Newspaper Page Text
LIVE REVIEWS
CAFETERIA /
CLAYTON JONES /
JOHNNY CARCINOGEN
Tuesday, August 25
40Wotldub
It's best not to take local band
Johnny Carcinogen shows too seri
ously. Comprised ot members of
Cafeteria, the Possibilities and a few
scroungy extras, the gist cf their show
revolves around their cigarette-hutt
ing schtick. which is funny for about
15 minutes
“We make non-smokers want to
smoke," announced singer Jake
Mosely during the band's opening
set. Mosely tossed out a few handfuls
of free cigs to the sparse crowd and
sang his way through the dozen or so
almost-mundane pop songs. It was a -
hit-and-miss set. a little sioppy and
uninspired but peppered with
moments of awkward cleverness,
mostly from their beaided vocalist.
Despite the usually funny stage
props (beer bottles and a homemade
oversized cigarette), random piss
breaks and Farrelly brothers refer
ences, the show lacked the humor
and energy the band needed to hold
their crowd. It was like a dull band
practice. Maybe they should remem
ber their guitar straps and perform
standing up next time instead of sit
ting around like dopes.
After a brief and serious solo set
of acoustic self-reflection from gui
tarist Clayton Jones (formerly of
Jump Steady). Cafeteria took the
stage. Singer/guitarist Taylor Joiner
(whe played drums earlier with
Johnny Carcinogen) and bassist Kane
Blasingame (who played bass earlier
z r well) took their seats on either side
of the band's newest and most inno
cent-looking member, singer /
tabourinist Melissa Ball. Drummer
Brad Morgan (also of Vaudeville) hid
in the background with his three-
piece kit.
They all sat down through the
entire set, which would nave better
suited a gig at a coffee house (or the
Lunch Paper) more than the 40 Watt.
The band's recent material included
some pretty upbeat and sarcastic
acoustic/electric songs, many of
which lashed out against the ol’ rela
tionship bullshit dilemma and the
singer's failure to avoid same. The
stand-out song “Right* which resem
bled The Fall's ‘My New House,"
could have been far more sinister had
the band stood up with a sneer rather
than lounged about the stage with a
grin. Maybe next time.
Ballard Lesemann
JACKPOT CITY / THUMB
luesday, Sept. 1
j 40 Wall Oub
It took a while for long-suffering,
good-natured local band Thumb to
get warmed up during their lengthy
opening set this ev or,: 'ig, but they
eventually hit a carefree stride, as
always, around mid-set. After some
initial chaotic spots, the show gained
momentum as they pounded through
songs like their syncopated opener
“Faces Of The Future” and the dancy,
bass guitar-driven “Voices."
Thumb’s execution '"as an acci
dental balancing act: tight in core
places, while loose around edges.
Singer Brian Cook's habit for twisting
around and staging mild physical
freak-outs in the style of Pere Ubu’s
Dave Thomas kept things pretty inter
esting.
Jackpot City came on-stage clad
mostly in black with a slightly larger
crowd in front of them (although one
guy was dozing off on the couch
directly in front of the stage). After the
first couple of tunes — lengthy,
broody rock numbers sung by bassist
Kathy Kirbo (with bass solos!), the
band went on to pepper their set with
some Curtis Mayfield-ish R&B shuf
fle and some flat-out Keith Richards
guitar crunch from Kelly Noonan,
while holding a solid rhythmic base
with Mamie Fike's keyboard and vio
lin flourishes over the top of it all.
Drummer Alice Grayson never sound
ed tighter.
According to fans, the previous
Jackpot City show (at the Lunch
Paper) had been a hostile mess, with
on-stage bickering and technical
trouble. None of that happened
tonight. They're still a very new band
— and it shows from time to time in
their cautious approach — but if JC
can pull off great shows like this more
often, they'll quickly become a very
popular new band.
Ballard Lesemann
****VOLCANIC /
THE POSSIBILITIES
Wednttday, Sept. 2
High Hat Gub
This was supposed to be a band
practice night for Athens chameleons
The Possibilities, until they got the
last-minute call from the club to
open. The band took a sort of prac-
tice-on-stage approach, which had
great potential.
The trio pounded theii way awk
wardly through some of the most
psychedelic, acid rock material
they’ve ever attempted. Some of the
songs were tinged with the band's
trademark semi-Americana indie
style, but the heavier ones sounded
surprisingly like Deep Purple. Blue
Cheer or Mountain. Often, the band
tripped up just as the song's ending
approached, but the screw-ups were
entertaining for both the audience and
the players, rather than embarrassing
or frustrating. They weren’t playing
their hits, but they and the audience
seemed to be having a good time.
★★★★Volcanic eventually set
up and put the audio screws tc us
with an unusually bad mix: Jaye
McDonaluson's shrill bass guitar was
too loud, while singer Link Soutar's
guitar was virtually inaudible. It was
rough on those unfamiliar with the
band's quirky brand of post new-wave
saloon rock, while slightly amusing
for established fans.
Despite the sound problems, the
foursome ground away loudly and
confidently at their set, which covered
nearly all of their recent self-titled
album. During one slow tune called
“Why This," I caught drummer Rand
Raynor watching the televised base
ball game over the bar (McGuire hit
his 59th). Their faster, dancier songs
like “Mama Cried," “Just Friends’
and the requested (on my part) “Ode
To Klein” seemed to go over best with
the dozen or so in the audience, per
haps thanks to guitarist Trey Ledford's
on-stage hyperactivity.
All rough spots were forgiven as
the group closed with a vocally accu
rate cover of Blue Oyster Cult's “I'm
Burning For You" — not an easy feat,
but one worth at least one of the four
stars in the name.
Ballard Lesemann
COMING SOON
October 2
* Soul Miner's
Daughter
October 7
* Marcy
v Playground
October 28
* Belle & Sebastian
x TIX ON SALE NOW
a WUXTRy& BIG SHOT
285 W. V/ashington St Athens. GA
Call 549-7871 for Show Upcates
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
JACKPOT CITy
THE LURES
doors open at 10pm*.... four dollars
THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER A4
MACHA
DIRTY POODLE
doors open at 10pm ..........‘five dollars
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Tibetan Freedom Benefit
DREPUNG MONKS, TRINKET,
PAINTED THIN, PINETOP.7, SLACKDADDY,
& SPECIAL GUESTS
Jours open at 7pm ten dollars
SATURDAY. SGJPTEFVibdR 2ii
Tibetan Freedom Benefit
DREPUNG MONKS, URBAN GRIND,
CREEKWATER SOUND, POSH TONER,
WUNDERKIND, BLUE CONDITION
doors open at 7pm ten dollars
MONDAY. SEPTEMBER 23
SMOKE
CAT POWER
doors open at lOpni,... six dollar*
PRINCE PAULuronrDeLa
HAUTE COUTURE PROPHETIC
Kafc DJ ANDY K • DJ SEIZE :
PLANET JIVE
SECTOR 9.
SEPTEMBER 23, 1998 FLAGPOLE ®