The Megajoos don’t take themselves too seriously and you shouldn’t either. The Nashville, Tennessee duo takes a heavily distorted bass and drums and often pairs it with falsetto vocals. The bass simulates a guitar sound but holds the low end throughout. “Dominos” details a dream career and “Sex, Money, Power, Yes!” shows the group getting lost in a loose groove. The band reassures you on “Always Turn It Up Way Too Loud” that it is alright to listen to butt rock even though the Megajoos are far from it. The record is a tongue-in-cheek, fun affair and the songs are good enough to make the album stay in your regular rotation.
Hector Anchondo throws a variety of blues moves at you with his debut EP Kickin Up Dust. There are the self-indulgent guitar solos of “The World Still Turns” complete with its slow blues burn and in contrast the Chili Pepper funk of “Island.” There is of course a little respectful tip of the fedora to George Thorogood on “Momma’s A Hard Man” but the most impressive tune here is easily “Where’d You Go?” This first track of the EP slams with old style blues containing a cheating woman and is accompanied by an impressive David Lee Roth howl that will make you anxious to hear Anchondo’s next release.
You can hear influences from Nada Surf to the Buzzcocks on Deco Auto’s EP Past Mistakes and Hauntings. “The Mercy Kind” has growly guitars that take you back to 90s alternative with the pop hooks to match and the music on “The Accident I Am” will make you think it is a Replacements cover. The start-stop dynamics of “Pointless Fight” are still clearly where the band is at their strongest on this 4 track release. The pop-punk genre gets a bad rap because of so many bands doing it wrong; Deco Auto will restore your faith in it and remind you that not all bubble gum punk will make you reach for the skip button.
GasTown Lamps and Sexwolph concert poster for 11/9/13, drawn by Wade Williamson.
The change had really been coming for a while but it seemed very sudden at the time and the result was unpredictable. One of St. Joseph’s strongest draws, The GasTown Lamps, saw an opportunity to expand their sound and jumped at the chance. The result may not be what you expect but two things are certain about the shift: people will want to see the new lineup for the band and they sound like a very different band now.
The announcement would come just about a week before the show that a member would be added to the GasTown Lamps, for the second time since the band started. This time the goal would be the same as the first time; to fill out the sound. The group recruited none other than possibly St. Joseph’s best guitarist in Teriq Newton from the up and coming band Scruffy & The Janitors to join. Newton plans to play shows with both groups now. It is only appropriate that the transformation would take place at The Cafe Acoustic while they celebrated their four year anniversary under the current ownership. So patrons would fill the perimeters of the bar with their cold drinks and wait for the craziness to unfold.
The evening would start with Sexwolph, a very different sound than The GasTown Lamps would unveil later on this night. Don’t let the viking lettering and sinister image on the poster and edgy name fool you; Sexwolph is straight up heartfelt americana county. Singer Wade Williamson would take the stage looking eight feet tall with his lightly colored, vintage rhinestone suit, cowboy boots and whatever-gallon hat. Armed with only his acoustic guitar for this show, his songs would bleed with heartbreak, regret and not quite forgotten memories.
Sexwolph (Wade Williamson) belts out a song without the normal comfort of a backing band at The Cafe Acoustic on 11/9/13.
He would open with “Could It Kill A Man” which would quietly struggle with the loud audience for attention. Faster tempo songs would gain more attention but it is brutally honest songs like the slower “Out Alive” that Sexwolph excels at. Williamson would work his way through his about half-dozen song set sometimes gently picking at his acoustic guitar and other times like on “From Me To You” ferociously strumming it. The set would have a nice surprise when he would announce that under a few chairs in the venue was a small poster taped to the underside of the seat that was redeemable for a full size poster drawn by Williamson himself as seen above. After pledging his allegiance in “Women, Whiskey, Weed & Pills” his set would draw to a close as he would continue to gain the audience’s ears but never quite be able to completely draw in the talky room.
The GasTown Lamps would almost immediately take the stage and reveal their new four man lineup. Newton would dive right in as the group would start with “Gold Chain.” He would add his touch to each song, sometimes changing the music dramatically and other times just thickening the sound and giving it an energy level that was previously lacking. Songs like “Heavy Trunk” were muscled up and given the punch they were always intended to have while other songs like “Get Mine” would gain the same muscle while sacrificing their crispness.
New GasTown Lamps member Teriq Newton (left) joins singer Todd Ward by playing lead guitar and singing background vocals.
