Oddly enough, I had never even heard of Bottom's Up Saloon, even though it's really close to my house. It's a nice little place, clean, with friendly service and a big backyard with large shade trees and picnic tables and a stage set up in the back corner. They had a barbecue going on, which unfortunately I didn't realize and ate 5 tacos (!) before I left the house, so I didn't get to try any, but it smelled great! It was really nice sitting outside with a light breeze blowing, hanging out with cool people, watching a good band and seeing the occasional fireworks going off in the sky (or under Kelly's feet! - I'm not even gonna explain that one!)
The Killing Floor put on a great show. All four members are excellent musicians. You've got David Garza on thumping bass, never missing a beat. Larry Rimes on percussion, with a great bongo and conga setup, also providing backing harmonies. Then the two showmen of the group, Jack Trevino on drums and JCM on guitar and lead vocals. Trevino really knows his way around a drum kit...and I mean AROUND. When he does a drum solo, he's not just back behind his drums pounding away, he's up and all around his set, using every bit of hardware on his drums to get different sounds and effects, even standing up on the front of the drums to play(see pic below).
And the centerpiece...JCM. Very good vocalist, exceptional guitarist. For someone like me, who misses the age of the guitar gods, watching him play was a real treat. The sound is blues-based rock, reminiscent of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, maybe a little more contemporary, a bit heavier. The technique is unique. What Trevino does on drums, JCM does on guitar, only more so. Not only are his fingers flying, so are his hands, as he quickly switches from underhand to overhand playing, back and forth, lightly whipping his hand down the neck of the guitar, using every bit of his guitar (and at one point the mic stand) to create unique sounds and effects. He uses a lot of pedals and is very fond of the whammy bar, but it's never overdone, never too much. And it may sound funny, but I have to say, he did the best tongue solo I've ever seen!
The other treat of the night was special guest Rick Sanford, former singer for Legs Diamond. He came out and performed most of a set with The Killing Floor, doing great Legs Diamond classics like "Out on Bail" and "Stage Fright" as well as Led Zeppelin's "The Immigrant Song" and Deep Purple's "Highway Star" and more. I saw Legs Diamond in concert in Corpus Christi when I was a teenager...for the life of me I can't recall who else they played with. Rick Sanford still has the same great voice and contagious energy he had back then. I really enjoyed the show and now I can say I've had my hand kissed by Rick Sanford!
And I got some pics! Click on a thumbnail to see the larger image below:
Thanks, guys! It was a great show and a pleasure to finally meet you all!
You can check out The Killing Floor tomorrow night (Sat. July 9) again at Bottom's Up Saloon with Velveteen Skeen and the Lay-moes. Bottom's Up is located at 10318 IH-35 North (at Starlight Terrace). The show starts at 8:00 Pm, so get moving early!
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