D’Agostino (of Arvid Noe). Here, read this exciting review from Boston Hassle, they always know what’s up: http://www.bostonhassle.com/tag/don-gero-review/  http://dongero1.bandcamp.com/

Omnivore plays next and it is a bit of a departure from Don Gero and most performers I see live. It’s a quiet, calm experience and nearly everyone is sitting on the floor, gazing up at the woman behind the music, Glenna Van Nostrand. I don’t know too much about this kind of music, but it is heavy in loops and experimental pop, if you dig that sort of thing. In the background, there are shots of nature, animals, waterfalls, and more that appropriately complement Omnivore’s music. Check out her bandcamp here: http://omnivoresounds.bandcamp.com/

ZEBU! is Ted Lee (vocals/drums) and Steve D’Agostino (guitar) and they are the dudes behind Northampton’s Feeding Tube Records, responsible for a vast amount of weird noise rock over the years including their latest release a split with Fat Creeps!  I’ve never listened to ZEBU!, so this is my introduction to them.  I can’t say I’m instantly hooked, but they are intriguing, no doubt. They remind me a lot of fellow two piece, experimental noise poppers and Feeding Tube boys, Great Valley, who I saw for the first time a few weeks back opening for Peach Kelli Pop. This duo shares similar eccentric tendencies and they lean toward the messy side of pop and that’s what I like. But, a lot of the time I feel like the songs get lost in the chaos, which may be appealing to some, but I’d like to hear them pursued. This is still just my first experience though and I don’t know much about the group, so I am curious what I will think after hearing this split record and perhaps other releases. In terms of the performance itself, it was pretty rad, rather physical and entertaining. Ted, I believe, leaps into the audience and tears off his shirt. He also jams the mic in his mouth like a teenage Jay Reatard, ha what a character. Check em’ out they’ve been around for ten years now, that’s quite a feat. http://zebu.bandcamp.com/

At this point, does the world need another Chris DeCarlo Fat Creeps review? *Insert bitch slap from another struggling, young band that wants, perhaps deserves, more attention.* Well, you’re gonna get one! Anywho, it’s cool to see Fat Creeps tonight in a different setting than usual.  This crowded living room is smokey and sweaty, balls sweaty. In the midst of this hot mess, the Creeps blast through a sick set of signature originals and two gut busting covers. In fact, they open with a cover of X’s “Nausea,” which they played at their New Year’s Eve show at Great Scott, if any of y’all recall.  X is a legendary LA punk band for those that are illiterate in nasty rock ‘n’ roll music from the 80’s. It’s a groovy, heavy song that sets the tone for this performance: heavy, sludgy, sweaty. They also perform another vintage 80’s hit with Devo’s “Gates of Steel,” a notable cover in past Fat Creeps sets.  But, enough of those old dudes, to the originals! Like I said, it’s a louder set and keeping in that style they play some of their faster, slimier songs such as “Secrets,” “Fooled,” “Going to the Party,” and “Daydreaming,” which appears on the split with ZEBU! which everyone should pick up; I’m enjoying it very much. http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/

Guerrilla Toss closes the show and they destroy like they always do. Well, actually I have only seen them once before, but it was one of the more memorable show experiences in my young life. It was nearly a year ago when I saw Guerrilla Toss at the Ant Cellar in Lowell, it was unforgettable, just read the review: https://klyam.com/2012/06/08/concert-review-onbroadway-fest-2008-5512/. Guerrilla Toss is one of the most notable and original bands in the current Boston scene, but more importantly they put on a kick ass, crazy, amped up show that gets people moving instantly.  Some nice moshing ensues and barely stops. All of the members of G Toss frenetically rock out, but vocalist Kassie Carlson is the best. She stands in the middle of all the bedlam, jumping up and down and passionately screaming as she puts her entire body and being into her performance- unlike anyone else I have ever seen.  Her brutal enthusiasm is exhilarating and just gets me more pumped as a member of the audience. I should mention that G Toss’s music can also be genuinely light and danceable (in a slightly more conventional sense) despite its overall brute character and delivery. For the most part,  it’s just  good old fashion FUN!  Listen to their music now or better yet go see them live, so you don’t look like an idiot to the other kids at recess. http://guerillatoss.com/

