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Pentagram, Radio Moscow and Kings Destroy West Coast Tour, Pt. 8: Orbiting Satellites

Posted in Features on February 25th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

02.25.14 — 6:16PM Pacific — Tuesday — DNA Lounge, San Francisco, CA

“City on the go…” — Everyone.

My first impression when I walked into the DNA Lounge was a hearty “fuck yeah,” and yes, I said it out loud. Slept as solidly as I could reasonably ask in Arcata last night and got back on the 101 this morning.  More redwoods, some coast, more little enclaves of people and wide-open spaces. Creative types and hippies painting the sides of gas stations. Trees like dreams are big. Unreal. We got to the venue a little bit after 4PM. They had a couple guys on hand to help with load-in, and when I asked what the password for the wifi was, got looked at like I was from another planet (which, rest assured, I am) and told, “It’s open.” Fucking a.

Ride down was subdued, but everyone seems to be in good spirits. We stopped off at Russian River Brewing and picked up a bunch of Pliny the Elder, which pretty much is to American IPAs what Pentagram is to doom. I didn’t have any — grabbed a cup of coffee and a muffin from the place down the way from Russian River — but it seemed to loosen up the atmosphere in the van nicely. With Jim Pitts at the wheel calling out the sundry landmarks of his town, we came into San Francisco on the Golden Gate Bridge with minimal traffic and stopped off to buy a guitar cable before loading in, which again, ran like clockwork.

Once everything was offloaded, Jim Pitts and I went over to Aquarius Records for a quick poke through. I didn’t splurge — am more than fairly broke at this point; you might say unfairly broke — but I figured the cash was better spent on a couple CDs than not. Sucks to have your credit card denied. Sucks even more to have it denied when your purchase total is $21. Cue sad womp-womp noise. Was glad to have hit an ATM earlier at a rest stop on the way.

Doors I think are in about half an hour. The Pentagram and Radio Moscow cats are all here, as are Bedrücken, who are opening, and sitting on the balcony I can hear jolts of laughing, and nobody’s throwing punches, so I’ll surmise that things are going well. I think having the shows being sold out probably helps in that regard, but frankly whatever gets it done is cool. Plan is to get out of town after the show and put some distance between the van and the city to avoid morning traffic and allow for cheaper lodging. Should be groovy.

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The Obelisk Questionnaire: Walter Hoeijmakers of Roadburn Festival

Posted in Questionnaire on February 25th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

While of course there’s an entire staff at work on just the festival — let alone that of the 013 venue where it’s held each April in Tilburg, the Netherlands — as the founder and driving creative force behind it, Walter Hoeijmakers is synonymous with Roadburn to the point of it having supplanted his surname. More often you’ll hear about or from Walter Roadburn, and for the last 15 years, he’s provided good reason. It’s hard to quantify the influence Roadburn has had within Europe’s heavy underground and beyond it, but with a slew of fests cropped up in its wake and with the brevity of ticket availability each year, Roadburn holds a special place for many who’ve been fortunate enough to be there to witness it, myself included. The last few years have seen Walter push the festival beyond its stoner and heavy rock roots, incorporating dark cultish rock, black metal, psychedelia, doom and a wide pastiche of yet to be defined creative works, and with Loop headlining and Opeth‘s Mikael Åkerfeldt curating, Roadburn 2014 is the most out-there yet.

On a personal note, I’ll add that aside from being someone whose work and passion I deeply admire, Walter Hoeijmakers is also one of the warmest, most sincere people I’ve had the pleasure to meet in music. He, and his festival, are one of a kind. Roadburn 2014 is set for April 10-13 at the 013 in Tilburg, the Netherlands.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Walter Hoeijmakers

How did you come to do what you do?

I’m heavily into music, mainly hard rock and metal, but also psychedelica, blues rock, and late ‘60s and early ‘70s rock and heavy psych for over 33 years now.

It all started when I was around 15 years old. Back then, I frequently started to visit the local youth centre in my home town, and one day I was asked to catalogue the entire music collection. We’re talking about approximately 2,000 albums here from the mid ‘60s ’til the early ‘80s. There and then, I got exposed to a whole new world that would change me forever. Music became my main passion, and inspiration for life.

