Well yes, I’m feeling rather nostalgic, because exactly one year ago today, in fact at the precise time I’m writing this, I was deliriously enthralled with this brand new band I was seeing for the very first time. The Airborne Toxic Event at WFNX’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Jose McIntyre’s in Boston. Stuffed into an upstairs room with maybe 100-150 revelers – scantily clad women in lingerie and stiletto heels; creepy guys in bathrobes and cowboy hats. At the time, I remember thinking how completely bizarre and unlikely a venue this was for such a band… Knowing now what I know of Airborne Tox, their sense of humor and irreverence, and their amazing journey this past year, I have to say nothing could have been more perfect and oddly apt.
I had been hoping for maybe a show on or around this date to commemorate this happy occasion, yet what I’m now on the cusp of is nothing short of extraordinary – my own personal Toxapalooza. Beginning with a show at Hartford, Connecticut’s Webster Theatre tomorrow night, then WFNX and The Boston Phoenix’s Best Music Poll show at City Hall Plaza (free, no less) on Saturday, finishing off with WBRU’s Block Party at McFadden’s in Providence, Rhode Island.
Though there’s some disturbing uncertainty in various aspects of my life right now, this is one thing I am absolutely sure of: it is going to be a truly wonderful weekend.
Reeves Gabrels and his Imaginary Friends @ The Regent Theatre
It’s always difficult to begin a story, and none so much as this review of Reeves Gabrels and his Imaginary Friends at The Regent Theatre in Arlington.
See, Reeves and I go way back. The last time I’d seen him play was… my god, was it one of the Tin Machine shows from 1991?? Or maybe a Bentmen extravaganza from around that same time? Whatever it was, it feels like a previous lifetime, one that swirls around half-remembered in my consciousness like a scene from Un Chien Andalou.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Writing and publishing my David Bowie newsletter, and all the accompanying magicians, monsters, mayhem and madness. Feverish travels to Tin Machine shows around the U.S. (and a few years earlier, around Europe as well for Bowie’s 1987 tour). Following all of Reeves’ various incarnations (The Atom Said, Bentmen, Modern Farmer…) up and down the East Coast, and – along with my friend Sean Doherty (god knows what ever happened to him) – operating as a two-person street team before anyone was calling it that. So knocked out was I with Reeves’ considerable talents and his contribution to Bowie’s cool side project, Tin Machine, that I expanded the newsletter to include a newsletter within a newsletter called “Witness” (named after one of my favorite Atom Said songs), which focused on Reeves’ myriad of non-Bowie projects — much to the chagrin of the Ziggy Stardust crowd.
I pulled the plug on the whole shebang in 1993, and my need for a full exorcism and extraction from that life sadly led me to lose touch with Reeves as well. I’ll now attempt to make up for the last, um, sixteen years. First, a review of a sparsely attended yet wonderful performance with two other really great bands at The Regent Theatre in Arlington. And then a profile of sorts, to catch everyone up (including me) on what Mr. Gabrels has been up to since parting company with Bowie back in 1998.
Starting off the evening (or at least, playing as we arrived a bit late) was this local band who I guess Reeves had invited for this show (so local, they even performed a song about hanging out in Arlington Center, of all things). My friend Victor coined a term for their sound, Prog Rocking – definitely some prog rock influence (evident from their excellent keyboardist), but more focused and driving, not meandering. Brilliant musicians, and quite surprising as a “mere opening band”, as that can sometimes be a dicey proposition. I’m not sure if these were the exact people performing, but their MySpace page gives band members as Brendan Haley, Rafi Sofer, Derek Demulling, and Dave Erickson.
