December previews for shows in DC for ON TAP Magazine

THURSDAY-SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1-4
Steve-O at the Improv
The star of “Jackass” and “Wild Boyz” is bringing his deranged stage show to DC. Steve-O (a.k.a. Stephen Glover) will be at the Improv in DC performing six shows over four nights. He’s spent the last month and a half touring Europe, and this December he returns to the States for his insane style of comedy, sure to have stunts that you won’t want to try at home. Steve-O has spent his entire life in front of the camera, from his youth shooting skate videos, stunts, and comedy skits, to his successful and lucrative TV career, and even his downward spiral into the abyss of addiction that nearly took his life. The wild youth liked to document everything he did and decided early on he wanted to be a professional stuntman. When University life didn’t work out he enrolled in the
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College in 1997. When Ringling Brothers didn’t hire him as a clown, Steve O got a gig performing shows as a clown in a flea market circus, at which time he had a major cocaine addiction. He had submitted many pictures and videos to “Big Brother” editor Jeff Tremaine, so when Tremaine started the “Jackass” TV show for MTV he immediately knew Steve-O was perfect for the project. Alongside Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Wee Man, and the late Ryan Dunn, he became known as the guy who would do the crazy and outlandish stuff that no one else would. Several successful seasons and two feature-length films later, Steve-O began his descent into the worst of his addiction and madness, with cameras still constantly rolling. It took an intervention in 2008 by his friends from “Jackass” that saved the now suicidal and drug addled Steve-O’s life. MTV compiled a documentary, “Steve-O: Demise and Rise,” using all the footage from his heavy drug usage period and the following recovery. He’s been sober ever since 2008, using skateboarding to maintain his sanity, and still performs his unique comedy and stunt work, which he said helps to keep him continuing to walk the line. He was a part the cast again in “Jackass 3D” in 2010 and this year he released his first book, “Professional Idiot: A Memoir,” where he spoke out about his troubled childhood, rise to popularity, and struggles with dependency. Fans of “Jackass” style humor will not want to miss this run of shows, which will likely be along the lines of his appearance on the “Charlie Sheen Celebrity Roast,“ and hopefully far better than his performance on “Dancing With the Stars.”
Starts at 8 and 10:30 p.m. $25-27. - Jason Walsh
The Improv: 1140 Connecticut Ave. N.W., DC; 202-296-7008; www.dcimprov.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2
Dark Star Orchestra at the 9:30 Club
The psychedelic maestros are celebrating their 12 years of touring and after almost 1800 shows performed, they are dusting off old set lists from classic Grateful Dead shows for fans around the country. For two nights at the 9:30 Club, the Dark Star Orchestra will be thrilling “deadheads” with performances in tune with Dead shows from the old days. Formed in 1997, the Dark Star Orchestra took their passion for jam band music and the legendary sounds of San Fran’s original hippie outfit and have taken on the challenge to recreate some of the Dead’s greatest shows. They are not just recreating the old concerts, but taking their talents and flavor for improvisation and interpretation to bring that classic sound to fans old and new. Break out the tie dyes, fire up the lava lamps, and get ready to head FURTHUR.
Starts at 8 p.m. $27. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2
John Doe at Jammin’ Java
Singer/songwriter and punk icon John Doe will be in Vienna this December in support of his newest solo offering, “Keeper.” Doe got his start in the fledgling 80s punk/hardcore explosion in Los Angeles with the seminal group, X, alongside Exene Cervenka. He began a prosperous solo career in 1990 and has continued to write and record original material ever since, with hints of country mixed with and edgy, underground flavor. This year, prior to the release of “Keeper,” Doe collaborated with Jill Sobule on the album, “A Day at the Pass.” Aside from his years as a respected musician, he is also an acclaimed actor, with film credits including “Roadhouse,” “Wyatt Earp,” “Boogie Nights,” and the cult independent classic “Roadside Prophets” with Adam Horowitz of the Beastie Boys.
Starts at 8 p.m. $18. - Jason Walsh
Jammin Java: 227 Maple Ave. East, Vienna, VA; 703-255-1566; www.jamminjava.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2
Born Of Osiris, Veil Of Maya, Carnifex, Structures, and Betraying The Martyrs at Jaxx
It will be a night of technically shredding Sumerian Records artists this month led by the powerful progressive deathcore sounds of Born of Osiris. Supporting their second release, “The Discovery,” on the DC & LA based Sumerian label, the six-member crew has upped their game. Lead guitarist Lee McKinney said this time around the band came up with some incredible new sounds. “This album contains an awesome mix of our most heavy, most technical, most atmospheric, and most beautiful melodies ever,” McKinney said. Touring alongside Osiris is fellow Sumerian bandmates and fellow Illinois natives Veil of Maya, who released their third record last year, “[id].” Rounding out the roster is Structures and Betraying the Martyrs, also signed to Sumerian, as well as Carnifex from San Diego, who released “Until I Feel Nothing” this year on Victory Records.
Starts at 5 p.m. $15 advance/$18 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Jaxx: 6355 Rolling Rd. Springfield, VA; 703-569-5940; www.jaxxroxx.com

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4
As I Lay Dying, Of Mice & Men, and The Ghost Inside at the 9:30 Club
San Diego’s metalcore outfit As I Lay Dying will be headlining the 9:30 Club this December with an impressive roster of current heavy bands. This current tour, dubbed the “Decade of Destruction” tour, celebrates their ten year anniversary. Providing support for As I Lay Dying is Of Mice & Men from Costa Mesa, California, who have just released their sophomore effort, “The Flood.” Rounding out the bill is The Ghost Inside from Los Angeles, deep South metalheads Iwrestledabearonce, and Sylosis from the U.K.
Starts at 6 p.m. $25. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

MONDAY & TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5-6
America at the Birchmere
For two nights, 70s folk rockers America with special guest Jim Messina will be hosting the Birchmere in Alexandria on the “Holiday Harmony Tour.” Best known for their classic hits “A Horse with No Name” and “Ventura Highway,” the group originally started as a trio consisting of Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. As the band’s popularity began to wane in the late 70s, Peek left the band in ‘77 and the group continued on, charting with the hit “You Can Do Magic” in 1982. Peek passed away earlier this year. Bunnell and Beckley with a new roster of musicians recorded an album of covers in Nashville this year called “Back Pages,” which features interpretations of great rock standards like “Time of the Season” and the Simon and Garfunkel classic that shares their band name, “America.”
Starts at 7:30 p.m. $79.50 - Jason Walsh
The Birchmere: 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA; 703-549-7500;www.birchmere.com

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5
Tori Amos at DAR Constitution Hall
The soulful alternative sounds of Tori Amos will be filling the air this December at the DAR Constitution Hall. Amos, who first gained international notoriety in the 90s with her talented piano playing and inspiring songwriting, has moved away from her normal comfort zone and released an album of classical music called “Deutsche Grammophon.” The compositions are a variation on a theme, paying tribute to the greats of classical music, such as Bach, Chopin, Debussy, and Schubert. The North Carolina native, now 48, continues to expand her musical horizons and the night’s performance will be a chance for folks in the District to see a contemporary artist exploring new territory from the Old World.
Starts at 8 p.m. $45. - Jason Walsh
DAR Constitution Hall: 1776 D. St. NW, DC; (202) 628-4780; www.dar.org/conthall

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6
Jackyl at Jaxx
Jackyl was part of the last wave of early 90s glam metal bands before corporate metal had its tragic death by Cobain, which put stadium-selling artists like Winger, Poison, and White Lion on the unemployment lines. Jackyl had a Southern redneck thing going and continued through the Age of Grunge, led by wild man Jesse James Dupree, who would do solos with a chainsaw on stage. The Georgia-based metalheads released “When Moonshine and Dynamite Collide” last year celebrating their two-decade anniversary. This December, you have a chance to see them at Jaxx and as of right now, the opening acts could be anybody, so check for updates.
Starts at 6 p.m. $18 advance/$20 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Jaxx: 6355 Rolling Rd. Springfield, VA; 703-569-5940; www.jaxxroxx.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
Kyuss Lives!, Black Cobra, and the Sword at Rams Head Live
The original stoner rockers are back under the moniker Kyuss Lives!, from the ashes of the long lost Kyuss, which toured and recorded relentlessly throughout the late 80s and early 90s before disbanding in 1995, with lead guitarist Josh Homme going on to form Queens of the Stone Age. Kyuss blew out of Palm Desert, California playing the infamous “desert parties” throughout the region in their formative years, releasing the groundbreaking “Blues for the Red Sun” which was followed by “Welcome to Sky Valley” in 1994. This new reunited lineup includes all the original core members minus Homme, with John Garcia on the mic, Nick Oliverio on bass, and Brant Bjork on drums. This year they have toured Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and now make their North and South America run which landed them in DC a few months ago and now they will be at Rams Head in Baltimore. The sludgy dark tunings of Kyuss will be accompanied by Black Cobra and Austin’s The Sword.
Starts at 6 p.m. $20 advance/$25 day of show - Jason Walsh
Rams Head Live: 20 Market Pl. Baltimore, MD; 410-244-1131; www.ramsheadlive.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9
Scythian at the 9:30 Club
It will be a night of Celtic mayhem in the Capitol. Hometown heroes Scythian promise to provide a high-energy performance that will leave fans gasping for oxygen and Guiness. Formed in 2002 by brothers Alexander and Danylo Fedoryka, Scythian started as street performers in Alexandria, until taking the group more serious, releasing their debut that same year, “Dance at the Crossroads.” They have become a staple in the DC area, playing the Shamrock Festival and pubs throughout the metro area. They combine Celtic and World elements with a gypsy twist and punk rock sensibility, making them one of the area’s premiere live bands. For a night of good music and fun, this late-night show at the 9:30 is one to check out.
Starts at 10 p.m. $15. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9
The Devil Wears Prada, Whitechapel, Enter Shikari, and For Today at the Fillmore
The Christian metalcore assault from Dayton, Ohio is riding into Silver Springs with a gang of loud and heavy friends. The Devil Wears Prada formed in 2005 and has been touring relentlessly since releasing their first record, “Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord” on Rise Records. Now signed to Ferret, they dropped their fourth album this year, “Dead Throne.” Joining the Devil is Whitechapel from Knoxville, Tennessee, who recently rolled through the area supporting their newest album, “A New Era of Corruption,” It dropped on Metal Blade Records last summer before their jaunt along the Warped Tour. Taking their name from the infamous London district where Jack the Ripper preyed on the underbelly of Victorian society, Whitechapel hit the streets running ever since 2006. Now in their fifth year and third record, they continue to bring their aggressive metal and hardcore influenced madness to the masses alongside their friends from Dayton. Opening for these heavy outfits is Enter Shikari from the U.K. and Sioux City’s For Today.
Starts at 7 p.m. $20. - Jason Walsh
The Fillmore Silver Spring: 8656 Colesville Rd. Silver Spring, MD; 301.960.9999; fillmoresilverspring.com