This youth centre also organized shows, and a couple of years later, they let me start booking hard rock and metal shows, and I managed to get the likes of Destruction, Sodom, Angel Witch, Onslaught, Sepultura, Tokyo Blade, Laaz Rockit,  Nocturnus and Bolt Thrower, among others.

When I moved to another city, the first thing I did was joining another metal-inspired youth centre and kept organizing metal shows, and mainly coaching the volunteers. See, I became a seasoned social worker along, and was aiming to carve a career in helping out kids getting back on track or coaching volunteers. Later on, I specialized in helping out elderly Alzheimer patients and their families.

Meanwhile, I was an avid music aficionado, and collector as well, and due to a twist of fate (and a serious nervous breakdown in the end), I became a professional music journalist, and started to write about stoner rock and psychedelica around the time that Kyuss’ Blues for the Red Sun and Monster Magnet’s Spine of God came out. I was heavily drawn to this scene, and started to write about all these exciting, young stoner and heavy psych bands, and compiled one of the very first stoner rock compilations, called Stoned Revolution: The Ultimate Trip.

The magazine I was working for sadly called it a day in 1998 and then one of my best friends, Peter, came to the rescue. He developed the Roadburn website, so I could continue to publish my writings and report about the stoner scene. Roadburn’s Jurgen joined me in this quest as he was writing for the same magazine.

Around then I also started to work at a corporate record store, and what should have been a lot of fun turned out to be the biggest nightmare in my life. I suffered a severe burn out. Luckily, Roadburn kept me going, and has been a lifeline ever since. Roadburn’s the embodiment of who I am as a person. It’s my heart and soul.

Describe your first musical memory.

My parents and my kid sister loved classical music a lot, and this was the only music around the house. It drove me literally crazy – to this day, I still don’t listen to classical music at all. It simply doesn’t appeal to me. However, I admire these musicians, as I know how difficult it is to master their instruments.

When I was around eight years old, I got a small radio from my grandma, and I remember listening to foreign radio stations. I was heavily drawn to ‘60s music, and rock — think Golden Earring and the likes.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

I have seen so many bands and legendary shows in the past 33 years, it’s insane. I met a couple of lifelong friends at shows, and those are my best memories, of course, as friendship is one of the best things in life.

I was bullied a bit at high school, but that all changed when I saw a Thin Lizzy cover band at the aforementioned youth centre. I was just walking past, and heard these amazing guitars, so I decided to get in and see what was going on. The guy that bullied me a bit at school was at this as well. He was so surprised to see me there, we became lifelong friends.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

Working at a corporate record store almost brought me to my knees, as it wasn’t about music, only about shifting units and maximizing profit. For me, music is all about heart and soul. I burned out and quit this job in the end to keep my sanity, however it took me a couple of years to recover. There are certain moments we need to make difficult decisions for Roadburn, as the festival needs to stay healthy business-wise. I find that very difficult, but in the end, I make sure that I’m still thriving on the social aspects of the festival. That’s my main goal.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

Artistic progression leads to creativity, to beautiful books, movies, music, paintings, poems — food for thought! It will also lead you to fulfill your dreams. Dare to be different, dare to follow your own artistic path, push yourself artistically, as it will bring you so much more than financial gain.

How do you define success?

For me, success is staying true to yourself. Plain and simple.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

I have seen way too many people doing the wrong kinds of drugs, and people wasting their artistic progression or opportunities, because all they wanted to do was get high and blame others for their misery. It’s such a shame. I also have seen much sadness and pain while helping out Alzheimer patients and their families. On the other hand, it shaped me as the person I am today, and shaped my own beliefs.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I could do a standup comedy routine about all that I have seen in the music business, or even write a book about all the shenanigans I have witnessed. Maybe it’s time to get started. As I said, push yourself artistically, and make friends, and enemies along the way.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

I hope my mother-in-law will recover from her major surgery. Luckily the cancer has gone. She still has a long way to go, though.

7Zuma7, “Blue T.S.” from Stoned Revolution: The Ultimate Trip (1998)

Walter Roadburn on Thee Facebooks

Roadburn Festival

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Freedom Hawk Confirm European Touring in April

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 25th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

Centered around their slot at Roadburn on April 10, Virginian dual-guitar fuzz rockers Freedom Hawk will embark April 5 on a stint that will also take them through Germany, Belgium and France over the course of a week of shows. The four-piece have been working on a follow-up to 2011’s Small Stone debut, Holding On (review here), and with new material expected in their set, their next full-length is due to be recorded over the summer for an early-2015 release.

