Tue, May 12, 2015 | 8:30 pm (7:30 Door)
$5 ADV / $7 DOS | Tavern | All ages
Event and Artist Info: http://gos.ee/4yZ
When The Rolling Stones wrote their classic track "Brown Sugar" it was originally titled "Black Pussy," but record-label politics got in the way: It was deemed too offensive and the powers at work refused to put it out. So the band had to change the name to something that was easier for the general public to swallow.
At least that's how the legend goes.
For Dustin Hill, the creative mastermind and songwriter behind Black Pussy, it sounded like a fantastic band name. It encapsulates exactly what the band is: a sex-charged, '70s-influenced, hide-your-daughters-because-they're-coming-to-town rock 'n' roll band that sounds like Tarantino directing a Thin Lizzy video in the low desert. Considering the name comes from a song that directly speaks out against racism, Hill isn't willing to entertain the notion that the band intends to offend anyone.
Black Pussy's heavy, bluesy sound and clear influences of Kyuss, Hendrix and The Who have found a niche in the ever-growing, global stoner-rock movement. The band exclusively uses vintage Sunn gear, pushing a massive 44 speakers when playing live and tends to land shows with the heaviest, sludgiest bands in the Portland, Oregon scene. However, their classic, upbeat, relentlessly hooky tracks
have led to Hill coining the phrase "stoner pop," like The Cars meets Black Sabbath. The band's catchy music tends to seduce anyone, even those who walk in off the street after seeing the intriguing band name on the marquis of the venue.
Black Pussy's 2012 debut album On Blonde is Hill's baby: It was written and mostly recorded by him alone, though guitarist Ryan McIntire, drummer Dean Carroll, bassist Aaron Poplin and keyboardist Keith O'Dell were later added to the band. The record, which kicks off with the rip of a bong and sounds like a drug-riddled midnight misadventure in a '70s muscle car, has carried them through successful
and nearly endless touring of the U.S for the past year and a half, and even found its way across the ocean as well: The track "Blow Some Steam Off" ended up on the February 2013 Metal Hammer compilation.
More
Less
