i'll admit that it's also been a few months since the last time we saw confusatron -- ever since their thursday nights at the black dog became so popular that you need a spatula 'n' crisco to make yr way thru the crowd, we've missed quite a few, i'm sorry to say. 'cos the unit that hit the wreck room stage friday night was as far from the mightily groovin' but still somewhat shambolic outfit we'd seen last time as that band was from the three-piece that usedta busk on houston street in front of the old coffee haus. a few months ago, confusatron was in transition from a pure "jam" band to one with strong improvisational skills and real toons that showcase those strengths. since then, they've trimmed the fat from their sound and focused their attack even more. (dig the four! part! band! vocals!) now, they're capable of inducing collective ecstasies on a sub oslo level, with a polyphonic spree-ish strain of positivity and upfulness. after they were finished, saxman brian batson asked me, "how did it make you _feel_?" i don't remember what i really told him, but i _shoulda_ said, "happy to be alive." at times when the whole band would be hammering on one chord while brian wailed over the top like a mad muezzin, it felt like the building was about to levitate.
while brian's sax and matt skates' bass are still the cornerstones of the sound, the band has developed some new fulcrums. musically, a lot of the direction and focus seems to be emanating from justin pate's keys. (one muso remarked, "i dunno how justin has time to do anything -- he plays with half the bands in town" and that's almost true, between these guys, ph7, darth vato, horses, and his own monday night solo thang at the moon.) visually, loose-'n'-limber gtrist john stevens is a show all by himself, seemingly having more fun than any 10 other ppl in the house. (he's the newest bartender at the black dog, and perhaps his extreme state of relaxation was due to the happy hour shift he worked immediately before the show. perhaps not.) he's got scary chops and a tone that'll take the top of yr head off (even playing thru steffin ratliff's rig), but more than anything else, he projects _groove_ and _ease_. a natural. back on traps, lucas white was kickin' it like a d.c. go-go drummer ('member bands like e.u. and trouble funk that usedta carry _three_ drummers 'cos they'd wear 'em out in the course of a three-hour set w/o breaks?). it'll be interesting to see what these guys do when skates steps out for a few months to play on a caribbean cruise ship (shades of ghostcar's karl poetschke). will they be able to maintain the same momentum with another bassplayer (chuck brown, say, or john shook)? or will they put down for the duration and reconvene on skates' return? film, as they say, at 11.
Lost watching party at Lola's on 6th street Wednesdays starting @ 7pm-9pm On a 108" HD projection screen with sound run through the house audio system Drink specials see below Karoke afterwards with D.J. J.P.
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Come out for some cheap drinks and some hookah smoke!! If you've been before then you know what's up...and if not...you need to find out what you been missing!! Peace!!
BEST OF ALL IT'S FREE!!!..
Hyena's Arlington 2525 E. Arkansas Lane Arlington, TX 76010 (817) 226-5233 (Arkansas Ct. Shopping Center on the NW corner of Arkansas & Hwy. 360)
I miss you guys. Those shows were always a guaranteed good night out. I hope you all can make nice for long enough to put on another show some day. McLeod Wedding '07
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