The extra guitar would make a difference in several ways. The starts and stops are less dramatic and the unique distortion of singer and guitarist Todd Ward isn’t as audible. The energy level shoots through the roof as Newton is one of the more animated guitar players you will see on stage. Ward’s vocals are more emphasized as some of pressure of all the guitar load is off of him as well, making each song slightly different. The songs are sang differently but they are still very in tact; “Land Mines” still has its big chorus and “Heads Are Gonna Roll” still brings to mind the better parts of The Clash’s Combat Rock album.
The booming “Satisfy Your Mind” is just a few political references short of being Rage Against The Machine worthy and “The Broke End of Broken Bones” is one of the group’s hardest rockers while being a strong candidate for best song title for the year 2013. As the band gels as a four piece the music will undoubtedly lead them in a new direction as the rustic, bare sound of the original GasTown Lamps is dead and GTL version 2.0 starts to form. Look for more variance in the sets musically and a strong core of songs to form and remain fan favorites for each show. In a few short months it is difficult to envision what this band will be like but if this powerful first glance is any indication; you’ll need to see them to get the full scoop.
The new look GasTown Lamps; left to right: Teriq Newton, Todd Ward, Jason Baines and Stephen WIlliamson.
The GasTown Lamps setlist from Cafe Acoustic in St. Joseph, MO, 11/9/13:
Cover of the bootleg artwork for the recording of Paul Westerberg’s show at The Grand Emporium in Kansas City, MO on 3/4/05.
Some decisions you make in life seem insignificant at the time but in retrospect are important keyframes in your life. My decision to see Paul Westerberg live at The Grand Emporium back in 2005 definitely qualifies. In many ways I didn’t realize the greatness I was witnessing that night. In an oversold venue where sweat rings adorn nearly every person’s shirt and you couldn’t avoid four people touching you at all times, it was truly an event to remember.
Let me start from the beginning of why I didn’t appreciate what I was seeing at the time. I was a very rare Paul Westerberg fan because I was actually a fan of his BEFORE I heard the Replacements. I know, this sounds ridiculous but it is true. My musical “awakening” as I refer to it, happened in about 1995; well after the Mats had broken up. This is when I started to discover what I now consider “good” music and Paul Westerberg was part of that. I would, and still do, trace artists’ work backwards through the years often. I didn’t even discover Westerberg then; it would be about 2003 before I would find his music and I would have just started tracking his catalog backwards through his Replacements years in 2005, right around the time of this show. This meant was among about 10 people out of the roughly 400 in attendance that wanted to hear solo Westerberg songs instead of Mats tunes; in retrospect I am extremely glad I didn’t get my wish as around a dozen songs from the defunct band would be played.
Westerberg would shoot out from behind the curtain to play two Mats tunes right away with “Merry Go Round” and “Someone Take The Wheel.” He would then take to some solo material but it would be far from the slower tempo reputation that his music has garnered. Songs like “Final Hurrah” “and “AAA” have just as much pompous rock as most Mats songs. “Kinockin’ On Mine” would likely be the show highlight as it was a ferocious version with the end of it gaining momentum and getting as jammy as you’ll see aging rocker.
The crowd would simply be worked into a frenzy by this point as you could see pure enjoyment from the former wild child college kids who now worried about their 401Ks and cholesterol levels. As I sweated in the narrow, shotgun style bar, looking up to gasp for fresh air, I vividly remember the presence of a few ceiling fans mysteriously hanging idle from the ceiling and wishing I knew where the switch was. The crowd was overheated but didn’t seem to mind as many would be making memories that would last until dementia washes them away. They would yell out almost exclusively Replacements song titles much to my dismay. Paul was in a giving mood that night as he would honer a ton of those requests.
A ticket stub (from back when ticket stubs were a real thing) from one of the best shows I’ve ever seen; Paul Westerberg at the Grand Emporium in Kansas City, MO on 3/4/05.
A couple slower moments in the show did occur like the gentle performances of “Let The Bad Times Roll” and “No Place For You” before amping the tempo back up. Anyone who says “Let The Bad Times Roll” isn’t up to the quality the man produced with his former band never gave the song a shot in my opinion. The Grandpaboy song “Psychopharmacology” would get hammered out even faster than the obscure EP version. Shortly after he would send the band backstage, which happened to be a curtain covering the door leading to the street, so he could masterfully take on solo acoustic versions of the Replacements classics “Skyway” and “Here Comes A Regular.” The crowd would loudly sing along with every last syllable of these songs and become what Westerberg would describe as “like a football crowd singing in harmony.” He would bring the band back up and play yet more Mats requests in “Achin’ To Be” and “I Will Dare” both being written on a piece of paper someone in front of me would be holding up, a creative way to make sure your request would be heard. He would even laugh to himself and comment that this was “the best fucking audience we’ve had the whole time.”