The PR wire has the particulars:

Small Stone Records and Eclipse Productions Presents: Freedom Hawk (USA) European Tour including Roadburn Festival appearance

In April of 2014, the band known as Freedom Hawk will swoop into Europe complete with their shredding heavy riffs, rolling groove and soulful guitar melodies wrapped in metal packaging. They will be performing at a short run of club shows in Germany, Belgium, France, and Netherlands including an appearance at Roadburn in Tilburg, Netherlands. After tearing up SXSW last year, many showcase events and club shows in the U.S., this unsuspecting and highly underrated group is honored to be invited to the highly coveted Roadburn festival and will be ready to embrace European fans of heavy rock with open talons.

Hailing from the barrier dunes of Virginia, this quartet’s brand of heavy, dark stoner rock fueled by the sun coupled with a high energy live show, leaves many scratching their heads wondering if they’ve stepped through a time warp that has taken them to rock’s heyday of the 70’s. With their latest release ‘Holding On’ coursing through the night air for several years now , the album has had time to embed in the minds of many and grow on others to be regarded as a must have in any music collection.

You surely will not want to miss their live show that will be sure to include one or two unreleased new tunes feathered into the set list to test out on the European audience much like the one titled “Blood Red Sky” that has been exposed to the US audiences. Unfortunately for Europe, Freedom Hawk will need to get back to their creative home nest to continue working on their new full-length album set with the band to record in late summer. The new album is anticipated to be released to the masses via Small Stone Records in late 2014/early 2015 in hopes to please the need of the faithful and newcomers alike.

From the casual rock’n’roller to the rebellious riff-rastler, none of which will be put out to past, it’s guaranteed these new tunes will want to be heard on full blast. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and go get their latest album, Holding On, on CD or your usual digital providers like iTunes, Amazon, etc. and if you’re lucky 180g Vinyl on the bands merch table or at your local record store as they are sold out via Small Stone Records. Regardless, their latest album is sure to please in any format! Let’s Rawk!

Freedom Hawk Tour Dates:

April 5 Siegen, Germany VORTEX
April 6 Antwerp, Belgium AMC
April 7 Paris, France Le Glazart
April 8 Dusseldorf, Germany The Pitcher
April 9 Berlin, Germany Jagerklause
April 10 Tilburg, Netherlands **Roadburn Festival
April 11 Wurzburg, Germany Immerhin
April 12 Munster, Germany RARE Guitar

New Merch available on-line now and on the merch table.

freedomhawk.bandcamp.com/merch
www.freedomhawk.net
www.smallstone.com
www.facebook.com/freedomhawkmusic
www.twitter.com/freedomhawkband
www.instagram.com/freedomhawkband
smallstone.bandcamp.com/album/holding-on

Freedom Hawk, Live at the Jewish Mother (2013)

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Pentagram, Radio Moscow and Kings Destroy West Coast Tour, Pt. 7: The Light Beyond

Posted in Features on February 25th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

02.24.14 — 10:28PM Pacific — Monday night — Quality Inn, Arcata, CA

“Fuckin’ giant octopus…” — Aaron Bumpus

Today I saw the sun for the first time in what seemed like at least four months, and I’m not sure I can properly explain how good it felt. Not just the last two days of rain in the Pacific Northwest, but just the whole winter back home has been so soul-retchingly grim. It’s February and I stood outside today without a hoodie on. Whatever else happened, the day was going to be a win from the word go. The tour had an off-date, but with last night having been Portland and tomorrow being San Francisco, it was travel the whole day. That’s not the last time that’s going to happen on this run.

Wasn’t terrible, in any case. Most of the drive I spent nerding out on the landscape, which was deeply, richly beautiful, with tree-lined mountains, properties cut into the forest in straight lines like a border about to be eaten by a wave. So fucking cool. Mountains all over the place, people nowhere. Wonderful, gorgeous land. One hardly thinks of loading into a sprinter van with six other dudes as a way to feel refreshed, but that’s where I was at this afternoon as we made our way south through Oregon. Here we are, rolled into a truck stop in the middle of nowhere. There’s the Subway, there’s the Pilot, there’s the porn shack, there’s Kings Destroy picking up a sixer for the road, and here’s me taking pictures in the parking lot like it’s National Geographic. Still, the sky and the mountains had me well enamored.

