Drunk on McFlurries and Wonder Bread Avant-Garde
Over the years I've grown more and more accustomed to being older than a lot of people at shows, but last night I felt like I could have been a parent to some of the kids at The Live Ones gig. I mean, honestly, I don't remember the last time I've seen a set of braces at a rock 'n' roll show, much less a half-eaten McDonald's McFlurry where a beer oughta be.
Of course they were all there for the bands sandwiching my fave three-piece, the last one in particular, I think. All I caught of the first act, Runny, was the finale, starring the singer in nothing but a rainbow thong. But those sorts of antics are par for the course at a lot of shows, so no big shocker there. I have a feeling he was sans clothing for the whole set actually, after checking out their site.
The last act was a true spectacle, complete with primary colored superhero get-ups, an inflatable tiger and human bowling. Needless to say they're Japanese.
Peelander Z refer to their brand of performance as "Japanese action comic punk." They kind of play music, when they're not leaping around the stage and into the crowd, performing absurdist feats to the soundtrack of their recorded tunes. Someone commenting on their MySpace page called them Power Rangers on crack, which is a pretty good description -- or maybe crystal meth.
In addition to luring teeny-boppers, they also attract creepy middle-aged kooks who wear T-shirts featuring photos of themselves doing Tae Kwon Do.
The human bowling thing was pretty cool though, I've gotta admit. They racked up a set of pins in the middle of the crowd. Then one of the Peelanders wearing a tall stuffed hat resembling a bowling pin -- and eerily reminiscent of the Pope's headgear -- launched himself onto the makeshift lane. Entertaining whilst sipping a whiskey, I must say.
As for The Live Ones, who provided the much needed meat between those two slices of Wonder Bread avant-garde, they sounded great. They seem to really be hitting a stride lately. For one thing, they've got a new bassist. (Or should I say another new bassist; Brett's the fifth regular bassist they've had since I started following them 4 years ago). He's really good, too.
They've got a few new tunes I'm lovin', especially this total metal number called "Don't Look Down." Mike gets full-on Dio when he sings that one. It's so metal it induces the dreaded "white man's overbite." Well, it does for me, anyway, but I'm a dork, so that's no surprise.
Speaking of white man's overbite inducement, the long-awaited Van Halen show is Tuesday night!
Of course they were all there for the bands sandwiching my fave three-piece, the last one in particular, I think. All I caught of the first act, Runny, was the finale, starring the singer in nothing but a rainbow thong. But those sorts of antics are par for the course at a lot of shows, so no big shocker there. I have a feeling he was sans clothing for the whole set actually, after checking out their site.
The last act was a true spectacle, complete with primary colored superhero get-ups, an inflatable tiger and human bowling. Needless to say they're Japanese.
Peelander Z refer to their brand of performance as "Japanese action comic punk." They kind of play music, when they're not leaping around the stage and into the crowd, performing absurdist feats to the soundtrack of their recorded tunes. Someone commenting on their MySpace page called them Power Rangers on crack, which is a pretty good description -- or maybe crystal meth.
In addition to luring teeny-boppers, they also attract creepy middle-aged kooks who wear T-shirts featuring photos of themselves doing Tae Kwon Do.
The human bowling thing was pretty cool though, I've gotta admit. They racked up a set of pins in the middle of the crowd. Then one of the Peelanders wearing a tall stuffed hat resembling a bowling pin -- and eerily reminiscent of the Pope's headgear -- launched himself onto the makeshift lane. Entertaining whilst sipping a whiskey, I must say.
As for The Live Ones, who provided the much needed meat between those two slices of Wonder Bread avant-garde, they sounded great. They seem to really be hitting a stride lately. For one thing, they've got a new bassist. (Or should I say another new bassist; Brett's the fifth regular bassist they've had since I started following them 4 years ago). He's really good, too.
They've got a few new tunes I'm lovin', especially this total metal number called "Don't Look Down." Mike gets full-on Dio when he sings that one. It's so metal it induces the dreaded "white man's overbite." Well, it does for me, anyway, but I'm a dork, so that's no surprise.
Speaking of white man's overbite inducement, the long-awaited Van Halen show is Tuesday night!
posted by Connie Sewer at 4:15 PM
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