With the show drawing to a close he would sing “IOU” “Alex Chilton” and “Left of the Dial” before going backstage (or into the street if you prefer) and perform a short encore. He would take on a couple minutes of the song “Kansas City Star” to honor the city he was currently in as the clueless crowd looked on. He would stop and turn to his band and say “they’ve never heard this song” and blast into “Can’t Hardly Wait.” The show would fittingly end with the Mats song complete with Westerberg taking a chance to light a cigarette during the song’s planned break toward the end.
Shockingly this wasn’t the end to the night. A line formed outside of Westerberg’s tour bus as he let 3 people at a time join him for pictures and autographs. As I walked onto the bus with my copy of my favorite Westerberg solo record Stereo he was sitting on a couch with his legs spread far apart with his sunglasses still on and the smoke slowly subsiding to reveal the aging rock star. I tried to be quick and let the line keep moving and don’t even remember what I said to him but the autograph sprawled over his own eyes on the blurry cover of my Stereo cd is more than enough to make me smile thinking back on that day.
This is a picture of my copy of “Stereo” by Paul Westerberg that I got autographed back in 2005 when I saw him at the Grand Emporium in Kansas City.
Paul Westerberg setlist from The Grand Emporium in Kansas City, MO 3/4/05:
Michael Coman trots out Home with some fresh writing perspective but the same signature guitar work his records always have. Slower moments let you hone in on the lyrics but make you want more tempo changes. There is grungy guitar stomp on “I Can’t Sleep” and heavy doses of sappiness on “Old Faded Pictures” but Coman is best when he gets his nerd on and sings about archaeological finds in “Diggin’ Up Jerusalem” and the noun – pronoun relationship on “Stuck Like Glue.” These up-tempo tunes have pop hooks that get you every time and will keep you coming back for more.
WHAT TO EXPECT? A whole new side of the GasTown Lamps…
The evening will start with a set by Sexwolph. You might expect death metal with the name but it will actually be a heartfelt alt-country set filled with scars and broken hearts; just the way a Sexwolph set should be. Sexwolph singer Wade Williamson will be belting out songs off his many EPs and his latest release, a cassette on This Tall Records titled “Twang As Fuck.” Expect to hear such favorites as “Out Alive” “Summer Dress” and “Women, Whiskey, Weed & Pills” as well as the possibility of a carefully chosen cover like “Suspicious Minds” or maybe an old Ryan Adams tune.
The GasTown Lamps started out as a two piece outfit a couple years ago before adding the powerful beard of Stephen Williamson on bass and now a new chapter for the band will start as a second guitarist, Teriq Newton of Scruffy & The Janitors fame, will join Williamson, and co-founding members Jason Baines on drums and singer and guitarist Todd Ward. Sonically it ups the ante instantly for the band. The volume will undoubtedly be pushed up into the red as the songs will take on more energy and power.
If this sounds familiar, you’re right. Newton shared the stage with the group earlier this year at the GasTown Lamps album release party for the Heavy Trunk EP. He and fellow Scruffy member Steven Foster helped GasTown with their song “Shake The Night.” You can watch a video of the performance below. At the time it was just a guest appearance but as the bond between Newton and the band grew stronger, joining forces started to make a lot of sense.
The group’s main songwriter Todd Ward has seen things turning out this way for a while. Newton just made sense as he was a close friend of the band and as Ward puts it: “my favorite guitar player in St. Joe.” The setlist will look the same on paper as Newton brings the Scruffy sound to some GasTown songs but the sound of the group will be a drastic change. The stylistic differences between Ward and Newton should make things interesting. Ward plays very riff-driven guitar and Newton will follow suit but also take on several lead licks. “It will fill out the sound more and I wanted somebody who could play solos” Ward says, “I think there is places where the music really needs it.”
The future of GasTown Lamps will involve Newton from this point on as he makes his debut on November 9th but will then be a member in all future shows and even in the Lamps next trip into the studio to record. His part in Scruffy & The Janitors is still first priority and none of the involved parties see him being in both groups as a concern as they will be careful not to double book any shows for the young guitarist. “Scruffy shows are few and far between now.” Newton says, “I’ve got a lot of down time so it’s good to be playing music again.” The decrease in Scruffy shows is not by choice as the schedules of band members are limiting the amount they can play together. Once Scruffy starts to play more Newton will be a very busy man.
As The GasTown Lamps gear up for an ambitious 2014, they will have four remaining shows this year: November 9th with Sexwolph at Cafe Acoustic as well as the 15th at Coppa. They will also perform in December on the 7th back at the Cafe and The First Ward on the 13th. These shows will allow Newton to find his place with the band as Williamson had done the year before. The new lineup plans on playing more shows in the new year and taking on a more ambitious approach playing out of town as well.