Jim Pitts had his work cut out for him on the drive, though Steve took over for a while as well after signing a form, taking a picture of it on his phone and sending it to who knows where. We came south down the 205 out of Portland, romantic visions of the Hawthorne Theatre and surrounding area still lingering in my head to go with my ringing ears, then picked up 99 to 199 in Grant’s Pass, which looked like a cool little town. Sort of these hippie enclaves along the way, people for whom getting away from other people was clearly a priority. Very secluded, some small shops outside of town. One place that made custom treehouses that were particularly righteous. I’m not sure that I’d be able to give up my kneejerk New Jersey prick bred-in anger and restlessness long enough to live that way for any real stretch of time, but it’s a lifestyle I envy.

Late afternoon/early evening found the van on winding roads in the hills, headed toward the coast. The kinds of turns you either take slow or slam into the side of a mountain. By the time we got into California and picked up the 101 at around exit 800, about five hours after starting out, I was starting to drag a bit, but a quick pit stop after coming through some crazy mountain tunnel provided respite. I think everyone got increasingly worn down from there by the drive, but best to keep going. Saw some redwood trunks in the forest, but it was dark by then, so not much more, and nothing really of the water except the blackness where it would’ve been by day and stars overhead. We got to this motel in Arcata, CA, a little bit before 8:30PM, checked in, ate at the Mexican place next door — which officially closed at nine, but were very accommodating all the same — for food and drink. Flautas and iced tea. West Coast Mexican food demolishes the vast majority of what’s available back home, though obviously there are exceptions on both sides. As a general rule though, the standard is higher. The East Coast has pizza though, which isn’t nothing. Talk was of hardcore days gone by, bands, shows, people, scenes, etc. I know next to nothing about any of it, but it’s interesting.

Steve had said something about hitting a beach early in the morning and I think C-Wolf and Jim Pitts were going to go as well, but I’m more inclined to crash out for as long as possible. I got to sleep after four last night and the fire alarm at the motel in Portland went off a little after seven because some doofus left his waffle in the iron too long. Sleep in the van is just about out of the question so far, though I was dozing by the time we pulled into Arcata, so I’ll take what I can get however I can get it. Tomorrow night is DNA Lounge in San Fran, and then on to Albuquerque. I’m looking forward to seeing the Pacific coast again during the day and to the show as well. It’s not an insubstantial trip, but it’s going fast. Tomorrow is Tuesday already and we leave on Saturday. Between, more mountains, forest, desert, rock and roll. I feel lucky to be here, immensely thankful to have been invited.

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audiObelisk: Satyress Premiere “Soma” from Debut Album Dark Fortunes

Posted in audiObelisk on February 24th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

Among the six tracks on Portland, Oregon, foursome Satyress‘ impending self-released debut 12″, Dark Fortunes, “Soma” is something of a standout. Less doomed in pace than cuts like opener “Possession” and the darkly metallic title-track, it’s the shortest cut at just under four minutes, but makes up with its hook whatever it might lack in relative span in relation to the other songs, only one of which (“Spread Thin”) is under five minutes long. Propelled by the driving riffs of guitarist Billy Niletooth and the alternately brooding and soaring vocals of Jamie LaRose, “Soma” is a high point in closing out side A of the vinyl, which is set for release on April 9.

What the band do best across the length of the half-hour full-length is balance doom and heavy rock smoothly playing each off the other, so that “Soma” has a bit of presence to go with its catchy riff and swirling climax. Shades of fellow Portlanders Witch Mountain show up a bit on the preceding “Esta Noche,” but Satyress are by and large more raucous and less directly blues-doomed, the guitars showing interest in traditional metal while bassist Alex Fast and drummer York Francken further showcase an efficiency in songwriting in the ease of their transitions, from verse to chorus, slow to fast, and while there’s a pervasive sense of build, nothing on Dark Fortunes feels out of place or miscued. “Soma” will no doubt ring familiar to those with some familiarity with Portland’s fertile heavy scene, but the song is a blast all the same, and as a sampling of Satyress‘ first outing, it accurately conveys the beginning of what seems like an already well under way creative evolution.