Seemingly never ending perspiration and a few bruises here and there are always solid indicators that it was a good show. Great to see drummer Pete from Guerrilla Toss again. With all the shows you guys and gal play I can’t believe you remembered the KLYAM. Though we are such sweethearts, it is hard not to. But, Pete, you the man. That was fun in Lowell, walking down Broadway Street to TLC Liquors, offering us love/girl advice. Good times and good times at this show. Speaking of Pete, motherfucker has just co-opened a record store in Jamaica Plain, known as Deep Thoughts:  http://www.deepthoughtsjp.com/ pay a visit when you’re in town. Speaking of good heads, always a pleasure to turn around and see some dudes you know, specifically, Moontowers Taylor and Tim. Last, but certainly not least, a shout out to my boy Jeff from Yankee Power!!! Totally deserves all of those exclamation points.

Art, Atlantic Thrills, Fat Creeps, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, Video

This Day In KLYAM History…

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On this very day last year, Friday, April 13 2012, KLYAM saw/heard Fat Creeps for the first time. It was at O’Brien’s Pub with Fat History Month, ONSLO, and Big Mess. Great show, I remember being intrigued immediately. Above is a video of “700 Parts” (shot by Mick Murray) from that night. “700 Parts” will be featured on the upcoming Fat Creeps self-titled EP on KLYAM Records!

Two years ago, Wednesday, April 13 2011, I received a phone call from Glen, who had just experienced one of the greatest live performances of his life. It was Glen’s first time seeing Atlantic Thrills and on that night they were opening for Black Lips and Vivian Girls at The Met in Pawtucket, RI. The next night I saw the Lips and Vivs at the Paradise in Boston and met half of the Thrills. Subsequently, like the Fat Creeps, they have become a focal part of KLYAM.


KLYAM Photo from the 4/13/11 show.

Art, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, music video, Punk, The Beets, Tours, Video

The Beets – “Doing As I Do” Music Video/Tour Dates

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04.09.13 – Brooklyn, NY – Silent Barn ^
04.17.13 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – The Crimson Lion
04.18.13 – Oberlin, OH – Oberlin College
04.19.13 – Columbus, OH – Double Happiness
04.20.13 – Chicago, IL – Animal Kingdom
04.21.13 – Ypsilanti, MI – Woodruff’s
05.04.13 – Brooklyn, NY – Death By Audio ~
05.17.13 – Eugene, OR – KWVA Fest
05.18.13 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
05.19.13 – Portland, OR – Record Room
05.22.13 – Oakland, CA – The Night Light
05.23.13 – San Francisco, CA – The Hemlock
05.25.13 – San Diego, CA – The Void
05.25.13 – Calgary, AB – Sled Island Festival

^ – w/ Sea Lions
~ – w/ Bass Drum of Death
http://www.facebook.com/losbeets?fref=ts

Art, concert review, Freak Flag, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, Peach Kelli Pop, pictures, Punk, reviews, The Fagettes, The Scamps

Concert Review: Peach Kelli Pop, The Fagettes, Great Valley, The Scamps @ Radio (3/27/13)

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Freak Flag Presents
Bands: Peach Kelli Pop, The Fagettes, Great Valley, The Scamps
Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Venue: Radio Upstairs (Somerville, MA)

The Scamps – The Scamps are a straight up fun band. KLYAMER Glen likens them to the Meat Puppets and I can definitely see that. Country mixed with pumped up rock and a slight leaning toward the bizarre. As I noted in the past, The Scamps play a fast set, with each tune rolling right through you.  They open with “Stuck On You,” a catchy little ditty that I recall standing out to me last time I saw them all the way back in February of 2012 at the Middle East Upstairs.  That was an intense performance, not so much from the band, but particularly from some diabolical rice krispie treats given to me from KLYAM buds, Atlantic Thrills. Goddamn, I had a love/hate relationship with those suckers (the treats that is). Mini psychedelic experiences aside, I remember “Stuck On You” being highly memorable, so much so that I thought it was a cover of a 70s  hit song that for some reason I really dug. Long story short, The Scamps are a powerhouse band that will sonically punch you square in the balls, when you least expect it. http://scamps.bandcamp.com/

