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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

music OAKLAND-G•KISS-DAWGS-STRANGELOVE-THE HUT

Posted by ReVoLtReVoLt on Wed, May 19, 2010 at 8:06 PM

In the deck- Darjeeling Limited Soundtrack & some Live 105 Radio
In the cup - Moxie Java Espresso via Vista Moxie Boise, Id/Ginger Tea
In the works - Bakersfield today & San Diego...drive all night....

Oakland facts~ Oakland is the eighth largest city in the state of California. It is the 44th largest city in the United States, sporting a population of 404,155...whew! The area was inhabited by the Ohlone people for thousands of years prior to the Spanish settlers taking over in the 18th & 19th centuries. After the big one hit San Fran in 1906, many displaced families began building in Oakland. The city has struggled with high un-employment, poverty, and elevated violence and crime. (muggings are common) According to the 2000 Census, Oakland is the second most ethnically diverse city in the United States, with several different languages spoken. oh....and don't forget....benny's RAIDERS reside there.

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Arriving in Oakland

We hit Oakland on Monday. The drive from Eureka was rainy and par for the Northern California stretch. There were a few delays, and after about 4-5 hours, we landed at the g-kiss/villa leon warehouse where we were playing that night. We were greeted by Nick, Izzy, and Austin who live in an apartment next to the warehouse space where shows are held.

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G-Kiss

We met them at a show we played in Oakland the last time around (the Hut), and they invited us to play their all ages venue.

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Ben Dog and Len Dog

We loaded in, chatted with our friend Sean Lennon (friend that lives in SF, but used to reside in Les Bois), and then checked out the show. A fine young gent named Ryan played an acoustic set to start things off, and then Nick, Izzy, & Austin's band - Of Mice and Men - followed.

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Izzy, Austin, Nick @ G-Kiss

They mentioned that their bass player left the band recently, so they were covering as a 3 piece with 2 guitars and drums. This particular line up (of mice and men) was a reunion of sorts for them, as it was the first band they all played in together. They re-grouped for this show, but currently have various other projects in the works. I felt their sound was heavy with guitars weaving comparably to Archers of Loaf, and had the guts like that of Unwound. There were so many nuances to their tones. They we original in their sound, and tons of fun to check out.

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Austin - Of Mice and Men

Really cool band to see. It was evident that they wrote well together. They are recording material now, and starting up an Oakland indie label diy style. We followed with our set, playing about 45 minutes. After the show, we hung out with friends, splitting into different directions for the evening. I stayed at the G-Kiss pad, visiting with Austin, Izzy, and Nick. I was formally introduced to Dahlia and George, two hounds of the place.

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George

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Dahlia

We were snapping shots, and listening to Bowie albums at a reduced speed on the turntable. Couldn't have asked for a better night in Oakland.

Bowie Slowmowie - Austin/Serna overdrive

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Bowie Slowmowie - Austin/Serna overdrive

I finally retired to the van and attempted to finish Dr. Strangelove...but only lasted a few minutes before drifting off.

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Slim

The next day brought some sunshine, and once we gathered ourselves we scored some cheap tacos, and headed down to College ave where were set to play at the Hut. We found good parking without too much trouble, and drifted off in our own directions from there.

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Serna on College

I wandered down to the coffee shop Peabody's where Izzy works, and grabbed a cup, and took a stroll. Our show at the Hut was a Matinee of sorts...starting earlier than usual. Ben lived in Oakland for a good stretch, and had quite a few friends rolling in for the evening. Playing at the Hut takes on an almost private party feel. With it being a smaller room, and having high ceilings, it lends to a warm atmosphere......we ended up playing two sets to accommodate the evening. The police stopped in to see what was going on, but they went on down the road as they had better things to do.

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Ben @ Ye Olde Hut

All went well, and it was great to see familiar faces in the crowd. We stayed the night at the G-Kiss house again, and when the morning hit, it was oatmeal, coffee/tea, and the road to Bakersfield.