Interview with Ron Jarzombek by Anthony Castilla

Thanks to Anthony Castilla and Ron Jarzombek for this awesome interview:


Ron, what made you pick up the guitar?

My first instrument was piano. At the time I was in the 2nd grade. A few years later I switched to guitar because a lot of my friends from school suggested that guitar was cooler than piano, so I picked up a guitar that my dad had laying around, and stuck with it.

Who influenced you as a young guitar player, was it certain bands or certain players?

The first bands that influenced me were KISS, then later Rush. After that came a lot of the British bands, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, UFO. That was when the whole NWOBHM was happening. As far as influential guitarist, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest), Michael Schenker (UFO), Uli Roth (Scorpions). I also listened to jazz/fusion players like Al Dimeola and Larry Carlton, but mostly stuck with the rock guys. Then around the time of the neoclassical trip in the 80's came along Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, and Paul Gilbert.

How many years have you been playing, and was the guitar your first choice?

My first guitar was a Les Paul Ventura copy. I later moved onto a Strat copy, and have stuck with that shape ever since. I've been playing for well over 20 years. I did have a few years off when I had all of the hand problems, which included 4 surgeries. That went on for nearly 3 years. Guitar is my first choice of instrument, but I do lots of writing on computer with just a mouse, 5 lines and a bunch of dots.

Did your brother Bobby have an impact in your style and practice habits?

We've both been heavily into practicing with a metronome. By now, we both pretty much have a clock built into our heads. I don't know how much either of us impacted the other, but we listened to the same bands when we were growing up, so had the same band influences. Of course, I got into different genres and styles (such as filmscores and cartoon music) because most drummers don't deal with scales, chords, and all of the melodic/harmonic aspects of playing and writing. It was very cool though that after more than a decade of playing, we did finally appear together on 2 CD recordings. Both Spastic Ink CDs 'Ink Complete' and 'Ink Compatible'.

Ron you have been in many bands and projects in the last 20 years. If you had to do it all over again what would you change?

I never thought about that, actually. One thing that I totally regret is that I didn't make much of a effort to audition for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra years ago, when I had the opportunity and the contact. I also regret not sending anything to Dave Mustaine for the new Megadeth. In both cases, I thought I didn't have a chance in hell of getting the gig, but found out later that I really missed out on the opportunity. As a matter of fact, the new guitarist in Megadeth is a huge fan of WatchTower, with whom I recorded the CD 'Control And Resistance', back in '90.

When did you realize, hey!! I can do this music thing for a living?

When you realize that you don't want to waste years and years of hard work, time, thought, and energy on something that you're pretty damn good at. And yes, I'm supporting myself pretty well by teaching, playing out around town, and with Spastic Ink and solo CD sales. Although I sure wouldn't mind a call from Mudvayne right about now.

When I took a lesson from you about 17 years ago I heard use the term Ducks for Money. Is that term still around? You said ok Anthony that’s X amount of Ducks for the lesson.

LOL! I forgot about that! But no, I haven't said that since the old days. 'Ducks" was just a combinations of "dollars" and "bucks".

Where are you teaching at these days?

I'm at H & H Music at the Forum, A440 Studios off of Evers, and believe it or not, still at Southside Music on Saturdays. In '06, I'll probably be at 2 different/other locations. I'm checking into a few things right now.

You still make your own guitars, right?

Definitely. I just built another doubleneck several months ago.

What made you start building your own guitars?

Probably the fact that I could make my own exactly as I wanted them, and didn't really like the guitars that were straight off the shelf back then. I had a Fender endorsement back in the WatchTower days, but lost it because when that factory asked me what I wanted to modify on their stock guitar, I gave them a list so long that it would be better if I just stuck with my own, rather than modifying their instrument. So I sent it back, and whipped out my jigsaw.

What other guitars would you play if your gear were not available? Ibanez , Jackson, Memphis? Arbor?

Ibanez. Whenever the next Marty Friedman gig/tour comes around, I'm going to just get 2 Ibanez guitars so I don't have to take any of mine with me on the flight, through airports, etc...

Speaking of Gear what are you using nowadays for live stuff? It sounds great, by the way. You also seem to have some Ron Made stuff going on.

I use a Line 6 pod that runs through a Mesa Boogie 295 Power amp pushing a 4 12 cabinet with Celestions speakers. For effects I have a Digitech pitchshifter, an Alesis Quadraverb, and a few rack EQs. The "Ron made" portion of the setup is just the cabinet that houses everything. I've been seriously thinking about getting a Krank amp.

What’s your take in all these new effects and software out there?

I've been recording on computer for well over a decade now. I use mostly ProTools and Sound Forge. I don't really keep up with what the latest effect pedals are out there. I basically record a totally dry signal, then add all the effects on computer later. I think computer technology has done wonders for the recording world. No more dealing with punching in late, tape hiss, analog tracks not syncing properly, chopping up tape with a razor blade, etc...

Ahh finally Ron, an important set of questions for you! How was it touring with Marty Freidman?

Of course it was awesome, but too short. They were planning something like 30 dates, but it got stripped down to merely two weeks. Not even really a "leg" of a tour, more like a "foot". LOL. That was the 'Guitarevolution' tour, which happened only on the west coast. And then I did the Guitar convention in Baltimore, sponsored by Les Paul himself, which was killer as well. I'm hoping to do more shows with Marty, but he is doing so well in Japan, that I don't think he has even thought about doing his own tour. He is working on another solo CD right now, so maybe something will happen later. He was an onstage guest earlier this year when the G3 tour made a stop in Japan. I wish Marty would get hooked up with with that tour. I could go for hanging out with him again, and Steve Vai.

Would you like to jam and trade licks with Steve Vai on stage or in the studio one day?

Yeah, but that might be a bit too intimidating...

How was meeting the great Allan Holdsworth?

That was the icing on the cake. The Baltimore gig with Marty was very cool, but hanging out with Allan backstage after the gig was the highlight of that whole trip. He whipped out some theoretical sheet that he was working on, and I was just baffled. I'm pretty much a theory nut but this stuff was unreal. I had no idea what he was doing with notes.

http://www.spasticink.com/alan1.jpg
http://www.spasticink.com/alan2.jpg


Since I am picking your brain, describe a little more about your Circle of 12 tones. You were flying to Hawaii and wrote this?

Visit http://www.spasticink.com/rj12tone.html for more on Ron's awesome creative works.

Uh, no. I was sitting around the house somewhere (don't want to get into details here! LOL!), when the idea pooped, I mean, popped into my head. It's a system where the 12 tones are randomly scattered on a "clock", creating various orders of notes, which imply melodic and chordal patterns for tunes.