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10
Cheap Trick at the Fillmore
Cheap Trick are back with the original lineup to bring fans some of their great hits from the 70s. With classics like “Surrender,” “I Want You to Want Me,” and “Dream Police,” founders Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander are ready to electrify the stage at the Fillmore. They were booked to play a show at the Fillmore on November 11, but had to reschedule so now they are locked in on this new December date. Formed in 1973, it was their 1977 self-titled debut that introduced the world to the guys from Rockford, Illinois. Nielsen’s outlandish behavior and appearance has been an iconic part of their legacy, and they have continued to remain active for more than three decades. They released new material on “The Latest” in 2009, but fans will be surely screaming for the well-known classics Cheap Trick is known for delivering. All tickets purchased for the November 11 show will be honored.
Starts at 8 p.m. $45-75. - Jason Walsh
The Fillmore Silver Spring: 8656 Colesville Rd. Silver Spring, MD; 301.960.9999; fillmoresilverspring.com

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10
Winterfest at the Patriot Center
Some of the brightest stars in country music will be rocking the Patriot Center this December on the campus of George Mason University. Sponsored by WMZQ, “Today’s Country” station for the DC area, the lineup sees some big names headlining the event. Sharing top billing is North Carolina native and American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler, as well as
CMA winner Rodney Atkins, who released his fourth full-length record this year, “Take a Back Road.” Also on the roster this evening is Grammy Award nominee David Nail, whose sophomore effort, “The Sound of a Million Dreams,” dropped on MCA Nashville last month. The duo Thompson Square provide support with more Nashville inspired melodies, as well as the lyrical stylings of Josh Thompson and Ahston Shephard.
Starts at 5:30 p.m. $30-99. - Jason Walsh
Patriot Center at George Mason University: 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax, VA; (703) 993-3000; www.patriotcenter.com

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11
Mayhem at Jaxx
Mayhem and their army of the undead played at the Sonar in Baltimore last month in the early stages of their North American Tour and find their way back to Virginia for a night of evil incarnate. One of Norway’s most notorious black metal bands, Mayhem paved the way for the way for Scandinavian groups influenced by Slayer, Venom, and Celtic Frost, and the controversy surrounding them is legendary. The suicide of lead singer Dead in 1991 sent shock waves through the underground, when founding member Euronymous took a picture of the deceased vocalist, who took his life with a shotgun, and made it the album cover for their next record, “Dawn of the Black Hearts.” Then in 1993, Burzum bassist Varg Vikernes, who had recently joined the band, murdered Euronymous during a confrontation, stabbing him multiple times. Vikernes was sentenced to 21 years in prison, but was released on parole in 2009 after serving sixteen years. The band has also been linked to the infamous plague of church burnings across Norway during this time. The lineup has changed considerably since then, with founding bassist Necrobutcher and long-time drummer Hellhammer remaining as the only original members. This newest incarnation sees Attila Csihar on vocals and Morfeus on guitar. Joining them on this North American onslaught is Keep of Kalessin, Hate, and Abigail Williams. The show at Jaxx will also have other bands to be announced.
Starts at 6 p.m. $23 advance/$27 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Jaxx: 6355 Rolling Rd. Springfield, VA; 703-569-5940; www.jaxxroxx.com


STREET DOGS “WRECK THE HALLS” TOUR
MONDAY, DECEMBER 12
Street Dogs, Off With Their Heads, and Murder the Stout at Black Cat
It’s that time of year again, so get ready for the 7th annual “Wreck the Halls” tour, hosted by Street Dogs, and their partners in crime this time around are Off With Their Heads and Murder the Stout. Led by former Dropkick Murphys frontman Mike McColgan and bassist Johnny Rioux, Street Dogs have continued the urban punk legacy that started long ago in the alleys of Boston, the city where this tour winds to a screeching halt. Rioux feels this end-of-the-year tour has become an essential undertaking for the band.

“This tour is really important to us for a few different reasons,” Rioux said. “It's become part of our holiday tradition. We hang out with each other, my brothers, we see some of our favorite friends and fans, and end it all with a couple of hometown gigs in Boston. It's just a great way for us to celebrate the year with each other and the Street Dogs faithful. It's also always been a chance for us to introduce some new bands along the way.”

And this year includes two powerhouse outfits in tow, including Off With Their Heads from Minnesota who released their second album, “In Desolation,” last year as well as Murder the Stout from Houston, a band that has collaborated with the guys from Street Dogs on many levels, including Rioux standing in on mandolin and vocals.

“We were so happy it came together with Off With Their Heads,” he said. “There are so few hardworking punk bands that tour the world, but when the opportunity arises to share a bill it is so exciting for us. Murder The Stout is very incestuous with our band. Long story short, I'm really excited to introduce the Stout EP on the tour, play two sets, and let's face it, any band that has four songs about whiskey in its set is bound to be a good time.”

They released their self-titled fifth studio release, “Street Dogs,” last year and have been touring nonstop ever since. Next year they celebrate their tenth anniversary and have some projects brewing as well as plans to record. For a night of working-class anthems with traditional influences and gritty inspiration, the “Wreck the Halls” tour is a must for the holidays. Just let Johnny tell you why.

“If you've seen Street Dogs in DC or Baltimore for ‘Wreck The Halls,’ you know these are some of our favorite shows the world over,” Rioux said. “We will for sure pull out all the stops and then some.”
Starts at 8 p.m. $15. - Jason Walsh
Black Cat: 1811 14th St. NW, D.C.; 202-667-4490; www.blackcatdc.com

TUESDAY-THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13-15
Lyle Lovett at the Birchmere
For three nights, the unique vocal stylings of one of America’s great artists will be filling the stage at the Birchmere. The 54-year-old Texas native has had a successful career as a singer/songwriter since the mid 80s, and has also had a prosperous time in film, as both an actor and soundtrack musician. He made headlines in the 90s when he married superstar Julia Roberts, whom he’d met on the set of “The Player.” The couple separated after two years filled with paparazzi, but have remained friends. Lovett has recorded ten studio albums over the past quarter century and has won four Grammy Awards. For a night of good, country crooning, the Birchmere with Lyle Lovett and his acoustic group might be your ticket.
Starts at 7:30 p.m. $89.50 - Jason Walsh
The Birchmere: 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA; 703-549-7500;www.birchmere.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16
The Pietasters and the Slackers at the 9:30 Club
The two-tone locals are back again and the mad ska beats will be dropping at the 9:30 Club. The Pietasters were conceived on the campus of Virginia Tech and for the past two decades have proved themselves to be one of the most talented and diverse ska outfits in the States. They were one of the early bands on Rancid founder Tim Armstrong’s fledgling label Hellcat Records in the mid-nineties, alongside Hepcat, and Dropkick Murphys. They have opened for Joe Strummer, played on the Warped Tour, and released six studio albums to date. But, their live performance is what they are all about, crashing dancehalls at every given chance. Along for the ride is fellow Hellcat recording artists, The Slackers. Formed in ‘91, they are still out supporting their 2010 release, “The Great Rocksteady Swindle.” Part of the 90s tidal wave of ska outfits that followed in the success of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the guys from Brooklyn have had a successful run for sure. Now on their 12th studio release, the guys from New York show no signs of slowing down.
Starts at 8 p.m. $15. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21
Protest the Hero, Scale the Summit, and Last Chance to Reason at Jaxx
The “Scurrilous Tour 2011” winds its way to Jaxx as the year draws to a close. Headlined by the Canadian Prog-Metal outfit Protest the Hero, who released the album “Scurrilous” this year on Underground Operations and Vagrant Records, the show promises some of the more talented bands in experimental and technical music. Supporting Protest the Hero is the instrumental metal four-piece group from Houston, Scale the Summit, who released the their third offering this year, “The Collective,” as well as Maine’s prog-metal crew, Last Chance to Reason. For a look at some of the more creative musicianship in modern metal, this will be a good cross section of the current crop of creators.
Starts at 6 p.m. $15 advance/$17 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Jaxx: 6355 Rolling Rd. Springfield, VA; 703-569-5940; www.jaxxroxx.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23
Kix and King Belvedere at Rams Head Live
Legendary headbangers Kix will be hosting their 4th annual Kix-mas concert in their hometown of Baltimore during the holiday season. Part of the early wave of commercial metal groups, Kix formed in ‘81 and signed a contract with Atlantic Records releasing their self-titled debut that same year. They tried to survive the fall of metal in the 90s but were eventually dropped by Atlantic in ‘94 and disbanded the following year. The band reformed in 2003 without founder and principle songwriter Donnie Purnell, but have been rocking ever since. Baltimore’s King Belvedere and The Factory will joining in the Kix-mas celebrations.
Starts at 7 p.m. $25 - Jason Walsh
Rams Head Live: 20 Market Pl. Baltimore, MD; 410-244-1131; www.ramsheadlive.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29
The Return of the Kings of Hip Hop at DAR Constitution Hall
Some of the great innovators of Hip Hop will be bringing it old school this month in an unlikely venue: the DAR Constitution Hall. Flowing rhymes and mad beats will be bumping as pioneers such as Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, and Big Daddy Kane grace the stage. Also in attendance will be Rob Base, Rakim, Chubb Rock, Special Ed, and Dana Dane, in what promoters are calling the “largest Old School Hip Hop show to ever rock DC,” in which “eight Kings of Hip Hop on one stage, at one time, only for one night.” As the New Year approaches, this show will be a great way to throw down the party to wind up 2011.
Starts at 8 p.m. $49.50-74.50. - Jason Walsh
DAR Constitution Hall: 1776 D. St. NW, DC; (202) 628-4780; www.dar.org/conthall

