Thomas Fekete
The Measure of A Man
When faced with the news that Thomas received back in December of 2014, most of us would curl up into a ball and retreat into a corner of self-pity and fear. Not Thomas. He was different. Thomas opened himself up completely after his diagnosis — more so than he had ever before. He wanted to share himself and his story with anyone who would listen, in the hopes that reading his raw and firsthand account would provide insight and strength to anyone dealing with a similar battle. I was surprised when I woke up late one night after a long chemo day and caught Thomas on his phone, typing away at an email. “Setting up a music equipment trade?” I asked. “No, I’ve made a new friend in Paris. He was diagnosed with sarcoma last month, I’m sending him my protocol, supplement list and contacts, and seeing if he can get his latest scans to me so that I can show them to doc.” If something made Thomas feel better, he wanted everyone to know about it. If something didn’t work quite so well, better to make it known and save someone else’s precious time. He requested that his team of doctors make him their guinea pig, with a smile, accepting that if something killed him, it was ok because it would end up invaluable knowledge to others who came after. Thomas’ body started giving up on him at the start of a trip to Mexico that was supposed to be the few months that turned everything around. We didn’t discuss it, but he knew as the ambulance rushed him to a private medic jet that it was not good news to be heading back home after only one week of treatment. But on that flight, you would never know you were in the presence of someone in such a desperate state. He engaged the paramedics and flight crew in stories of his past travels, and asked them about their lives and families, listening with sincere interest. He asked me to pull out a travel guitar he had purchased so excitedly the month before, so he could play for the crew. With no amplification to plug into, one paramedic placed the head of his stethoscope to the body of the guitar, and everyone took their turn listening to Thomas play Zappa through the earpieces. We landed and as I ran through US customs, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the paramedic, in tears. “A big rule of this job is that you don’t get emotionally involved with the patients. That rule goes out the window for Thomas. In four hours, that man has changed my life forever.” During his last hospital stay, after two weeks in ICU, it was decided that there was nothing more they could do and Thomas would be moved to palliative care. The nurses who got wind of this banded together and came in to lead a group prayer. Before they could begin, Thomas grabbed the closest hands at either side of the bed, closed his eyes and said, “Lord, in the Bible you said that by the stripes of Jesus, we are healed. I ask that you heal everyone in this room, and then heal me.” In twenty-seven years, Thomas did more than any of us could even hope to accomplish in our lifetimes. He was an absolute gift. Thomas’ life is proof that a man’s worth is not measured by the things he leaves behind, but in the impact he made on those around him. Thomas left pieces of himself with all of us who knew him, and in that way, his spirit is alive now more than ever. ~ Jessica Fekete Editors Note: Please donate to Thom’s GoFundMe page to help support his wife and family with outstanding medical and funeral expenses. Donate and download Burner from bandcamp. The translucent blue vinyl from Joyful Noise is currently sold out, but we’re personally hoping they decide to release a new version every year with fresh packaging and randomness from friends and family to keep the his music flowing to new ears and raise additional funds for others dealing with similar circumstances. https://www.gofundme.com/welovethomas Burner: https://thomfekete.bandcamp.com/album/burner
While forged in America (and arguably perfected in England), rock ‘n’ roll is international property -- now more than ever. With the assistance of the internet, artists from around the world are making a stateside splash in 2016 more and more often, and Las Robertas is the band carrying the flag for Costa Rica, and the South American purveyors of shoegaze-informed garage-rock appear to be truly hitting their stride this year. With the release of teaser single “The Feel” from the impending Waves of the New, Las Robertas has flexed a sound that is darker and more mature and expanded than past efforts, but retains the catchiness that earned the group its buzz. When asked about this sonic evolution, Las Robertas’ frontwoman Mercedes Oller told PureHoney “We’ve grown up a little and shed some of the influences that had been present in our sound before” elaborating that “like any band that’s been at it for awhile, we