My good buddy Rowan who runs SA Rocks wanted to know about the WILD HARE thing on your websites.

The song 'A Wild Hare' is Spastic Ink's musical interpretation of the movie 'Bambi'. Here are the clips...

1. http://www.spasticink.com/thenewprince.wmv
2. http://www.spasticink.com/imthumpin.wmv
3. http://www.spasticink.com/bir-d.wmv
4. http://www.spasticink.com/eatinggreens.wmv
5. http://www.spasticink.com/funonice.wmv
6. http://www.spasticink.com/twitterpated.wmv

Bobby and I took all of the musical themes that involved Thumper, I transcribed his dialogue, along with violins, oboes, and more orchestral instruments, and we put together an 8 minute piece of music. It appears on the first Spastic Ink CD "Ink Complete'.

What’s the connection with Ron and these Cat figure and Rabbits over the years?

Yeah, you noticed that, huh? Lots of animals and creatures in songs titles...

Happy Kitties - The first recording project that involved me and my brother Bobby.
Mr. Kitty - the cat on "Oh No, Mr. Kitty" from my first solo CD 'PHHHP!'
Squeakie - The squirrel appearing on 'A Morning With Squeakie' from Spastic Ink's 'Ink Complete' CD, and also appearing on 'Sex With Squeakie' from my solo CD 'Solitarily Speaking Of Theoretical Confinement'.
Ants on My Windshield - a song from PHHHP!
It looks Like A Chicken - also from PHHHP!
Mosquito Brain Surgery - from 'Ink Complete'
The Cereal Mouse - from Spastic Ink's 2nd CD 'Ink Compatible'

There's probably a few more too.

I think animals come up because I've got a fascination with writing music for/to animations. As a matter of fact, I'm working with Morley Arts in Atlanta on an upcoming film called 'Magmatania'. It's all still in the works, but here's the intro...

http://www.spasticink.com/magmataniaintro.wmv

One more from Rowan of Sarocks – what do you think of the difference between the old metal with the shredding classical-based guitar solos and the awesome singers like Halford, Geoff Tate, etc. and the fact that most "metal" these days seems to be mostly one or a few chords played over and over really fast while the "singer" barks or screams into the microphone?

That's just the trend and there's not much you can do about it. But it really makes my day when a guitar solo appears in a current song on the radio. As in "Bat Country' from Avenged Sevenfold. Great stuff! And yeah, what's this with the vocalists just screaming and growling? Whatever happened to hitting pitches? I can tolerate it for a while, but when that's all that there is, there doesn't seem much to it. Have you ever sat through the bands playing on the second stage at an Ozzfest? 5 bands in a row of the same crap. I don't see how anybody can tell those bands apart. But on the other hand, there are some cool current metal bands who write really cool interesting tunes, but don't have many gtr solos. As is the case with System Of A Down, Slipknot and Mudvayne. I just don't understand why they can't all be thrown in.

Ok couple of more Ron questions before you go nuts!

Will you ever do your own music live and would it be like a G3 setting. I would love to see that happen for you, is it a goal?

I think the G3 vibe is more of a guitar hero type of trip, which I'm not really into. Yeah, I did write and record 2 solo CDs, but I'm more into the whole band vibe where the focus is more on the writing and players performing, not just some guitar shredder guy playing over diatonic chord progressions. For example, my latest solo CD 'Solitarily Speaking Of Theoretical Confinement' is totally based on theoretical ideas, which implies the writing. Sure there are lots of guitar solos, but that's not the focus of the CD at all. The "band vibe" is what made WatchTower work, as well as Spastic Ink. John Petrucci (Dream Theater guitarist) came out with a solo CD that fits into the G3 mold, and he's playing with Vai and Satriani as a result. I however, can't fit into that mold. That's not what I do. If I did get an opportunity to play my own material live, it would be with a band. WatchTower opened for Dream Theater in Dallas and Houston after we got back from playing the 'Bang Your Head' 2000 festival in Germany. Spastic Ink always gets invited to play overseas festivals, but we haven't played one gig, and probably never will. WatchTower was just recently invited to play at the 6th annual ProgPower festival in Atlanta, which will happen in September '06. The Machinations Of Dementia project may gig, but we have to first get the material recorded and released.

What does playing in Preying Mantis do for you, other than monetary rewards?

Actually, I'm taking a bit of a break right now to focus on my latest project 'Machinations Of Dementia'. Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse bassist), Chris Adler (Lamb Of God drummer) and I started this up about a year ago, and are very close to finishing up the writing for the CD. As a matter of fact, we got a 4 page feature article in the latest Metal Maniacs magazine (Jan. 2006 issue, page 8), which can be picked up at Barnes And Nobles. The article covers Spastic Ink, a bit of WatchTower and my solo CDs, and of course the latest project...

http://www.spasticink.com/rjmod.html

But back to the local cover scene. I really wish it would get back on its feet somehow. It's sad thinking about all of the cool places that have now closed down, or have given in to DJs playing hip-hop (Iguana Bay, Copper Dollar, West Avenue Bar, to name a few). Has anyone driven by the old Sneakers on Nacogdoches? It's a freaking hip-hop club now. Sad.

Sometimes the coolest part about playing a gig in town is on breaks when you can goof off and hang out with your friends, (while getting paid... just kidding... LOL!). Well, and yeah, headbanging to Pantera, Matallica and Mudvayne tunes is fun too.

What is the dumbest thing you have seen or heard from someone when playing a gig local or abroad?

It's happened quite a few times when either Dragonfly or Preying Mantis would be playing a gig, and some dummy would come up and tell us that we're going to be the next big thing, and when is our CD coming out. Uuuhhhh... Of course we just play along and sign stuff for them...

Last but not least – what advice would you give a young guitar player or any guitar out there reading this right now?

1. Practice, so that you'll be prepared, and can do your job well.
2. If you're in a band, do your homework so you don't waste other band members' time.
3. Get a phone or email so you can communicate with your band members.
4. Get a vehicle, and be on time for rehearsals and gigs.
5. Do what makes you happy within the framework of a band...


Find out more about Ron Jarzombek at spasticink.com.

Rock City Bar Dec 2

from El Sancho:

Just wanting to let you know that we have another gig lined up at Rock City Bar Friday Dec. 02 @ 9:30 pm.

We will be playing with The Killing Floor and Amplifyd.

We will have more free Cd's and as always --- a shot of tequila on stage, or near the stage or backstage or outside with the band, or after the bar is closed or whatever.

I also want to thank all the people who signed up on our email list @ our last show with Slick Dickens We appreciate it as we try to build our fan base.

See you there.
P.S. Rock city has cheap beer prices too!!!!!
We are also hoping to reveal some new tunes for this show too.