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
Third Eye Blind and The Dirty Heads at the Washington Hilton
The Downtown Countdown is one way to spend New Years Eve this month, with Third Eye Blind and The Dirty Hands providing music and comedians and DJs providing additional entertainment. It’s a formal promotional package event sponsored by the DC 101 rock station, with buffets and open bars. San Francisco’s Third Eye Blind formed in the early 90s age of alternative, and are best known for their hits, “Semi-Charmed Life” and “How’s It Going To Be,” as well as their six-time platinum self-titled debut. Joining in the night’s festivities is The Dirty Heads, a reggae-rock crew from Southern California’s Orange County. The Downtown Countdown is 21 and over and promises to be a choice destination for the end of the year.
Starts at 9 p.m. $129-200. - Jason Walsh
Washington Hilton Towers: 1919 Connecticut Ave. N.W., DC; (202) 483-3000; www.downtowncountdown.net

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
Little Feat at The Fillmore
One of the many options for New Year’s Eve this year is at the Fillmore in Silver Springs. The eclectic 70s fusion sounds of Little Feat will be hosting the party there, with rock, blues, and the funk. Formed in ‘69 by Zappa member Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne, the band has seen a lot of members come and go during their 70s-era career and after reforming in 1987. Payne is the only original member, but shares the stage with long-time musicians Paul Barrere, Kenny Gradney, Fred Tackett, and Sam Clayton. It’s been a few years since they dropped a record of new material but last year they did release “Rams Head Revisted,” a live CD from their 2002 performance in Annapolis. The live recording was put out on their own indie label, Hot Tomato Records. For your “end of the year” party, if you are in the mood for some grooving sounds from the 70s, Little Feat at the Fillmore might be for you.
Starts at 8 p.m. $55. - Jason Walsh
The Fillmore Silver Spring: 8656 Colesville Rd. Silver Spring, MD; 301.960.9999; fillmoresilverspring.com

THURSDAY-SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29-31
Drive By Truckers at the 9:30 Club
It may not be the biggest New Years Eve party of the year, but it could be one of the longest. Drive By Truckers are set to play three nights at the 9:30 Club with a cast of different talented musicians opening on each evening leading up to December 31. The first show on Thursday night has Lucero opening, the Memphis-based, country-blended-with-punk band who have been rolling strong since 1998. Supporting them on Friday’s show is J Roddy Walston and the Business from Baltimore, who have just released their self-titled debut on Vagrant Records, and who are no strangers to playing with the Truckers. The grand finale on Saturday sees a legend hitting the stage at the 9:30 Club. The show opens with Alabama Shakes from Athens, AL, who just released their debut E.P. this year, however sharing top billing with the Drive By Truckers, is none other than Booker T, the Grammy Award winning artist who broke onto the scene in 1962 with the instrumental album, “Green Onions,” under the name Booker T and the MGs. Hosting the three nights of fun will be the down-home alternative stylings of the Drive By Truckers. With a musical lineage that began in the 80s with the punkish collaboration, Adam’s House Cat, Drive-By Truckers began their current incarnation in the 90s. Now, some sixteen years later, the band is on the road promoting their eighth studio release, “The Big To-Do.” The Truckers combine the music that spawned below the Mason-Dixon line and influenced their childhood, with modern sensibilities. If you’re looking for your New Years party to be filled with talented and deliberate sounds, then you might want the Truckers to be your last stop for 2011.
Starts at 8 p.m. on Thursday, 9 p.m. on Friday. $35-55. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

NOVEMBER MUSIC PICKS for ON TAP MAGAZINE in DC

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2
Mayhem at Sonar

One of Norway’s most notorious black metal bands will be at Sonar this November. Mayhem paved the way for the way for Scandinavian groups influenced by Slayer, Venom, and Celtic Frost, and the controversy surrounding them is legendary. The suicide of lead singer Dead in 1991 sent shock waves through the underground, when founding member Euronymous took a picture of the deceased vocalist, who took his life with a shotgun, and made it the album cover for their next record, “Dawn of the Black Hearts.” Then in 1993, Burzum bassist Varg Vikernes, who had recently joined the band, murdered Euronymous during a confrontation, stabbing him multiple times. Vikernes was sentenced to 21 years in prison, but was released on parole in 2009 after serving sixteen years. The band has also been linked to the infamous plague of church burnings across Norway during this time. The lineup has changed considerably since then, with founding bassist Necrobutcher and long-time drummer Hellhammer remaining as the only original members. This newest incarnation sees Attila Csihar on vocals and Morfeus on guitar. Joining them on this North American onslaught is Keep of Kalessin, Hate, and Abigail Williams. Alos along for the massacre is Strong Intention, Apothys, Visceral Violation, Grieve, and Throne of Carrion.
Starts at 7 p.m. $20 general admission/$50 VIP. - Jason Walsh
Sonar: 407 E. Saratoga St., Baltimore, MD; 410-783-7888;www.sonarbaltimore.com

THE MISFITS

The Misfits are back, now supporting their first record of new material in over twelve years. “The Devil’s Rain” released in October and has horror punks in a frenzy, with songs like “Land of the Dead,” “Curse of the Mummy’s Hand,” and “Ghost of Frankenstein.” Founded in Lodi, New Jersey in 1977 by Glenn Danzig, The Misfits were one of the most influential American hardcore and punk bands from the early years of the movement. In the six years of the bands existence, the lineup changed frequently with only Danzig and bassist Jerry Only remaining constant. Only’s brother Doyle replaced Bobby Steele in 1980, which made up the band’s core lineup of which most of the released material was recorded, such as “Walk Among Us” and “Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood.” Danzig went on to form Samhain in 1983 and the Misfits ceased to be, until Only and Doyle resurrected the band in 1996. Danzig refused to take part, having found success as a solo artist. They enlisted a young Michael Graves on vocals and released “Famous Monsters,” a collection of new and original songs. The new incarnation lasted until 2000, with Graves and drummer Chud quitting. Doyle left shortly after and Only restructured the Misfits again, taking on vocal duties, with Black Flag guitarist Dez Cadena. Drummers during this third version of the band included Marky Ramone, Robo from the Misfits and Black Flag, and now current percussionist Eric "Chupacabra" Arce from Murphys Law. This November, fans in the area will have two opportunities to see The Misfits with a November 3 date at the Recher Theatre and November 6 show at Jaxx. Juicehead provides the main support for this tour to promote “The Devil’s Rain,” with Singleton, Wasabi, and Chasing Morgan on the night at the Recher Theatre, and Pharmacist, Pain, Stitch The Lids, and Idol Minds opening at Jaxx.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3
Starts at 6:30 p.m. $18 advance $20 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Recher Theatre: 512 York Rd. Towson, MD; 410-337-7178;
www.rechertheatre.com
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6
Starts at 5:30 p.m. $23 advance/$25 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Jaxx: 6355 Rolling Rd. Springfield, VA; 703-569-5940; www.jaxxroxx.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16
Chuck Ragan at the Red Palace
Chuch Ragan is one of many aged punk and hardcore frontmen who have found a successful outlet later in life with folk music. Ragan was best known for his time in Hot Water Music out of Gainesville, Florida. The hardcore outfit had an acoustic side project called Rumbleseat, and when the band parted ways in 2006, Ragan began his solo career, releasing his first record, “Feast or Famine” in 2007. Currently he is out on the road supporting his fourth studio release, “Covering Ground,” which dropped this year on Side One Dummy records. The new record is an ode to his transient life as a balladeer, and Ragan will be covering ground on this tour.
Starts at 7 p.m. $10 advance/$12 day of show- Jason Walsh
The Red Palace: 1212 H St. NE, D.C.; 202-399-320; redpalacedc.com

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4
Scratch Acid and Kepone at the 9:30 Club
Austin’s Scratch Acid have reunited for their first tour since 1987. The noise punk blasters were among the early acts in the 80s to arise in the punk and hardcore scene. They were a steady lineup from ‘82-’87, and went on to different musical paths, with members going on to the Jesus Lizard, Ministry, Rapeman, and the Big Boys. In 2006, there was a brief reunion, with three shows in Austin, Chicago, and Seattle, but this marks the first full tour for the band. They influenced a number of underground bands, including Kurt Cobain, and there is limited amount of material recorded from their early days on the labels Rabid Cat and Touch and Go Records. Opening for Scratch Acid is Kepone, a heavy 90s indie band from Richmond, who have also just recently reunited, comprised of former members of Gwar, Holy Rollers, Eek-A-Mouse, and Burma Jam.
Starts at 7 p.m. $25. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Enter the Haggis and Scythian at Recher Theatre
It will be a night of great Celtic rock at the Recher Theatre this November. Enter the Haggis have returned stateside and will be sharing the stage with DC’s own Scythian. The Canadian five-piece band are based out of Toronto and have just released their seventh full-length studio album, “Whitelake.” Enter the Haggis tour relentlessly and play several of the big annual Irish festivals throughout North America. Scythian is no stranger to DC stages, having appeared frequently at the ShamrockFest since forming in 2002 and are supporting their newest offering, “American Shanty.”
Starts at 8 p.m. $15. - Jason Walsh
Recher Theatre: 512 York Rd. Towson, MD; 410-337-7178;
www.rechertheatre.com