Great Valley – These two chaps from Brattleboro, VT are up next. They are quite different from The Scamps, and well all the bands on this bill. Though, they do have some definite pop elements to them like the other bands. Great Valley is kind of awkward and off kilter, but hey what two piece isn’t? Wait, did I say awkward? I meant off the hook. Certainly, some fun weirdo pop stuff here. They remind me of Sunset Rubdown and High Places in that mellow yet equally deranged sort of way. Unpredictable. Go on a trip with Great Valley here: http://thegreatvalley.bandcamp.com/

The Fagettes– The Scamps and Great Valley are kewl cats, for sure, but The Fagettes are a KLYAM reader’s kinda band. They dish out vintage rock ‘n’ roll that will make your head spin and your hips shake. I’ve been falling in love with their recordings, but the live show is a whole other monster. There’s five of them up on stage (is there a stage? I don’t think so) and it feels overwhelming, like they’re all gonna grab you or eat you, and maybe in a way their music does. Tonight is no different than my previous Fagettes experiences in that it is a sweaty, physical, and visceral performance filled with hit after hit. I know I sound like some jackass for saying “hit,” and you know what I am a jackass, but pop music is pop music to me and when I go to a show I like to hear my favorite songs, which are like pop hits in my little world. For the most part, Fagettes deliver, playing fast punk rock ‘n’ roll numbers like “Water, Tea, and Alcohol,” “Gonna Die Out Here,” and “I Wanna Feel Good,” with the last one really showcasing vocalists, Ryan Major’s and Melanie Bernier’s abilities to scream their lungs out. So glad, Fagettes play along side Peach Kelli Pop on this wonderful evening, since they are perhaps the most fitting Boston band for the bill. They have mastered and in some ways transcended the kind of garage rock, for lack of a better term, that fans of Peach Kelli Pop, Burger Records, Infinity Cat, and similar bands on or affiliated with those labels would seriously dig. That’s your cue to click on the bandcamp page: http://thefagettes.bandcamp.com/

Peach Kelli Pop–  Ohh boy, Peach Kelli Pop! I can’t tell you how ecstatic I was when I found out that Peach Kelli Pop was hitting up Boston.  We saw Peach Kelli a couple of years back and it was marvelous. Just look at this video from Melody Matters: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-OQSlRc0kY). Those were fun times, but tonight is even better. Peach Kelli aka Allie plays guitar and sings with the rest of her band, bashing out a set chock full of bubble gummy rockers from both of  her albums, which I highly recommend.  Classics like “Do the Eggroll” and “Doo Wah Diddy” are instantaneous and fun to dance to – well that can pretty much be said about all of the songs. I loved hearing those songs before and they sound even better this time around.

In general, this performance is superior and I think the sound system at Radio helps out a lot, but I’m sure relentlessly touring over the past couple of years doesn’t hurt either. The set is like a quick injection of sugary pop goodness. Fast, catchy, rock ‘n’ roll; the songs arrive, tackle you, and then vanish. You’re singing along to “Panchito Blues” at one second and before you know it the riff to “ABC” hits your ears. Other stand outs include “Julie Oulie,”  “Dreamphone,” and “Knockout.”
When the band is about to dismantle their equipment, the crowd demands an encore! To wrap up the show Peach Kelli unleashes a somewhat slower tune and a personal fave in “Lover,” I seriously can’t get enough of those “ooooo ooooo” vocals, alright I know it just looks like Froot Loops in writing, but you have to hear it! I can’t imagine not liking Peach Kelli Pop. What kind of sick, depraved individual despises this kind of music? Killjoys, curmudgeons, mean people, cops, metalheads, ehhh whatever I’ll shut up now, just listen:  http://peachkellipop.bandcamp.com/

Normally, I would be posting a set-list here, but some joker took it before me. Doesn’t he know that I’m the guy that grabs set lists in this town?!

Big shout out to the masterminds known as Freak Flag. They put on this shindig and they put on TONS of  nasty happenings in Boston and they’re the coolest DJs. Get yer grimey hands on their newsletter, it’s zick. http://www.freakflagboston.com/

 

Art, Black Lips, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, News, pictures

LISTEN: Black Lips Cover “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys”

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Black Lips
Check out the Black Lips cover of Ed Bruce’s “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys,” made famous by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. This is a Record Store Day exclusive split 7″ out on Saddle Creek. The other side will be filled with Icky Blossoms’ cover of Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Arabian Knights.”
Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/saddlecreek/sets/black-lips-icky-blossoms