Funkified Friday

from Jeremy Dien:

Come to Jack's Patio Bar this Friday,
December 2nd, for a full night of "Funked Up Beats and Dancin' Feets!"

We're going to start off early and go
ALL night long!!!

The line up includes:

* Rockus Circus @8
* Slick Dickens @9
* Scott Wiggins Band @10
* Jeremy Dien @11

**This performance will be filmed and made into a DVD. So come out and voice your support for local musicians!!

The Guitar Zone with Anthony Castilla

Hey everybody,

I mentioned to Anthony Castilla of SpitFire that Kel and I were talking one day and thought it would be cool to have a section for musicians on sarocks.com, with tips, techniques, etc. He offered to do a guitar section, with some guitar theory, interviews, featured guitarists, etc. And the other day he sent me the first installment, so go check it out at http://www.sarocks.com/GuitarZone/.

If you have any comments or suggestions or want to be interviewed or featured, e-mail Anthony at acastilla1@satx.rr.com or spitfireband5u@yahoo.com.

I had planned to get links up to The Guitar Zone and the band photos today, but ended up watching The Punisher instead (sorry, but it's a good movie...lots of gore!). Plus it's going to require some rearranging on here and on sarocks.com, so it's gonna be a bit of a project, but I'll have it finished sometime this week.

Ruben V at Rebar

ADDED NOTE: Correction from Ruben V - it is FRIDAY at Rebar, not Saturday.

The Man-Eaters of Tsavo

The Man-eaters of Tsavo attack a fifth time at The Sanctuary this Friday, the 2nd of Dec. You know where: 1818 N.main, right nextdoor to Hogwild Records and across from SAC.

The Man-eaters of Tsavo Are:

Eddie Hernandez of Sexto Sol
Johnny Hernandez of Fin Del Mar
Birdo of Bleedbox
Mark Zamarron of Las Cruzes
Miguel on the Sonic Blues Harp

We play at 10:45 and finish at 11:15

Other bands this night include Slowpoke, More Fire, and Los Vatos Locos! Try and make it out. Support Your Local Rock!

AntHill Society: A New Look

The AntHill Society is taking possession of about 2,000 brand new cd's on Thursday.

That's right! Short of the Blues is due out on Thursday. There is a slight chance Jim and the boys will be able to get them a day early so the new album may be available at their showcase at Casbeers on Blanco road in San Antonio.

To summarize:

1. Yours and my favorite band will play at Casbeers on Wednesday the 30th of November at around 9pm

2. Their new album, Short of the Blues, is available on December 1, 2005 unless they can get them sooner.

I want to invite YOU to come out. Admission is free and Casbeers is at 1719 Blanco rd across the street from the Blanco Cafe. If the cd is available I can almost guarantee that some free copies will be available. Sorry Jim!

Stay with me here - there's one more thing and your gonna like it. The AntHill Society's new web site will go live in the next 24 hours. Because you are Society Members, however, you get to check it out NOW!!

Our boy, Craig Rainey, built this one. The site is http://www.craigrainey.com for now. It will migrate to anthillsociety.com in the next day ot so.

Please make a point to check all the links on the site - especially the Lyrics for Short of the Blues. Jim Murray is a genius as a song writer.

Skunkweed Offshoots

Wednesday, Nov 30 at The Irish Pub
CRACKA McSAMBO

Featuring Jay Brown and Leon Waddy, chief songwriters of San Antonio Comedy/rock band SKUNKWEED. Come and check out the hilarious antics of this irreverent duo. 9pm - 1am.

Another Skunkweed offshoot, Monkey Blood, will be playing the Sky Lounge this Friday Dec 2nd

Rok Candy at Roxy's

from Rok Candy:

Hope everyone had a super Thanksgiving Day weekend. This Thursday night, December 1, 2005, beginning at 9:30 p.m., Rok Candy will be performing at Roxy's Sports Bar, located at 3249 Wurzbach Road, 521-0410, behind Ingram Park Mall. Hope you can come rock with us.

Don't Miss GWAR This Tuesday at Sunset Station

Tickets for GWAR are available at the Sunset Station Box Office, on the phone at 210-224-9600 and online at Ticketmaster

Staind and P.O.D. (Papa Wood too)

As most of you know, I have been excited for a while now about going to see Staind, P.O.D., Taproot and Flyleaf at Sunset Station. I don’t get to go to a lot of big concerts...too expensive. But I managed to get hold of a couple of VIP tickets for this show, so I was, as they say, all happy.

Well as usual, Staci and I were running behind and got a late start. And of course we didn’t think about all the OTHER stuff that was going on downtown that night and how that might affect the traffic and parking situation. So, as it turns out, we completely missed Flyleaf, and we only got to hear Taproot for about a minute as we were driving around Sunset Station looking for a place to park. We finally gave up and went and parked at the Rivercenter parking garage and walked to Sunset Station. So, we got there after P.O.D. had already started.

I was thirsty when we went in so we headed off in search of the shortest line to get a soda. Thank goodness we had VIP bracelets, because the shortest line was in the VIP lounge. You know the lines are long when...the guy behind you pulls up a chair to sit on while in line! Other than that, Sunset Station is awesome! Picturesque, clean, friendly, nice restaurants, bars everywhere...there was even a waitress and a girl selling tube shots in the VIP area. And get this...a soda was only $1.00! Not $3 or $4 like most larger venues...one dollar! I spent a total of $2.00 at this concert (well, unless you include the insane $10.00 fee they charged me for parking at Rivercenter).

Anyway, since we were in line for sodas, we didn’t get to watch much of P.O.D. and I couldn’t write down what songs they played because evidently you’re not allowed to take pens into Sunset Station. But they sounded awesome, very energetic, especially the singer (whose name escapes me at the moment). And his dreads have gotten LONG! They’re now second on my list of the longest dreads I’ve ever seen, the first being the singer of Shadows Fall, the third being Troy of Thirteen Muses when he was with Alienation (I hear he’s cut them off now). The coolest moment was when he announced they were now recording and had everyone shout, “Happy 50th Birthday Uncle Noah!” I bet Uncle Noah has never gotten a cooler birthday present. (Hope I’m not ruining the surprise...nah, I doubt Uncle Noah reads my blog!)

Short break, then Staind came on. Again, I can’t give you the whole setlist since I was penless, but I know they played “So Far Away,” “For You,” and of course “Outside,” “It’s Been Awhile,” and “Mudshovel.” Aaron Lewis also brought out a brand new guitar that he had gotten at Thanksgiving, so it was the guitar’s virgin performance. I believe it was a Dimebag Darrell Rebel Flag signature guitar, but I couldn’t hear what he said about it very well. Speaking of guitars, the guitarist has at least 20 guitars, and switches every song. His roadie had to run him up a new guitar between every song and know which one he wanted for each song. Tough job.