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Fall Brawl 2011 at the Ottobar
It’s a night of some of the biggest names in hardcore at the Fall Brawl 2011 this November at the Ottobar. Leading the way are two of the biggest names from the New York Hardcore scene, Madball and Murphy’s Law. Led by frontman Freddy Cricien, Madball started as a side project for Agnostic Front’s Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma. Miret is Cricien’s older brother and this was a way for him to get the young Freddy on stage doing what he loved. Cricien has since taken the reigns, turning Madball into one of the most important hardcore bands in modern days. Madball released “Empire” last year, the band’s eighth studio release and followup to 2007’s “Infiltrate the System.” In the annals of hardcore, Murphys Law needs no introduction. The true pioneers of NYHC, led by front man Jimmy G, Murphys Law is the band that has kept going since their early days in 1982. Their self -titled debut and “Back with a Bong” are standard in any true hardcore record collection and the always outspoken Jimmy G will be sure to give the crowd a good show. The stacked lineup includes No Redeeming Social Value from New York and Bitter End from Texas, as well as Creepout from Japan, Dead End Boys, Stout, Lifeless, and Mindset.
Starts at 5 p.m. $20. - Jason Walsh
Ottobar: 2549 N. Howard St. Baltimore, MD; 410-662-0069; www.theottobar.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6
Anthrax, Testament, Death Angel at the Fillmore
It’s not the BIG 4, but it’s still a pretty BIG 3. Anthrax has taken to the road alongside fellow head-banging pioneers Testament and Death Angel for one of the biggest metal tours of the Fall. A lot has changed for Anthrax in the last year. After flipping through three vocalists since his departure from the band in 1992, Joey Belladonna returned to the group last year and the “classic” lineup from the “Among the Living” era is back together. This year, Anthrax released their first record in eight years. “Worship Music” is the powerful return for Anthrax and the first record Belladonna has been on since 1990’s “Persistence of Time.” “I guess it’s like the old days,” Belladonna said. “And if anything, it’s even more fresh because we’re all matured, everybody’s musicianship and talent, all the achievements and the growth of being a musician has gotten way better.” Since Belladonna’s return, Anthrax has been a part of some the recent BIG 4 events, which have included Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth. The first performance of this legendary roster was at last year’s Sonisphere in Sofia, Bulgaria where members from all the bands came on stage together to perform Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” Belladonna said it was an amazing experience. “You know I never thought I’d be asked to go up and sing in that setting with them, you know maybe on some other place, but even to do a song that I’ve never done before was kind of challenging. It was fun. I remember getting the email late at night, we’re riding in the bus, saying we’re going to do a song together, so learn a section, and there we went, you know. It was really very cool, you know. I’m glad to be a part of it. I hope we can do it again maybe.” Testament is one of the more renown 80s thrash bands to come from the Bay Area metal scene and they have remained together consistently through the years with numerous lineup changes. Their tenth studio record, “The Dark Roots of Earth” releases next year. Rounding out the bill is Death Angel who also spawned from the Bay area with their lightning fast guitar lines. They are still on the road supporting last year’s “Relentless Retribution.” For a show with some of the great originators in thrash metal history, this is a show no head banger will want to miss.
Starts at 7 p.m. $30. - Jason Walsh
The Fillmore Silver Spring: 8656 Colesville Rd. Silver Spring, MD; 301.960.9999; fillmoresilverspring.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9
Everlast at Recher Theatre
Whitey Ford is back. Former House of Pain MC Everlast has a new solo record out, “Songs of the Ungrateful Living.” The Grammy-Award winning rapper had a resurgence in 1998 with the two-time platinum “Whitey Ford Sings the Blues,” which dropped the hits “What it’s Like” and “Ends” to an unsuspecting public that had no idea that Erik “Everlast” Schrody could play guitar. The followup, “Eat at Whitey’s” was also well received and went gold. In recent times, Everlast has been linked to the La Coka Nostra crew and was apparently involved in a street racing incident with Justin Bieber this past August, in which Bieber crashed his Ferrari. Who would have thought?
Starts at 7 p.m. $12 advance $15 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Recher Theatre: 512 York Rd. Towson, MD; 410-337-7178;
www.rechertheatre.com


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience at the Fillmore
The son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham is taking his father’s music to big venues across the U.S. Dubbed Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience, Bonham will be performing all the great hits from his dad’s band, that were the masterwork of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. Bonham played drums with Zeppelin at the 2007 reunion at London’s O2 arena and this newest incarnation is an homage to his dad, but the rest of the band as well. Aside from the great music from one of the most legendary 70s rock bands, the performance will be a visual experience, including archived video from Zeppelin and surely some laser lights. Bonham has assembled and all-star band for this tribute to his father and his mates and any Zeppelin fan won’t want to miss this one.
Starts at 8 p.m. $35-125. - Jason Walsh
The Fillmore Silver Spring: 8656 Colesville Rd. Silver Spring, MD; 301.960.9999; fillmoresilverspring.com

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11
Foo Fighters, Social Distortion, and the Joy Formidable at Verizon Center
Dave Grohl is a very busy guy, and currently he is back on the road with his band the Foo Fighters. Grohl, once drummer for Nirvana and founder of the Foo Fighters, is always bouncing around between projects and this tour supports their newest and seventh studio release, “Wasting Light,” which Grohl has called their “heaviest album yet.” The single “Rope” preceded the album’s April release date, and since fans have heard three other rocking singles, “Walk,” “Arlandria,” and “These Days.” Unlike some of the more polished Foo Fighter records, “Wasting Light” was recorded in Grohl’s garage. “There's poetry in being the band that can sell out Wembley but also makes a record in a garage,” Grohl said. Grohl started the Foo Fighters in 1994 following the suicide of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. Aside from the Foo Fighters, he has worked on side projects like Probot, Them Crooked Vultures with Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, and Queens of the Stone Age and has done session work with Nine Inch Nails, Killing Joke, and The Prodigy. Also on the night’s marquee at the Verizon Center is Social Distortion. Led by Mike Ness, the original L.A. punk scene group has transformed over the decades, with a more rockabilly influence in recent times. “Mommys Little Monster” may be their classic contribution to the early punk movement, but it was the more commercially accepted “Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell” that brought them notoriety, most notably from the success of the hit “Ball and Chain.” Social D’s newest record, “Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes,” released in January on Epitaph records, their first release of new material since 2004’s “Sex, Love, and Rock 'n Roll.” Rounding out the night of music at the Verizon is Joy Formidable, an Alt-rock trio from England, who have just released theur first record, “The Big Roar,” on Atlantic Records.
Starts at 7 p.m. $37.50-$57.50. - Jason Walsh
Verizon Center: 601 F. St. NW, D.C.; 202-628-3200; www.verizoncenter.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Agnostic Front, The Mongoloids, and Naysayer at the Ottobar
Bet the Devil and Behind the Masses
The godfathers of hardcore are coming around again, this time with their newest collection of old school New York Hard Core anthems. “My Life My Way” was released on Nuclear Blast records in March and is a record of all new material from founding members Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma, and the producing credits go to Miret’s brother Freddy Cricien of Madball. The Lower East Side Crew has been paving the way in hardcore since their early beginnings three decades ago in the NYHC underground, changing the sound of hardcore in the era of Sunday Matinees at CBGB’s. This followup to 2007’s “Warriors” is a classic example of why Agnostic Front has had such a successful longevity in the hardcore scene. Hundreds of HC bands have been influenced by Agnostic Front, who brought unity and pride into their scene which is rooted deeply amongst the five boroughs. On the tour with AF are the Mongoloids and Naysayer, and opening acts include Bet the Devil and Behind the Masses at this Ottobar hardcore event.
Starts at 7 p.m. $15. - Jason Walsh
Ottobar: 2549 N. Howard St. Baltimore, MD; 410-662-0069; www.theottobar.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Chimaira, Unearth, Skeletonwitch, and Molotov Solution at Jaxx
This will be a night of very heavy music. Headlining this head pounding evening is Chimaira from Cleveland. Started in 1998 by founding guitarist Jason Hager and vocalist Mark Hunter, Chimaira has evolved over the past thirteen years, with some lineup changes and six studio records, including 2011’s “The Age of Hell.” Sharing top billing is Unearth, a metal core band from Massachusetts, who are promoting their newest record as well. “Darkness in the Light” is Unearth’s fifth studio release and hit stores this past summer. Skeletonwitch is an extreme thrash metal band from Athens, Ohio, who also have a new record, “Forever Abomination.” Rounding out the bill of heavy-hitting outfits is Molotov Solution, a deathcore crew from Las Vegas. It you like it heavy, loud, and painful, then this lineup at Jaxx is for you.
Starts at 5 p.m. $18 advance/$20 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Jaxx: 6355 Rolling Rd. Springfield, VA; 703-569-5940; www.jaxxroxx.com

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21
The Smoker’s Club Tour Part Deaux 2011 at the 9:30 Club
The Smoker’s Club Tour Part Deaux 2011is the return of Method Man and crew to share their two favorite things with audiences: music and medicinal marijuana. The Smoker’s Club started in 2010 by the like-minded weed connoisseurs that included founders Jonny Shipes, Shiest Bubz, Steve-O, and Smoke DZA. The crew decided to take the music to the streets in an event that would celebrate their favorite hobby. They had a successful tour run last year as well as a performance at SXSW, and decided to hit the road again with the extended family. This 2011 tour includes Method Man at the helm, alongside rappers Big K.R.I.T., Curren$y Spitta, Smoke DZA and The Pricks. “I grew up off High Times and there was the ‘Up In Smoke Tour,’ which I used to go to when I was a kid,” said founder Jonny Shipes. “I loved Snoop, Cypress, Redman, et cetera. Now, you have us and we’re just an extension of what we grew up on. We’re basically taking our lifestyle on the road to party with our supporters.” This 35 city run winds its way into DC this November, so be sure to make sure your lighter is working.
Starts at 7 p.m. $35. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27
Mastodon, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Red Fang at the 9:30 Club
The heavy sludge metal madmen from Atlanta are on tour with their fifth studio record, “The Hunter.” The stoner rock outfit have been a popular touring act since their 200 debut, “Remission,” harkening back to the days of Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy, as well as more modern groups like Neurosis and the Melvins. Sharing the bill with Mastodon is Dillinger Escape Plan, the mathcore shredders from New Jersey who are still supporting last year’s “Optiion Paralysis” from last year. Opening the night’s show is metal band Red Fang from Portland, Oregon.
Starts at 6:30 p.m. $30. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

OCTOBER MUSIC PICKS for ON TAP MAGAZINE

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7
Henry Rollins at Grosvenor Auditorium
It may seem hard to believe that punk legend Henry Rollins would be having a performance at National Geographic's Headquarters in DC, but the content of his current new book, "Occupants," makes him the perfect candidate for the Society's "Music on...Photography" series. The former Black Flag and Rollins band frontman is an avid world traveller and found himself thrust into the project.

"Many years ago I started working on a collection of photographs for eventual publication," Rollins said. "I do a lot of traveling and as much as I write when I am in these places, a photograph speaks a different language, so I started hauling a camera around with me everywhere I went and documented moments as best as I could."

Ben Folds, Moby, Neko, and Andy Summers from the Police have all been past guests for the "Music on...Photography" series which began last year, featurning professional musicians sharing their photography and thoughts concerning its impact on the world around them. Rollins has always had a unique insight concerning the state of the world and this was a chance for him to include the thoughts in his writing with visual imagery to support it.

"I decided to call the book Occupants," he said. "I figure that's what we are. We get some time on the planet and that's it. I'm not a photographer, just someone with a lot of visas in his passport and a camera on his shoulder. The last thing I wanted was for someone to think I was being pretentious. I thought about what I could do to make the book be more time intensive on my part, so there would be more for the person who endeavored to get the book. I came to the conclusion that I would write something for each photo. In fact, I would write two things: an impression of the photograph and a caption that provided more of the practical information about where the image was captured, et cetera."

