Potty Mouth at the Rickshaw Stop March 27, 2017

Hey, new concert review here. I saw Potty Mouth last night at the Rickshaw Stop in SF. I ended up going by myself because I couldn’t find anybody else who wanted to spend Monday night watching a rock and roll show (buncha losers). I guess I wasn’t the only one, because the show was pretty lightly attended, or should I say “intimate”?

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Potty Mouth at the Rickshaw Stop

Openers Shutups were a three piece thrash punk kinda outfit from Oakland. I thought they rocked hard, and played with conviction. I liked them. As often happens to me, I like the first opener more than some of the subsequent bands. Tennis Systems played next, and they had a kind of cool new wave sound with vampy guitars and vocals with the echo turned up. But I felt they lacked conviction (this is my new word) and also the singer wasn’t that great IMO. The last band before Potty Mouth was Party Baby, who I guess were kind of co-headliners? Anyway, I decided that Party Baby wanted to be Bon Jovi with a big rock and roll sound and some good hooks. The lead singer looked like John Belushi, with a giant mass of hair. They weren’t really my thing, but they kind of won me over with their enthusiasm and cuteness.

Finally Potty Mouth took the stage. I should mention that this was the last show of a 5-week tour by Potty Mouth, Tennis Systems and Party Baby, so there was some emotion around that. Apparently they all got along, which I’m glad to hear. Two guys from Party Baby did join in on Potty Mouth doing “Long Haul”, which they also apparently helped write. However, somewhat dampening everybody’s enthusiasm was the fact that the audience had about 50 people in it. I mean, we were enthusiastic, but when the venue is like a quarter full, I guess the band maybe is not going to play every song in their repertoire.

I was sad that Damage and The Bomb, two of my favorites, were not in the set. What I jotted down (not complete) was Cherry Picking, Truman Show, Black and Studs, Long Haul and the Spins, which was the finale. There were two new numbers, Do It Again and 22, both of which rocked. The band kicked ass as I knew they would – they were loud, looked badass, and like they were having fun. She tended to be hidden behind front-person Abby, but Victoria the drummer kicks booty, and also sings backup which is cool. Ally the bass player is tiny on the other hand, but I love her playing and her rock and roll look. They didn’t credit the lead guitar player, but apparently they recruit different players to fill in for live shows. She definitely had the chops whoever she was.

I’m glad I made it to the show. I discovered Potty Mouth relatively recently, but I really like their music, and their attitude, and I’d like to seem them do well. Check them out if you get the chance!

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Pussy Riot Revolution

Flyer for Pussy Riot Theatre Revolution

I’m trying to document some of the musical and cultural things I’m doing on this blog. That was always the intent of Girlbandgeek, but as you know, we don’t always carry out all our plans. Anyway, I recently saw a performance by Pussy Riot Theatre of their piece “Revolution”. The piece was written by Masha Alyokhina, and produced by Sasha Cheparukhin. The performance included members of the band Asian Women on The Telephone as we as a member of the Belarus Free Theatre.

Masha is one of three infamous members of Pussy Riot who spent time in jail after performing anti-Putin song “Punk Prayer” in the Moscow Cathedral in 2012. Revolution documents their story using word, dance, music and images. I guess you could call it sort of a political rock opera. The words were all in Russian, which made it hard to follow at times, despite translations that were projected on a screen above the stage, along with photos, drawings and slogans that complemented the story.

It was a very powerful and exciting piece, which documented their story from before the performance in the cathedral, through their arrest, trial and imprisonment, and subsequent release. The music was percussive, funky and very well done. The parallels between the political situation in Russia, and what’s going on in the US with our current administration heightened the impact and relevancy of the piece significantly. Masha, Sasha and one of the musicians came back after the performance to answer questions, which was cool of them, but pretty cringeworthy as these things often are.

Anyway, I am totally awed by the bravery of the Pussy Riot collective in standing up to one of the most brutal and thuggish governments, and shining a light on the injustice and repression. I found it both inspiring and humbling. I feel very lucky that this performance came to our little podunk town!

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Should I Go To Burger Boogaloo 2017?

I attended Burger Boogaloo for the first time in 2016. I had tickets for both days, but ended up only going on Saturday. My faves that day were The Okmoniks, Psychedelic Pineapple, and Angry Samoans. Headliners that day were The Mummies who I found gimmicky and forgettable. But I thought it was a pretty kicked-back festival, and I’m thinking about going back this year, if I find anybody to go with.

 

So, I just spent the morning watching videos from all the bands that have been announced so far. Here is my assessment:

 

Saturday  July 1

Car Crash – ? Not found.
Baby Shakes – Yes. Cute, retro girl band.
Bloodshot Bill – Yes. Novelty one-man band, rockabilly, kind of awesome.
Wounded Lion – No. Rock and roll, kinda rootsy. I found it boring, and irritated me by second video.
Personal & the Pizzas – No. Derivative novelty act that sounds like Ramones rip off.
Nobunny – Nope. Buncha ugly doods, one with bunny nose, screaming. Couldn’t last one video.
Guitar Wolf – Yes? Japanese power trio with leather jackets. Straight ahead, yet stylish.
Iggy Pop – Yes. Never seen Iggy, but a fan. Main reason to attend on Saturday.

 

Sunday July 2

Glitter Wizard – Yes. Buncha cute rangy long hairs with a kind of psychedelic sound. They have a keyboard.
Jacuzzi Boys – Yes. Catchy pop, good sound.
La Luz – YES. All girl surf music band. Stylish, twangy and reverb-y. Guitar player is pretty fucking awesome.
Quintron & Ms. Pussycat – Yes. One-man electronic keyboard prodigy and singing friend. Psychedelic rock, weird yet catchy.
TBA – ?
Roy Loney – Meh. Retro 50’s rock by a Dana Carvey lookalike and his band. Many former members of the Flamin’ Groovies.
NRBQ – Meh. I guess they’re a classic blues act that’s been around since the dawn of time. Some tasty licks, but not really my thing.
X – Yes. Saw them in Santa Cruz this year, and several times previously. Always great.
Buzzcocks – Yes. I saw Buzzcocks in the 80’s and they were great. Harmony in my Head is one of my favorite songs of all time.
What are your thoughts?

 

Update: I found someone to go with on Sunday. I decided it wasn’t worth $99 to see Iggy Pop, if there was basically nothing else on the line up that looked really exciting. Sunday is only $69, and there are several bands that I’m interested in checking out.
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