The Turtle trudges onward, hoping to catch up...

Halloween--2010

Party at the Broadway Inn

My hipnhot award for best Halloween party goes out to the Demonlily production at the Broadway Inn on October 30, 2010. These folks are into costuming and make up 100%. 

Finalists in the Scariest Costume category above, and the winner below.

Blessiddoom

High Voltage

Meanwhile at the Union Club

Russ Nassett and the Revelators were on stage, 

Disney characters were in attendance, 

and everyone was having a terrific time. 

Next stop--the Top Hat

Lil Smokies were providing the music, 

and another favorite character was seen. 

Other sightings:

Yes, this old man is way behind again. Can you imagine, just getting to Halloween, as the world rushes to Christmas? Well, there was this computer crash, as I was putting together my Top Hat show, and I have a bunch of other excuses for being slow. Instead of speeding up, in some cases I slow down. For example: being offline was terribly frustrating at first, then mildly annoying, and then I was reluctant to return to the Internet. 

Several sets have been uploaded to flickr, since I rejoined the digital web. This might be the blog introduction of High Voltage, but they have other images in the archive. Blesseddoom and Russ Nassett have several sets on flickr. Lil Smokies were recently at MAM in addition to their regular performances at the Hat. I'm working on several new images of them. 

Of course, there are also more images of all the venues and events covered here on flickr.

Metal Show in the Union Hall

Zootown's two top metal bands sandwiched At Home in Hell, the visiting band, at the Union Hall, Saturday, August 29,2009. Blessiddoom opened with the 666 policeman denouncing thought crime, or was he exhorting others to commit thought crime? His stance received a challenge from stage left.

Then came the most exciting duet I have ever photographed. This is hot stuff, as Chelsea and Eddie go at it.

Two drummers give Walking Corpse Syndrome a solid rhythmic foundation, and every member of the band performs with vigor. The result is a whopping, professional look and sound.

Some are surprised I like metal bands, but I like any kind of music, when it is done well and played with high energy and heart. These two bands are delivering exciting performances. I came home with a Corpse CD, which proved to have excellent production values. Zootown seems to give most local music makers a twist to their genre, making the local sound better than the national average. Except for a few classics, I wouldn't listen to anything labeled country, until I came to Missoula. Here, the country is bigger than country.

This all ages show occurred the same Saturday the Roots Festival started, and I left Roots after Great American Taxi to watch Blessiddoom. After Blessiddoom I made the rounds. Downstairs, the Union Club was deader than a mackeral, empty and listless, with the Workers on stage. I returned to the festival to check out Donna the Buffalo, the final act, which was OK, but tame compared to what I had just seen. Nothing was stirring at the other venues yet.

After Walking Corpse Syndrome, the festival was over for Saturday, the Club was better populated, but still listless. Reverend Slanky and posse occupied the Palace, as I have already posted. Mike Bader Blues Band was at the Top Hat laying down some tight blues, nothing off the beaten path, but solid.

Blessiddoom and Walking Corpse Syndrome each have a set on flickr. The slideshow function on flickr is as close as I can get to producing that you are there feeling. The sequence between Eddie and Chelsea is special. Also, I finally captured the guitar player's glowing suit, during the final set.

Blessiddoom will play the Palace on Friday, September 11, and I'm wondering why I don't see that on missoulaevents.net.

Underground, Part 3--Blessiddoom @ Palace

Blessiddoom is among the royalty of the zootown metal scene, and Eddie, up front, is a hero to many. My history with them goes back over a year to the Other Side, when Blessiddoom was the first band up in the PBR Performance Series. 32 bands competed and eight qualified for the final round. Blessiddoom was the first to play and the first to qualify. There are previous posts on this blog about the band, and there are some sets on the flickr archive.

The dancers are sporting a new look, a fashionable update from the tank tops and shorts.

Why do we intellectuals always underrate metal bands? Some are very good. Blessiddoom can stand among any of the zootown bands with big reps, and their lyrics are as socially conscious as any protest singer's. Walking Corpse Syndrome, covered in the previous post, also makes savage commentary on modern life.

The Palace is proudly providing a venue for a lot of bands, local and visiting, who represent a sound off the beaten track.

Blessiddoom CD Release

Eddie laid down the law, and the Other Side was in full swing. Blessiddoom was celebrating the release of their CD. Walking Corpse Syndrome had opened the party, followed by Universal Choke Sign. 

"No job, no money, no car, but I'm in a band."

Over on the flickr archive, there is a set titled Blessiddoom @ the Other Side. Find it for more images from this event. I recommend using the slideshow option. 

Upstairs and Downstairs at the Labor Temple

Upstairs, in the Union Hall, Eddie was fronting Blessiddoom, while devoted fans leaped and knocked each other around the dance floor.




Downstairs, in the Union Club, Mudslide Charley was delivering a truck load of danceable blues.






Often, I have mentioned on this blog how much I love Missoula and the music scene here. Now, I want to stress how much I appreciate diversity. One might expect an old coot, such as I, to lean to the oldies, but I always want to hear something new and different. I also love bands, who never do the same song quite the same way. Long live improvisation! Praise innovators of all stripes!

Regular readers know some of the bands I love in Missoula. Mudslide Charley has appeared here often before, along with Zeppo and Black Velvet Elvis. The iNHUMANS have received a lot of coverage, lately. I will continue to follow these groups, whenever I can, but I want more. Hell, I want it all, but the universe doesn't work that way.

This was the first time I had seen Blessiddoom, since the PBR battle of the bands, back in March. They surprised me then, and I thoroughly enjoyed their performance. I want to see more of them. The other night I saw Walking Corpse Syndrome, playing down in the Palace. They had two drummers creating a complex rhythm foundation for a metal sound worthy of more attention. They are another band I hadn't seen since PBR in March. They made my ears bleed and convinced me of the need for ear plugs. Still I wanted more.

When the American empire has steamrolled the world, and everyone is wearing Levis and Nikes, eating McDonalds and KFC, and drinking Coke or Pepsi, I'm moving to another planet or dimension, because it will be too damn boring to live here.