Double Whammy
What do you do when there is a bunch of music in one night? If you’re me, you try to find the best way to hit as much as you love and enjoy it. For tonight, probably one of the best examples of how I earned my nickname, I hit up two separate shows almost simultaneously. In this case, it was an easier example with both 51 West and Yucca Tap Room being walking distance. It was catching a great combination of some awesome folk punk, punk, and rockabilly combined.
Where I started was by where the first music was, and that was with one of my favorite solo musicians in Phoenix, Diego Galvan. He has an excellent talent with his song writing and lyrics. He always engages this crowd, who love to sing along and move around to it. His set and the entire show at 51 West, again, reemphasizes how great our younger local scene is. If you haven’t found a way yet to catch Diego live or just listen to him on his Bandcamp, please be sure to. He is amazing.
Although close, there was no music at Yucca yet while a break between bands, so back at 51 West I was watching the Crown Victoria Vandalism Committee. These guys are fun to watch, although a duo tonight. Last time I caught them Andy Warpigs was a part of the set. It didn’t take anything away from it, with Dylan’s enthusiastic performance singing. Each time I see these guys, I can only further endorse people catch them play.
Then the music had started over at Yucca, so the Freak Billyz were the first I caught on the other end of the sidewalk. These guys play with a great energy and style. Reading these, you can probably tell I’m a sucker for great banter and personality in bands. Goner, on drums, and Ray Ray, on vocals, have some of the best on stage conversations. These guys are enjoyable to watch every time I’ve seen them.
Bouncing back to 51 West, it was Corky’s Leather Jacket. First time I caught them I was lukewarm, but by the second time they just brought the personality and great sound. Tonight was more of that second part. Their songs covering some of the social injustices that have happened in our culture blend in perfectly with the folk punks of the show. Though I swear it’s weird to say, but I think I’m learning more historic events from their shows while enjoying the old punk covers they include. Watching Corky’s Leather Jacket is great.
Instead of bouncing back, it ended up a little bit of social time for me until 51 West’s headliner, Escape from the Zoo. This band features Jesse Sendejas, who I met previously when he played with Days ‘n Daze on the Leftover Crack and PEARS show. While a clear folk punk band, there were times that I swear they were a ska band from what my ears were telling me. On top, they did two covers including the Aqua Teen Hunger Force theme. I enjoyed the crap out of watching their set.
Back over at Yucca, it was time to catch the awesome guys of Creepsville 666. Another band you have seen me catch quite a few times since the inception of this site. It is because they just are great guys, who play great sets of Rockabilly/Psychobilly. Tonight was no different, with another energizing set of music up there on the Yucca stage. They love to play and love the music, and I love it.
One more stop over at the 51 West for another one of our great younger punk bands, the Linecutters. I’ve been catching them play for nearly two years now. They play an energized set of songs, sometimes a little more ska punk determined by the lineup they play with. Now a band with a label, Slope, they sound like they are going harder on the punk. The Linecutters sounded great, and another set I’ve caught with no broken strings. That used to be a regular thing on past sets I saw them play. I can’t wait to hear the album they put out on Slope.
Last, I ended up over at the Yucca Tap Room for the Living Deads. This two piece, Symphony, on the upright bass, and Randee, on drums, played an awesome set. Randee plays with a great energy on those drums, that my body felt some of the hits on the drum kit. They played a couple covers including a Johnny Cash one. They had a third person, Mike Eldred of Rattlebag, come up to play some amazing guitar with them later in the set too. This was a band I went in blind, but given the lineup figured the whole bill solid. They certainly sold me on The Living Deads. The two show combo was a fun, and great night of music.
