Three to See

PLAYBACK

ST. LOUIS

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Three to See

Here are just three of the great original St. Louis bands that play around town on a

get a chance. own. I saw this band perform at Mississippi Nights last month, Threesixtysmile has a set of songs which go from one catchy tune to another, inspiring young audience members to sing along with the words and take part in a mosh pit which moves to the driving sounds of the group. Singer/guitarist Josh, who just goes by his first name, takes center stage with such ease, it’s as if he had just walked into his own house. While his stage presence is undeniable, the band’s energy and impressive guitar riffs make

it impossible not to enjoy the show. On a side

Killjoy4fun—Aside from a great band name and being fun to watch, this threepiece rock band easily serves as a sound of joy for anyone

who needs a larger-than-life ready to destroy anything in their path. The band members’ instruments are a bit like weapons as they blast through heavy rhythms and brutal guitar riffs. The only chance the audience has at taking a breather is when the group has to stop and tune their instruments, which apparently take a fair amount of physical abuse.

CITY MUSEUM 701 North 15th Street St. Louis, MO 63103 www.citymuseum.org

EVERY MONDAY: IRISH JAM w/KEVIN BLAKELY & FRIENDS EVERY TUESDAY: ACOUSTIC JAM EVERY WEDNESDAY: BLACK EYED SUSIES (10 - 1AM) EVERY THURSDAY: SAWMILL (9:30 - 1AM) WEEKENDS: BLUES & JAZZ

CITY MUSEUM OPEN TIL 1:00 AM EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT

Even when the band plays a power ballad, it’s as if the audience is on edge, waiting for the heavy sounds to kick back in. Killjoy4fun is a great band to have in our local music scene, and it shows that there certainly is great rock music in St. Louis.

Galaxy Rock Meets William—This unique, underground dance band is a highly underrated group that deserves to be heard by anyone who enjoys getting on his feet and dancing to innovative keyboard and bass sounds. This talented group features a man named Keith on vocals and a woman named Morgan on bass who put everything they have into their vocal performances. The highlights come when the two perform duets over the high-energy rhythms that are impossible to experience sitting down. There is no shortage of originality here, and while Keith is a bit better when he sings than when he raps, the melodies and lack of predictability in the songs make this band a must-see. —John Kujawski

In Theatres March 19

JOIN PLAYBACK ST. LOUIS

Come see a special sneak preview of the new Jim Carrey movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (with Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, and Kate Winslet) on us. We are giving away free tickets on our Events Page

(www.playbackstl.com/Events) and

at Borders outlets. Pick up or download your tickets starting March 1.

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 7:30 P.M.

March 2004

Backstage Pass

The high kicks accompanied the faster songs in Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s repertoire. These songs, most of them in Zulu, followed a consistent pattern: a slow call-and-response introduction leading into a quicker tempo where a phrase was repeated over and over. The chant formed the background for clever choreography—mimed actions (walking up mountains, perhaps, or scattering something on the ground), the aforementioned high kicks, the cross-cultural humor of slapstick. It was quickly apparent that the guys on the far right and the far left were the show-offs of the group, the ones most likely to, say, pull up a bandmate’s shirt and rub his belly or get “scolded” for mischief that happened too quick to catch.

Silliness played a key role in between-song banter, as well. Shabalala told the crowd that the group didn’t always remember what city they were in. So he quizzed one bandmate: “Where are we?” “Louis Township,” came the answer.

Toward the end of the evening, another of them (they never gave their names) asked us to visit them on the Internet. He gave the address as “W, W, W…W, W…” and kept going, putting ten W’s before mambazo.com, “one W for each Mambazo. You don’t want to visit just three Mambazos, right? You want to visit all ten Mambazos!”

The fun could be sweet: a song called “Hello My Baby” earned a chuckle when the band blew the audience kisses: “Come along, come along to kiss me [smack]…nice, nice.” And the sweetness could be poignant: “Because I love you,” ran a chant in the background as Shabalala responded, “I will feed you. I will wash you.” —Angela Pancella

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