Always busy, Rollins is also the host of a new show on the Society's Nat Geo WILD channel called "Animal Underworld." The show focuses on people who have an affinity for different types of animals, whether it is to own or eat. Rollins presentation will be on October 7 at the Grosvenor Auditorium. Later this month, Pattie Boyd, former wife of George Harrison and Eric Clapton and inspiration for the songs "Something" and "Layla," will be host for the series on October 12, sharing images of her life with her two famous former husbands.
Starts at 7:30 p.m. $38 Nat. Geog. members/$40 General Public. - Jason Walsh
The Grosvenor Auditorium: 1600 M. St. NW, DC; 202-857-7700; events.nationalgeographic.com/

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20
Gwar at the 9:30 Club
Winter is coming, and Gwar at the 9:30 Club is the first sign. The insanely amazing shock rockers, gods of their own design, will be once again reeking havoc on crowds in DC this October. Formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, these early beginnings saw film students that were heavy metal enthusiasts create the unholy stage show that is now Gwar. From their secret lair in Antarctica, led by the most brutal Oderus Urungus, Flattus Maximus, Beefcake the Mighty, and Balsac the Jaws of Death, Gwar will be sure to share their blood-spewing theatrical mayhem that fans have come to expect from the band. The notorious shock metal creatures released their twelfth studio album last year, "Bloody Pit of Horror," on Metal Blade Records following up 2009’s "Lust in Space." GWAR is not a band for the weak of heart, or stomach, as you have to expect the unexpected from one of the craziest stage shows ever executed. Be prepared to duck or run, as you just never know what may come flying into the audience. Adorned in nightmarish armored costumes as sacrifices performed by slaves regularly share the stage, a night with Gwar will never be forgotten, but be sure not to wear your best Sunday clothes. Gwar has continued their campaign of filth, decadence, and destruction for the past three decades proving the immortality of the outfit. "Eons ago, there existed an elite group of chaos warriors who ravaged the galaxy with a boundless hatred of all things alive.” Yes, Gwar is returning to DC, this time with Every Time I Die and Warbeast along for the carnage.
Starts at 7 p.m. $25. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

41, part 3...

The Search for the Dust Bowl, 2011

August Concert Previews for ON TAP Magazine

MONDAY, AUGUST 1
Merle Haggard at the Birchmere
While Johnny Cash may be one of the most renown country outlaws, Merle Haggard has to be one of its most authentic. During an interview with Haggard and Cash about the famous San Quentin prison performance, Haggard told the Man in Black he had been there. “I don’t remember you being on the bill,” Cash said, to which Haggard replied, “I was in the audience.” The early years in California for the Bakersfield youth were tough: his father passed when he was nine, he dabbled in truancy and petty crimes, and eventually was sentenced to three years at San Quentin for attempted robbery in 1957. Life in prison changed Haggard’s outlook and when he was finally released, he took a more serious approach to music, which he had dabbled with before his incarceration. Alongside Buck Owens and his band, The Stranglers, Haggard had begun to develop what would later be called The Bakersfield Sound, a rougher style of country than Nashville’s Honky Tonk, with a signature Fender Telecaster driving the way. Nearly fifty years later, “The Hag” has countless number one hits and Country Music Awards, three Grammys, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Alexandria will play host to one of Country Music’s greatest legends.
Starts at 9:30 p.m. $79.50. - Jason Walsh
The Birchmere: 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA; 703-549-7500;www.birchmere.com
http://merlehaggard.com/

MONDAY, AUGUST 15
Summer Slaughter Tour at 9:30 Club
One of the heaviest and darkest tours of the summer will be invading the 9:30 this August. Now in its fifth year, the Summer Slaughter Tour sees The Black Dahlia Murder and Whitechapel leading the pack, with veterans like Six Feet Under and Darkest Hour providing support. The Black Dahlia Murder hails from the Detroit area and recently released their newest studio album, “Ritual,” which Vocalist Trevor Strnad says represents their outlook on live performance. “When we play a show, it's like a ritual, a group catharsis,” Strnad said. “We are unified with our fans through the platform of live performance. There is a real magic there. Like the album cover represents, there are two halves required; us and you. Yes, we are an evil band. Yes, we sing about Satan. But really, how I see it, our evil is for your own good. The character Satan in our music represents the freedom to think for yourself.” Whitechapel from Knoxville, Tennessee brings their deathcore mayhem to the slaughter, still promoting their third record, “A New Era of Corruption.” DC locals Darkest Hour found their way on this tour as well, with “The Human Romance” being their current output of new material. One of the most brutal acts on the roster is Six Feet Under, part of the Florida death metal explosion in the 90s, who have released eight studio full-lengths since their inception almost twenty years ago. Rounding out the bill are Dying Fetus, As Bloos Runs Black, Oceano, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Powerglove.
Starts at 2:30 p.m. $24. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20
Marginal Man, Strike Anywhere, Damnation A.D. at Black Cat
One of DCs seminal hardcore bands will be headlining the Black Cat this month with their unique underground anthems. Marginal Man rose from the ashes of their first project, Artificial Peace, which was one of the many infamous acts found on the classic Dischord compilation, “Flex Your Head,” as well as the band Toasterhead. They rose out of the streets of DC with groups like Minor Threat, Government Issue, Faith, Void, and S.O.A., which featured Henry Rollins. In the 80s they release “Identity” and “Double Image,” hardcore classics found in any complete collection of the era and some thirty years later, Marginal Man will still get the mosh pit moving in the Capitol. Richmond’s Strike Anywhere will be at the Cat along with Damnation A.D., who are also from the District. For a night of local hardcore history, this will be a fun show not to miss.
Starts at 8:30 p.m. $15. - Jason Walsh
Black Cat: 1811 14th St. NW, D.C.; 202-667-4490; www.blackcatdc.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26
Warchild at Rock and Roll Hotel
Thrash metal will be annihilating the stage at the Rock and Roll Hotel as DC’s own Warchild brings their “beer fueled” mayhem to another hometown show. This relatively new group will be releasing their first album this year and their song, “Back to the Mines,” is featured in the Relentless Energy Drink “2011 Clash” skate video. If you want an idea of what you’re getting into, hit up their website (warchilddc.com) and check out their insanely hilarious interview around town with Rochelle Relton. Warchild slays in the vein of Municipal Waste and all those great 80s thrash/mosh bands from yesteryear, so all you headbangers should hit up the Rock and Roll Hotel this August for your shot of metal.
Starts at 8:30 p.m. $10. - Jason Walsh
Rock N Roll Hotel: 1353 H St. NE, D.C.; 202-388-ROCK; www.rockandrollhoteldc.com

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
The Pietasters and The Thrilltones at Jammin’ Java
The two-tone locals are back again and the mad ska beats will be dropping at the Jammin’ Java. The Pietasters were conceived on the campus of Virginia Tech and for the past two decades have proved themselves to be one of the most talented and diverse ska outfits in the States. They were one of the early bands on Rancid founder Tim Armstrong’s fledgling label Hellcat Records in the mid-nineties, alongside The Slackers, Hepcat, and Dropkick Murphys. They have opened for Joe Strummer, played on the Warped Tour, and released six studio albums to date. But, their live performance is what they are all about, crashing dancehalls at every given chance. Providing support on this evening’s bill are The Thrilltones from DC. Tight quarters at the Java, so this will be skankin’ room only.
Starts at 9:30 p.m. $17 advance/$20 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Jammin Java: 227 Maple Ave. East, Vienna, VA; 703-255-1566; www.jamminjava.com

July preview for SUBLIME WITH ROME

FRIDAY, JULY 29
311 and Sublime with Rome
“The Unity Tour 2011” rolls into Bristow this year headlined by 311 and Sublime with Rome for yet another summer festival that promises good vibes and easy skanking. 311 formed in the late 80s in Nebraska and hit their stride in the 90s with hits like “Down,” “All Mixed Up,” and most recently with “Sunset in July” off their newest offering “Universal Pulse,” which hits shelves this month. Sublime was a groundbreaking outfit from Long Beach that changed the music landscape, fusing reggae, ska, punk, and hiphop with the acoustical stylings and lyrical genius of the late Brad Nowell, who died of a heroin overdose just two months before the release of their most successful album, the self-titled, “Sublime.” Bandmates Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh continued on after Nowell’s death as the Long Beach Dub Allstars, but crossed paths with the talented Rome Ramirez, resurrecting the music they created as Sublime. The trio has finished recording their first album together, “Yours Truly,” which releases this month. Ramirez said he is very optimistic about joining the Unity Tour this summer. “We’re so excited to hit the US with 311,“ Ramirez said. “We’ll have our album out and will be playing new original songs alongside the fan favorites. This will be an epic tour that will forever be remembered. Can't wait for summer.” Supporting 311 and Sublime with Rome on the “Unity Tour 2011” is DJ Soulman and DJ Trichrome.
Starts at 6:30 p.m. $30. - Jason Walsh
Jiffy Lube Live: 7800 Cellar Door Dr. Bristow, VA; 703-754-6400; www.livenation.com

85th street surf session with the kids...

Williamsburg 2011

June Concert Previews for ON TAP Magazine in DC

SATURDAY, JUNE 25
Dinosaur Jr., Henry Rollins, and OFF! At 9:30 Club
J Mascis and Lou Barlow grew up in Western Massachusetts, starting a hardcore band called Deep Wound. From there it was Mogo, Dinosaur, then Dinosaur Jr., what they themselves have called “ear-bleeding country.” Along with drummer Murph, Dinosaur Jr. built a strong following with their unique slacker alternative sound in the late 80s and early 90s before disbanding in 1997, with Barlow going on to form Sebadoah. The three reunited in 2005 and have since released two records, 2007’s “Beyond” and “Farm” in 2009. The night’s performance will include the 1988 “Bug” performed in its entirety, along with an interview of the band held by none other than Henry Rollins. There’s no telling how that will go.

However, opening for Dinosaur Jr. is the most revolutionary collaboration of the last year. Following a falling out amongst the members of the Circle Jerks while trying to record a new album, Keith Morris and Dimitri Coats of Burning Brides went on to enlist the talents of old school Red Kross bassist Steven Shane McDonald and former Rocket from the Crypt drummer Mario Rubalcaba to form one of the heaviest outfits to come from the streets of Los Angeles in a long time. OFF! is a refreshing throwback of the honest and aggressive punk days Morris rose out of with his early bands Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, yet it’s fresh and current, coming from the unique blend of band members assembled. Releasing the four song E.P., “1st EP,” the band shot four separate videos for each song on the record which went viral quickly. Following up the four songs, along with 12 new ones, OFF! released their debut full-length, “First Four Eps” and has been on the road and playing festivals ever since.

