A great fall evening with some nip in the air, close to Halloween, perfect night to cozy up to a bar and watch some pretty kick ass bands. All at our favorite Globalpunkreview.com watering hole, the Longhorn Saloon in Toledo.
First up was Detroit's Satan's Toilet. Now a expanded even, from a trio to a four piece, with the addition of El De'Ablo on bass and Raven moving to vocals almost full time. Maggot on guitar and vocals and Even Rude pounding out the beats. This being thier second show together as a 4 banger they sounded great and fresh. The addition on the new bassist (who also plays in Halfmoon Highway with Maggot) really makes them sound better all around, and I'm not knocking on Raven's bass, I just mean there is more focus now on each individual's parts and it makes for an overall killer attack. Despite the band's name, which can give those not familiar with them a wrong impression, they are nothing short of fun rock 'n roll band, part Saturday night goofy ghouls with campy humor and the ability to not just laugh at us but chuckle about themselves too. Rock 'n Roll Frankenstein and Brain Dead Boyfriend continue to be my favorite live gems. Special props for hosting the Struttin' Cocks at Double OO on Friday night before hauling it out to Toledo for us on Saturday, and for stretching out the set a bit to make up for a cancellation by our openers.
Next up was Detroit's Empty Arms. These guys are steadily gaining a following among horror-punk enthusiasts, and after seeing the set live I can see why that is the case. Jenn from Glitter Trash filled in on drums for the now departed (not dead, just departed) drummer, and you could not tell she hasn't been playing with them for a while. Evil D played the Longhorn stage like he was working the Fillmore theater crowd, and that shows their professionalism and the stars they are shooting for. MR What? (Jeff) on bass held it all together, new drummer and all. I'm not big on the horror punk genre in general, because they tend to spawn Misfits wannabes, but while you can't deny an influence these guys take a lot of their cue from old goth/art-rock/industrial bands than they do Jerry Only. Early songs by The Damned maybe... defiantly rocked, and the Longhorn crowd dug what they were doing.
The Struttin' Cocks took the stage next, and I'm convinced they are Cleveland's best kept musical secret. If Rose Tattoo, New York Dolls, early Stones makes your booty grind then these guys are your band. They are just as comfortable with slow bluesy groove as they are with mad raving mash up. This band is another of those you see on rare occasions when you know, if they get the right breaks at the right time, they could really go somewhere. Me,and numerous others witnessing their performance all agree. I'm putting them in the "must see" category for you...so if you see them back this way, and you will see them back this way if I have anything to do with it, you need to see 'em live .
Now on with some news. In case you have not heard, Globalpunkreview.com, our zine based right here in Toledo, has a new partner Impulse Tattoo on Starr Ave. Not only have they committed to sponsoring the zine, but this includes shows too. How does this have anything to do with me, you may ask? Well Brian (Impulse owner) and GPR will be teaming up this spring to bring in not only a killer show but a tattoo and music fest together, so stay tuned for more details.
Now for the down side. This show this past weekend will be the last GPR show till spring .We will continue to publish CD reviews, interviews, and review live shows, but I can't take on the commitment it takes to do shows properly, in my view anyway, and do what I have to do at home right now. But this spring I promise we'll continue our dedication to bringing bands to Toledo that you'll see first because we at globalpunkreview.com brought them to Toledo. We will also continue to help facilitate the trading of shows between Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, Ann Arbor, and anywhere else within driving distance. There is so much talent out there, and folks that want to see it. Just remember... some leg work, and persistence, and you don't have to play the same places over and over again.... make that call, send that email, keep talking and keep rocking!
Thank you to everyone who's come out to our shows. We started doing it as a way to bring in readers, now we do it for fun too. Thank you to those who have supported what we are doing and seem to always be there for us...Jenna, Randy, Lynn, Anji, Heather, Stephanie, Matt, IC Graves, Flavor Dave, and most of all my wife Bridgett, who indulges me despite thinking "it's a midlife crisis he'll grow out it".
Bands we have worked with and did shows with or facilitated, you make it happen too with great attitudes, talent and lots of fun..Thanks to you.. Grommet, Black Knots, Choking Susan, Smoke Theory, Killer Tomatoes, Bathhousebetty, Confront The System, Treatment Bound, Satans Toilet,Halfmoon Highway, Full Scale Panic, Ugly Tribe Revival, Anti Social Degenerates, Into The Void, Empty Arms, and Homeward Bound.
The Longhorn saloon deserves mention too. Fred is easy to work with and tells you like it is, that's a rarity these days. The staff and the sound person work very hard, are good at what they do, and make us feel welcome every time. Looking forward to many more shows in the near future.
Till spring folks....
Team shot from 10/17/09 Struttin' Cocks, Empty Arms, Satan's Toilet
