Bamboo Club
Long Beach, CA
Material: Happy Sundays is a wonderful free festival that sees a bunch of Long Beach bars and venues joining forces. One wristband (only ID required) gets you into everywhere, and a bus service takes you around the participating buildings. It’s like a mini SXSW and under these Delta pandemic conditions, it’s particularly welcome that the Bamboo Club’s stage is outdoors. The venue also offers the perfect surroundings for the music of Long Beach punks the Thingz. The Bamboo Club is a tiki-themed bar; tiki torches and Hawaiian decor adorn every wall and surface, and that’s utterly conducive to the Thingz’s surf-punk racket. The male-female dual vocals from Mike and Kim Morris decorate a sound that is harder than the B-52’s and slightly sillier than the Cramps, but sits very comfortably between those two classic bands. In fact, they cover the Cramps’ “Human Fly” here. There are a bunch of songs from their recent Just in Time album too, including the gloriously ludicrous “Animal Tavern,” “Be a Rat” and “Alligator Man.” Bring your sense of humor—these guys love their animal-themed punk ditties. Musicianship: One could easily be dismissive of the Thingz in this area, but that would be a mistake. Like the Ramones (to name one of many), the Thingz play at a frantic pace and
Canyon Club
THE THINGZ
you could be forgiven for thinking that there are only two or three chords buried under the fuzz and distortion. Dig through it a little, though, and you’ll find that there are plenty of flourishes in there. Plus, if the many recent tributes to the late Charlie Watts have taught us anything, it’s that the “less is more” approach is totally valid. Performance: The Thingz are a joy to witness when they’re in full flow. Mike Morris is all manic energy, leaning back on his heels before pummeling his instrument. Cordero keeps things (thingz?) ticking over nicely, and Morris offers changes of dimensions when she
BRETT CALLWOOD
Contact: info@thethingz.com Web: thethingz.bandcamp.com Players: Kim Morris, vocals, bass, theremin; Mike Morris, vocals, guitar; Jason Cordero, drums
switches from bass to theremin and back. A huge smile is never far away from any of their faces, and that joy is infectious. Summary: The Thingz opened the Happy Sundays festival at the Bamboo Club, and on a beautifully sunny Sunday afternoon they were just what the doctor ordered. Brilliant, bouncy punk tunes that your toes tap to before you know it’s happening. The band has been knocking around Long Beach dives for a while, and their shows are always worth dropping in on. Ditto, every new album, which will always be a pleasure. Get hip. – Brett Callwood
Santa Clarita, CA
Material: Performing live at the Canyon Club in Santa Clarita, Zack Kirkorian delivered an interesting combination of psychedelic rock with ’80s sound. From trance elements in show opener, “Love Me Now,” to the funky drum and synthesizer breakdown in “Cinch It Down Tight,” to background slides and vocal rumblings in “Be Myself” and a moving sound throughout the set, Kirkorian keeps the audience guessing with transitions between live and pre-recorded sounds, while alternating between mellow and heavier rock delivery. Musicianship: The sonic pulse of “Be Myself” added special effects to Kirkorian’s syncopated lyrics, with Donnie Klein added driving bass lines and Eddie Guzman’s drums providing a steady platform of sound all night. “Plenty of Reasons” presented a great opening guitar/ bass duet and showcased Kirkorian’s guitar skills, as well as highlighting solid harmonized vocals. Early INXS-meets-Robert-Palmer vibes in “Love Me Now” brought an interesting bridge transition, sturdy drumming and good backing vocal harmonies from Klein and Guzman, while call and response between Kirkorian and Klein added extra flavor to the synthesized effects 52 October 2021
musicconnection.com
ZACK KIRKORIAN
on closing number, “Like Yourself.” Outer space voicings and retro sounds appeared alongside vocal harmonies, guitar licks, and a great groove in “We Gonna Dance.” The band delivered an overall balanced rock sound. Performance: While there were some initial soundcheck issues, Kirkorian and the band remained calm and professional and were clearly happy to be performing. Appearing relaxed and confident on stage, Kirkorian had no trouble interacting with the crowd between songs, although most of the set was continuous. The three musicians worked well
TONY SHIBUMI
Contact: zackyboy@mindspring.com Web: artistdata.sonicbids.com/band/zackkirkorian Players: Zack Kirkorian, vocals, guitar; Donny Klein, bass, backing vocals; Eddie Guzman, drums, backing vocals
together, the flow of music was good, and transitions between songs were smooth. Summary: With moments of spoken word and plenty of synthesized sound effects and voicings, Kirkorian is far from conventional in his artistry and performance. Clearly passionate about sonic mastering and production, he combines elements from 80’s rock, free-form improvisation and psych pop, creating a unique sound all his own. With his blend of strong guitar stylings and capable backing musicians, Kirkorian delivers a unique show of original music with a bold musical spirit. – Andrea Beenham