John Powhida's International Airport
Their lead singer and songwriter, John Powhida, is also in the band The Rudds, and has played with Peter Wolf, Sarah Borges, and The Gentlemen. Speaking with him after their set, he cited two influences, Prince and Joni Mitchell, two names I don’t think one hears spoken in the same sentence too often. Joni Mitchell I’m still not quite certain about, but Prince I can understand, in his vocal styling especially, which in this live setting was unbridled and quite impressive. And while he bears a closer physical resemblance to Todd Rundgren, I got something kinda Bryan Ferry-ish in some of his movements, albeit with extremely quirky, comedic stage banter. Completely unhinged, and wildly engaging. His latest solo recording, “Dirty Birdy and the Funny Bunny” was produced by Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Warren Zevon), released on Kolderie’s Camp Street label. They’re currently in residence at Toad (July 28, August 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30), so definitely check them out!
Next up was also someone I’d never heard of before, which I now have to say is a great tragedy that it took me so long. Entirely my fault for not seeking out all the amazing talent based here in Boston, and not keeping up with projects of people I’ve admired in the past.
Monique Ortiz with Steve Bremen and Larry Dersch
My god, it’s Morphine with Nina Simone sitting in on vocals. Or, dare I say it, a female Mark Sandman, complete with the smoldering sexuality (god bless, after 10 years I still miss you, man…). So where has this woman been all my life??” Absolutely riveting. Now, if I had kept up with the other members of Morphine, I would have known that Dana Colley has been performing with Ms. Ortiz (along with Larry Dersch, who played on Morphine’s “Like Swimming” album) as A.K.A.C.O.D. (Also Known As Colley/Ortiz/Dersch), and released their “Happiness” CD in 2008. She’s also front person and bassist for Bourbon Princess, which features Jerome Dupree (also formerly of Morphine), Russ Gershon (Either Orchestra) and Jim Moran.
For tonight’s performance, she was accompanied – just gorgeously – by Steve Breman on second bass and baritone guitar, and Larry Dersch on drums. An incredibly powerful and beautiful vibe they got going, and I was pulled deep into it. Monique’s lovely bass and slide bass perfectly compliments her amazing, sensuous voice. Her recorded works include three full length albums with Bourbon Princess – Stopline (2000), Black Feather Wings (2003), and Dark of Days (2005) (and the Jerkoff EP (2003)); one solo album entitled “Reclining Female”; and Happiness with A.K.A.C.O.D. (2008). Upcoming appearances include the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge on August 29, Plough & Stars in Cambridge on September 4, and the Lancaster Dispensing Co. in Lancaster, PA on September 5.
Ah, fantastic to see Reeves again after so long, but also kinda creepy thinking about the passage of so much time. And yet at a moment like this, all the memories come rushing back.
The “imaginary friends” are Kevin Hornback on bass and Jeff Brown on drums, and they seemed very real to me, and very smooth and comfortable performing with each other, which resulted in a really tight sound and an onstage camaraderie that suggests they know each other really, really well. They held things together nicely while Reeves ventured off into uncharted musical territories as he’s rather known to do.
Like others who follow their own lead, Reeves has had his detractors through the years. I’m not really a “guitar enthusiast”, nor do I have set ideas of what I like and don’t like. I’ve enjoyed very experimental sorts of music, mainstream bands as well; heck, even some country and classical. There are those who might accuse Reeves of guitar wankery at times (knowing him, he’d probably agree), yet he’s never failed to amaze me with his creativity and virtuosity, and delight those of us who enjoy his quirky take on classic rock and blues. After all these years, he still plays like a creature from another planet, and incredibly, he still sings like Neil Young. But above all, he never takes himself too seriously. He has fun. Imagine that!
Pulling up Tin Machine’s Wikipedia entry cracked me up just now – “The group was generally reviled, often receiving scathing critical reviews.” Yes. I recall when Tin Machine first came on the scene, those who hated the band (and that was about 95% of Bowie’s fans) generally blamed Reeves, as though he had led David into some skanky, darkened alley, blindfolded and gagged, and forced him to take some daring musical chances, jump around and sweat, and not worry so much about Billboard charts and fancy hairstyles.