Get a taste of “Soma” on the player below, and please enjoy:

Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!

Satyress will release Dark Fortunes on April 9 on 12″ vinyl, and will play the semi-finals of the Portland Metal Winter Olympics on March 20 at White Owl Social Club. More info at the links:

Satyess on Thee Facebooks

Satyress on Bandcamp

 

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Mos Generator’s Electric Mountain Majesty Coming April 15

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 24th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

An update off the PR wire today brings a solidified April 15 release date for Electric Mountain Majesty, the new album from Port Orchard, Washington, heavy rockers Mos Generator. With preorders available through Listenable Records, the reinvigorated trio also have a video planned for the title-track to the follow-up of 2012’s Nomads (review here), and while I’m looking forward to that and to the album as a whole, past experience tells me that when Mos Generator decide to cap an album with a song called “Heavy Ritual,” it’s going to be one worth hearing. You might recall “This is the Gift of Nature” from Nomads was one of that record’s many high points.

One or two songs have started to leak out from the record, and you’ll find “Enter the Fire” under the news below. Cheers:

MOS GENERATOR to Release New Album “Electric Mountain Majesty” April 15

Highly Respected Power Trio Returns at the Very Top of Its Game with Fuzzbombing New LP

Washington state hard rock heroes MOS GENERATOR will release their new LP Electric Mountain Majesty on April 15 via Listenable Records. Recorded at HeavyHead Recording Company by guitarist / vocalist and renowned engineer Tony Reed (who co-produced SAINT VITUS’ return album Lillie: F-65), Electric Mountain Majesty is the follow-up to MOS GENERATOR’s 2012 release Nomads. Electric Mountain Majesty is available to pre-order now at this location.

A sprawling celebration of heavy amplification, fretboard psychotropics and kick ass heavy rock, Electric Mountain Majesty is unquestionably MOS GENERATOR’s finest hour of its decade-plus existence. From chest-beating metal salvos like the massively loud “Nothing Left But Night” and “Black Magic Mirror” to more nuanced, slow-burning fare like the spellbinding “Enter the Fire” through to colossal closer “Heavy Ritual”, the album is an amalgam of nasty and effervescent, alternating between ugly doom tones and lofty emotiveness, resulting in an epic, colorful listen brimming with richly-nuanced, timeless music that drips with melody, muscle and cool.

“Electric Mountain Majesty’ is an attempt to fuse our live energy and our usual controlled studio sound into something that I think is a nice forward step in the Mos Generator sound,” says Reed. “We didn’t over think the writing and recording process and we let more of our unconventional influences creep into the songwriting. In both composition and recording technique, this is the most diverse Mos Generator album to date.”

Track listing:
1.) Beyond the Whip
2.) Nothing Left but Night
3.) Enter the Fire
4.) Spectres
5.) Neon Nightmare
6.) Breaker
7.) Early Mourning
8.) Electric Mountain Majesty
9.) Black Magic Mirror
10.) Heavy Ritual

https://www.facebook.com/MosGenerator
http://www.listenable.net/
http://shop.listenable.net/category.php?id_category=165

Mos Generator, “Enter the Fire” from Electric Mountain Majesty (2014)

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Pentagram, Radio Moscow and Kings Destroy West Coast Tour, Pt. 6: Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR

Posted in Features, Reviews on February 24th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

02.24.14 — 12:07AM Pacific — Sun. night / Mon. morning — Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR

“Everybody gets a trophy at the Hawthorne Theatre…” — JJ Koczan

Oh, Portland. Portland, baby. 15’s my limit on schnitzengruben. You are making a German spectacle of yourself. It would be real easy to get spoiled living in this town. Quite a night. Quite a show. Pentagram had an amp blow out or something and the crowd was still going nuts. Pressed up against a metal railing at the front of the stage, I was reminded of younger days, a straight-line bruise along the bottom of the rib cage from being up front at silly shows. This was a young audience. They were into it. You kids and your doom.

Everything was a little more dead on tonight, as expected. Getting past the first show seems to have allowed for a certain amount of tension to abate. The three touring bands were tighter — no small feat after last night — and the local openers, Mothers Whiskey and Sons of Huns, both drew and performed well. Sold out show. Again, one could get spoiled.