were kind of sick of writing and playing the same style of songs over and over again, too. The essence of what we are remains, but the changes on this record are big.” On being torchbearers for Costa Rica’s rock scene, Oller explained “In the past couple of years, Costa Rica has become a real hub for the alternative latin music scene, along with Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. However, when it comes to the LAS ROBERTAS specific type of rock music that we play, there aren’t many bands in our vein. There are a lot of bands that we like (Ave Negra, Colornoise, Monte, Los Waldners, Desorden Siniestro), but we never had that much support from our local scene. We always had to go to places like Mexico, which is like our second home. Also, there aren’t a lot of venues to play in Costa Rica, so you get a bit bored playing the same ones, but the younger kids and newcomers to the scene have been changing it a lot in a positive way lately, and we’re super happy about that.” Oller also told PureHoney the band is “very excited to play South Florida! We think that Florida is like going through a hype phase right now! Everyone likes to play there!” PureHoney presents Las Robertas July 17 at Propaganda in Lake Worth w. Chaucer, Peyote Coyote and Similar Prisoners. They make their South Florida debut on July 16 at Gramps for Cheap Miami’s 3rd Birthday (Patricks Birthday Too!) w, Fat Sun, Timothy Eerie and the Gun Hoes. 9pm. ~ Von Bader
Being a part of other bands has long been a career for singer-songwriter multiinstrumentalist Ken Stringfellow. He’s currently on a European tour as part of Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg tour, playing the Joey Ramone role in The Ramones. The Ramones are not the only legacy act Stringfellow has participated in. He also played bass in Big Star from 1993 – 2010 and spent nearly a decade working with REM as a supplemental musician on tours and recordings. But he’s probably best known as the co-founder of The Posies, college rock hit makers of “Dream All Day.” Most recently, the group released its eighth studio album, Solid States, and toured with a series of “pop shows” where the group played non-traditional venues, including people’s living rooms. Speaking via phone from a studio in Helsinki, Finland, Stringfellow says this tour allowed the band full control of ticket sales and never left them beholden to a schedule set by a traditional venue. “It was marvelous,” he says. Despite his involvement in so many projects, Stringfellow has also released five solo albums over the course of his career. He recently gave Helsinki an impromptu solo show after The Ramones couldn’t make their flight to the city on time due to an airline strike. It is that solo show that he will bring to Florida in July. He says for the show, attendees can expect him trading off between piano and guitar, and some duets with Tierney Tough, who is touring with him. But don’t expect to see a fixed set list of previous shows. “I never have a set list. I just start playing and whatever comes out, comes out … like, last night in Helsinki I played, maybe four Posies songs and probably 15 or more solo songs. I played a Graham Parsons song, a Beatles song, just whatever comes to mind, but kind KEN STRINGFELLOW by Claudia Rorarius of concentrated around my solo work because there’s no other place I get to play that music, and of course I love those records. I’m very proud of my work.” PureHoney and Fade It To The Front present Ken Stringfellow July 22 with Tierney Tough, John Ralston, Dan Bonebrake and Chris Horgan at Lion & Eagle PubLion & Eagle Pub. 2401 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, doors 7pm. ~ Hans Morgenstern | The Independent Ethos (indieethos.com)
Mr. Clit & the Pink Cigarettes are from Indiana. If that information was not readily available online one might be more inclined to believe that they hail from Mars or some other far flung planet in this or perhaps a neighboring universe. They describe their music as gross, circus or garage, but there’s also a healthy dose of punk in the best possible, devil may care/let’s do this, sense. Their look is somewhere between the Rezillos/Revillos and the B-52’s and quite so is there music. However, let’s not put too fine a point on things, because let’s be honest anything worth listening to paints with a wide brush. These secretly Martian miscreant’s (I’m not buying their Hoosier cover) music has blurred edges that bleed from one thing to the next; a pastiche of genres or bands that form like Voltron to become a new being, bigger than life. Mr. Clit & the Pink Cigarettes resemble that remark, switching between garage rock numbers to gleefully haphazard noise songs that make ears dance with memories of discovering Le Shok back in the early aughts. Basically, they’re really good and unpredictable.