ADDED NOTE: Turns out what Aaron said was that it WAS Dimebag's guitar. Look in the comments for the whole correct story.

Here is the only halfway decent picture I got from the whole show, because I used the zoom on my camera for the first time, and evidently my zoom feature sucks ass. This is the only picture on which I didn’t use it and the only one that came out where you could even tell what you were looking at. I definitely need to get a better camera.



After the concert, we still had some time, so on the way to my house, we stopped in at BoozeHounds to catch Papa Wood’s last set. Nathan told me they now did Blind Melon’s “No Rain” and I wanted to hear it. But Nathan is on hiatus for the holidays, so he wasn’t there and we didn’t get to hear it. We did, however, get to hear their new bass player Guido filling in for Nathan on vocals, and he’s a good vocalist in his own right and funny, lots of goofing around, silly dances, etc. The band seemed to have a good time playing with him. And I liked his t-shirt. It said, “No Job, No Money, No Car, But I’m in a Band.” And we were treated to some Sublime, Los Lonely Boys, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Rage, Tool (with Dave gettin’ kinda nasty with his guitar), Nickelback, Alice in Chains and more. And had a good time chatting about Sneakers, Willy Wonka and other stuff with Dave after the show.



Great night, good music.

Rodney Branigan at Jack's

Just a note about Rodney Branigan, who is playing at Jack's tonight (Monday): this guy plays two guitars at one time - he plays duets by himself! Sounds like something to see, so if you can go check it out.





These photos are from his web site. Hopefully it's ok that I'm using them, but I wanted you to see what I'm talking about.

Liz's Birthday

Fuel to the Fire

Update from SpitFire:

Last Friday 11-25-05 at the Trap was off the charts in attendance for SpitFire, Saturday 11-26-05 in Kerrville @ GRC was pumping in alot of folks also. I am not going to brag alot, you have to see the new SpitFire lineup, the new energy and Song List we have.

Ben - SpitFire's New Bass Player

Our new bass Player Ben brings a whole new musical element and look to the band. we will be at Roxy's this Friday 12/02/05 and at Hemmingways 12/03/05.

Anthony, Ben & Mo - SpitFire

Oh yeah thanks to the guys from The Sound Dogs-Band for joining the party in Kerrville and our SA & Kerrville area Clicks, you guys are nuts, driving 70 miles just to hang with us? Way cool!

Sound Dogs and Dan of SpitFire

Eric McConnell and Deja Vu on Thanksgiving Eve

Staci and I decided to take advantage of the holiday and go catch a couple bands. So first we headed out to Hooligan’s on I-35 to catch Eric McConnell. From the interview I did with him last month and from what I have heard about him, I was looking forward to some good jazz and blues guitar. I got that and much more. I had been told that Eric was a very good guitarist, but what I didn’t know was that he also has a great voice and that he plays a larger variety of music than I realized. He’s also funny.

The set-up Wednesday night was simple: just Eric on acoustic guitar and vocals and a guy on an 8-string bass guitar. (I didn’t quite catch for sure what his name was, but Eric said he calls him “Cheese” because he’s from Wisconsin. I think his name was Sean.)



The first set kicked off with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride and Joy,” which was along the lines of what I was expecting. Eric kicking out those riffs on an acoustic guitar was pretty impressive. Then I was pleasantly surprised when it was followed with some Gavin DeGraw, Tom Petty and Stevie Wonder (and a joke about two white guys playing Stevie Wonder). A sad note when Eric dedicated a Clapton tune to recently deceased Texas blues guitarist/singer Chris Whitley. Back to the blues with some Ian Moore “Satisfied,” then another surprise when he pulled out some Cross Canadian Ragweed. The set closed as it opened, with some more Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Between sets, we got to watch Eric McConnell work some magic with the crowd. Until then, a lot of the crowd was more intent on the Spurs game than on the music. But Eric wandered from table to table, chatting and joking with the people, including stopping by our table to chide Staci for playing NTN trivia instead of watching the show (in her defense, she was jamming and singing along as she played) and getting a free lighter from the Marlboro girl.

The boy must be a charmer, because his technique worked. When the second set started, heads turned away from the game and toward the music. The first task was to fill a request for a romantic song with Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” Then, still romantic but on the rock side, Tonic’s “If You Could Only See.” Next up, after a mention of our interview and a plug for SA Rocks (thanks Eric!), was an original, an excellent southern bluesy rock number called “Closer.”



For the next few songs, Eric and Cheese were joined on stage by a sax player, starting off with a little improv or, as Eric said, “free jazz, because nobody would pay to fucking hear it.” Then into Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” and on this song, even the diehard Spurs fans stopped watching the game and sang along. They followed this up with a funky version of “Superstition” and the theme song from Team America, then as a joke a verse of Dio’s “Rainbow in the Dark” sung in high falsetto.

By this time, we were finished with our drinks and the second set was almost over, so we started packing up to go. We stayed long enough to hear Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive” then headed down the road to the Firehouse Pub & Grill to see how Deja Vu was doing with new lead singer Xavier.

We got to the Firehouse just in time to catch Deja Vu’s last set, but we picked a bad night to do it. Xavier was sick, and the throat spray between each song wasn’t entirely helping. He did amazingly well with keeping his voice from cracking or going off-key, which probably killed him, but his voice sounded a bit scratchy on the high notes. Still, great job and lots of fun and dancing as they played Maroon5, Orgy, Gary Numan, Modern English and The Toadies. Xavier messed up on the lyrics to “Santeria,” but I’ll cut him some slack since this was only his second or third gig with Deja Vu. Then some Gin Blossoms, 7 Mary Three, Wilson Pickett (“Mustang Sally”) and Billy Idol’s “Dancing with Myself.”



I apologize to the band for the guy at the bar who kept yelling out songs they don’t do, I enjoyed chatting at the bar with Xavier after the show and I promise to come catch Deja Vu with Xavier again on a night when he’s feeling better.

Where to catch 'em:

Eric McConnell will be at Broadway Bar November 30th (this will be an electric, not acoustic, show)

Deja Vu will be at Billy D's December 2nd and at Main Street on the 3rd. Check their calendar for future dates.

