Short-sheeted

After Saturday's epic evening of trashy rock and pop, it was time for a break from hepped-up teens and their crazy guitars. Unfortunately I walked into the Montgomery Legion where Gunsmoke, The Teutonics, The Jinxes, Beach Blankets and the aforementioned Handsome Sexies were making their crazy racket. In a better world, I might have photos from all the sets. Unfortunately, my brand-spankin' new Nikon D90 malfunctioned. I did however get a few photos of Daniel and Mihajlo running around and being their usual crazy self while Ken, Mike and Andy kicked out the jams.

It was a most festive occasion.



Mihijlo gets his kicks in.



Michael rocks the stripes.



KJ rocks the axe.



Singalong action!



The whole lot!



Daniel communes with Michael, possibly over some drum upsetting.



Mihajlo and Daniel work the crowd.



All that falling over the previous night must be catching.



Andy is ready to party.



And that was it! At least for my camera. Fortunately the nice folks at Henry's replaced i in a flash. Not so fortunately it broke again. Fortunately it is now back - for longer than a few weeks this time, I hope! As for the Beach Blanket's, I presume they became either defunct or on hiatus with Andy's return to Calgary ... as for LP rumours, I haven't heard much about that either.

• Show reminder: Sarah Burton performs at The Rainbow; The Elmdale House hosts the usual singer-songwriters shindig with Lefty McRighty, Ray Harris, Kenny Voita and Sarah Jane Johnston.

Technical difficulties

It's been a busy week for rock of the fuzzy variety. First there was The Famines/Fucked Corpse/Wrist Pain show at Irene's, then there was Saturday's Nobunny show and last night was a Wooly Weekend/Nobunny hangover at the Montgomery Legion. For those of you not in the know, the Wooly Weekend was a garage-rock get-together held up in Montreal, featuring such luminaries as The Gruesomes, The Morlocks, The Hypstyrz, Question Mark and The Mysterians, The Alarm Clocks, The A-Bones ... and the list goes on! Anyway, a little further down the bill on Saturday you could see The Jinxes, The Teutonics and Ottawa's own Beach Blankets. Three of The Jinxes played last night as The Handsome Sexies opening for Nobunny, and they showed up again at last night's show.

Unfortunately, local Scott Beerwulf's dangling string wasn't the first break of the evening. Shortly after he was down to two, and that was the end of their very brief set.


The Handsome Sexies at Montgomery Legion, August 9, 2009

Next up were The Beach Blankets, who rocked out in their usual wild fashion. Unlike previous occasions, the space was too large for the crowd (in fact the turnout kind of sucked), and the band couldn't get up close and personal with their beloved audience like they should.


Beach Blankets at Montgomery Legion, August 9, 2009


Beach Blankets at Montgomery Legion, August 9, 2009

Still, a fine set from Ottawa's frat-rock favourites, despite Daniel's insistence they not play their AC/DC jam. Up next were The Jinxes - basically The Handsome Sexies plus one, with Scot trading in his guitar for a Farfisa. I've heard of performers who play guitar behind their back. This show was the first time I've seen someone do the same thing with an organ, as Beerwulf literally hoisted it up and turned in circles to the shock and amusement of the crowd. Alas there is no pictoral record of this momentous event, at least from me, because for some reason after a few shots of the Beach Blankets my camera stopped recording photos - and the damn thing's only a month old. It's not like someone spilled beer on it or anything either. I hope my experience with Nikon's warranty people is not as vexing as my battle with Ginn's old third-party warranty guys.
Anyway, onto The Teutonics. This doughty German quartet hails from San Francisco. Their hobbies include spraying beer, drinking beer, pouring beer on themselves and others, and being stuck in a timewarp from Hamburg circa 1962. They've got the vests, high guitars and collarless jackets, as well as a coal-scuttle helmet so you can tell they're really from Dusseldorf. They eased the audience into their set with some jokes read from a book (which also appeared to date from the 1960s) before beating out the beat.
Finally Gunsmoke finished things off with a rough and ready set of their own. It was getting on so they didn't stay long, and made up the set list as they went along ... actually just about every band tossed off their sets, but doesn't matter, it just added to the evening's slow-motion disaster charm.