“I’m excited, I’m happy, I love this band, I love the guys in this band,“ Morris said. “There’s not a lot of head trips. There’s a little bit of ego, but that’s OK, a little bit of ego doesn’t hurt, doesn’t kill anybody. The songs pretty much speak for themselves, the energy of the songs, the way that they blast out at you. I’m just totally psyched over this, totally jazzed.”
Starts at 8 p.m. $30. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

FRIDAY, JUNE 3
Loudness, A Sound of Thunder, The Maiden Project, Dirty Passion at Jaxx
The “rock and roll crazy nights” of the 80s are on their way to Jaxx this June all the way from Japan. Loudness, formed in 1981 in Osaka under the name Lazy, gained much notoriety due to their friends in Twisted Sister in ‘85 when they released “Thunder in the East” on Atco Records. The single, “Crazy Nights,” introduced the world to the first noteworthy Japanese heavy metal band, who later toured with many of the big-time acts of the decade and were renown for their incredibly loud live performance. Opening for Loudness is a stacked roster which includes A Sound of Thunder and Iron Maiden tribute band, The Maiden Project. Rounding out the bill is Dirty Passion from Sweden, War Machine, and Seelow Heights.
Starts at 7 p.m. $23 advance/$25 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Jaxx: 6355 Rolling Rd. Springfield, VA; 703-569-5940; www.jaxxroxx.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 4
Stiff Little Fingers at the Black Cat
Formed in Belfast during the worst times of “The Troubles” in Ireland, Stiff Little Fingers is on of the most recognizable bands in the early years of the punk movement. Started as a Deep Purple cover band called Highway Star, they discovered the revolution of punk rock in ‘77 and changed their name to Stiff Little Fingers, based on a Vibrators song of the name. They went on to release “Inflammable Material” in 1978, influenced greatly by the insurgence they were experiencing daily in Northern Ireland, which became one of the truly important punk records of the early years. They played together and released 4 albums between ‘77-’83 before calling it quits, reforming again in ‘87 and playing off-an-on, through various incarnations from then until now. For a night of punk history, this is one not to miss.
Starts at 9 p.m. $16 $18. - Jason Walsh
Black Cat: 1811 14th St. NW, D.C.; 202-667-4490; www.blackcatdc.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 11
US Air Guitar Championships at 9:30 Club
Oh yeah, it’s back. All those insane performance junkies and exhibitionists will be giving it their all at this year’s regional US Air Guitar Championship on the stage of the 9:30 Club. Judged by technical merit, stage presence, and “airness,” the best and brightest have left the mirrors in their bedrooms to bring you their thoughtful rock interpretations. The DC engagement is one of 18 engagements across the nation, winding to Chicago on July 23 for the National Finals. What can you say, just hit up the internet for some clips and you’ll see exactly what you’re in for…Hendrix is crying somewhere.
Starts at 7 p.m. $20. - Jason Walsh
9:30 Club: 815 V. St. NW, D.C.; 202-265-0930; www.930.com

FRIDAY, JUNE 17
Dave Alvin and Los Straitjackets at the Birchmere
The “King of California” is hitting Alexandria this June with his folk-blues interpretations that have helped him make a name for himself. Dave Alvin has been rocking since the late 70s, having played in the underground bands The Blasters, X, The Flesh Eaters, and the Gun Club before going solo in 1987 in a new direction. He received a Grammy in 2000 for a collection of traditional blues and folk classics and most recently has provided the song, “Harlan County Line,” for the FX series Justified. Providing support for Dave Alvin and the Guilty Ones is Nashville’s Los Straitjackets, who play surf and rockabilly instrumental jams, all while donning Mexican wrestling masks.
Starts at 7:30 p.m. $25. - Jason Walsh
The Birchmere: 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA; 703-549-7500;www.birchmere.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 18
Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown at Regency Furniture Stadium
Country music royalty is bringing some of the best and brightest of the genre for a true day of down home tunes. “Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown 2011” hits the road with Willie headlining, alongside great artists like Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Jack Ingram, and Lee Brice. Willie is a legend, with a career spanning decades, and having been a part of the rise of “outlaw” country which included Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. The festival will also include the talents of Brantley Gilbert, Craig Campbell, Drake White, and Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real.
Starts 3:30 p.m. $40. - Jason Walsh
Regency Furniture Stadium: 11765 St. Linus Dr., Waldorf, MD; 301-638-9788; www.countrythrowdown.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 19
Black Country Communion at 9:30 Club
Yet another “supergroup” has emerged from the ranks of rock royalty. Black Country Communion began as a collaboration with former Deep Purple bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes with guitar “phenom” Joe Bonamassa, later recruiting Jason Bonham, son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, along with Dream Theater keyboard player, Derek Sherinian. The four-piece released their first record “Black Country” in 2010, and has a June 13 release date for their aptly named sophomore effort, “2.” Taking their name from the British industrial region where Hughes and Bonham grew up, Black Country Communion is a throwback to the great rock and blues of yesteryear.
Starts at 7 p.m. $49. - Jason Walsh

Flogging Molly: The Speed of Darkness

An interview with Dennis Casey
by Jason Walsh
photos by Jez Beasley

The city of Detroit was a once thriving manufacturing powerhouse, home to the “Big Three” in the automobile industry, Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. A large percentage of the city’s workforce was employed by these three industrial giants until the economy plummeted. Chrysler declared bankruptcy and was bought by Fiat, General Motors filed Chapter 13 as well and was bailed out by the Federal Government, and Ford remains on life support. The people of Detroit have not fared well over the last few years and their once proud community lies in ruins.

Dave King and his wife, Bridget Regan, from Flogging Molly moved to Detroit prior to the recession. It was Regan’s hometown and the newlyweds watched as the city crumbled around them. When the time came to write the latest Flogging Molly record, the band came together at King and Regan’s home in the former Motor City, drawing inspiration from their surroundings. “Speed of Darkness” is the band’s fifth studio release, with stories and observations about the struggles of not only Detroit, but the entire world. The record’s first single, “Don’t Shut ’Em Down” is a battle cry for the blue-collar worker, in a time when they need a pat on the back.

I had a chance to speak with guitarist Dennis Casey about the new album and his experience in the city, as well as the band striking out on their own with their new label, “Borstal Beat Records.”

So tell me about the new record.

Casey: Well, it was recorded in Asheville, North Carolina and in El Paso, Texas. It’s called “Speed of Darkness.” What else can I tell you about it?

A lot of this record revolves around Detroit. Tell me about the Detroit influences.

Casey: Well, Dave, our singer who writes the lyrics and the majority of the songs, moved to Michigan with his wife, Bridget (Regan) who plays the fiddle. So, they have a house in Detroit and they bought this house a couple years ago and then the economy collapsed. Dave was very moved by what he saw, living in Detroit and seeing the effects of an economy collapsing has on a city like Detroit, which is pretty much a blue-collar city. He was inspired by that but he was also inspired by home because Ireland started having their fair share of problems as well.

On the record, you guys have a lot of songs that are talking about basically what everyone has been going through for the past couple years. Detroit is kind of like the model of what’s going on all over but just on a larger scale, and then you talk about Ireland. I mean you’ve got a lot of songs on here that talk about the perspective of what’s going on in the world right now.

Casey: Yeah, Dave actually said “it’s a record I had to write, it’s not a record I wanted to write.” I was of the same mind, I was like “how come nobody else is singing about this stuff, nobody’s writing about it?” I thought I’d hear more about it, but now I am. But for a while there, I was like “Jesus, isn’t anybody going to write about this, talk about this.” There’s a lot of people out there that are in a bad way, and as you know, lost their jobs, lost their homes.

I have family that live outside of Detroit in Kalamazoo and I go up there a couple times a year, and just seeing, even on the outskirts of the city, just how bad things are. But then again, you go around the country, I mean you guys travel a lot and go to different cities, and you can see the breakdown all over country over the last few years.

Casey: Yeah, we as the band got together in Dave’s basement in Detroit and we actually wrote and rehearsed the record there, so we spent a lot of time in Detroit and I’ve never spent that much time there. We did like three different writing sessions, each session was about two weeks, and I have to say, I’ve never seen any city quite like Detroit. It’s very unique unto itself, how it’s all spread out and it was just pockets of areas that are thriving somewhat and then there’s pockets of areas where it’s just completely run down, houses are boarded up, buildings abandoned. The city is so spread out. I didn’t realize how far and wide Detroit was. It just keeps going. I’ve never seen, in all my travels, a city quite like that.

That had to be a big influence on you guys being in that environment, and a lot of the tones of the songs being about that city and what’s going on there. What did you take away from your experience being up there?

Casey: The way things get destroyed, at the speed of which things get destroyed, like the train station there. We took a band photo there. We all thought that would be a great idea, because we were going to call the album “Speed of Darkness.” It just shows this beautiful structure that’s probably 50-60 years old, is in complete ruins, completely abandoned, completely destroyed, vandalized, and you look at this mammoth structure that’s just sitting there, not being used, and I just walk away with my head in my hands, just like “how can this happen? How can this be?” This is the richest country in the world supposedly. And this building, I don’t know if you’ve seen the Detroit train station, it’s beautiful, it’s like 25 stories high and just mammoth, and it’s done, it’s gone. It’s just sitting there, and that’s the other thing, they just leave things sitting there. But I will say this, there’s been a lot of artists moving into Detroit. I did notice that, because it is so affordable and artists usually don’t make a lot of money. What they’re talking of doing is just getting rid of a lot of the houses. There’s just a lot of houses that are sitting there abandoned, nobody knows who owns them, can’t find who does own them, and there’s talks of just leveling the houses and planting gardens so people can grow food. I think like that’s a solution. These are things that I’ve taken away from spending all that time there.

And that’s the thing. When you have a community that’s been demolished, how do you make the best of it? And like I said, a lot of themes I’ve seen on these songs are talking about resilience in the face of hardship. And you know, how do you overcome, when you’ve come all the way to the bottom?

