November 18, 2005 Yorba Show Review

Smells and Places- You guys had balls playing out and mostly winging it. The novelty factor of the sitar worked in your favor. But I think for next time, we'd expect something tighter. I was also disappointed that the djembe and digeridoo players never showed, because I would've loved to hear that fusion.

Army of Dead Prostitutes- are a bunch of sucky losers who didn't even bother to show up. Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pardon My French- all self-deprecating aside, you guys get tighter with each show. But Paul's vocals still keep getting drowned out.

Sparkle Motion- I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of hardcore music. I personally think it just sounds like incessant barking on top of white noise. Maybe I just don't get it. Whatever. However, I did like the band's energy and showmanship. Nice blokes, too. And I liked that they stayed for most of the other bands and were skanking and moshing enthusiastically. I always appreciate that. Sure beats playing with bands who just sit in the back lackadaisically sipping beers while you're up there on stage.

No Damn Problem- Nobody can work a crowd like Richard can. Even the people who aren't ska fans were skanking and having a great time. The toys were a nice touch. And though no one can match Richard's charisma, the rest of the band is pretty charismatic as well.

The Assistant Principals- I dug the sound. I liked the campy old-school feel and the whole zombie pit thing was creative. Still, I felt like the frontman possessed all the charisma and the rest of the band weren't charismatic at all. This seems like a band where everyone should be wearing a costume or a funny stage outfit and doing more than just standing in one place and playing.

Asylum- I've seen Asylum live more times than I've seen any other band live. I think the only band I've seen as often live were the John Pizzarelli Jazz trio before John got really big. Anyway, as divergent opposites as Asylum and the Pizzarelli's are in music and vibe, they do have one thing in common: consistency. If either of those bands are playing, there is never any doubt in my mind that they will be good.

Point Blank- definite improvement from the last show. The lyrics fit the music and Mark's voice is fitting the band better. Last time, I thought the vocal-instrumental was a bit of a mismatch, but stuff sounds much better now. I can definitely tell you've tightened things up since the last show.

All in all, a good time was had by all and these guild shows seem to be getting better and better. The staple acts are getting better and the non-guild acts bring in decent crowds. I hope this bodes well for the future. But dammit, where are all the funk/soul/R&B (i.e. Earth Wind & Fire) or trip-hop/dream pop (i.e. Massive Attack, Mazzy Star, that kind of thing) brethren so I can get a band going and play one of these shows? :P

See you all on the flipside.

Neal