I’ll try and make it quick again since it’s midnight and I’ve got actual job work to do:

Mothers Whiskey


Was talking with Mothers Whiskey guitarist/vocalist Greg Powers before the show and he mentioned he’s an East Coast guy, from Maryland. I don’t know that I would necessarily have picked it out in his approach had he not said it, but he had some of that post-Sixty Watt Shaman burl, though tempered obviously by the pervasive mellow of his current surroundings. Thus, Mothers Whiskey were a solid bicoastal blend, unpretentious and laid back, but still with an insistent undertone. Pretty clear they’re figuring out their sound, but their dynamic was solid, particularly on closer “Scorpion Moon Burn,” which carried that Southern heavy influence across smoothly.

Sons of Huns


The first band I’ve seen on this tour in which no single member had a full beard. Nonetheless, a local trio who’ve made a splash with their recent Banishment Ritual release, Sons of Huns were clearly known to the crowd. It was an all-ages show, and they skewed young, which never hurts, but they made their chops plain enough to see, guitarist Pete Hughes busting out solos that I read as an opening volley soon enough to be returned by Radio Moscow while sharing vocal duties with bassist Shoki Tanabe, who switched to a fretless about halfway through the set. Drummer Ryan Northrop was the anchor, but nothing was really holding Sons of Huns back as they gave the yet-unnamed post-Millennial generation a reason to relish Kyuss-style riffing.

Kings Destroy

Since I was in the van this afternoon with them, I know the literal miles Kings Destroy came for this show, but they do little justice to how many miles more comfortable they seemed on stage. Guitarists Chris Skowronski and Carl Porcaro were shoving and kicking, almost daring each other to fuck up, while bassist Aaron Bumpus and drummer Rob Sefcik provided the foundation for their shenanigans and Steve Murphy turned his mic stand at one point into a harpoon and thrust it in the general direction of the crowd. They started a little early, so squeezed “Dusty Mummy” into a riff-heavy set that worked well after Sons of Huns, setting up a rock/doom back and forth that would continue into Radio Moscow and Pentagram. The vocals didn’t come across as clearly, but the new song, “Embers,” was tighter tonight as well.

Radio Moscow

Doesn’t matter how many nights this tour goes, I don’t imagine I’m going to get tired of watching Radio Moscow make killing it look so easy. Two new songs in the set tonight, “Death of a Queen” and another one, plus “Rancho Tehama Airport,” which is also pretty recent, and where last night dipped back to the self-titled for “Frustrating Sound,” and that was certainly welcome as far as I’m concerned, I am not in the slightest about to complain about getting to know a couple new cuts ahead of the arrival of their new album, Magical Dirt, which seems to be slated for a spring release. Whenever it comes, the twists and turns in “Death of a Queen” are sure to be a highlight, as they were both in Seattle and at the Hawthorne, where they were met with due appreciation and then some by the all-ages set, who had youthful vigor on their side, and the 21-and-overs, who were sloshed. Suddenly the show felt very sold out, very packed in. No arguments though.

Pentagram

Yeah, and then Pentagram went on. Even before they took the stage, the push of people toward the front was fairly ridiculous. Bobby Liebling got cheers even as he walked out from the green room on the side of the stage, standing on a balcony and pointing at the crowd, obviously thrilled to see him. The place went off. Set was the same as last night — my only complaint with it is no “Walk in Blue Light,” but you can’t have everything — opening with “Nightmare Gown” from Be Forewarned and going into “Review Your Choices” before letting loose with “Forever My Queen” after what seemed to be some technical difficulty and on from there. It was during the latter (they were inadvertently switched at El Corazon, come to think of it), that being up front became an untenable situation and I did what any self-respecting adult would do and fell backwards into the press to make my way through. At one point the strap of my bookbag with my laptop in it was hooked around some plastered girl’s arm who refused to give it up, but I was ready to pull her outside with me if necessary. Finally I shouted something about it actually being my bag and a light went on in her head and she let go. I was pretty well frazzled, but made my way to the back to watch more. True, it was the same deal as Seattle, but screw it. Every time you get to see Pentagram — with Victor Griffin on guitar especially — it’s the right way to go, though I’ll admit that when they got down to the encore of “Be Forewarned” into “Wartime,” I was listening from outside.

