Most grateful to the bands,
Otto's Shrunken Head and its glorious staff, and the friends
and fans of surf music that came to last night Surf-Rock
Shindig.
In no particular order, bless you all:
The Sea Devils
The Chillers and their entourage from New Jersey
The 9th WAVE (and N.E.S.M.A.)
Mister Neutron (they wanted me to remind everyone that they
"Love You!")
The Chillers blasted their way onto the stage first, playing, as
they called it, their "own brand of New Jersey surf"....and that
they did. A hybrid of good ol' rock 'n' roll, blues jam, and,
of course, surf - they played their hearts out, much to the
delight of the people there. First time in NYC I am
told....can't wait for them to come back!
The 9th Wave came out second, giving us some throbbing
Connecticut-style 'hot-rod' surf...their specialty. They
introduced a lot of new tunes that will end up on their next
CD. From the crowd's reaction to these songs (Mike 'Staccato'
Rosado asked the audience for their feedback and opinions) - it
would seem the next album will be killer. I found the band a
little more subdued than normal; well, that's if a 'hot-rod
surf' band can drop back a notch.....they are a mighty intense
live surf act. "New" drummer Tommy Tsunami has really stepped in
now too..gotta mention that.
The Sea Devils? Man, has this band evolved rapidly into one of
the most intense acts on the scene right now. I goofed a lot
about the speed of their guitarist (is he really called
'Wendell' or am I being goofed on here?) - but let me say this,
there are moments as if he's triple-picking, no, seriously,
quadruple-picking...blindingly fast, I have never seen anyone
play like that. Damn! Their songs are a mix of originals and
cool trad songs. They had the place beggin' for more. I am
admittedly nutzoid about this band....warning everyone: they
are surely a band to watch (and watch live, especially).
And finally, God bless Mister Neutron. With a splash of blues
and rockabilly thrown on top of surf, this 3-piece outfit just
shreds. Damian, guitarist, also plays with a great deal of
intensity. Their sense of humor also cracks me up. They play the
NY tri-state area a lot, and Unsteady Freddie is most grateful
that they step up all the time to play my Surf-Rock Shindigs.
You don't have to go to the ocean to hear the surf!
