much the way many of you plan to avoid downtown during the height of SXSW, Texas Relays or ROT Weekend, you might be thinking, "it's sheer fucking lunacy to brave Red River on Chris Engberg's birthday". And you might be right. However, there's a good chance a high percentage of you are sheer fucking lunatics, and besides, do you really want to tempt some harried UPS driver or Postal Service worker into tampering with the box of chinchillas you've purchased for Chris' birthday gift when instead you could deliver it by hand?*
BLAXXX (Cleveland/Austin/Houston) : the term "supergroup" is thrown around far too often, but this time around, the person doing the throwing couldn't be more correct. OBNOX's Lamont Thomas and the OBN III's Tom Triplett and Orville Neeley are BLAXXX, and their newly issued 12" EP on semi-competent lo-cal(orie) label 12XU has motherfuckers around the world wondering WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEIR STEREOS.
You probably thought you'd never see CRUDDY lay waste to the Beerland stage, heck, any stage ever again. Well, guess what, genius? Find some money, get a ride to Beerland and make sure Drew, Alison and Dustin are engulfed in the sort of love + respect that proved so elusive last time around. Failing that, they'll settle for fear.
I'm old enough to remember Dino Jr. getting the plug pulled on 'em at Irving Plaza. They weren't half as loud as SLOW. But there's no volume-size-queen squabble worth starting (not on the internet, anyway) - Slow have the songs, the chops, the tasteful-yet-blazing dual guitar interplay that would make them a standout in any era (especially one as lame as the one we're in).
It's a good thing for Beerland their liability insurance is all paid up because LOWER BERTH are liable to knock your lights out (thank you, I made that one up myself). Featuring individuals you might remember from such ensembles as Sick Van, Massagenist, Injuries, Dikes Of Holland, etc. You know, the term "supergroup" is thrown around far too often. Finally, for the first time in 3 paragraphs, it is JUSTLY applied.
* - chinchillas must pay full cover to be admitted to Beerland.
More
Less