The Real Texas EDGE Vol. 3CD Release Party #5

Saturday, November 19th, The Edge Magazine hosted their fifth and final CD Release party of 2005 at The White Rabbit. The Real Texas EDGE Vol. 3, released by the magazine, is a limited edition two-disc set that includes some of the best bands from the South and Central Texas areas--everything from indie rock to death metal. The CD itself will not be available in stores and was given away for free to anyone who attended any one of the five release parties. The shows themselves were a showcase for the bands who appeared on the disc. And in The White Rabbit's case, there were thirteen bands, two stages, and over four hours of music. So if you didn’t make it out to any of the release parties by last week‘s show, you not only missed out on a free compilation of incredible Texas bands, you also missed out on a chance to see the best of what Texas has to offer onstage.

Here are the bands and some highlights:



Balistica

Balistica were the first band of the evening and were easily the most eccentric. Smartly dressed in black shirts with a single bright pink letter (and for their drummer, a luchadore mask), the band tore through their set of alternative dance rock mixed with hint of Latin and funk influences. Sergio, lead vocalist and sometimes bassist, was clearly the one to watch as he shook and leaped and danced across the stage, as if possessed by the music(or perhaps, life itself). At set’s end he shared an explosive rap duet with another member of the band who apparently watched the majority of the set with the crowd.





Deimos
When I made my way to the main stage, I was looking forward to Deimos, the first metal band of the evening. I first heard their demo from an old roommate of mine and was immediately impressed with their attempt and success to play heavy metal, but with focus and class. Throughout their performance, there was enough distortion to rip your head off. But Deimos intricately and cleanly played through each song with an emphasis on feel and song structure. Singer/guitarist Steve Fernandez had a distinctive snarl to his voice that reminded me a lot of Kreator main man Mille Petrozza.

Matt Mayer of Deimos




Jeff from Hatchetwork
Hatchetwork was unashamedly and unabashedly a death metal band. Lots to chew on here if you’re a fan of the genre: heavier-than-a-drowning-man guitar riffing, manic drumming (lots and lots of double bass), coupled with Phil Anselmo-type vocal barks with the occasional growl for good measure. Proving that they’re actually trying to be musical about the whole ordeal, “Subject to Hate” made creative use of speedy drum beats and guitar string scrapes high on the guitar neck along with the conventional face stomp.

Jimmie of Hatchetwork




Closedhandpromise
Closedhandpromise was also upfront and in-your-face, but in a different way altogether. At the base, they could be described as post-hardcore punk, using plenty of jackhammer guitar and drum syncropation, mid-song breakdowns, and drill seargent vocal barks. However, what was the most impressive about this Austin-based band was their use of infectious choruses, turntable scratches and effects along with touches of Korn-style guitar weirdness. "Outer Space is A Lonely Place," off of their untitled EP was my favorite song of the set, with its chorus reminding me of Incubus with just a little more bombast and propulsion.

Xavier (Closedhandpromise)




Sintense
I soon made my way back to the main stage, just in time to catch Sintense in full flight. Making easy work of the thirty-minutes allotted to all of the bands on the main stage, they took the time to try out a new song, played some of their lighter material, and tossed in a few of their STP/Creed/Tool-inspired rockers for good measure. As Rowan mentioned in her review of a Sintense show, vocalist Dexter never stands still, working the stage and the crowd like a real pro.

Bernabe and Ike of Sintense




War Within
Austin’s War Within wasted little time in cheerfully removing faces with their abrasive set of extreme and molten metal. It was an excellent mix of styles that included the precision of thrash, the speed and mania of death metal, and the mid-song breakdowns and vocal barks of hardcore punk. Maybe a faster, more out-of-control Hatebreed? I was especially impressed with sole six-stringer, Gabriel, whose performance was a study in metal guitar wizardry, utilizing a variety of techniques and tricks that kept the listener on edge.

Gabriel of War Within




Ignitor
On the main stage, Austin’s very own defenders of the metal faith, Ignitor, wasted little time in overwhelming the crowd with their set of traditional power metal. With an image and sound deeply rooted in eighties metal demigods such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Accept and minions of others, vocalist Erika led the band and the crowd through thirty minutes of fist-pumping, head banging metal anthems. However, they were more than a mere nostalgia act as they accentuated their sound with spurts of speed metal and double bass, making for a sound that was classic but modern.

Batlord of Ignitor




Tony of Killamora
Even though they performed in their street clothes and were far from the fastest band of the evening, Kiallamora had a sound and image that was downright menacing. The vocalist, Tony attacked the mike as the band followed suit, playing each note like it was their last. By set’s end they no doubt won the crowd over, proving that sometimes all you need is attitude to get your point across.

Jeff of Killamora




Hazik
Next on the main stage was Hazik from San Antonio. Watching their thirty-minute set, I decided that they were indeed a metal band, but in a way that was different from everyone else that played that evening. Sure, there were plenty of distorted guitars, jackhammer rhythms, and double bass drumming. But I noticed that as opposed to pummeling you into submission, the music focused more on groove and dynamics, more fluid in a Roots-era Sepultura kind of way. I also heard a slight tinge of fusion/jazz over everything as well (the Mudvayne influence, perhaps?).

Roger and Ceasar of Hazik




Course of Ruin

Course of Ruin was another metal band that opted to slow things down and turn up the intensity on an emotional level. Much like the new wave of American metal bands (Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, etc), the songs were painstakingly heavy but not painstakingly fast, allowing the songs a little more room to breathe. Guitarists Roland and Walter worked in tandem with the rhythm section, laying these dense and intense grooves while vocalist Shaun switched from hardcore barks to actual singing with ease.

Walter from Course of Ruin




Quartershackle
Quartershackle was a welcome break from what had been a primarily metal and hardcore event. In fact, the band offered a sound that was not unlike what you would expect to hear on modern rock radio: big guitar and big choruses coupled with the soulful singing of vocalist Joseph. On a song like “Sinkhole” they proved that they are very capable of crafting the perfect modern rock single. However, I liked them best when they branched out into a heavier, more jam-oriented approach to rocking out a stage.

Blaine of Quartershackle




Tim and Henry of Dism
Much like Quartershackle, Dism played a sound that was true to modern rock radio. However, where Quartershackle delved into jam-band territory, Dism preferred to keep things straight and to the point, and perhaps heavier. As far as how they sounded, I would say that the band has a lot of modern and radio rock influences including Tool, Metallica, and Godsmack; Henry had a great a voice that sounded to me like a cross between James Hetfield and Maynard James Keenan. Unfortunately, an argument within the audience (not the band’s fault) broke out which became a distraction and took the rest of set time (and beyond) to resolve. And for some reason, Mitch threw off his bass before the end of the last song--perhaps a gear malfunction?