Loadout, well, didn’t go quite as smoothly as last night. There was a bit of waiting and when all the stuff was in the sprinter, it was established that we’d be hitting a bar called Chopsticks at the suggestion of some locals who were headed that way. Tomorrow is an off-day for the tour. Turns out the place was a Chinese restaurant in addition to a bar — they called it fast food but they were the best dumplings I’ve had since I moved out of New Jersey — and that the karaoke was going in full force. Chopsticks wasn’t as packed as the show, but it had a crowd, and they felt like dancing. It was 1:30AM by the time we got there and about 2:30AM by the time we left, and in between is a blur of irony-overload ’80s hits sung by an assortment pulled from the almost-entirely-white assemblage. One guy did “Aqualung,” and nailed it, but the rest was Tears for Fears, Michael Jackson and the like.

Many laughs, many drinks, some dim sum, and no one was quite as sloppy as they semi-apologized for being. I think on some level it’s weird for these dudes that I’m here and that I’m writing as I’m here, like an embed. I know they’ve seen some of what’s been posted, and it’s not that they’re being guarded — at one point tonight I rechristened the band “Kings Destroyed,” so if there were guards, they went on break and didn’t come back — but my concern is not harshing anyone’s good time by making them feel like they’re being watched.

Anyway. There was talk of a James Brown hot tub party when we got back to the motel by the airport where we’re staying, but it was to bed almost immediately. Steve gets his own room, Carl and I share (even at his worst so far, which might be right now, he’s nowhere near the worst snorer with whom I’ve shared a hotel room), Rob and Aaron, and C-Wolf and Jim Pitts. We’re all in a row on the 200 level of the Clarion with a noon checkout tomorrow and a drive to San Francisco to follow. It’s now four in the morning. Something tells me we won’t be getting an early start.

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Pentagram, Radio Moscow and Kings Destroy West Coast Tour, Pt. 5: Doin’ the Limbo

Posted in Features on February 23rd, 2014 by JJ Koczan

02.23.14 — 5:09PM Pacific — Sunday — Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR

“Whole lotta open space…” — Jim Pitts

Ride down from Seattle was pretty straightforward after a breakfast at the bar where the band couldn’t get served the other night on account of Aaron having forgot his ID. 13 Coins, near the airport. It was about two hours south on the I-205 (I think) with mountains and old growth evergreens around. Lots of grey, periodic rain, but the landscape is beautiful. Trees were impressive, traffic sparse. There’s wifi in the van, so as this was the shortest trip to be made over the course of the next six days, that will no doubt come in handy for passing the time. I still haven’t managed to find a book and/or a bookstore, though I hear there’s one near here that’s supposed to be where it’s at.

Ditto that for Portland as a whole, I suppose. Very colorful city for sitting under such a grey sky. I think the grocery store across the street from the Hawthorne was the brightest thing I’ve seen since last June. Easy to read the city as a creative space. I’m not sure how much more downtown it gets than where we are, but if this was it, there’s a cool vibe. To wit, the specials in the side bar/small-stage room here at the Hawthorne include the “Ian MacKaye,” which is Schilling Cider and orange juice, the “Neck Tattoo” and the “Earth Crisis.” There’s also a Modelo vending machine. Hard to gauge which is the symptom and which the underlying cause there, but then I’ve only been in town about 25 minutes.

Soundtrack on the way down was the self-titled The Meters record and then a double-disc collection of James Brown instrumentals. Horns and swing for days. I dig it. Pretty quiet in the van apart from what was the hardest working backing band in show business, but some laughs at references to Anchorman, Fast Times, Mystery Science Theater 3000, some other staples. Several running gags in the making, I think, and a few apparently held over from prior tours. Paul Stanley’s stage raps feature heavily, and rightly so. Portlandia references have been flowing freely as well, owing to the geography.

Radio Moscow were here a bit ago but seem to have moved on, probably to find food. We passed Pentagram on the highway, so they’re en route. In the spirit of last night, tonight’s also a five-band bill, with Sons of Huns and Mothers Whiskey opening. There’s a balcony that I’m thinking might be cool to try to get some pictures from if I can. Show’s almost sold out, so I don’t know how much space there will be to move around. Still, I expect good times and a little bit more of a relaxed mood as the tour sort of settles into itself. It’s a nice big stage, too, so the Mad Alchemy lights should be in their element. I’m looking forward to it.

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