• Show reminder: Alyssa Munaretto, Big In China, Erik Jorgensen and Keturah Johnson perform at Zaphod Beeblebrox; the Rainbow hosts Permanent Bastards.

Saved for a rainy day

What wonderful weather to go and see a show ... inside. As I was making my way home from the gym around 4 p.m. I could tell the wind whipping things around boded ill, and with nothing of tremendous appeal happening down at Bluesfest I decided to wait for the show at Mavericks. The place was a little empty when I arrived, but as the minutes clicked down to the show there was a sudden inrush of people

Zebrassieres kicked things off with some of their energetic garage-pop. Apparently Farfisa toucher Sarah is headed back to Calgary in August; but the current lineup still has a couple of shows to go - one in Wakefield and one at 854 Bronson at the end of July.


Zebrassieres, Mavericks, July 17, 2009

Next up were The Bigmuffs, a heavy and somewhat quirky band with a lead singer whose voice reminded me of The New Bomb Turks. There was some interesting space rock lead guitar and a lot of heavily distorted chords.


The Bigmuffs, Mavericks, July 17, 2009

I can't recall if I've mentioned Mihijlo of Beach Blankets' sideline in rap. As it turns out Babble Goons, the hip hop foursome of which he is a member, was the third act on the bill, and kicked it out in fine style. They were down a man, so Enoch Resonance of Syllable Sekt filled out the lineup (though you can't really see him in either photo).


Babble Goons, Mavericks, July 17, 2009

DJ Grusm donned a mask for the big show finish.


Babble Goons, Mavericks, July 17, 2009

Hellbros finished things off with a typically fierce yet funny set of hardcore metal. They always attract a dedicated coterie of fans, but I'm perplexed as to why they aren't bigger locally - and not-so-locally, come to that.


Hellbros, Mavericks, July 17, 2009

It was a really fun and varied evening - and best of all, dry (except for all the drinking going on).

• Show reminder: Red Light Saints and Keyotone perform tonight at Mavericks; Bloodshot Bill brings his shiny new CD to the Elmdale House; The Brandon Paris Band and Epyllion play Zaphod's; The Hammerheads get funky at The Rainbow.
• I never thought I'd see the day: Le Nombre are returning for an Ottawa show - they're slated to play The Dominion Sept. 19.
  

Cover songs

Man, I thought my Gaga Weekend backlog was bad, but with Bluesfest's arrivals I guess I'd better start cleaning things out, eh? So back to Cozzie's for the evenings capper, Beach Blankets. If you've seen a Beach Blankets show, you already know there was a lot of crazy frat rock goodness and plenty of drinking. If you haven't what are you waiting for?!?

Michael "TLC" Hurts models that evening's Hawaiian look prior to things getting underway.



Daniel takes his stand.



Mihajlo rocks the mesh as KJ looks on in horror (not really).



Andy looks tres mid-80s.



It's not easy to tell at first glance, but Daniel is in fact sitting on Mijhalo.



Singing, tambourine shaking, Daniel's butt, etc.



Singalong action!



Daniel works the crowd.



They've only got one microphone between them.



Big finish!



They're heading up to Montreal for the Wooly Weekend Record Fair August 8.

Running the asylum

Day 2 of the Gaga Weekend was held in the basement of 854 Bronson Ave. - at least that way Matt Cosgrove knows he's going to get into the show ... well he was also playing drums in two bands so I guess that helps. This time around there was even a direct video feed from the basement to the living room so folks could watch the insanity downstairs from the safety of the couch.

He Who Shall Not Be Named introduces Nervous System - Matt Cosgrove makes his first appearance of the evening, while the Going Gaga banner made by Allie makes an encore from the previous night.


Nervous System, 854 Bronson Ave, June 12, 2009

Matthew Oxley, mastermind of the psychedelic throb.