Mitch of Dism




Scott of Curse the Form

Curse the Form were the perfect band to close the evening. Since their inception in 2004, they have earned for themselves a very loyal and dedicated fanbase, music listeners and musicians alike, as was evidenced by the number of people who arrived/stuck around to see their show. From the beginning of their set to the end, they unleashed a maelstrom of metal on metal fury with lots of twists, turns, and time changes that keep the listener guessing. And, somehow, the band managed to anchor everything with an irresistible groove courtesy of Gaston (drums) and Frances (bass). One of Scott’s main vocal influences, Wayne Static of Static-X could very well be an accurate base from which to describe his vocal delievery and approach. Launching tirades against what seemed to be everyone and everything, he seemed to be getting off on the music just as much as the crowd. Like I said earlier, the perfect band to close the evening.

Frances and Joey of Curse the Form

Monkey Blood at Lucky's

from Skunkweed:

Hi Skunkfans,
Date of sale: Saturday Nov 26th
Time of sale: 9:30

We at Skunkweed hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend! And, before it's all over and you have to start thinking about heading back to work on Monday, there is still one more night to live it up!

Come on out to Lucky's tonight to Rock with Jay, James and Dave from Skunkweed with their newly reunited cover band Monkey Blood!

If you haven't seen us before, I'll warn you right now. We sound nothing like Skunkweed. Sure Jay might be obliged to play one of your Skunkweed requests but Monkey Blood is a harder, heavier style of Rock music. You have to witness the amazing guitar work of our two awesome lead guitarists, Rick Rodriguez and Steve Yates. You just have to see it to believe it.

So if you've finally gotten over turkey coma and you are ready to rock out just one more time before it's back to the grind, come on out and rock with us tonight.

Atomix in The Current

Check out the article in The Current on Atomix...also a review of The Spark and Animals of the Bible...by Brooke Palmer (I love the way she writes!).

One of my favorite parts (about The Spark):

"Like a whip, it rattles my psyche until my thoughts bleed out of me in random streams. I begin to think about Faulkner and hatred, machine guns and Vietnam, red beans, bananas, and algebra."

Notes from Rowan

First off, Saturday's listings will be late cuz I'm so freakin' far behind due to Thanksgiving and the family drama that ensues at holiday time.

Expect in the next couple days...reviews of Eric McConnell at Hooligan's, Deja Vu with new singer Xavier, Staind and P.O.D. at Sunset Station, Papa Wood with Nathan on hiatus and new bass player Guido filling in...

Also, I guess I might as well announce it now...I will most likely be taking December off from going to gigs and doing reviews so that I can afford to buy X-mas presents. So unless I get some sponsors during December, I'll be MIA. But I plan to spend that time doing reviews of all the CD's I've amassed since I started SA Rocks.

And on that same note, I want to point out that I spend roughly $200 a month supporting you guys and that you can become a sponsor, help me out and get an ad on SA Rocks for as cheap as $4 a month...if you're a 4-piece band, that's $1 a month for each of you. Do the math and work with me here. The money you send helps me get out to see you and give you some press. Good press for a dollar a month...think about it...

21BLACK at Massimo

from 21BLACK:

21BLACK will be LIVE at Massimo Ristorante e Bar this Saturday !!!!
We greatly appreciate your support and hope to see you there !!!

November 26, 2005 Saturday 9pm-1:20am
Massimo Ristorante e Bar
1896 Nacogdoches, San Antonio, TX 78209

Please check our calendar at http://www.21black.com for our list of all upcoming appearances. We hope to see each of you soon ! We thank each and every one of you for the tremendous support and positive vibes.

St. James Infirmary & Social Darwinism

from St. James Infirmary:

Thanks for showing interest in the band, thus putting you in prime position for social climbing. Knowing a band before they're big and famous is a sure way to be "cooler" than everyone." Tell your friends at work about us and laugh at them if they haven't heard of us.

YOU: "Have you heard the new St. James Infirmary tune?"

UNKNOWING FRIEND: "Who?"

Y: "You haven't heard of St. James? (at this point you can shorten the name, thus showing that you're "cool" with the band, elevating your position over them even further.)

U.F:"I guess not, if I go see them with YOU, will I be cool?"

Y:"I will allow you to come with me, but remember I will always be (enter # of shows you've been to here) shows cooler than you."

U.F.:" Thank YOU."

So come check us out this weekend just in time to throw in people's faces on Monday!

11.25.05 Kennigan's 647-3280
5251 Timberhill@ Grissom
21 and Up
$2 cover

11.26.05 Rolling Oaks Sports Bar & Grill 655-4745
5550 Mountain Vista
ALL AGES/Free
Full menu, huge patio, lotsa beer, great atmosphere

Happy Thanksgiving and Peace

51 ACRES brings Thanksgiving Funk to Crabby Jack's

from 51 Acres:

51 ACRES will be over at Crabby Jack's this Saturday at 10pm. Great drinks, good food and funky rock will be on the menu all night long. Come on out if you're in town for the holidays and say hi to some old friends...

Flip the Bird with Alter Ego at Hooligan's

from Alter Ego:

Had it with turkey? After the turkey sandwiches, turkey stew, turkey loaf, turkey tacos, and chicken fried turkey, do you just want to make it STOP and eat something different, along with enjoying some great music?

Then shake off your turkey-induced stupor and head over to HOOLIGAN'S at 13920 I-35 North, right next to the Live Oak Cinema, off Loop 1604 and Pat Booker Road and let ALTER EGO rock your socks off on Saturday, Nov. 26, beginning at 9:30 p.m.

One of our favorite places to play, Hooligan's has a great atmosphere, very friendly staff and VERY tasty food (no turkey, we promise!). And there is NEVER a cover charge at Hooligan's, so you have more money for cold, frosty adult beverages!

ALTER EGO has a ton of gigs coming up in December, including Tripp's, the Roxy, the Trap, both Hooligan's locations, Main Street and Boozehounds. In case you're looking for what to do on New Year's Eve, we'll be back at the I-35 Hooligan's to help you rock in the New Year!

Keep up to date by checking out the website at www.thebandalterego.com. YOU are the ones helping us get these great gigs, because YOU are supporting the band week after week! We could not do what we do without you, so thank you all so much on behalf of myself, Tony, Paul and Bruce ... see you out there!

T-Day Stuff

Hey, hope everyone had a great Turkey Day! Sorry I didn't get the listings up, but I never had a spare second! And I'm whupped (and stuffed!), so the listings forFriday won't be up until probably early afternoon tomorrow. Also I know there are several things sitting in my inbox that need to be posted - they'll be up first thing in the morning. Apologies for the delay.