Casey: Right. The one thing I will say and the other thing I noticed, it’s all coming to me as we talk (laughs) is that there is a lot of local community pride and ambition to keep things going, to build the city up again. And the people, almost all the stores I went into advertised “locally grown food” or “locally made clothes.” They really pride themselves in keeping businesses local. You know, they have breweries there, we’d go out to bars and the bars carried the local brews. I think that’s the sense of pride and perseverance that is still prevalent there among people that live there. It was really inspiring for me, because like you were saying, this is a city that, I mean I don’t know what a bottom is for a city, but it’s certainly not thriving and doing well. It’s in a transitional phase and it’s taking people that are living there and sticking it out, putting their hard-earned money and time and effort into making the best of it. I guess my hope is that it will flourish in a different way. It will be a different city, it won’t be this big automobile manufacturing city.

It sounds like you were definitely moved by your experiences there.

Casey: Yeah. It’s like you can’t not be. You’re spending all that time there, you know you go out to the pubs and the bars and talk to people. It’s just all around you. When you drive, you know we would drive, we didn’t stay close to where Dave’s house is so we had a fairly long commute and we’d go through neighborhoods and you just get a sense of it. You can’t not be moved by it.

Let’s talk about the record. There’s some great songs on there. I’ve had the chance to listen to it a couple of times. I’m really happy to hear what I heard, and you know, it’s not a your typical Flogging Molly record, but then again, what is a typical Flogging Molly record? You guys have always kind of evolved to different things through the course of years you’ve been doing this.

Casey: Yeah, I’m stealing your quote. I’m going to use that one, it’s a good one (laughs). It’s not a typical Flogging Molly record because what is a typical Flogging Molly record. Yeah, we always try to expand our comfort zone or challenge ourselves, because we’re a band of seven very different people that come from very different places and we’re different ages, different sexes, and completely different backgrounds and there’s a lot of musical influences in that and this band. It’s going to take a long time to exhaust them all. Having said that, it’s never a conscious decision to decide how you are going to maybe play on a song. For me it’s just, Dave plays it and whatever comes to me comes to me and I think playing in the band for almost 15 years now, it lends itself to that. We’ve just grown so much closer as a band, all the touring we do and the time we spend together. There’s just a sense of each other and what we do is get in a room and just do what you do. It’s not really that mathematical or thought out, so to speak. We tend to make different sounding records because we’ve also been doing it for 15 years. It’s no fun to make the same record over and over. I can’t imagine doing that.

When you guys first come together and start working on new material like this, is that still exciting for you? Is that a favorite part of doing this or more a labor of love?

Casey: I don’t really have like a favorite part about being…well, I think playing on stage for an hour-and-a-half or two hours is probably my favorite part. But I will say that, we don’t do it enough, make records, so I think it’s real burst of creativity and energy when we do, and I do think that’s another reason why the records maybe sound different. We tour so much, it’s hard for us to be in the studio as much as maybe we’d like to, maybe three years in between records. Personally, I just have a ton of ideas, bursting at the seams of all this music that you want to get out so I like the process. It is…don’t get me wrong, it’s not always easy. Sometimes it’s super easy, it takes like a half hour to write a song with the whole band, sometimes it takes a couple days.

One of the songs on there I noticed, “The Power’s Out,” it felt like you were channeling some Delta Blues on that one.

Casey: Yeah, actually that’s one of the one’s I’m most proud of because it is a song that has that Delta Blues but it’s got this traditional Irish part to it as well and I think we pulled it off, I mean if I say so myself. It isn’t like that it doesn’t sound like it fits, it fits perfectly and it sounds good and I think that just like kicked a whole new door open for Flogging Molly. I think it just turned into that. Dave is a very sparse guitar player so his songs are really open to interpretation.

Now you guys had been on Side One Dummy records for a long time. What made you to decide to start your own label, Borstal Beat Records?

Casey: It goes back to being in the band for almost 15 years and we were with Side One I think for 13, and we decided that it was maybe time to try and stand on our own and see what happens. I mean this could be a complete flop or failure, we don’t know, but we just thought it would be nice to try and go on our own. With the music business changing like it has, it seems like the right thing to do. We’d also like to maybe sign some our bands that we like, some of our friends, and then bring them out on tour with us, which we did with Side One quite a bit, brought along a lot of Side One bands, so we just thought why don’t we do this for ourselves.

And that’s a good thing. You’re creating your own home, but then somewhere that other people you admire, a home for them as well.

Casey: Yeah, because we all know, well everybody in the band knows, how hard it is to just get a tour, to be in a band that can tour, to get your foot in the door maybe for something like that is so hard, so very hard for so many bands, and how great would that be to offer that to someone. I mean I think that inspires us a lot.

The record comes out the end of May. For the rest of the year, it looks like you guys are booked here, then overseas, then back here, then over there. You guys are going to be doing a lot of touring and a lot of traveling.

Casey: Well, I’m on tour right now and we’ll finish up at the end of the week, take a couple weeks off, and go back and do a tour when the record comes out of the West Coast and then we’re going to head right over to Europe for the whole month of June. July, regroup again, then July we’re going to do more touring in the U.S. Then August, I think we go back to Europe and then, uh, you can just go back and forth with that. We’re going to be on tour now for a couple years. That’s what happens when you put a record out and that’s basically what we’re going to be doing.

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY and AMON AMARTH previews for ON TAP Magazine

some very metal shows coming to the DC area...these are a couple previews I did this morning for ON TAP Magazine in DC...

MONDAY, MAY 9
Cavalera Conspiracy and Lazarus A.D. at the Recher Theatre

The brothers Cavalera are back with their second post-Sepultura collaboration. “Blunt Force Trauma” was released this past March and is the much anticipated follow-up to their 2008 “Inflikted” debut, which saw Max and Iggor Cavalera creating music together for the first time in over a decade. A dark day descended into the history of metal when Max left Sepultura in 1996. It was a bad break and the two brothers, who formed the band in Sao Paulo, Brazil during the rise of death metal in the 80s, would not speak to one another for ten years. A phone call changed this a few years ago and led to the reunion that spawned Cavalera Conspiracy, backed now with Max’s bandmates from Soulfly, Marc Rizzo and Johny Chow. Now three years later, the newest output from this highly regarded “side-project” is blowing out speakers around the world.

"If you liked the first Cavalera Conspiracy album you're going to love this one," Max Cavalera said. "It's more brutal. It's more ‘in-your-face.’ Blunt Force Trauma is the feeling you get when you hear it."

With Iggor’s thundering drums and Max’s dark lyrical assault, the new songs channel pure metal with hardcore influences finding their way into the soul and structure, while never losing the tribal Brazilian roots that separate the Cavalera style from the rest of the metal community. It’s good to hear the brothers creating together once again, and they are enjoying the reuniting of family as well.

"It feels amazing to work with my brother Max again,” Iggor said. “I think this second album solidifies us more as a band and separates us from all this one shot projects. After touring all over the globe with Cavalera Conspiracy, it was time to write some new stuff and I am very proud of this release. Blood is thicker than anything."

Supporting Cavalera Conspiracy is Lazarus A.D. from Kenosha, Wisconsin who just released their second studio album, “Black Rivers Flow,” on Metal Blade Records. It will be a very heavy night.

Starts at 7 p.m. $18 advance $20 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Recher Theatre: 512 York Rd. Towson, MD; 410-337-7178; www.rechertheatre.com

MONDAY, MAY 2
Amon Amarth at Jaxx


The Swedish warriors have crossed the ocean once again, delivering their unique melodic death metal to unsuspecting Americans everywhere. Amon Amarth are winding their tour in the States to an end in support of their latest release, “Surtur Rising.” Dubbed “An evening with Amon Amarth,” the night at Jaxx will consist of two sets, the first being the band performing “Surtur Rising” in its entirety, while the second set will consist of songs from their eight previous studio releases. The Swedish outfit is unlike many of their black metal counterparts from Scandinavia.

“We’ve never called ourselves Viking metal and like most musicians, we just don’t like to put labels on ourselves,” Vocalist Johan Hegg said. “In our mind, it’s very much associated with bands that come out of Norway who are playing a very black metal oriented music and that’s not what we play. Sure, we have the same inspirations when it comes to the lyrical themes but musically we’re a completely different kind of metal so it’s tricky.”

The name “Amon Amarth” comes from the name of “Mount Doom” in Tolkein’s Middle Earth literature. Musically complicated and dynamic, the style the band has developed over the years is fast and powerful, and this newest epic showcases not only their talents, but their song crafting skills in creating a legendary tale through growling, apocalyptic music. “Surtur Rising” promises to be the band’s greatest effort to date and locals have a chance to see the entire record as it was meant to be heard.

"We can't thank our fans enough for showing their appreciation of our music and making this album our most successful release to date,” Guitarist Olavi Mikkonen said. “We are looking forward to performing the songs from Surtur Rising live and delivering a powerful, crushing set. See you on tour, cheers!"

Starts at 7 p.m. $23 advance/$28 day of show. - Jason Walsh
Jaxx: 6355 Rolling Rd. Springfield, VA; 703-569-5940; www.jaxxroxx.com

OFF! article for AMP Magazine

An interview with Keith Morris
by Jason Walsh

What began as a Circle Jerks reunion for an album of new material ended ugly, with founder Keith Morris moving onward with the project’s producer and principle songwriter, Dimitri Coates, to form the most explosive new outfit in modern music. OFF! is the energetic offspring of their creative collaboration in Morris’ Los Angeles living room. A throwback, in many ways, with fast-blazing standards clocking in at a minute a piece, spouting new messages of frustration and anger that echo the same sentiment found in Morris’s early hardcore beginnings in the mid 70s, fronting the infamous Black Flag. Though the times have changed over the past half century, the enemy still remains the same and OFF! sets their sights on all the wrongs they see in this world as well as those responsible, with a vicious rhythm section setting the pace.

Morris and Coates, frontman of Burning Brides, recruited legendary Redd Kross bassist Steven Shane McDonald and Rocket From The Crypt/Earthless/Hot Snakes drummer, Mario Rubalcaba, best known for his time as a professional skateboarder on the notorious Alva team in the 90s. Making their debut at last year’s South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, OFF! has stormed the underground and national media as well, performing on various TV shows, and finally releasing their debut 7-inch, “1st EP,” last October. A soundtrack for the “fed-up” masses, the 4-song vinyl featured “Black Thoughts,” “Darkness,” “I Don’t Belong,” and “Upside Down,” all of which ended up with some well-made videos that spread virally across the internet. The band then went on to release these same songs with “three more EPs,” for their first full-length, aptly dubbed, “First Four Eps.” In keeping with the DIY theme, they enlisted the artistic talents of Raymond Pettibon, who scribbled the art for the early Black Flag album covers, to create a new but recognizable look for the band’s new album covers and graphics.

