A recent night of American Eyes, the Insurgence and more... by N.L. Belardes
I want to mention that recently I went and hung out at the Boiler Room. I love this little concrete pillbox of a venue. I feel like I’m sneaking away to some secret rock and roll underground water heater complex where bands play to rebellious crowds. You dip down a few stairs, get secret refreshments and red licorice and then among the beams and in the dark room you jam to super loud tunes.
I saw the Insurgence get rowdy. Their lead singer, Jibo, jumped into the crowd because their band was just too rowdy on the stage to fit his antics. He got in faces, he screamed and wailed in punk rock style and then wondered out loud what was up with the mild Bakersfield crowd. “Back in my day we knew how to rock out,” he said enticing the crowd. Of course I wasn’t going to take the lead and smash heads. I’m just a tame old punk rocker wanting to observe the youth interact with such a hardcore band… Their song “Down Below” fit such a basement type of venue as these guys ripped through song after song with precision punk riffs and singing. “What ya gonna do, what ya gonna say!” Jibo screamed… Of course the song I really liked was their anti-tribute to bratty kid icon Ani DiFranco and lost love to girls who wallow in DiFranco’s bitterness, aptly titled, “Ani DiFranco is Annoying”… The only thing I regret was not buying a brass knuckles T-Shirt.
I missed seeing Bakersfield band, Ruin the Portrait’s set. These guys were as loud as local rockers Pangolese. Holy crap! I enjoyed their music but I stood outside with the punk director from the War Days and we talked about music and life and pondered where it all goes like some dark Kerouac moment discovered in the church lot night. And all the while listened to the music... Go listen to their song, “Deal of the Century”. These guys have a great rock pop sound with well-synched harmonies and fine story-telling lyrics filled with just the right amount of bitterness and anger to make for a great rock and roll sound… This was their first gig and they have another one coming up. Check their web page for the date.
From their performance in mid-June at the Gate.
Lead man David Henry sported longer hair...
American Eyes put on a great performance here in the lost neighborhoods of the downtown periphery. I saw them perform with Vendetta Red at the Gate (the attached venue next door)(view the write-up). But now they were in for a more intimate show in the Boiler Room. Of course I love their song, “Radio”. It’s catchy, it’s intense, and that chorus, “Right on, right on, right on the radio…!” is as catchy of a chorus as you will ever hear when driving around with pals heading toward your favorite destination. It’s probably one of the catchiest tunes ever played in the land of Buck Owens and his big crystal horse.
Lead man David Henry sported a new hairstyle, much shorter, much more him and hip and the gals in the house all loved him as he jumped around and sang. Now, American Eyes have a slight Eighties style that rocks and gets the crowd jumping. David even got one pack of dancing girls to run around the Boiler Room. He congratulated them with free water, tossing them a bottle…
At the end of the night Liars and Thieves laid down some jams… Sal was in great form even though his guitar cable had the best of him for a short while, making his Rickenbocker cut out as if it didn’t want to sing and wail guitar chords at all… In the end Sal roped that old Rickenbocker and made it sing the way he wanted it to… but that’s just Sal…
I saw the Insurgence get rowdy. Their lead singer, Jibo, jumped into the crowd because their band was just too rowdy on the stage to fit his antics. He got in faces, he screamed and wailed in punk rock style and then wondered out loud what was up with the mild Bakersfield crowd. “Back in my day we knew how to rock out,” he said enticing the crowd. Of course I wasn’t going to take the lead and smash heads. I’m just a tame old punk rocker wanting to observe the youth interact with such a hardcore band… Their song “Down Below” fit such a basement type of venue as these guys ripped through song after song with precision punk riffs and singing. “What ya gonna do, what ya gonna say!” Jibo screamed… Of course the song I really liked was their anti-tribute to bratty kid icon Ani DiFranco and lost love to girls who wallow in DiFranco’s bitterness, aptly titled, “Ani DiFranco is Annoying”… The only thing I regret was not buying a brass knuckles T-Shirt.
I missed seeing Bakersfield band, Ruin the Portrait’s set. These guys were as loud as local rockers Pangolese. Holy crap! I enjoyed their music but I stood outside with the punk director from the War Days and we talked about music and life and pondered where it all goes like some dark Kerouac moment discovered in the church lot night. And all the while listened to the music... Go listen to their song, “Deal of the Century”. These guys have a great rock pop sound with well-synched harmonies and fine story-telling lyrics filled with just the right amount of bitterness and anger to make for a great rock and roll sound… This was their first gig and they have another one coming up. Check their web page for the date.
From their performance in mid-June at the Gate.
Lead man David Henry sported longer hair...
American Eyes put on a great performance here in the lost neighborhoods of the downtown periphery. I saw them perform with Vendetta Red at the Gate (the attached venue next door)(view the write-up). But now they were in for a more intimate show in the Boiler Room. Of course I love their song, “Radio”. It’s catchy, it’s intense, and that chorus, “Right on, right on, right on the radio…!” is as catchy of a chorus as you will ever hear when driving around with pals heading toward your favorite destination. It’s probably one of the catchiest tunes ever played in the land of Buck Owens and his big crystal horse.
Lead man David Henry sported a new hairstyle, much shorter, much more him and hip and the gals in the house all loved him as he jumped around and sang. Now, American Eyes have a slight Eighties style that rocks and gets the crowd jumping. David even got one pack of dancing girls to run around the Boiler Room. He congratulated them with free water, tossing them a bottle…
At the end of the night Liars and Thieves laid down some jams… Sal was in great form even though his guitar cable had the best of him for a short while, making his Rickenbocker cut out as if it didn’t want to sing and wail guitar chords at all… In the end Sal roped that old Rickenbocker and made it sing the way he wanted it to… but that’s just Sal…
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Saturday, August 06, 2005.
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