List of Bands

I started a band database over on the SA Rocks Yahoo! Group. I think it could be a useful extension of the list of SA bands on here, in that it includes the type of music and contact information so that fans, promoters, etc. can find out a little more about each band in a convenient list. It's very easy to add your band to the database. Just go join the SA Rocks group, click on "Database" on the sidebar, click on the "San Antonio Bands" database, then "Add Record." You get a short form, just 6 spaces to fill out, including the name of the band, type of music, web site (if any), contact info and then any other comments you want to add. Once there are more bands on the list, I'll be adding links on here and other SA Rocks areas so people can check it out.

Why to Buy Tickets Early

Detour Tickets posted this on a Yahoo! Group, and I found it interesting...thought I'd pass it on:

Promoters have to buy a show that is coming to town. They usually have to put a 50% deposit down to secure a show. Then they have to rent a facility, a PA system, a stage if the club doesn't have one, a lighting system, pay for staff and security, and then cater to the group. Not to mention the beer and water and any sort of advertising for the event.

A big reason that a lot of shows skip San Antonio is because promoters use a presale method as a way to judge if they can pay for the show. San Antonio is known as the "walk up" capital of the touring world. We are the only city that will presale 100 tickets and have 3000 people walk up the day of the event. This scares a lot of promoters and they won't even take a chance on booking shows. So the next time you want to see a show, help out the system a little bit by buying your tickets before the event. I'm not saying this to just promote my business, I don't care if the event is ticketmaster or star tickets. It's all the same and it does matter.

Sexto Sol at Luna Saturday

from Sexto Sol:

On Saturday, after you polish off some left-over turkey (which you've been eating for three days straight!), come out to Luna Fine Music Club located at 6740 San Pedro Ave for a Post-Thanksgiving performance. Show starts at 9pm and ends at 12:30am. It has been said that our music is able to ward-off the "Tryptophan Blues"...come experience it for yourselves!

Have a great Thanksgiving and see you Saturday!

The Swindles and Esquire Tavern

Check out this upcoming show with The Swindles and Los #3 Dinners and learn some interesting bar history from Mitch Webb of The Swindles:

This Wednesday night the Esquire Tavern will celebrate the last few hours of freedom before you have to sit it out with the family! It's the Swindles and the #3 Dinners banging it out on the river under the lights of the Hemisphere Tower with cheap booze and no rules all night long! The Esquire has become one of our favorite places to get our "action on the make" and we need you to get your ass downtown to start the shakedown! Swindles start the night at 10:00 so get there early!

Don't know who the #3 Dinners are? Have you been livin' in a hole outside the loop? Click on the pretty picture and it will take you to their land.

Don't be showin up at 11:45 and start complaining about The Swindles stopping early! Get there before 10:00. Hell, catch happy hour and some chicken tacos at the Mexican Manhattan at 6:00 then stroll on over!

Learn more about your new favorite bar!

Visiting the Esquire is almost like taking a step back in time. Check the cool Neon lights out front! It looks like the Star Club in Germany where the Fab Four used to play! The Esquire got going in 1933, and despite floods and yuppy urban revivalists, it has retained much of its original furnishings and decoration. Flocked wallpaper, pressed tin ceilings and brass foot railings at the bar offer a glimpse of this tavern's past. It really looks like Miss Kitty is gonna step into the room at any minute. Moreover, the Esquire boasts Texas' longest wooden bar (79 feet) and has been distinguished as the state's longest continually operated bar. I can't believe we are actually going to play here! The only other band I've ever seen here was Flaco, and that was for a record release party that I really don't remember much of. It seems that I was with Deadly Fredly and Joe and the record company was footing the liquor bill...



The skinny on the the Esquire is that it was established in 1933 by Gus Magadieu and his son, and a few years later sold to George Georges and his brothers Al, Mike, and Albert. In 1981 Rick Grinnan and Goodhue Smith purchased it from the Georges. Are you asleep yet? Now in addition to having the best balcony to watch the action on the River Walk, The Esquire Tavern has the loudest Mariachis, a great jukebox, the tastiest hand-shaken margaritas, the coldest beer and the best prices on - or above - the River Walk. Need more big talk? The Esquire Tavern's "Longest Bar in the state of Texas" will hold 5,973 longneck bottles of beer on the antique bar and back bar and accommodate 289 rednecks abreast and two deep bellied up to it. Since 1933, over 43,792,899 bottles of beer have crossed over the bar into the hands of its' thirsty customers. It's the damn oldest business on the River Walk and we are gonna play there on Wednesday night once again! Are we lucky or what!

Thanksgiving will never seem the same after this hangover!

Help Girl in a Coma

Girl in a Coma has been forced to cancel parts of their tour due to vehicle breakdown and paying to have it fixed and it not being fixed. What they're asking now is: "does anyone have a van that runs really well...enough to take on tour that they would like to sell to a band that can use it? if so get back to us..." You can contact them at www.myspace.com/girlsinacoma

Lady Jane Grey: The Return

from Lady Jane Grey:

Okay, I know it's been awhile. I realized that we had been out of the loop for too long when I started getting calls, emails, etc. from people saying, "Man, I wondered what happened to y'all and why you stopped playing music!" What's sad is that we haven't stopped... we're still here! We've just had some major regrouping, changing, moving, focusing, readjusting... you get the point. Anyway, y'all are FABULOUS for still liking us enough to care what we're doing, and we love you for it.

So if you want to catch up on our life for the past 6 months, check out the blog (http://ladyjanegrey.blogspot.com), which will give you a peek into what we've been up to.

But the main reason for this email is to invite you out to our shows this weekend! We know you will be sick of turkey and dressing and family and football by, oh, say, Friday evening, so we have alternatives for you!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
7:30-9:30 pm
Fralo's
I-10 and Boerne Stage Rd.
http://www.fralos.com
(best pizza you will ever eat!)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26
8:00-10:00 pm
Lighthouse Cafe
Stone Oak Pkwy and 1604
http://www.lighthousecoffeecafe.com

Please come and join us! We would LOVE to see y'all and catch up. We may even throw in a few Christmas tunes.

St James Infirmary Sings the Blues

from St. James Infirmary:

This weekend, and week, we'd like to express our gratitude for all the blessings in our lives by putting on two blues gigs. I know that sounds backwards. Why would people sing the blues when they're thankful and in general good moods? Well, I don't quite know, that's just the way we work. So come out and thee the freaks : The Good Natured, Happy go-lucky Blues Band.

We'll be at Kennigan's on Friday the 25th at 9:00
5251 Timberhill @ Grissom
(bandera to grissom, left on timberhill)
21 and up

Saturday at Rolling Oaks Sports Center
5550 Mountain Vista
(1604 East exit Judson Rd.
Stay on the access, you'll see bright lights and fireworks and dancing midgets)
ALL AGES

St. James Infirmary apologizes for any offense to any small people that be among our fans.

peace

Electric Crush Best Rock Band

from Electric Crush:

EC Nominated for 'Best Rock Band'
Electric Crush was nominated for 'Best Rock Band' at the 2005 Rockies in Los Angeles, CA. The Band will be flying out to LA to attend the award ceremony on Dec 8th at B.B. Kings on the Universal City Walk in Hollywood.

