Bandlands
June 1, 2006
|
as I was saying Yesterday.. well a couple of days ago... there was
this little party this past weekend in San Rafael somewhere in the
suburbs, in Lucy's backyard. Great sound system... 9 Bands wow!
I caught some of it.
As usual my camera batteries were malfunctioning, for the
Nikon, the video camera stayed home so I don't have a lot of proof
except well there were some moments.
You heard about John Kegwin and La Muneca y Los Muertos last
time.
Jerry Hannan, Scrunt, and the Cons well
let's start with Jerry Hannan since he came next. Jerry
formerly of the Mad Hannans
he and his brother have split from performing together. Jerry sings
weird folk-songs kind of Pub Rock stuff, back in the Mad Hannans day
they had a huge following that many bands were envious of. There is definitely
a touch of genius to his songs and the truth is I have heard some
songs from Jerry at open Mics that made me go whoa this dude can
actually write a powerful tune straight up. Mostly its humor kind of
wicked and sometimes just pure tasteless but hey people love it,
some of it I like a lot. My DAT was screwing up maybe its another
battery issue.
Scrunt I was afraid of this band, Danny Uzilevsky's
resurrection of a band that debuted back in his High School Days. I
wanted it to be great. It's hard to talk about because I could write
a book about this band and what the experience of listening to them
truly meant at least to me and I haven't fully digested it. Actually
maybe I have. I am glad I bumped into Danny Monday night after
writing part 1 of the Rock and Rose show on Broadway. I wanted to
talk to him personally before I wrote that I couldn't stand the
music.
It's late and I am tired and tomorrow I cannot forget my
dentist appointment like I did Tuesday. Thanks be to the dentist for
giving me another chance/ Root Canal two weeks ago Crown tomorrow/
no wonder he gives me another chance fool, you will be paying him
$2000 @$200 a month. Help!! that's life baby take care of your teeth
no one is going to give you a benefit.
As I was saying. It's all about Censorship it's all about
Freedom. Primitive Rock and Roll what is it about? Is it nothing
more than a drunken bacchanalia? Am I an idiot for wanting or
believing that somehow it has a higher mission? mAYBE i AM. I walked
out after 2 1/2 songs it became apparent that no.. this band is not
about to let up, the first two songs were not an aberration, the
band's intention is to mess with my mind on a level I simply cannot
accept I am out. Just crude, vile lyrics.. as Danny says it was
written by teenage nitwits who were out to purposefully disgust as
many people as possible and see what there reaction might be. Why
resurrect the band? I guess without Chrome Johnson any band must
feel great. In respect for Danny and his talent It is my fondest
hope that Danny never choose to play in this band again. Great
guys.. sadly to say it was very good Rock. But good Rock ain't
nothing. is nothing it's meaningless. The reality is to even
you air guitarists who worship at the altar of your God's of
guitar... BS. It ain't rocket science and it's not worthy of blind
adoration just because it stays on the beat or has interesting beats
or is even marvelously inventive... Crap is Crap you don't have to
accept it.
An experiment in
Freedom? They are just words, talking about the lyrics, they were
touched with humor what's so horrible about all the body functions
nothing really just words. Life is pretty resilient and pretty
messy. I should have had the tape recorder on when I talked with
Danny because I don't want to mis portray his words.
First.. He says the purpose of this band was to provoke. He
congratulated me on walking out and didn't seem in the least
offended that I did. He says he was amazed at all the people who
just stayed which my guess was everyone else. He says he was amazed
singing his lyrics watching women who were dancing oblivious to some
very, to him, ugly nastiness (an approximation of his description)
known as just words. He also said it was a liberating experience for
him.
Sigh. You know there is something about people who get
offended to easily and maybe I fit in that category. I can't say
that I was offended really it's not like I don't like Danny or any
member of his band. I simply could not stand to be there it was
physical I had to leave. I looked for the at least two girl
'friends' who I had been talking to during the afternoon but at that
moment it was time to go, I didn't see them. It was pretty crowded.
I suppose I fled. I was supposed to drive cab that later that night
and had been purposefully staying sober as I drove down to the cab
company I pondered why I didn't feel very sober and recalled the
brownies someone passed around and how I had greedily dug in for
more not understanding why I had been given such a small piece. Doh!
I gave up on the idea of driving that night. I returned to
the scene thinking of those women who I had abandoned. They were
there 'Scrunt ' had finished. So I say well how did you like the
band? 'They were great' 'D' tells me. I told her I had to flee
I couldn't handle the lyrics. She says she doesn't pay attention to
lyrics. For me, my brain hears words and tries to synthesize and
compute and understand and it wasn't working for me.
So do I share a tidbit of sound? No. The DAT wasn't working
even if it was. No. Do I want someone's homemade video to put online
so people can judge for themselves? No.
Is Bandlands a website that practices censorship?
I practice Freedom and the other side of the coin with Freedom
is Responsibility. Right now this website is my responsibility
I choose to exercise my Responsibility that is part of my Freedom. I
am really sensitive to people who are into de-sensitizing,
de-personalizing sex. Scary subject and not an easy one for me. If
your mission is to push people's buttons it will get done somewhere
else. I am no saint, not at all. Probably just a way too repressed a
son of a gun... Mr. Horny Devil to you. Man. Oh Man! What does it
mean to be a Man?
Danny said 'sometimes Freedom needs a Poke' and he pointed
his finger like he was poking some mystery object. Maybe a button.
He may well be right but I think of Freedom as not an absolute but a
relative experience that is maintained and given room to breathe and
fulfill itself by people and what they choose to do with their
Freedom. If you poke hard enough you will provoke. If you poke hard
enough you will find someone who says No. That's Life we are all
part of this deal.
Good Rockin.. all over the Planet its a great thing Its a
healing thing.
Thanks Danny for making me think, you provoked me...
and Lucy and all the Rockers of the world. Peace, Love and Rock' n
Roll. PS
all comments purported to be said by Danny were approximations from
memory that may not be exactly what he wanted to convey but I
tried.
|
say hey guy@bandlands.com
|