Keith Morris is an iconic anti-hero, a revolutionary who isn’t afraid to speak his mind, confront that which he opposes, and call out the wrongs in the world, shaking his fist at those who are to blame. I had a chance to talk with the always outspoken Morris about the new project, how it came about, and how it has put the fire back in his heart.

Let’s start at the beginning. How did the whole thing start?

KEITH MORRIS: We were starting to work on a Circle Jerks record and I don’t really want to discuss too much about them because the interview really isn’t about them. I would just like to take this time to thank them for making OFF possible with another one of their really shitty, horrendous decisions. What happened was we were writing the songs for an album that they decided that they didn’t want to make. In the process, while I was writing these songs, Dimitri, who is the guitar player, and I said “we have to come up with a plan B because these songs are too good, to just allow, to not let anything happen with them.” We had to just put our foot down and say, “Look, let’s come up with plan B. Make a list of people that we’d want to play with if we were to start a band.” And, that’s pretty much what happened. I mean it got really ugly. The situation with the other guys that we were working with, who I will work with on occasion, but I don’t really want to. I’ll do everything that I can to not have to work with them because, for me, being around a bunch grouchy, grumpy, know-it-all…a type of like really uncool guys, and I don’t want to dis on them. So, what happened was we got all these songs, it’s like, “let’s do something with them,” but they’re obviously not going to be on a Circle Jerks album. They’re too good to be on a Circle Jerks album. I went and played the music, played four songs for Brett (Gurewitz-Bad Religion) over at Epitaph, and he was pretty much like, “those guys aren’t going to write anything this energetic, this exciting, this fresh, this new.” So, Epitaph made us an offer and we were close to signing a deal with Epitaph and one of the guys in the band I’m playing with, OFF, said, “look, it would be ridiculous for us not to see if there are any other companies out there, any other record companies out there, any other music people out there, that would be willing to put our music out, so let’s check that out.” So, Vice (Records) came along, and a s much as I love Brett Gurewitz, as much as I love all the people that work over there, we noticed there was going to be a new Weezer album, there’s going to be a new Bad Religion album, there’s going to be a new Social Distortion album, and good old OFF would have just been the black orphan. We probably would have got like third or fourth tier and Vice were just like doing backflips and somersaults. It was like we would be stupid not to go with these people. Plus, the fact that all these…there’s this whole wave of people that hate on the hipsters and really dislike them for being the people that they are but the fact of the matter is that the people hate on the hipsters are just as fucking weak as the hipsters are. It’s just this fucking dog chasing its tail. It’s the apple calling the orange fucking green, or what have you. But the thing with Vice is that their roster of bands is just as good or just as bad or just as horrible as any other roster of record companies, but the fact of the matter is, we love some of the bands that are on the label, like The Black Lips and King Khan and the Shrines. But with Vice it’s like they offer up a whole different flavor. They’re the party people. We need to go to the party and we need to prove ourselves to be the entertainment for the party.

So they’ve made themselves a pretty good home for you guys?

KEITH MORRIS: Effin’ great. We already experienced one real glitch, and it’s not that big of deal. It’s just some of the music had to get pushed back because of something that happened at the pressing plant. Other than that, they’ve been incredibly cool to us. They buy us sandwiches when we’re in Brooklyn, come to all of our shows. They love to hang out with us and they love us and we love them. It’s a beautiful situation. We’re all going to hold hands and we’re going to skip down the sidewalk and we’re going hum and whistle “la-ti-da’s” and really happy songs (laughs…) It’s a totally happening thing.

When you and Dmitri first started working on these songs and decided to do this as a different band, how many songs did you have together at the time?

KEITH MORRIS: Well, what had happened with the other band was one of the guys that thinks he’s the guy that has to have the most power in the band, decided he was going to go off with his other band, play on the Warped Tour for a few months, so it was like, “Ok guys, we got to have the record done before I leave.” It’s like, “Ok,” and Dimitiri said, “Ok, if we’re going to record a record, we got to have some songs, so guys, it’s time to write some songs. We’re writing songs. We’re all meeting in Keith’s living room,” because my place is most centrally located. And, nobody showed up. One guy took off and went off on a tour of Europe and one of the guys was just too bored or too lazy or sleeping all day long..the other guy, who probably has the worst work ethic out of everybody in the band, decided he’d show up one day for about 45 minutes and then he had like eleven excuses to ditch out on the deal. So, it was kind of like go off and be what you’re going to be, go do what you’re going to do. Dimitri and I sat in my living room and we continued to write songs for the album and in the process, Dimitri started playing some of these riffs that were like, for me, just mind-bogglingly great and took me back to a place called The Church in Hermosa Beach, and The Church in Hermosa Beach would be Black Flag South Bay headquarters. All of a sudden I’m starting to feel that energy, I’m starting to feel that kind of dark angry kind of vibe. It was perfect for where I needed to go at the time.

That’s something I noticed when I first heard the first four songs. It was like, “this is old hardcore but it sounds fresh.” It doesn’t sound like old songs being done, it doesn’t sound like new songs trying to sound old. It’s classic in a way, but it sounds but still fresh. I’m thinking you guys are having a lot of fun playing these songs.

KEITH MORRIS: We love playing these songs. In fact we just played four of them for some kids at FOX studios down in West L.A. for a television program called “FUEL TV: The Daily Habit.” The crew, the cameramen and the sound guys were like, “you’re the best band we’ve had in here” and they’ve probably had like sixty bands in there. We don’t call ourselves a punk rock band and we don’t call ourselves a hardcore band, because if you listen to our drummer (Mario Rubalcaba), he’s only influenced by John Bonham, which means with what we’re playing, and the kind of basslines that Steven’s (Shane McDonald) playing, because Steven comes out of a Paul McCartney…Alice Cooper Band, Geezer Butler/Black Sabbath, 45 Grave, Thelonious Monster, Gun Club…he’s got that kind of vibe. We’re not into the labeling, you know. Those are labels that somebody had to come up with to describe some bands when they couldn’t be more creative. They had to have their story done by 11:45. We’re a hard rock band and there’s all different directions we can go to. There’s different places we can take ourselves and for people that listen to our music. This just happens to be what we’re about at this time. I live in an area of Los Angeles where I’m at one of the busiest intersections, it could possibly be one of the top ten most busiest intersections in the world and it’s really ugly. People don’t care. People are too busy texting and talking and looking at their cellphones and accidents. People pulling guns on each other. People lining up buying meat to fatten themselves for the government that waits for them when they leave the supermarket. Helicopters, emergency sirens, the fire station, the hospital, the fact that about two-and-half, three minutes from…two Beatles songs from my house in a big parking lot that’s attached to a big supermarket and the people that go there, they’re the beaten down, lower-middle-class, lower-class, got to work three or four jobs to support their families, and so they’re not aware that whales are being slaughtered and porpoises are being slaughtered and dolphins are being slaughtered. Trees are being chopped down and oil companies don’t care about anything but making a profit. Armies are over in the Middle East killing people and there’s no reason for us to be over there. So, I’m just angry…I’m not bitter. I’m angry and I’m just a reflection of…I’m a mirror of what I see and some of the things I hear, and the guys that play in my band, they totally love it…

Very cool. Now that song, “I Don’t Belong,” everything you just described, that song sums up.

KEITH MORRIS: Well, we just may do a big political thing here in California, and it’s totally ridiculous because we have to get rid of a governor who shouldn’t have been a governor in the first place. We had an election to elect Schwarzenegger and 40% of the voting population showed up to vote. It was a circus. Jack Grisham from TSOL, he actually ran for governor and he got about 5000n votes, but he explained to me that the whole political situation was that he would never vote again because of being around all these people and he had the opportunity and the chance to see how these people operate. They’re just polishing stones and buffing these stones to make them as pretty as possible. But, we just had this election here where we were trying to legalize marijuana, which needs to happen, but it probably won’t because Budweiser and Coors, Jack Daniels, Dewers…all the alcohol companies don’t want their profits fucked with, yet the pharmaceutical companies, they want people on pleasant, pastel pills to keep them pacified. They don’t want people smoking marijuana. They don’t want these cancer patients, these leukemia patients, these people who are recovering from having cancer removed, to smoke marijuana to relieve their pain. Or you have these people who go through the radiation and because of the radiation they lose their appetite, and when you smoke marijuana, it gives you the munchies. They don’t want that to happen. You would think that Doritos and Hostess and General Mills would be pumping money into the “Yes on 19” vote. A lot of people don’t want it to happen. They’re afraid that our youth will just be wasted and think for themselves. You’d think that the government would totally back the marijuana thing because then you got a bunch of stoned people, you know where they’re at and you can keep them in their pen. You can keep them in their ghetto. You can keep them in a prison without walls, just keep them stoned all day long. But, yeah, we need to legalize it. And, the situation, the whole world situation is fucking ugly. I would love to sing about beautiful things. I would love to sing about hot-action party-chicks and mountains of cocaine and stripper poles and hanging out at the local bar and rubbing elbows with my bros, and checking out really happening music, but got more important things, more important subjects, more important stuff to sink my teeth into.

Now has this band rejuvenated you? It seems like, when I heard it, like I said, there’s so much life to it and it seems like you have so much energy in this. Has this been really good for you?

KEITH MORRIS: I’m excited, I’m happy, I love this band, I love the guys in this band. There’s not a lot of head trips. There’s a little bit of ego, but that’s OK, a little bit of ego doesn’t hurt, doesn’t kill anybody. A little bit of attitude, which is, “that’s cool.” A little bit of “uumph” and a little bit of toughness. The songs pretty much speak for themselves, the energy of the songs, the way that they blast out at you. I’m just totally psyched over this, totally jazzed. I don’t need to be doing anything else. Maybe mowing a lawn or watering some grass, watching the National Geographic, History Channel, what have you. But this…I needed this, because I’ve grown lazy and one of the guys in this band forced me to become un-lazy, and get with it, and get real. Start jumping around again, and it gives me something to look forward to. We’ve not been able to function as a real band because three of the guys are fathers, one of the guys works at Warner Brothers, one plays in two other bands, and so that all the scheduling is kind of like being in the last band I was in, but it’s well worth it because when the shit goes down, for me it’s fucking happening. It’s totally fucking happening.

OFF! has spent March and April touring the country, causing mayhem and havoc everywhere they go. Check a venue near you because this a show any punk and hardcore fan won’t want to miss, even though Keith said it himself, that they are just a “hard rock” band. But what is a label anyways?

AMP Magazine