Raise the roof

I traipsed over to Babylon last night to do my bit to support community radio ... CHUO was holding a musical fundraiser there, and I figured I'd add a few more bucks to the till (not counting what I'm going to give so I can swing a Friends of CHUO card, but that's such a bargain for a regular music buyer like me it hardly counts as charity). Onto the musical portion of the evening.

First up was Vapourizer, a band I hadn't heard, or even heard of, before stumbling over the show listing on punkottawa,com. Stumbling is the right word, since these guys are Stumblers to a man (or almost all Turkey Basters plus a Liquour Pig, if you prefer). The band isn't too dissimilar to that outfit, though there's definitely a stronger country influence and more songs about Jesus. Just in case you were worrying that they'd all become God-fearin' folks, they also covered Alabama Thunderpussy's Amounts That Count.


Vapourizer, Babylon, April 2, 2009

Up next were Cold Coffee and Salty Boots, down to a trio for this occasion. There was a cover of Roky Erikson's Please Judge sung by Jason. This was yet another really solid performance, distinguished by some really good bass from Patrick Shanks.


Cold Coffee and Salty Boots, Babylon, April 2, 2009

The evening ended with some sinus-unclogging sounds. What you've got here is two-thirds of Four'n'Giv'r (and a bunch of other bands), two-thirds of The Weapons of Mass Seduction (and a bunch of other bands), and a quarter of The Glads (and a bunch of other bands). Not counting a volunteer from the audience who offered to be singer and John Westhaver's Kiss-quoting for a few seconds, MW))) - a.k.a. The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol - are an instrumental outfit. A heavy instrumental outfit. They eschew the proggy and atmospheric stuff favoured by many modern practitioners of the form. The Stooges and primal stoner blues are closer sources.


MW))), Babylon, April 2, 2009

The crowd wasn't large, but it seemed to have a good time. Now onto this evening's entertainment, which includes an opportunity to see White Cowbell Oklahoma at Mavericks. Here's a photo to remind you of what they, and their lovely assistants, look like:


White Cowbell Oklahoma, Barrymore's, February 27, 2007

Down In Ashes are also on the bill. Upstairs at Cafe DeKcuf, Subsistance, Machine Gun Dolly, The Zero Hours and Acid Overdose will be rocking the house. Tea For The Voyage, The Dirty 30s, Stop Drop N Skank, The Living Sound System and The Toughtones play Club SAW; The Divorcees bring outlaw country to Zaphod's. This Old House and The Chislers perform at Irene's. Luther Wright and The Wrongs and The Jack Grace Band play the Elmdale House.