Nervous System, 854 Bronson Ave, June 12, 2009

The Holy Cobras were up next to do some throbbing of their own and also hand out free Kool-Aid. I always get a little nervous when people start donning waterproof gear ... sure enough there was some splashing. Kristal and Davey provide the Cobras new rhythm section ... they switched at the end, leading some to say Kristal should be the new drummer and Davey the new bassist.


Holy Cobras, 854 Bronson Ave, June 12, 2009

Stephane the Man of CHUO's Up for a Downslide was on hand to spin some tunes ...


Stephane the Man, 854 Bronson Ave, June 12, 2009

.... as was DJ Scott, just behind a band of bevies, including some ladies you'll be seeing on stage with The White Wires, Felines and Suppositories if you take in any Gaga action today and tonight.


Allie Hanlon and Co., 854 Bronson Ave, June 12, 2009

Up next, the Savage Crimes blitzed through a quick set of nasty punk and gibberish. I was close enough that Todd was poking me with his guitar headstock. He also turned the microphone over to me so I could utter some gibberish of my own. I couldn't think of anything to say so I just bugged Nigel of The Girlfriends' about his brother whacking me on the knee with his guitar last time I was in Cozzie's basement for a show.


Savage Crimes, 854 Bronson Ave, June 12, 2009

Uranium Comeback don't play all that often, but offer up a white hot platter of power-pop-punk, including a cover of The Pointed Sticks' What Do You Want Me To Do?


Uranium Comeback, 854 Bronson Ave, June 12, 2009

There was so much singalong action for Walking You Home they performed it twice.


Uranium Comeback, 854 Bronson Ave, June 12, 2009

The Beach Blankets finished things off with their crazy party rock, audience wrestling, and an emergency use of a ho dog bun as a microphone.


Beach Blankets, 854 Bronson Ave, June 12, 2009

Plenty of singalong action here too! Part way through the set the TV watchers upstairs were cut off by a pulled wire. "Is everyone alive down there?" Cosgrove asked when I made my way upstairs. "I think so ...."


Beach Blankets, 854 Bronson Ave, June 12, 2009

It all ended with a teenage dance party.


Dancing, 854 Bronson Ave, June 12, 2009

More bands - too many to mention or type in at 3:30 in the morning - perform at Yogi's place near Greenfield and Main, while The Creeps, Statues, Sonic Avenues, Tokyo Sex Whale and Million Dollar Marxists rock Babylon in the evening.

The beach is back

Alright, we're finally on to the end of February, and a mighty fine evening of talent at the Rock'n'Roll Pizza Party's temporary return to Babylon. For the low, low price of $8 Ottawa's garage rock fans and punk rock freaks were treated to an outstanding evening of nonstop rock (unless you were one of those folks who weren't too jazzed by Demon's Claws). The Beach Blankets, Bytown's up and coming kings of the party were first out of the gate with their usual chaotic maelstrom of frat rock. Seriously, these guys have got to get a saxophone player.

On your left, Daniel and Mihajlo.



On your right, Andy and Ken.



On your middle, Michael Hurts.



Shaking action!



They brought a fake plastic tree.



Plastic tree-felling action!



Singalong action!



Mihailo works the crowd ... by the way, am I the only one thinking of that photo with Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald?



More Ken!



Mihailo guns down the tree, turns fingers on audience.



And goodnight!



As always, more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

• Show reminder: Serena Ryder and Royal Wood perform at the Bronson Centre; there's a diverse bunch of bands at Zaphod Beeblebrox's free showcase: Saskatoon soul rockers The Sheepdogs, Swiss miss Heidi Happy, Toronto's Songs From a Room, The Jay Spectre and local's Organ Eyes. Brazilian psychedelicists Herod Layne and Barcelona-London Jeff Buckley admirers The Beautiful Taste meet at The Rainbow.
  

• Heavy news: Lovers of heavy sounds will want to mark August 4 on their calendars, as a bevy of volume dealers - Zoroaster, Serpentcult and Gates of Slumber - are performing at The Rainbow.