At The Regent, Reeves and his friends performed a mix of selections from his solo albums (”Come Back” from The Sacred Squall of Now, “Arrow” and “Accident Waiting to Happen” from Ulysses, and “Leper” from Rockonica); a track from his work with Robert Smith of the Cure; a T-Bone Burnett composition, a Jimmy Reed song called “Bright Lights, Big City”; “Messing With The Kid” (in Reeves’ words, a “Buddy Guy/Jr. Wells meets Yes kind of thing”), and the Tin Machine track “Bus Stop” (great to hear that one again!). I’m missing a few, I know, but you’ll forgive me, right? All sorts of strange memories bubbled up during their set, of times long ago and lands far away. The atmosphere was friendly and loose (make that really loose), a ridiculously small turnout (I’ll be on top of it next time he comes around, I promise), but a deeply appreciative, home town audience. Wacky banter between songs, at one point paying tribute to Gidget, the Taco Bell Chihuahua who had sadly passed the day before. Hopefully The Regent’s pitiful promotion (as in none whatsoever, save for a brief article in the Globe the day before and a page up on their website) won’t deter Reeves and the others from coming back to Boston. Maybe to a venue that advertises in the Phoenix – a publication that people who go to see rock bands actually look at.
After their set, Reeves told me they’ll be back in town around September/October, and also with another band he’s in, JEEBUS, which he described as “Weezer meets Faith No More” (scary!), and with Club d’Elf as well. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for these, and will keep everyone posted.
“Leper” – Regent Theatre, Arlington
MySpace (for Reeves Gabrels and his Imaginary Friends)
(I decided to include his other work during the 90’s as well).
1990s
Worked with Robert Smith of The Cure, collaborating on The Cure’s track “Wrong Number” and “A Sign From God” (as COGASM), and co-wrote the song “Yesterday’s Gone” which Smith sings on Reeves’ album Ulysses. Toured with Paul Rodgers. Released The Sacred Squall of Now solo album (Rounder/Upstart, 1995). Joined forces with slide guitarist David Tronzo on an instrumental album, Night in Amnesia, issued by Rounder in 1995 (and performed live with him as well). Contributed to film soundtracks, including David Sutherland’s The Farmer’s Wife (Frontline, 1995) and for PBS productions, and collaborated with Public Enemy on the song “Go Cat Go” for the Spike Lee film He Got Game (soundtrack, Def Jam, 1998). Wrote the “club music” portions of the soundtrack for the video game Deus Ex.
Early 2000s Ulysses (della notte) released on CD (E-magine, 2000). Designed a guitar, the Fernandes RG signature model. Live, Late, Loud. Live recording, with Paul Ill on backing vocals and bass, Brock Avery on drums, and Greg “Elroy” McMullen on backing vocals, pedal steel, baritone, and guitar. (Myth Music, 2003). Something called “The Engine Room project” (which included a 10-song live DVD), “stalled out” in 2004. According to Reeves in a recent interview on Reevz.net, the audio was mixed by Tim Palmer, and the film is complete and edited except for the end titles.
2005-2006
2005 – Rockonica solo album (Myth Music/Favored Nations/Sony, 2005). Gabrels appears with Club D’Elf on Now I Understand, (Accurate Records, 2006), the first studio recording by Boston-based underground dub/ jazz/ Moroccan/ trance/ electronica group led by bassist Mike Rivard; the album also features John Medeski & Billy Martin (Medeski, Martin & Wood), DJ Logic, Mat Maneri, Duke Levine, Alain Mallet, Mister Rourke, and more. A number of collaborations with Stefan “Big Swede” Svensson including the Protecto, Razor Ball, and X-World/5 releases, beginning in 2006. Moves to Nashville, Tennessee.