“I don’t think we’re quite heavy enough to fit into the local punk scene, though, again, I’m not certain,” explains Rylan Talerico, singer/guitarist of Ft. Lauderdale’s Wallace. “We are on the heavier side of alternative rock, I believe. Beyond that, I think it’s up to the audience to decide. We make our music, and that is what it is.” If Talerico seems KIDS like he’s erring on the side of caution, it’s because of the presumptive ambitions of the young band – one that regardless of how it sees itself, has carved a comfortable and growing niche in the local music scene. The four-piece, rounded out by lead guitarist Matthew Schneider and the rhythm section of Max Landis (bass) and Gavin Sobel (drums) has been busy in the short seven months that they’ve been together but their sound bespeaks a maturity you’d associate with longer tenured outfits. Influenced by early blues and applying the “raw, untamed passion and truth” of those recordings into their rock amalgam is not a unique sound but in their young hands it’s an interpretive possibility that begs a close following of their progress. Their debut EP, The Hubbubery, is a succinct and clearly-defined effort.
MR CLIT & THE PINK CIGARETTES
The band has just returned from a tour of China, bringing Hoosier-space, circus, garage punk to those who need it most. They were joined on their journey through Shanghai and the surrounding provinces by Round Eye a band of American ex-pats, some of which are formerly members of Libyan Hit Squad, a band from our neck of the woods. But, this shouldn’t surprise anyone; Mr. Clit & the Pink Cigarettes aren’t strangers to South Florida. They have toured the state and have made numerous appearances in the tri-county area over the last few years. Perhaps it’s our penchant for transient weirdoes or maybe the scene’s lust for all things garage punk, or just our pseudo southern hospitality. Whatever the reason these kids have had no problem making themselves quite comfortable in our sweaty little part of the country. Let’s be clear here folks, if any artists is a little left (or, right, whatever) of the dial, they should feel right at home in Florida; this place is like a Tom Waits song gone horribly bad. Perhaps we should tell Mr. Clit & the Pink Cigarettes about Gibsonton; on second thought, don’t. They may never come back! PureHoney and Fuzzbaby present Mr. Clit & the Pink Cigarettes at Respectable Street, Saturday, July 30th with Killmama, Problem Child, Milk Spot, the Grumps and Fuzzadelic; doors 8pm. ~Tim Moffatt
“We pride ourselves on our attempts to find sounds and song structures that people have not heard before,” adds Talerico and in tandem with that, this is a young band that has an active interest in its community. After hosting a party in January that exceeded their turnout expectations, the band bunkered down and planned a bigger and better one, The Local Show, featuring stalwarts working the circuit today and curated for symbiotic enjoyment. “My vision for this show is a WALLACE bit grand, I suppose,” says Talerico. “My goal all along has been to bring as much art and care and design to the local show experience as possible, all aspects of it. I want us to have the best looking stage, merch tables, bars, the kindest security guards, the coolest visuals, the best bands.” Their moniker might inspire an odd sense of tranquility but it’s their drive that will bring them to the next level. They’ve accomplished much in a short time and are not afraid of a little work. “I know it is possible, I suppose that is why I desire it.”
PureHoney and Wallace present The Local Show ft. Kids, Raggy Monster, SunGhosts, Vincent Mango, and Wallace at 6pm on Saturday, August 6 at Jump the Shark, 810 NE 4 AVE, Ft. Lauderdale. $10. Wallaceisthemusic.com. ~ Abel Folgar
FRIDAY, JULY 1
CULTURE ROOM: FLAG, War On Women
PROPAGANDA: Suede Dudes, Fat Sun, Del Pelson, Citadel LONGBOARDS: Reggae Souljahs KYI: Keep It Deep FUNKY BISCUIT: Four80East HAROLDS COFFEE: Art X Art Northwood Art Gallery Tour HAROLDS COFFEE: The Collaboration: David Teal, Josiah Baxter, CHURCHILLS PUB: The Kitchen with DJ 16 BIT Dariel Donovan II, Melo, Jean Louis, Timi Ogun, Rosley Gaetan KREEPY TIKI: Dead Cinema, Rising Down, Bangarang & more! DADA: Big Chief
RESPECTABLE STREET: Hyde, Exzakt, DJ Storm, Val Verra,Johnny Dangerously, Andy Pate, An Vi, James Simmons, Inlighten, Denver B FILLMORE: Chino y Nacho & Guaco
PERFECT VODKA AMP: Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Of Mice and Men BAR 1306: Peyote Coyote, Mo’Booty, Heavy Drag CHURCHILLS PUB: Hiprock Fest
SATURDAY, JULY 2
SUNDAY, JULY 10
WYNWOOD YARD: Itawe (Locos Por Juana), Lance-O
CHURCHILLS PUB: MiamiComedy.com Free Comedy Show!
