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Gig review: Plea for Peace Center (Stockton) w/ The Independents
- Oct 10 2011
- 2
Being in a band can be a crap shoot. Sometimes, you get to play a great show to a packed crowd of appreciative fans. Sometimes you make money and sell merch. Other times you drive two and a half hours and play to four people.
Here's the crazy thing: Both can be fun.
Take last night ...
Before 20: A three piece punk/ska band that would have fit perfectly in the third-wave ska boom of the late 1990s. Covered Skankin' Pickle's "I'm in Love with a Girl Named Spike."
Union Hearts: Straight-ahead power punk. They're a four piece, so there are two guitars and there was some cool interplay there. I think the drummer used to play with Sacramento's Final Summation, who I really liked. This was the band's third of fourth show. I'd see/play with them again for sure.
Our set: Felt good. The cover of Roky Erikson's "Two-Headed Dog" was well received.
The Independents: It's a shame these guys aren't more popular. They have so much going for them. They have a definable aesthetic and a distinct sound that is both edgy (while still accessible) and genre spanning (punk, rockabilly, ska, horror-pop). Seriously. They covered both The Coasters ("Posion Ivy") and Van Halen ("Dance the Night Away") and made it feel seamless.
And they've had some big fans, like Joey Ramone, who managed the band (and showed up at more than a few of their shows), until his death in 2001. That, along with having all of their equipment stolen while out on tour, halted what was a bright future. But the band never quit. And they still put on a great show. Seriously greatful to share the stage with these guys.
Even if it was to an audience of four.
2 Comment(s) for "Gig review: Plea for Peace Center (Stockton) w/ The Independents"
You're right. Technology is a two-edge sword. In one respect it has opened up possibilities for bands to reach audiences they wouldn't have before. I remember trying to book shows when you had to know someone and you had to call them. On a land-line. And hope they picked up or called back. Now there are a bazillion ways to connect with bands/venues/promoters/etc. That's not even mentioning digital music and the ability to have your songs available for easy upload just about anywhere.
On the flip side, I think it's made for complacent audiences. Used to be the show was the thing. That's how you experienced live music. If you wanted to hear the band/buy merch/connect with the scene, that's where it happened. Not so much anymore.
With scenes all disjointed and fragmented it's difficult to know what your getting into when you go play a gig. When there's clear leadership in the top bands, the promoters and the message there's usually a dependable audience. The internet is partly to blame. It's a two-edged sword. It both enables and destroys. Where is the unifying entity in this day and age? I see it in groups like the team that makes the Fusefest happen. A band with no draw and no hopes of building a following can, at least get a gig, play to a small audience and be treated fairly. That is dependability.