Three to See

Backstage Pass

that I have anything against Generations; they seem to be great people and were genuinely enthused to be hosting Larkin’s show. But the place has a dance floor in front of the stage, for cryin’ out loud, and beyond that, railings in front of the seating. With Larkin’s songs and musical style, it’s like trying to have an intimate conversation while standing on opposite sides of a river.) And yeah, I know, the choice of venue is not St. Louis’s fault, either. But the fact that less than 30 people turned out for this show is our fault and worthy of an apology.

Patty Larkin is one of the most gifted

Here are just three of the great original St. Louis bands that play around town on a regular basis. Check them out as soon as you get a chance.

Magnolia Summer —Summer is certainly on the way, and it’s nice to know that there are cool groups like Magnolia Summer to go and see. This band offers a unique blend of country and rock, often with three guitars going at once and a violin, playing melodies that easily draw the audience in. The group is not afraid to break a sweat as they burn through their set, and Chris Grabau’s voice fits perfectly over the haunting melodies and overall solid sound. Magnolia Summer is certainly one of the hot new bands in the local music scene.

Earl —When one thinks of the name “Earl,” they probably think of a person down the street they can go and see anytime. This is true of the band Earl as well, but it isn’t hard to see why they play so many gigs. It’s hard not to have a great time at one of their shows. They offer a great mix of southern rock and punk with a country feel. The band can be seen wearing cowboy hats, and the singer is a high- energy vocalist who also tears it up on harmonica. This, along with their electric guitar sound, tends to send audience members to their feet. If you want to be entertained, this is a good band to see.

Monica Casey —It’s hard to forget Monica Casey’s songs once you hear them. This singer/songwriter/acoustic guitar player plays a mix of country and folk which is sure to satisfy anyone who enjoys the genre. There’s no shortage of great hooks and strong guitar work, and her voice is perfectly suited for her sound. Along with advice in her songs suggesting that people go and “buy a new pair of shoes” if they are feeling down, she offers a variety of cover tunes to her set and is very personable with the audience. So put on a new pair of shoes and go hear her play. —John Kujawski

singer/songwriters out there today, not to mention an incredible guitar player. And she is great live, even when having to overcome far-from-perfect conditions, as she did on this seemingly cursed evening. Larkin and her backing band are out on tour in support of her latest release, Red = Luck (Vanguard), an album that was written half before and half after September 11, 2001, and is, as she describes it, about “a loss of innocence.” Although my favorite song on the new album, “Italian Shoes,” didn’t make the set list, a number of the other songs did, and all sounded great. Larkin also threw in a few fan favorites from previous releases, such as “Angels Running” from the 1993 album of the same name (Highstreet) and “Book I’m Not Reading” and the beautiful “Coming Up for Air” off 1997’s Perishable Fruit(Highstreet).

Last time Larkin was in town, she played the Sheldon, so fortunately for us, this was not her only St. Louis experience. Still, if we are so lucky as to have her grace us with her presence again, I hope more of St. Louis comes out to show her our support. Unless, of course, we all want to start driving to Chicago to see great live music. —Wade Paschall

Ween The Pageant, May 7

New Hope, Pennsylvania’s finest oddballs returned to the Pageant on May 7 for one of their predictably unpredictable performances. Dean and Gene Ween are musicians who are difficult to pigeonhole because they are extremely talented, but they choose to write songs about things like spinal meningitis, a pony with a bad leg, and crustaceans. It’s wonderfully amusing to listen to Ween; they don’t really sound like anyone else, and they can rock your ass off, but their approach to songwriting causes some to dismiss them as stoner-rock goof-offs. Not this listener, though. I love these crazy kids.

The show at the Pageant had no opening act; it was just Deaner and Gener (as the two sometimes refer to each other) for two and a half hours. They opened with “Exactly Where I’m At,” from their most “conventional” album, White Pepper. Right off the bat, Dean delivered a fiery guitar solo, the first of many which showed that this guy can channel Jimi Hendrix when he wants to. He may be one of the most underrated guitarists around, actually, and he plays with genuine passion and ferocity. Several songs from The Mollusk, arguably the most balanced of Ween’s works (between the weird and the accessible), were performed, including “She Wanted to Leave” a rockin’ “Ocean Man,” and “Buckingham Green,” on which Dean played one of his most fluid, tasteful guitar solos.

The dance contingent up by the stage went nuts on rhythmic numbers like “Voodoo Lady” (extended into a lengthy jam that showcased not

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only Dean’s fuzzed-up guitar but the fine drumming of Claude Coleman, back with the band after recovering from a serious car accident), the stoner glory of “Piss Up a Rope,” and the truly incendiary “Dr. Rock,” which struck me, in this performance, as one of the most deliriously, darkly ecstatic songs about rock ever written. The distorted vocals and repeated chant of “Dr. Rock!” were thrilling. The Prince tribute “Roses Are Free” (from Chocolate and Cheese) found the two Weeners standing at the edge of the stage together, getting as intimate with the audience as they were going to all evening; the vocals and playing were terrific. So was the hilarious “HIV” song, a carnival-like sonic joke whose sole lyrics are “AIDS! HIV!” In Ween’s world, it’s perfectly acceptable—and damn funny.