GUANABANAS: Surfer Blood in Celebration of Thomas Fekete! DADA: Killmama
BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Damien Louviere
LONGBOARDS: Jah Steve & The Counteract Crew SUBCULTURE COFFEE DELRAY: Baron Sisters CHURCHILLS PUB: Deaf Poets, Other Body, 198X, Peyote Coyote, Jet Black Alley Cat, The Filthy Casuals, The WildTones, Graet Outdoors, Suede Dudes, Viceroi KREEPY TIKI: Black Fridays w/ DJ Linder, SMASH
SUNDAY, JULY 3
HAROLDS COFFEE: Fourth Of July Fam Fun BBQ
BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Summer Gill
WYNWOOD YARD: Jahfe, Lance-O, Kulcha Shok CHURCHILLS PUB: Solstice, Hellwitch, Paralysis, Combat KREEPY TIKI: Punk BBQ & Flea- Party Flag & Friends
MONDAY, JULY 4
BRYANT PARK LAKE WORTH: Fireworks, Franscene, Raggy Monster, Mike Mineo, Odyssey Road
KYI: Drag Mondays DADA: Open Mic BOSTONS: Lance-O of Kulcha Shok & Brothers United
TUESDAY, JULY 5
DADA: Spoken Word Open Mic KYI: Open Mic
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6
DADA: Whiskey Wasps REVOLUTION LIVE: Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, DJ Zone KYI: Haochi
RESPECTABLE STREET: VIVA House
THURSDAY, JULY 7 DADA: Mo’Booty
RESPECTABLE STREET: Casey Hopkins Trio
KYI: Karaoke & Kraken KREEPY TIKI: Broward Noise Ordnance- Gavin Perry, Sharlyn Evertsz, Puppets of the Painted Wreckage, Mole Star, Dot Dot Dot Orchestra, Durastatic, Cuddler & more!
FRIDAY, JULY 8
DADA: Steve Pomeranz Band
RESPECTABLE STREET: Dyneside Escape, I Died A Hero,Revolution, Silenmara BAYFRONT PARK: Brand New, Modest Mouse
BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Twisted Tapestry
HAROLDS COFFEE: Livin The Rhythm Open Drum Circle PROPAGANDA: The Supervillains, Weird At First, Here to Nowhere, Fireside Prophets CHURCHILLS PUB: Jam Life Summer Music Festival KREEPY TIKI: Oryx, Shroud Eater, Gaul, Organic Machines, Kief Demon
MONDAY, JULY 11
HAROLDS COFFEE: Live Comedy DADA: Open Mic KYI: Drag Mondays BOSTONS: Lance-O of Kulcha Shok & Jahfe
TUESDAY, JULY 12
DADA: Comedy Open Mic KYI: Open Mic
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13
RESPECTABLE STREET: Seven Serpents, Moguera, Iron Buddha DADA: Jonathan Auerbach Trio KYI: Second Rewind CHURCHILLS PUB: Open Mic ft. The Fortune Tellers
THURSDAY, JULY 14 DADA: Craft Bazaar
RESPECTABLE STREET: Milk Spot RESPECTABLE STREET: The State Of, Chaucer, Killmama KYI: Karaoke & Kraken
SATURDAY, JULY 9
SUBCULTURE COFFEE DELRAY: Chilean Slang, Jeff Rose
BREWHOUSE GALLERY:Karlos Marz Acoustic DADA: Great Aunts
CHURCHILLS PUB: The Crumbs, The Gazms, Party Flag, Union, MC-1 HAROLDS COFFEE: Livin The Rhythm Open Drum Circle
FRIDAY, JULY 15
DADA: Ordinary Boys
BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Garrett Fogg
KYI: Bermuda Beach PROPAGANDA: MaxP, Pnvsty & Filthyrich, Stepdad, Thesadgen, Soms, Yung Kuya, Johny Caine CHURCHILLS PUB: Roosevelt Collier Plays The Grateful Dead HAROLDS COFFEE: Lyrical Ink Open Mic
KELSEY THEATER: Bar Church
SATURDAY, JULY 16
DADA: Remember the Ocean Reunion Show
LONGBOARDS: Jah Steve & The Counteract Crew
BREWHOUSE GALLERY: String Assassins, Sprockets & Spokes Custom Bicycle Show SUBCULTURE COFFEE DELRAY: Ella Herrera PROPAGANDA: Guavatron, Gator Wine, Psychic Ghosts KYI: Breaks Yo!
