"Is it possible to smash a guitar un-self-consciously? It certainly
seemed that way at Cake Shop earlier this month, when Awesome Color
left a roomful of in-the-know types gleefully dumbstruck. (Oakley Hall
was headlining-- that alone means several quality musicians were
present.) Singer Derek Stanton's seemingly unpremeditated ax-whacking
lacked any sense of violence or menace(which is fine). It was simply
the final blow in a stream of gestures that translate across rock &
roll forms; any punk, metal, or bar-rock fan can appreciate the thrill
of someone playing guitar with his bare feet--and having it both look
and sound cool. (Yes, Stanton did that, too). Considering that Awesome
Color has been a band for only nine months, there's an alarming lack
of things to find fault with in their music or its execution; even the
name makes sense after witnessing the trio's unironic stage presence.
Some of the group's songs evoke Sabbath as played by Germans in the
'70s, with Stanton's terse riffs cruising atop crisp, loping grooves
provided by bassist Michael Troutman and drummer Allison Busch. Other
tunes come across like lean, airy impressions of classic Southern rock
(the three met in Ann Arbor, Michigan--the northernmost Southern
state--before setting up together in Bushwick). But the most indelible
image from an Awesome Color show is the rapt joy in Stanton's face
when he backs away from the microphone for a solo. It was infections
in the close quarters of Cake Shop, and should be at the Lakeside,
too."
Mike Wolf
Drug Related, new independent motion picture, is directed by June Daguiso (Full Circle & Collide). Drug Related is a gritty drama exposing the most evil of drug usage in America to the most innocent of its victims. Movie premieres in Falls Church, Virginia August 15th & various cities throughout the country.
If you make it all the way to cali this summer I hope you can come down for a show in LA!! and Michael make sure to call me again. this time we hit the classic early 90s video spots. s.c.