2007-2009
German record label AFM releases New Universal Order by X-World/5, a Heavy metal supergroup made up of guitarists Gabrels and Andy LaRocque, vocalist Nils K. Rue, bass player Magnus Rosén, and Los Angeles-based drummer Big Swede. Since 2006, Reeves has been based in Nashville, Tennessee where he often performs in a trio with drummer Jeff Brown and bass player Kevin Hornback (”Reeves Gabrels and His Imaginary Friends”). Performances at Nashville’s The Family Wash (which is owned by Jamie Rubin, formerly of Modern Farmer). Regular Tuesday night shows (also at The Wash) with The Magnificent Others (Jamie Rubin, Marco Giovino, Reeves on guitar and Bones Hillman (Midnight Oil) on upright bass). They apparently has an album out on Victory/Polygram, but I can’t find it online at all. Anyone? Worked with Reverend Guitar on a signature model guitar which was announced at the Summer NAMM Show.
The Future
(from recent interview on Reevz.net)
Another run of dates in the fall with The Imaginary Friends. Live shows in August and September with CLUB d’ELF, with the Brooklyn based band JEEBUS and with Jed Davis.
On Saturday’s “Expanding Awareness” program, Victor and his guest Portia Brockaway will be discussing the art of Divination, Taoism, and the I Ching. If you’re not in the Boston area, you can listen online. His shows are also archived for two weeks.
Victor Robert Venckus presents his Lucid Sounds/Expanding Awareness program on WZBC 90.3 FM (Boston College Radio) every Saturday from 7am – 11am. He begins with New Age, ambient, Native American and world music, with a weekly astrology report from Dietrich Pessin at 9:30 am. Expanding Awareness is at 10am, featuring interviews on paranormal, holistic health, environmental, animal rights and occasionally human rights topics, with listener call-in participation. Victor has been on the air, in some guise or another, since 1975.
Frat party meets Flaming Lips. Dive bars with sticky floors and inebriated overweight jocks with bad pick-up lines. Eagles, Charlie Daniels, and Lynard Skynard on the jukebox (or maybe I’m just having a bad flashback to when I lived in Florida in the late ’70s). Songs about drinking, overweight strippers, burritos, beer, chicks, more drinking, and yes – bad pick-up lines. Do I see a theme emerging? Naked Alien are just four guys having a good time, finding a suitable outlet for the frustrations of day jobs, and inviting people along for the ride.
“My Burrito” and “Cheesy Line Guy” are especially inspired, strongly reminiscent of The Flaming Lips’ “She Don’t Use Jelly”:
“It all started out, just another lonely night
she went down to the SuperAmerica in her volkswagen jetta
nothing to eat, no Ju Ju Fruits
nothing to eat, gotta get a burrito, my burrito
so she got that burrito.
My burrito, my burrito, my burrito, my burrito.” - My Burrito
“Do you have a map, ‘cuz i’m getting lost in your eyes
if this bar was a meat market, then you’d be prime rib
I must be in heaven, ’cause you’re an angel
and if i said you had a beautiful body
would you hold it against me?
because I’m cheesy line guy, cheesy line guy
I’m cheesy line, cheesy line guy.” - Cheesy Line Guy
There’s nothing too deep here, nothing that will engage the brain in any painful way, or cause undue stress in deciphering some hidden meaning. Don’t look for spiritual depth – there isn’t any. Just good, stupid fun, your quintessential bar band, keg party pals, backyard BBQ in the ‘burbs. And maybe that isn’t such a bad thing sometimes. Give the existential soul-searching a rest for a while.
Randy, Greg, Mark, and Shaun, in their own words: “Four Minnesota band type guys that are having some fun writing songs that we don’t ever expect to hear on the radio. We are not looking to be famous, prove that we are sexier that we really are, proclaim any musical genius, or seek our fortunes. We write songs about beer, personal experiences, perceptions on life, and barstool philosophies.”