RESPECTABLE STREET: Everymen, Old Habits, Que Lastima, Gunfight, Sunnyvale, No Name Ska Band, Zoo Peculiar, Sweet Nothings, Cinderblock GRAMPS: Cheap Miami 3 Year Anniversary! Las Robertas, Fat Sun, The Gun Hoes, Timothy Eerie CCE: Master Cartoonist Jose Delbo Workshop CHURCHILLS PUB: The Colossal Summer Metal Festival
KELSEY THEATER: Rocky Horror Picture Show
SUNDAY, JULY 17
PROPAGANDA: Las Robertas, Chaucer, Coyote Peyote, Similar Prisoners
WYNWOOD YARD: Jah Steve & The Counteract Crew, Lance-O, CULTURE ROOM: Chris Robinson Brotherhood
MONDAY, JULY 18
DADA: Open Mic KYI: Drag Mondays BOSTONS: Lance-O of Kulcha Shok & Brothers United
TUESDAY, JULY 19
DADA: Comedy Open Mic KYI: Open Mic
WEDNESDAY, JULY 20
RESPECTABLE STREET: Space Coast Ghosts, Cheap Plastic Boy,Skoros, JBaby & the Jam Band Alliance DADA: Ella Herrera KYI: Techno Party w/ Rat Bastard CHURCHILLS PUB: Wren de Vous & The Breakfast Crew
THURSDAY, JULY 21
DADA: The Holidazed
RESPECTABLE STREET: Killmama
FUNKY BISCUIT: 5 Year ft Leon Russell KREEPY TIKI: Loaded Guns, Falsetto, Sevensins, The Bell Ringers, I Died A Hero, Mikey Cunningham & The Aftermath
KELSEY THEATER: View From a Blue Moon
SUNDAY, JULY 24
CHURCHILLS PUB: Cyborg Sundays
BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Nip & Tuck
WYNWOOD YARD: Dubkor, Lance-O, Kulcha Shok, Ricky D CULTURE ROOM: Alien Ant Farm KREEPY TIKI: Cloud Rat, Closet Burner, Gouge Away, Lockjaw
MONDAY, JULY 25
DADA: Open Mic KYI: Drag Mondays BOSTONS: Lance-O of Kulcha Shok & InnaSense
TUESDAY, JULY 26
DADA: Comedy Open Mic
FILLMORE: Illionaire Records NO RE$T 2016 US Tour KYI: Open Mic CHURCHILLS PUB: All Folk’d Up Acoustic KREEPY TIKI: Vinyl Solutions- Bring Your Own Vinyl Night
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27
RESPECTABLE STREET: Eric Andre DADA: Karina Skye KYI: Astro Maps CHURCHILLS PUB: Words & Wine Open Mic ft. Sofilla Fuentez
THURSDAY, JULY 28
DADA: Fireside Prophets
RESPECTABLE STREET: Ghost Cat
KYI: Karaoke & Kraken HAROLDS COFFEE: Livin The Rhythm Open Drum Circle
FRIDAY, JULY 29
GRAMPS: BBQ (Mark Sultan), Buffy, Sandratz HAROLDS COFFEE: Noise And Rock Live Music
KELSEY THEATER: Hunny & the Frights, Gymshorts DADA: Rocket to Anywhere KYI: Shameless Burlesque
SATURDAY, JULY 30
RESPECTABLE STREET: Mr. Clit & the Pink Cigarettes, Killmama, Problem Child, Milk Spot, The Grumps, Fuzzadelic DADA: Mainstream Dreamers LONGBOARDS: Jah Steve & The Counteract Crew SUBCULTURE COFFEE DELRAY: Hillside Spirit Revival KREEPY TIKI: Brandon Taylor, Lechonfoot, Bert Cornelius & Nicole Halliwell REVOLUTION LIVE: Mad Decent Block Party
KELSEY THEATER: Jaws Movie
KYI: Karaoke & Kraken FUNKY BISCUIT: 5 Year ft Butch Truck & The Freight Train Band KREEPY TIKI: Up The Folx Open Mic Night w/ Unity Rise
JULY 29/30
FRIDAY, JULY 22
WYNWOOD YARD: The Freecoasters, Lance-O, Kulcha Shok,
PERFECT VODKA AMP: Dave Matthews Band
SUNDAY, JULY 31
LION & EAGLE PUB: Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, REM, Ricky D, ODM, DJ Idrin, Mello D & Bin Bin Big Star) w. Tierney Tough, John Ralston, Dan Bonebrake, REVOLUTION LIVE: The Dolan Twins 4OU Tour CULTURE ROOM: Olivia Holt Chris Horgan KYI: Astari Nite PROPAGANDA: Peep Show: Ruby Tesla’s Burlesque Bday Bash DADA: Public Sounds HAROLDS COFFEE: Billy Gaffney FUNKY BISCUIT: 5 Year ft Leon Russell CHURCHILLS PUB: Heavy Drag, Peyote Coyote
KREEPY TIKI: Punk Rock Metal BBQ Matinee & Flea Market
MONDAY, AUGUST 1
BOSTONS: Lance-O of Kulcha Shok & Brothers United
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
SATURDAY, JULY 23
JUMP THE SHARK: Wallace, Raggy Monster, Sunghosts, Kids, Vincent Mango
BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Trial by Fire
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
DADA: MoonRunes, Smith Sundy
