Girlbandgeek Blog

Hey music fans! Today’s post is a review of a stellar show Alex and I caught at the Great American Music Hall in SF, back on April 23, 2019. I have been a fan of Mary Timony for over a decade, and she’s a performer that I will catch at every opportunity. Once of my favorite shows of last year was “Mary Timony plays Helium” in which Mary and band performed selections from her awesome 90s band Helium. But tonight we were on hand to see music by Mary’s current band Ex Hex.

This would be my second Ex Hex show, the first being back in 2015 (?) when they had just released their first album, Rips. The second Ex Hex album It’s Real came out in March of this year. Let me just say that It’s Real is one of the best, most fun records of 2019. It’s chock full of satisfying rock and roll anthems. Definitely one to crank up on the stereo and let the riffs wash over you.

Opening band was Marbled Eye. They are a four-piece noise rock band that at times reminded me of Sonic Youth. They were technically proficient and played with brain-melting intensity. They were driving and not particularly melodic, but I did really enjoy a couple of the songs. I noticed that Mary T. was hanging out in the crowd checking them out. I think it’s super cool when the headliner is out there checking out the opening bands.

Next on the bill was FEELS. I didn’t know much about this band, but I had checked out a couple videos before the show and thought they seemed promising. They are a 4-piece outfit from LA touring behind their second album Post Earth. As might be inferred from the title of the new album, FEELS have something to say about our materialistic society and the danger it presents to our planet. Alex and I chatted with singer/guitarist Laena Geronimo before the show. Alex, in his usual clueless way, referring to her somber expression on the album cover, “why do you look so serious?”. Laena, kind of at a loss for words, “the situation is pretty bad …” And I have to agree with her.

Let me just say that FEELS performance at GAMH far exceeded my expectations, and I am now a FEELS fanboy. Their set was the perfect balance between musicianship and rawness, with a healthy dose of rock and roll attitude. The music kicked ass, and they were fun to watch. Amy Allen the bass player occupied center stage and was the coolest, moving in time to the bass grooves. Our friend Laena held down the right side of the stage, and Shannon Lay, also on guitars and vox was on the left. The songs were audacious and unpredictable. Michael Perry Rudes on drums provided a tasteful and inventive scaffolding. The guitars would riff in counterpoint to each other, creating interesting sonic textures, with Allen’s muscular bass lines bouncing through the mix. Anyway, I was totally impressed and picked up the CD and the t-shirt, which I am wearing right now. Would see again in a heartbeat.

In interviews of Ex Hex they often say “Ex Hex is about making the kind of music we like to listen to.” A lot of Mary Timony’s previous work (Helium, solo records) are like baroque castles of sound, and the lyrics are fantastic and dreamlike. Ex Hex is much more straight ahead, with catchy beats and satisfying riffs, with a nod to the glam & metal bands of the 70s and 80s. Anyway, it’s clear that they had fun making these songs, and even more fun playing them.

In addition to Mary Timony, Ex Hex consists of Betsy Wright on guitar/vocals and Laura Harris on drums. Bassist David Christian was pulled in to allow Wright to play guitar (Wright played bass on the the previous tour). It’s such a pleasure to see good musicians that are having a great time. Mary was relaxed and flashing her quizzical smile. She has a delicate way of moving, and I love watching her slender hands moving on the fretboard and the little flourishes she makes with her right hand when she strums. There was a nice balance between Timony and Wright as they traded off on vocals and lead. And of course there were plenty of over-the-top rock and roll moments with Wright and Timony jousting with their guitars, or leaning on each other while they jammed. It was a totally satisfying set and a great wrap up to a great evening of rock and roll!

Very excited to have faves Cherry Glazerr performing at the Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz on a Monday in March. And lovely to share the experience with my kid. Also on the bill are Palehound, an excellent band in their own right.

The opening band is Half Stack. They were a 5-piece rock and roll band that put me in mind of Allman Brothers or Grateful Dead. Their sound was pretty good, and several of the songs had really interesting intros. But ultimately the music would go to really obvious places. They were not actively bad, but they didn’t do much for me. I purchased my second fake beer and roamed about the venue, ultimately finding my kid Vincent right up on the left corner of the stage. The sound was a little funky, but we were right up on the performers when Palehound took the stage.

