Reviews

[sdcrdcf!stephen@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU]

Crimony, DC3, fIREHOSE
Anti-Club  Friday, 2/27
Capacity.  Nostalgia night for me.  This was the venue for my only
Minutemen show.  Crimony is a duo consisting of DC3's Paul Roessler
and fIREHOSEr Mike Watt.  They might do some playing during the tour. 
DC3 is reasonably talented with high, high energy.  fIREHOSE played
mostly new stuff, with a couple of jaunts down memory lane (eg. Red
and the Black).  Ed is a guitar maniac.  I think you're gonna like
him.  He has way to much energy to funnel into his playing, so he
spends much of the time leaping into the air.  My favorite line was
Watt going, "We're gonna let you hear Ed's guitar for awhile."  As if
Ed's guitar hadn't been shredding our brains for the last half hour. 
Watt and Gurley look damn strong.  Watt's benediction: "Everyone have
a safe drive home."

The Need, Pluto Gang, Radwaste, fIREHOSE
Gallery 1:16  Saturday, 2/28
Capacity.  Serious outside overflow.  The Need need talent, bad. 
Radwaste was a radical waste of my time.  The Pluto Gang were the
best, and only worthwhile, opening group.  The venue pretty much
sucked: a small loft space above a downtown gallery.  It was fucking
hot and packed, and since the "stage" was a two-inch platform, you
couldn't see much of the band.  Hard to judge performance.

Dangerous Jaywalkers, fIREHOSE, Charlie Haden Trio
McCabe's Guitar Shop  Sunday, 3/1
Pre-show sellout.  This one was somewhat hard to believe from the ad. 
Here we have LA's rock band of the moment (perhaps the year) playing
with jazz legend Charlie Haden.  In the back room of a guitar store no
less.  Well, they brought it off.  Dangerous Jaywalkers turned out to
be a local high school hardcore band fronted by Charlie Haden's son on
bass.  This meant that at least a third of the audience was local high
school kids come out to see this band.  They were okay.  fIREHOSE
ripped through a too short set, with possibly more assurance than even
the previous two shows.  Watt introduced Ed as Pete Townshend, and Ed
obliged with a few trademark split-leg leaps during the first two
songs.  Haden (with Ernie Watts and Larance Marable) was somewhat too
cerebral for the high school crowd.  However, these kids are no
slouches; they knew who Ornette Coleman is.


Summary:  fIREHOSE is a superior band.  If you miss their upcoming
tour you will be seriously fucking up.


b. head