LONGBOARDS: Reggae Souljahs KYI: The Wire CULTURE ROOM: Cannibal Corpse, Nile, After The Burial SUBCULTURE COFFEE DELRAY: Sophie Pomeranz
GRAMPS: PH 5 YEAR ANNIV PRE PARTY
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
500 BLOCK CLEMATIS STREET: PH 5 YEAR ANNIV
FLAG Prevails If hardcore punk was a disembodied spirit that floated from town to town possessing the hyper active, angry kids in the scene, it would be Black Flag. A band with a rotating cast of characters and one unflinching staple: band founder and SST Records owner, Greg Ginn. For years there were two groups in the Black Flag camp: those who said Henry Rollins personified what the band was trying to achieve, and then there were those who said, “No Greg Ginn, no FLAG by Dimitri Coates Black Flag.” However, with the 2013 release of, “What the…” and the on-stage firing of vocalist Ron Reyes, it seems that Black Flag really is more ethos than person. Thank god for FLAG; a band of mostly Black Flag alumni who have stayed true to the roots of the things that got them interested in making angry music. Each member has been active with other projects since they’ve taken their leave from Black Flag. Keith Morris is currently the singer of OFF! and formerly of the seminal punk band Circle Jerks. Chuck Dukowski makes bass heavy jazz, but originally penned, My War, one of Black Flag’s more aggressive songs about alienation. Both, Stephen Egerton and Bill Stevenson are members of the Descendants with Egerton doing double duty in ALL. Dez Cadena has been touring and recording with Jerry Only’s version of the Misfits over the last several years. Are they a tribute band? Sure. Does it really matter? No. Hearing anthems that have been etched and seared into the collective conscious of a million members of the disaffected youth played by the guys who did their best to bring the songs to life IS Black Flag. What Black Flag was, is now something different; thanks to lawsuits and in fighting. Like Xerox and White Out before it, the brand is synonymous with the sound it helped to define more than the members or even what name they use. These guys have been around the block more than a few times; but their energy is as raw as ever and their sound is all west coast hardcore circa 1982. (The “you should have been there” period) Greg Ginn sued FLAG in 2013 for copyright infringement and oddly enough Henry Rollins, who has nothing to do with this project, was included in the complaint. It was a mess, but FLAG prevailed and haven’t let the negativity sway them from playing the music they love and bringing the people exactly what they want. FLAG plays Culture Room, July 9 w. War on Women and Dirty Nil. Doors at 7pm and tickets are $20 in advance. ~ Tim Moffatt
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Flight of the Conchords For anyone not yet exposed to the disturbed brilliance of New Zealand’s Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, better known as the Flight of the Conchords, their dearly departed HBO series of the same name is enduring evidence of their comedy folk. The understated dry delivery of a “Conchords” punchline, punctuated by an awkward silence, is part of the duo’s appeal: FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS by Matt Grace They bumble through life clumsily, but in their minds, they are guitar heroes, sexual dynamos and hip-hop royalty. Those fantasies of grandeur manifest themselves in suave synth-pop parodies of the Pet Shop Boys (“Inner City Pressure”), in Barry White mode (“Business Time”) and in Prince-indebted R&B ballads (“The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room)”). Take, for example, the season one rap barnstormer “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros,” in which the bumbling pair shrug off a couple of muggers with expertly spit lyrical flow: “They call me the Hiphopopotamus/I’m not a water-dwelling mammal/Where did you get that preposterous hypothesis?