The band is certain to sound different and coming this Saturday it will be time to compare and contrast the new GasTown Lamps with the old. The sound on songs like “Heavy Trunk” “The Broke End of Broken Bones” and the re-tooled “Gold Chain” are sure to be beefed up and hopefully the band can retain their touch on songs like “When The Night Comes Through” as well. One thing is certain; the band is capable of varying their sound much more now as they are sure to try delving into psych-rock as all the band members like that direction but weren’t really capable of executing it before. When you put up that new calender in a couple months be sure check-in with the new, refined GasTown Lamps and see what kind of energy and power they’ve come up with.
WHERE IS IT? The Cafe Acoustic; 2605 Frederick Ave. St. Joseph, MO 64506
WHEN IS IT? Saturday, November 9th, 2013; 9:00pm, 21+ FREE
WHY SHOULD I GO?
It’s FREE
Sexwolph will open the show with a fragile set if alt-country gold
It will be Teriq Newton’s debut as a member of the GasTown Lamps
The show posters are killer! get one to take home
The sound at Cafe is tops… period. Best sound in town
The lovely Cafe staff will make sure you will not go thirsty
I’ll be there; ask me about a free Vocals On Top sticker
earplugs are optional
Merch for sale! Get a GasTown Lamps EP or Sexwolph cassette of your own
It’s a Saturday night and you can stay out as late as you want
The Motors are a St. Joseph supergroup that make classic rock that isn’t old enough to be classic yet. Alternating singers Tracy Huffman and Sean Cleary make up the album that at times reads as more of a collection of solo songs than a band effort but still delivers good tunes repeatedly. The second-hand storytelling of “Jerry” is perplexing and “Go, Go, Go” is laced with twangy boogie. The classic rock sound of “Yes I Will” by Huffman is a stark contrast to the country of Cleary on tracks like “All I Hear Is Hank Songs.” All together making for a solid listen.
The nomadic jungle-funk duo from Lawrence brings the funk for their first full-length album. Aotearoa (A-O-TAY-UH-ROW-UH) travels the country enticing bootys to shake and their album Strange Weather provides the songs to make that happen. The smooth vocals of “Black Plane” start the record off right before faster and funkier tracks like “Panamanian Water Taxi” sink their teeth into you. “I’m Alive” sounds like Rage Against The Machine sans the anger and “Red Tide” sounds like an outtake form The Clash’s Combat Rock. Intoxicating choruses and consistently creative beats lace the record making it never lose its sheen.
WHO’S PLAYING? Missouri Homegrown (St. Joseph, MO) Scruffy & The Janitors (St. Joseph, MO) The Souveneers (St. Joseph, MO)
WHAT TO EXPECT? Some unsupervised craziness…
The Souveneers are going to loosen the crowd up. Their american-folk with a some rockabilly flair will be a perfect way to fire the evening up. They are preparing to record their first EP soon and are playing new material all the time.
Scruffy & The Janitors don’t get to play often now so they are sure to let loose. Their first album Pino is little more than a distant memory for these ambitious youngsters. They have a ton of new songs in the bank ranging from garage rock to psych rock to just plain rump shakin’ groovy; expect them to bust out all of that and more.
Missouri Homegrown is fresh off the release of their first album …You’re Gonna Get It and they are starting to venture in new directions now. As they pull songs from their past they have stopped playing and add new songs to the mix, look for a very different stage show than what you have grown accustomed to over the last year.
WHERE IS IT? Homegrown HQ, 220 S. 8th.(enter through glass double doors) St. Joseph, MO 64501
WHEN IS IT? Friday, November 8th, 2013; 9:00pm, 21+ $5 at the door. BYOB
WHY SHOULD I GO?
The Souveneers are playing so there will be dancing
The Souveneers seem to have droves of pretty young ladies that like to go to their shows and dance
Scruffy & The Janitors lead singer Steven Foster’s work schedule prevents the band from playing many shows so any chance you get to see them you should probably go
Scruffy is recording new material; look for them to break a lot of it out here
Missouri Homegrown is hosting the event; don’t expect them to take your coat though…
Missouri Homegrown is sure to play loose, they could do things they haven’t done at traditional shows because they will be in their own element, we’ve all heard about new songs and dangerous new directions, this might be the avenue for them to explore that
It is 3 bands for $5… seems like a no-brainer
It is BYOB so drink what you want; it will be a lot cheaper for you too
Cab rides in St. Joseph are a maximum of $8; there is no reason to drive drunk
The party won’t end, their isn’t a bar to close, this thing could go on for days
Vocals On Top 