They’re currently in the studio, and they have a few shows scheduled for July and August – if you happen to live in the Minneapolis area:
Big V’s: Tuesday July 21st 9:30pm
1567 University Avenue W (University & Snelling) Midway, St. Paul, MN
Turf Club: Tuesday Aug 25th 9:30pm
1601 University Avenue W (University & Snelling), St. Paul, MN
“Well he doesn’t look as good in spandex as he used to
and he doesn’t rock the house quite like he used to
and the songs he plays are about as fresh as a day old donut
and as I sit here the same thought goes through my mind.
Heavy Metal Guy is getting older
I guess that means i’m getting older too
heavy metal guy doesn’t look or act like he used to.” - Heavy Metal Guy Is Getting Older
P.S. I’d also like to wish The Airborne Toxic Event safe journeys on their (continuing) world tour, lots of enthusiastic new fans, plenty of rabid old ones, and a day off here and there so they can recharge, regroup, and do laundry…
On this morning’s “Expanding Awareness” program, Victor and his guest Bonnie Faith will be discussing enlightened ways to nurture yourself. If you’re not in the Boston area, you can listen online. His shows are also archived for two weeks.
Victor Robert Venckus presents his Lucid Sounds/Expanding Awareness program on WZBC 90.3 FM (Boston College Radio) every Saturday from 7am – 11am. He begins with New Age, ambient, Native American and world music, with a weekly astrology report from Dietrich Pessin at 9:30 am. Expanding Awareness is at 10am, featuring interviews on paranormal, holistic health, environmental, animal rights and occasionally human rights topics, with listener call-in participation. The broadcast is now archived for two weeks. Victor has been on the air, in some guise or another, since 1975.
Man, I love these guys. I first discovered them via The Airborne Toxic Event, when I went absolutely batshit nuts over the first three Silverlake bands I heard – TATE, Castledoor, and The Deadly Syndrome (that now legendary final Spaceland residency show in January 2008). From there I started researching all the bands that played around Silverlake and Echo Park, and it was a revelation. Not unlike the one I had in the early 00’s when I discovered – 10 years after everyone else in America – the whole New Zealand Flying Nun thing. And not unlike the NZ stuff, there’s this lyrical sophistication and slightly off-kilter quality running through many of these bands that greatly appeals to me. The Henry Clay People has this intelligence and quirkiness in vast overflowing abundance. Mix that with classic and punk rock sounds, a bit of country-flavoring and indie rock sensibility, and you’ve got something pretty damned irresistible.
The Henry Clay People formed in 2006, though they had an earlier incarnation as the more punkish Vallejo By Knife. They released “Discover The Mystery and Eat It” (2003) and “Birdman and (the) Squid” (2005, on Double Helix Records), though Wikipedia has “Birdman” being a HCP release, so the jury is still out on that one. “Birdman and (the) Squid” was recorded by Dave Newton of The Mighty Lemon Drops, and included, in addition to Andy and Joey Siara, Eric Scott on drums and Noah Green on bass, who would become The Henry Clay People. From 2006-2008, they played what Web In Front called “a two-year, 140-show residency of L.A.”, building a large following of fans and something of a notoriety for completely unhinged, communal performances.
A month-long residency in February 2008 at The Echo coincided with their “Working Part Time” EP. A full-length album had been in the works, but when the residency came along, it was decided there wasn’t enough time to finish it, so as fortune would have it, they teamed up with JAXart Records to put out a vinyl single and digital 5-track EP. [JAXart specializes in really nice, limited edition, wicked collectible vinyl singles that include a digital download; a sweet deal, and I strongly suspect the HCP one won't last for much longer as they pick up more and more fans outside of L.A. - so yes, grab yours now.]
The Henry Clay People’s New Year’s Eve Spaceland show proved to be a pivotal moment for the band. They gave a special nod to their friends The Airborne Toxic Event by covering “Sometime Around Midnight” just before… yup, you guessed it. After which Noah Green proposed to his girlfriend, on stage. As it happened, they had just been asked to join TATE for their first headlining tour in the U.S. Noah and Eric, not able to commit to so much time away from home, had to drop out, but were replaced by Mike Hopkins and Jonathan Price, who are also in the band i make this sound. I marvel now at how quickly they pulled together this new lineup, because they sounded just fantastic in Boston and NYC.
