Positively State Street
YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ‘ROUND: Though I have yet to figure out how, the folks at Twiin Productions have managed to book one hell of a musical event this week at Velvet Jones (423 State St.). Making their first live performance since forming in March of last year, Brody Dalle’s Spinnerette (myspace.com/spinnerettemusic) will take over the State Street venue with fellow S.B. rockers Redswitch and Them Terribles on Monday, October 27, at 8 p.m. For a little background, many of you remember Dalle from her past life as the frontwoman for The Distillers (thedistillers.com)-and the first lady of punk, following her marriage to Rancid/Transplants lead singer Tim Armstrong. Since disbanding The Distillers in 2006 (and disbanding with Armstrong in 2003), Dalle has gone on to form her own mini-supergroup of sorts in Spinnerette, not to mention find a new love in current hubby and Queens of the Stone Age (qotsa.com) singer, Josh Homme.
Together with Tony Bevilacqua (The Distillers), Jack Irons (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam), and Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, Eleven), Dalle has created a tight little quartet of talent. The single (“Vallum Knights”) the band has leaked is only an indication of good things to come. Combining the force of The Distillers’ in-your-face attitude with Dalle’s signature guitar licks and some driving beats, “Knights” is one of those tracks that begs to be heard live.
If one measly song isn’t enough to convince you to get off the couch on a Monday night, hopefully a little insider scoop will be. While the band is approaching their second anniversary together, the foursome has yet to score a record deal. Their three-date West Coast tour (which kicks off in S.B.) is doubling as a platform for potential agents and industry big wigs to check things out and make their bids. In other words, you never know who you may see-or what little piece of musical history you might witness. For tickets (which are only $10) or show info, call 965-8676 or visit twiinproductions.com.
DOUBLE THE FUN: Speaking of tour kick-offs, this Friday, October 24, and Saturday, October 25, the five gents behind San Francisco’s Hot Buttered Rum (myspace.com/hotbutteredrum) will bring their eclectic mix of jam band grooves, bluegrass twang, and rock ‘n’ roll energy to SOhO (1221 State St.) before hitting the road on a four-month, cross-country gigging stretch. The back-to-back shows will vary slightly, as the boys will share stage time with funk rockers with The Goodland on Friday, and play a late-night solo show on Saturday at 10:45. Add to that the fellas’ ongoing, multi-faceted support for the Democratic Party, and you’ve got yourself two nights of socially conscious tunes that are timelier than ever. For more information, call 962-7776 or visit sohosb.com.
FOLK FOLLOWINGS: For those of you looking for something of the laid back, acoustic variety, this weekend is also offering up a slew of diverse, folk-minded live programming that just happens to lie a bit north of the downtown drag. On Saturday, October 25, Animal Liberation Orchestra‘s (alomusic.com) own Dave Brogan (myspace.com/davebrogan) will return to town sans bandmembers for a very special solo show at Goleta’s Mercury Lounge (5871 Hollister Ave.) at 9 p.m. Brogan will be plugging in for the final stop on his West Coast in support of his newest CD, Thunderbird Sun Transformation. But fret not ALO junkies. Despite the side project (and the lofty album title), Brogan promises to deliver a well-weighted mix of solo songs and Orchestra tunes. For more on the show, visit myspace.com/mercurylounge.
And for something a little more traditional, we recommend a trip to this month’s Trinity Backstage (1500 State St.) offering. On Saturday, October 25, legendary axe man Jack Williams (jackwilliamsmusic.com) will share his Southern-bred musical legacy in this intimate show space. Gigging “under the radar” for more than 50 years, Williams spent the majority of his early career playing guitar for luminaries like Hank Ballard, John Lee Hooker, The Shirelles, and The Drifters. Today, Williams is heralded as one of the best string players in contemporary folk. For more info on Williams and Trinity Backstage, visit trinitybackstage.com.