Other personal favorites included “The Stallion Pt. 3”; the tongue-twisting lyrical hypnotics of “The Going Gets Tough From the GetGo”; the category-defying “Frank,” on which Gene Ween showed what a daring vocalist he is, doing the strangest things to his pipes to alter or modulate the sound; the primal rejectedboyfriend raunch of “You Fucked Up” (which had the crowd in an adrenaline-charged frenzy); and a similarly themed “Nan,” from their first album. “Bananas and Blow,” a Caribbean-themed goof from White Pepper, was played with great relish, and it sounded better here than on record.

The band has just finished their new album, Quebec, which is to be released on Sanctuary Records July 22. Presumably, new songs like “Zoloft” (a wonderfully vibe-heavy, psychedelic piece) and an unnamed number where the boys sings about “happy colored marbles,” with Gene and Dean blending high and low vocals the way 10cc used to do, will end up on the record. Throughout the concert, the band seemed to be having a great time; nothing seemed to be performed merely by rote. “We’re ready to fuckin’ party!” Dean said at one point—and they did. Encores included the overlong “Buenos Tardos Amigos” (Ween seem to have an obsession with Mex-American culture), “Poppa Zit,” and “The Homo Rainbow,” a song written for the TV show South Park. The audience loved it.

The sound at the Pageant was pretty good this night; I was immensely grateful that some of the group’s more raucous numbers did not reach ear-splitting proportions. If there was anything to be said on the downside, it was perhaps that the show seemed a little inconsistent and didn’t reach the giddy, balls-out heights of their previous St. Louis appearance at Mississippi Nights. The audience, too, seemed a little restrained (except the fanatics up front). But overall it was a fine evening of Ween-tertainment, a nice appetizer for what will hopefully be a stellar new album this summer. —Kevin Renick

Concrete Blonde The Pageant, May 8

When I saw Concrete Blonde perform ten years ago, they were amazing. Johnette Napolitano performed like a true rock star, tearing through songs on her bass guitar, distancing herself from the audience, and interacting with guitarist Jim Mankey to create a solid, three-piece rock performance that easily carried through the venue. This show at the Pageant was not quite as good, but it was still enjoyable and made for some good early ’90s nostalgia (which made up most of the set).

The band kicked their set off with a cover of “Take Me to the River” and then tore into “God Is a Bullet,” which was just as strong and hardhitting as ever. Napolitano’s vocals sounded perfect over Mankey’s guitar, which is more aggressive in concert than on any of their recordings. The two performers kept their distance, with Napolitano on one side of the stage and Mankey on the other.

The audience seemed to enjoy the show, and certain glaze-eyed audience members sang along to the oldies between sips of beer and various other alcoholic beverages. Songs like “Days and Days” and “Caroline” were well-played and inspired people to bob their heads to the songs.

Along with the highlights and great flash

backs, there were a couple downsides to the concert. The band played far too many covers and wasted time playing songs by the Kinks and the Rolling Stones when they could have been playing numbers like “Still in Hollywood” and “Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man,” which never even made it into the set. Plus, Napolitano’s chatter between songs was pretty hard to take. I can’t imagine anyone in St. Louis wanting to hear about how Hollywood is “one of the most important places in the country.”

Still, when the band finally performed songs like “Everybody Knows” and “Joey,” there was no denying that Concrete Blonde are a great band. I’m just not sure it was $25 worth of great. —John Kujawski

All-American Rejects Mississippi Nights, May 15

The crowd of nearly 500—consisting of mostly young teens—sang along with lead singer Tyson Ritter for most of the band’s 55- minute set. The young crowd was particularly noticeable when Ritter asked who had taped the season finale of Dawson’s Creek. He then proceeded to tell what had happened on the show.

Songs such as “My Paper Heart” and “Too Far Gone” used the perfect mix of harmony and gritty lyrics. Coming from an era of bubble gum pop, it could be expected that a band like the Rejects would be a bunch of wannabes and sound like ’NSync with a guitar. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Rejects used heavy, sometimes hokey pop beats with boisterous guitar riffs, and that appealed to the youth at the show. Proving that the Rejects’ music isn’t just for teens, many of the concertgoers’ parents were on hand and seemed to enjoy the band as well, as they clapped to the beat and sometimes sang along. These days, it is rare that a parent and child share the same musical interests.

The group’s hit single, “Swing, Swing, Swing,” which they performed as an encore, is reminiscent of old-school Beach Boys rock. It is destined to be found on a “NOW, That’s What I Call Music” compilation album. To close out the evening, the group performed their new single, “Last Song,” proving that although they might be rockers, they can still write a good ballad.

Despite the fact that the band members are not old enough to buy alcohol, the Rejects showed that, when it comes to making good rock music, age is not important. —Taylor Upchurch

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