Things are really taking off for The Henry Clay People, and deservedly so. Back in May, they joined Ben Harper & Relentless7 for an 11-date cross-country tour, and appeared at the Sasquatch Music Festival. They will be performing at Lollapalooza on August 7, the Austin City Limits Festival on October 2, and are on tour with The Airborne Toxic Event and Red Cortez starting on September 17 in Pomona, CA, ending in San Francisco on November 2. The band is currently “reek ord ding”, which happily must mean a new CD to buy at the shows! Can’t wait to see them again… a joyous time indeed.
Bowery Ballroom, NYC
Blacklist The Kid With The Red Moustache
Wonderfully quirky, uplifting, bouncy and joyous, with some crazy guitar moments like at the end of “Social Sc*entology”, and lyrics that are sweet, silly, and sophisticated and make me laugh out loud. In terms of sensibility and their play on words, they bring to mind Eno’s early solo work. High praise indeed. Their stuff has a way of seeming tight and musically complex, yet loose, sloppy, playful, rambunctious and fun at the same time. Especially evident on a song like “The Gentle Charm of the Soviette”. Delightful guitar interplay on “Children of the Chin” and absolutely great lyrics:
“The party host a proper parasite, we’ll move out to the cheaper city lights tonight. To the center of an industry, where those in-dus-tri-ous people are all smiling at me. Or we can melt into the summer sun, and we can kill or love or whatever, whatever comes….”
Their music just makes me smile with some sense of nostalgia for if not simpler, than at least more straightforward times.
“I bought a dog in Minnesota, I bought a dog, because the price was right…” – “Fiche Bag”
Live [Mondays (at the Echo) Vol. 7 - February 4th 2008]
You just know that any live recording that begins with the lead singer announcing “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, my little brother just went to go pee, so soon as he gets back from urinating, we’ll start this… we’ll kick this jam off” is clearly not going to be a pretentious affair. A brilliant chronicle of a great live band absolutely in their element, this was recorded at their first residency show at The Echo, and includes three tracks from their just released EP as well as the b-side of the 7″ vinyl single, “Echolocation”. Also, “Fine Print” and “Bulls Through” (also from For Cheap Or For Free), “Children of Chin” from Blacklist, “There Were Trees”, and two Operation Ivy covers, “The Crowd” and “Knowledge”. Amazing energy, terrific sound, a rollicking good time and friendly atmosphere, playing for their hometown fans.
For Cheap Or For Free
Just as crazy and brilliant as their earlier work, and bursting with energy. This album has perhaps more of a straightforward classic rock and punk sound, albeit still with the HCP’s trademark off-kilter personality. Closes with a few quieter, more introspective songs. I like the way the album flows. Really nice.
We had dreams, they were better off dreams, so you kept them away from me. But the time will come, yes the time will come, and we’ll need them. This ain’t a scene, it’s just a generation caught in between… This ain’t a scene, it’s just a place to be. We won’t settle down until we’ve seen everything that we’ve paid to see.” – “This Ain’t A Scene”
“We were doing nothing but paying our rent, taking all the holes in our lives and filling them with cement…” – “Bulls Through”
“I Was Half Asleep”, one of my favorites, is an introspective sad and sweet reflection on relationship issues, that midway slips into some lovely pedal steel and soft honky-tonk piano. “Two by Two” is wistful hometown nostalgia with harmonica.
[Apologies if I got any of the words wrong. Please guys, with the new album... lyrics! Even if it's just online, or scribbed on a piece of tissue, photocopied, and stuffed into the CD case. Thanks!]
End of an Empire (Fuel TV)
Discography
Discover The Mystery and Eat It (2003) as ‘Vallejo By Knife’
