Turf Club 12/19

So a friend and I headed to the show at Turf Club last Saturday, mainly because I'm a freak for the Goondas and can't live without their music in my life. The lineup for this show was Hastings 3000, the Goondas, Red Pens, and First Communion After Party. I would like to point out that the Turf Club's own website contradicted itself on how much the cover charge was. One page said $5, another said $6. Whatever.

We got there partway into Hasting 3000's set, and we were both sad to have not been there for the entire thing. I learned that H3k is 1/2 of the Fuck Knights, and judging by how extremely good this guy was, I can only assume that the FK are totally awesome too. Yes, it was one guy on stage, playing guitar, playing drums (including tambourine), and singing. Talk about multi-talented!! His music was original and well-composed, with a hint of social awareness in the mix. I would definitely recommend seeing Hastings 3000 if you get the chance!

Next up, of course, were the Goondas. If you've read my original post on them when they played @ 501 Club, you already know how panty-wettening (is that a word?) their music is. When these guys make it big, I'll happily tell anyone who will listen how I was a prophet of their greatness. But I'd like to give a shout out to the drummer for a minute. He is so much fun to listen to and watch - the man knows how to beat some drums, and inevitably ends up only partially dressed. He could be at the front of the stage if you ask me. In case you still haven't gotten the message, GO SEE THE GOONDAS. THEY ARE AWESOME.

Following that act (which put them at a disadvantage right away) were the Red Pens. They are made up of a chick on drums and a dude playing a selection of guitars, one of which was brown. Here's the deal: I didn't like them. At all. The guitarist seemed like a Doug Martsch wannabe, except without the musical genius to back it up. The drummer knew about 2 beats and was incredibly boring. Plus, it totally sounded like they ripped off the Sex Pistols twice!! I know I heard the chorus from Anarchy in the U.K. during one of their songs, and was duly unimpressed. I got really pissed off when I realized that their new CD was listed in the City Pages as one of the best albums of 2009. What? Are you serious? Yes, City Pages, I'm calling you out on some bullshit. I can only hope that on their recording, they sound better and more original and more talented than they do live. I HIGHLY doubt it though. Don't spend any of your money on the Red Pens unless you're into aural masochism.

The sad thing about all of this is that we didn't stay for FCAP. Yes, the Red Pens drove us out before the headliners came on. The Red Pens should have opened for everyone else!! So that I would have missed them. Oh well. I still haven't seen FCAP so I'll save that review for another day.

the goondas @ 501 Club

I decided at the last minute to check out the lineup at the 501 Club last night, and boy, am I glad I did. I left this show with a new favorite local band! (Sorry Idle Hands, no hard feelings, right?) But we'll get there eventually. Let's start at the beginning.

The first band was Guzzlemug. I think their entire set consisted of three very long songs - or maybe I just stopped paying attention. The first song, Dallas, TX, gave me the impression of excellent '70s jam-rock; the music flowed easily, and struck me as very Pink Floyd-esque. The second song, called The Moon, was similarly jam-band rock, but with a harder aesthetic. This was the point where they started to lose me; some of the song I liked, but then it wandered around the harmony and I couldn't keep up. Some could argue that it might have also been because at this point, I was on my second Premium. But who's counting? I think that my tastes are too vocally-driven to really appreciate their music - either they don't have a singer, or the singer didn't show up - but all in all, not bad. I would also like to point out that the incredibly hot drummer had his shirt off after the first song, and the guitarist had a super sweet 'stache. In my book, these are excellent signs.

The next band was Dylan Posa & Three Cheers for One Dead Man, from Chicago. Dylan Posa's website says "Dylan Posa is not ready for the 21st century," and frankly, I think the reverse is just as true. Or rather, there is simply no century ready for Dylan Posa. I didn't enjoy the music, the lyrics, or the singing. And was there some kind of off-key spoken word thrown in there? Or is that just how my brain interpreted the monstrosity of noise that was hitting my ears? I really enjoyed the commitment of the trombone player - she was working it pretty hard - but in my opinion, trombone does not for sweet rock music make. But then again, no one in the band was making good music, so it wouldn't be fair to single her out. A class of 3rd graders playing the recorder out of sync would have been a better booking.

10w40 followed, and although it wouldn't have taken much to sound better than the group before them, they were pretty darn good. I fell back into the let's-have-sex-in-the-back-of-my-van kinda vibe with the dirty, sexy, '70s rock music they were playing. They reminded me of ZZ Top or AC/DC, and they had some wicked lyrics comparing a woman to whiskey. At one point the phrase "rock my panties off" crossed my mind, and I think that sums up my experience of 10w40.

Now to the finale of the show - the goondas. I'm still coming down from the many orgasms this band gave me last night. I don't even know if I can express the heights of enjoyment that I reached as they played, but I'll try. Their music struck me as a cross between Nashville and Velvet Underground - does that even make sense? Maybe I should say that's how I felt while listening to them. They were fast-paced, had great guitar, amazing drums, expressive but simple lyrics, and were really really fun to watch! If I wasn't trying to take notes, I would have gotten up and danced like a happy fool for the entire set. As it was, I gave my chair a run for its money with all my booty shaking. However, the lead singer deserves an entirely separate review for his bizarre, intoxicated antics. What was up with the fuzzy lady coat he wore for about 10 seconds, before beginning to strip almost entirely naked? Did he briefly pass out in the corner while trying to pull off his mesh shirt? Was he merely drunk, or on some kind of opiate? Or perhaps a unique blend of drugs that he will never be able to replicate? Whatever the answers to these questions may be, he obviously isn't the most critical element in the band, as I still had my socks rocked off while he was busy doing whatever the hell it was he was doing.

Ultimately, the goondas put on an extremely fun show. Did drinking enhance the experience? Without a doubt! If I can see these guys play on a regular basis, I might not have to move to Nashville after all. They're playing this Friday the 27th at Sauce Soundbar, and there are more dates on their myspace page. I highly recommend checking them out!!