/Did Steve tell you that, perchance?/Ugh, Steve.” But after that semi-improvised cult series wrapped up its run of two seasons, the Grammy Award-winning Conchords laid low but the mockumentarians themselves stayed busy in the interim: Clement directed and starred in the 2014 film “What We Do in the Shadows” and has a forthcoming role in the Steven Spielberg-directed “The BFG” (also “Men in Black 3” and two “Rio” films), while McKenzie is busy carving up the soundtrack to Disney’s upcoming film “Bob the Musical.” Last year, fall rumors of a possible reunion of the beloved duo arrived with reports of both film and musical adaptations of the cable series. Now the rumors are true: For their new “Flight of the Conchords sing Flight of the Conchords Tour,” which kicked off in June, the folk pair is prepping new standup and musical material. Dispatches from early tour stops reveal a lengthy set list from Clement and McKenzie, peppered with between-song banter and ambitious new numbers. It’s the third season of “Flight of the Conchords” the world never had. Flight of the Conchords perform 8pm, July 16 at Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton. Doors 6:30pm, California comedian Arj Barker will kick off the night. FlightoftheConchords.co.nz. ~ Phillip Valys
We Are Nots The shock of the unfamiliar greeted Natalie Hoffmann of Memphis psych-punk misfits Nots in June, when the brash four-piece plugged in for their first European tour. Complete strangers at King George, a dive pub in Cologne, Germany, stowed their smartphones and stared ahead. They hollered song requests, and, surprisingly, there were for Nots tracks. At the gig, one fan even offered to NOTS by Chad Kamenshine dissect how not-punk Nots really was. “It was news to me when I found out I wasn’t a punk band,” Hoffmann, 27, says in a recent phone interview. Hoffmann, who fronts the all-girl noiseniks with drummer Charlotte Watson, 26, Alexandra Eastburn, 28, and bassist Meredith Lones, 24, says wilding out in Europe is the culmination of three years in the Tennessee bar trenches. Listen to their 2014 debut album “We Are Nots,” a loud and angry collection of 11 songs stuffed into 27 minutes of psych-noise madness, and you instantly hear a troupe rooted in the ‘90s tradition of all-girl punk bands Bikini Kill and Lunachicks. Hoffmann, with her Kathleen Hanna-like screams, sounds off on tracks like their recent 2015 EP “Dust Red,” in which she’s heard repeating “Is it in your head?!” against a backdrop of cosmic synths, mortarlike percussion and hallowed-out feedback. It’s a dead-on match for a David Lynch soundtrack. Hoffman tends to reject such comparisons to girl-punk pioneers in her own description of Nots, likening the band to ‘70s and ‘80s punk-new wavers Poly Styrene, X-Ray Spex, Isolation Ward and Miami’s Iggy Pop. She’s also influenced by a rare 1980s compilation album, “FM-BX Society Tape,” a cross-section of similarly obscure hellraisers. “It’s less about the gender for me and all about the music,” says Hoffman, by day a server at two Memphis-area restaurants. “We’re weirder than punk. We have pop sensibilites, which in a weird way meets punk, and a psychedelic music style. I don’t even know what to call us anymore.” After a year-long break from recording new music, the Memphis aggressors back with another blitz: In July, the band will release “Cold Line,” a new 7-inch, and a sophomore album in the fall titled “The Cosmetic.” Nots perform July 14 at Gramps Bar in Miami. Doors open 9pm, $5 to $7. Facebook.com/memphisnots. ~ Phillip Valys