This was my second time seeing Palehound. They headlined a show at the Catalyst in February of last year. Bassist Larz Brogan was right in front of us, and their bass cabinet was the most prominent thing in my soundscape. I was basically okay with that, as their driving, bouncy bass lines really propelled Palehound’s sounds. Unfortunately Ellen Kempner’s vocals and guitar playing were harder to make out, but I thoroughly enjoyed their set. With Jesse Weiss on drums rounding out the rhythm section, Palehound totally rocks. I one-hundred percent recommend you check Palehound out if you’re not familiar with them.

Palehound’s set ended and we stayed up by the stage to wait for Cherry Glazerr. The roadies brought out some giant cherry balloons and started inflating them. Drummer Tabor Allen came out to put the last touches on his kit and check the sound. It took unbelievably long for the Catalyst sound person to get the drum monitors the way Tabor wanted them (pretty intense reinforcement). This is the second time I’ve seen musicians get frustrated with Catalyst sound techs, so I’m starting to think the club needs to up their game. Finally happy with the drum sound, Tabor did a quick check of Clem’s guitar, and we were in the final countdown.

With the departure of Sasami Ashworth (keyboards) from Cherry Glazerr, this was a return to the power trio lineup for the band. There is Clementine Creevy on guitar and vox, Tabor Allen on drums, and Devin O’Brien on bass. They are playing really well together – musically on point, having fun, and bringing down the house with booming beats and electrifying riffs. Clem is wearing a slinky slip dress and Doc Martin’s and she’s on fire, stomping around the stage while she and her band mates bring down the house. The set list was a mix of old faves like Had Ten Dollaz, Teenage Girl, Grilled Cheese, and Nurse Ratchet as well as most of the new album Stuffed and Ready.

There is vulnerability in Cherry Glazerr’s songs, in numbers like Self Explained and Isolation. But mostly there is fierceness, pushing the barriers and lashing out against convention and sexism in songs like Daddi and Wasted Nun. Cherry Glazerr is really a celebration of all that it is to be a girl/woman/human in all its laughable, tragic and lustful glory. This show delivered 110% and was the most fun I’ve had in a while.

Still working on catching up to my concert review backlog here. Going back to February 27, I saw a phenomenal show headlining Caroline Rose, supported by Superet. I found out about Caroline Rose maybe a year ago. Caroline Rose’s latest album, 2018’s Loner, serves up a snarky critique of cultural/intellectual monotony (More of the Same), sexism (Bikini) and consumerism (Money). However, the album is also dripping with very heartfelt tales of breakups (Getting to Me) and self-doubt (Cry!). Her latest batch of songs not only come straight from the heart, but they’re wrapped in smart, punchy electro-pop sound that is unique and inventive. So it was a no-brainer to catch her show at Santa Cruz’ intimate Crêpe Place.

Opening band Superet is a 5-piece band with a big rock/pop sound. They are from LA and I like this band a lot. Overall they were very tight and rocking. The songs were appealing but not predictable – there were interesting changes and breaks which I like to see in a new band. The lead singer had a good voice and was quite charismatic. He was not afraid to “work it” a bit and show some emotion. I got kind of a Culture Club hit from some of the songs. I feel like these guys have some real potential and were, in short, a fine opening act.

Caroline Rose has a sincere quality I find very appealing. She previously put out an album of rootsy folk songs called I Will Not Be Afraid. I Will Not Be Afraid is very good album, but Rose did not play any songs from that record. As the story goes, she has re-invented herself as more of an electronic rock/pop artist. Her latest album, 2018’s Loner is a mix of indy rock and synth pop that has been compared to Le Tigre. Nevertheless, behind all the cleverness and bravado there is vulnerability – a combination I find irresistable.

The set list seemed to consist of pretty much everything from the new album, Loner. There was nothing from the first album. About halfway through their set, Rose and band ripped into a cover of Britney’s Toxic “I’d like to do a number by my queen – all of our queen…” The band is really tight, and they are having a good time. She joked about the venue “we’re playing in a restaurant? where they serve crêpes?” but did not hold back anything in her performance, despite having the audience right up on her as we were.

All I can say is that Rose and band have great songs, are ripping musicians, and put on a fine show. Go check out her music and catch the live show if you can!