You can vote for Electric Crush below... please help us out by casting your vote below. These votes count towards 'The People's Choice' part of the nomination. Soooo, please vote below - it only takes a second and we really need every vote.

Click Here To Vote: Vote for Electric Crush

MTV Postpones EC Episode
MTV's new show 'Red Neckin' had scheduled to film an Electric Crush episode, but postponed the filming at the 11th hour. The show had been scheduled to film on Nov 5th in Nashville, TN.

Radio Doing Well
Electric Crush is being played on over 50 radio stations in the U.S. The 1st single 'Taking Away' is doing particularly well in the Farmington, NM, where station KRWN 92.9 FM has taken up the EC Banner in a big way... fueling a rival station in the same market to start playing the song.

The D.J. from KRWN, called Electric Crush offices last week and pledged their support over the air for EC. The station wants to bring the guys to Farmington to do a show in connection with the station.

Electric Crush Radio

Electric Crush - NEW CD
The new CD has been postponed to sometime in December '05.

Upcoming SA Shows
December 3rd, 2005
San Antonio, TX - Wise Guys
with Dacosta 10:00pm

December 10th, 2005
San Antonio, TX - Sam's Burger Joint
with Vallejo 10:00pm
18+

Electric Crush Shows

SA Rocks on Yahoo

SA Rocks now has a Yahoo! Group. The main purpose of this is to give bands and clubs what I hope is an easy way to send me listings. Any event added to the SA Rocks Yahoo Group calendar will automatically be added to my personal Yahoo calendar, where I keep track of upcoming shows, so I can't possibly miss it! Also on the Yahoo Group you can post announcements, share photos, chat, etc. So go join!




Click to join sarocks

Liz's Birthday

Last Reminder: Fall Brawl

Don't forget about Staind, P.O.D., Taproot and Flyleaf coming up this Friday at Sunset Station. If you're planning to go, make sure you buy your tickets ahead of time, because they go up $4.00 the day of the show!

Papa Wood at BoozeHounds and Tiffany Billiards

from Papa Wood:

Papa Wood has 2 gigs over the holiday weekend. Friday the 25th at Boozehounds and Saturday the 26th at Tiffany Billiards. Boozehounds is on Perrin Beitel right outside of 410 next to Lack's. Tiffany Billiards is down on San Pedro a few lights inside 410.

In other news, we're in the process of working in our new Bass player, Guido, so you'll see him out soon. Also, I (Nathan) will be MIA for most of the holiday season taking care of other obligations, so unfortunately I'll miss some shows. Never fear though, because when the New Year comes around, I'll be back in full swing ready to make 2006 the best Papa Wood year ever!

White Trash Party

Tonight at Irish Pub:
WHITE TRASH PARTY WITH HUMANIMAL!!

That's right, Humanimal is back at the Irish Pub after a long hiatus, and ready to rock your ass off. This show is a white-trash theme. Wear your favorite wife-beater, Van Halen t-shirt or sleeveless flannel and show your true white trash colors.

$25 bar tab for best male and best female white trash attire!!

Sunday at Rock City

COME ON OUT TO ROCK CITY BAR NOV 20TH FOR A GREAT SHOW AND A CHANCE TO WIN A PAIR OF STAIND TICKETS. TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.

Band Pics Up

I just finished putting up all the photos I have taken of bands, including the many I didn't use in reviews. They are at http://www.sarocks.com/Pics/. So, if you're in a band that I have reviewed or are a fan of a band that I have reviewed, go check 'em out. You're free to use them. I would appreciate a link if you do.

Brutal Fest

Krybdus

Hey all you people who keep searching for information on Krybdus...they finally have a MySpace page up! Check it out at www.myspace.com/krybdusrocks. Also, I didn't get this info in time to add it to tonight's schedule, but Krybdus is playing tonight at Atomix with Hollow and Lylah. You can also check them out Sunday in the Battle of the Bands at Jack's Patio Bar.

51 Acres at BoozeHounds

from 51 Acres:

51 Acres will be over at BoozeHounds (410 and Perrin Beitel across from Academy) on Friday (11/18) starting around 10pm. This place has some great drink specials and lots of pool tables.



The gig last week at Rebar was great and we want to thank everyone who came out and showed there support. There will be lots of Acres shows in December so come on out and get your Christmas Groove on with us...

Boz Boorer Show

HairBall8 Records and TattooedBoy present BOZ BOORER

Two exclusive American live performance dates from Boz Boorer (legendary U.K. rockabilly/psychobilly artist and current guitarist/music supervisor for Morrissey).

This THURSDAY NOV 17TH
AUSTIN, TX @ RED EYED FLY
715 RED RIVER
With:
CHADD THOMAS & THE CRAZY KINGS
GIRL IN A COMA
18 & UP, $10, DOORS 930pm

This FRIDAY NOV 18TH
SAN ANTONIO, TX @ SAM’S BURGER JOINT
330 E. GRAYSON AVE.
With:
GIRL IN A COMA
SICK CITY DAGGERS
THE OFFBEATS
ALL AGES, $10, DOORS 830pm

DETAILS:
Boz Boorer is a well-known name amongst Morrissey fans as he’s been playing guitar with Morrissey and acting as his music supervisor music since 1991. But Boz has a notable history on his own in the rockabilly/psychobilly scene as well. Playing guitar in one of the most popular neo-Rockabilly bands in the U.K. during the 1980s, Boz helped The Polecats crack the British charts with a string of hits that not only solidified him as a gifted musician but also proved he was a prolific songwriter as well. These days Boz still records, releases and tours behind his own style of original Rockabilly music with the help of his live band The Bozmen. The fact that San Antonio indie rock trio Girl In A Coma is playing support slots on both of Boz’s Texas gigs is particularly significant because Girl In A Coma recently wrapped up some recordings with Boz at his studio in England. As far as other support acts on the bill, look for more traditional rockabilly fare from Chadd Thomas & The Crazy Kings on Thursday night in Austin and slightly more twisted psychobilly from Sick City Daggers on Friday night in San Antonio.

PERFORMING BANDS WEBSITES
http://www.BozBoorer.com
http://www.MySpace.com/GirlsInAComa
http://www.SickCityDaggers.com
http://www.TheCrazyKings.com

http://www.hairball8.com

Tunapalooza