SHOW REVIEW

RICHARD BACCHUS & THE LUCKIEST GIRLS
THE LOOKERS

TAPHOUSE
FRI MAY 22, 2009
ATTENDED BY MZ H. (& JOHN BUT HE'D NEVER WRITE A REVIEW!)

So, I was pretty tired for a Friday - attempts to nap post work were thwarted constantly all evening by phone calls from various individuals. Catching a second wind, my gal Casey stopped by with her peeps for a few and we indulged in god's greenery. That's right - I'll admit it. I was pretty relaxed by the time the Lookers drummer G Wiz got home to haul drum shit to Tappers - we live together, you see. Luckily he only had to take a few pieces of equipment with him...I would never be a drummer - too much fuckin equipment! I do normally offer to carry a piece or two in - I play roadie to slip in the show usually but on this night I paid just like everybody else. As Casey and I are paying our nominal admittance fees who should stroll in behind us but good ole John A. the recluse! Then the waiting game begins - when will this fuckin shew start?!

All the right people were at Tappers - not packed but a pretty damn great turnout. I saw my buddy Ken who plays with the Villains first thing - and he buys me a beer of course because Ken knows what I like! I don't think I saw a single person that I disliked there at all - good. They need to keep their asses home! I wanna have fun fun fun - not spend the whole night hating on a motherfucker! Casey was like, "Damn, Holly! You're just Ms. Popularity tonight! Do you know every single person here?! Sure seems like it!". She was not kidding - there was mad park love up at Tappers this night! Everybody - the bands that played, all the golden party dance girls, people's fuckin parents, other assorted people who support local music - it was very close knit. Mean Darbe was in from PA - I was laughing so hard my sides were hurting. It's great to have someone to just talk shit to about TV. The heated argument between Darbe, Tonya Carey Thornton, and Sharon Reams over the new 90210 was classic. Darbe n Sharon like the new 90210 - Tonya does not. Sharon was convinced that there would be a whole reunion for the old cast (including David Silver's BFF who killed himself in an old episode!) but Darbe n Tonya were pretty doubtful to put it mildly. Finally, this shit was gonna start with local faves The Lookers.

The Lookers are starting to write more material for themselves - the five of them. They aren't playing "Shameless Spite" or some other material brought over from their previous incarnation as The Abscondents. I do wish they would play "Attention Whore", though. I just love that big, surfy guitar riff. But what they are doing now is better - a big 16 song set list for this evening. New material written by bassist A-Dam n guitarist A-Lex plus staples from the Sonics ("Maintaining My Cool") n Radio Bridman ("What Gives") - other guitarist Stephen has a big crush on the Birdman. The Lookers version of "Sympathetic Love" (as first recorded by the Shunts a few years ago n written by Witt Katherman) is probably one of my favorite takes on this tune. I remember years ago when Witt first showed me the lyric sheet he had written for this song - with a demonstration on his Buck Owens Gibson acoustic. It's a great song but not everybody can play Witt's solo - many have tried, few have succeeded - but Stephen really nailed it this particular evening. I just thought I'd say that outright.So, a fab set from the Lookers as always!

So, I knew Richard Bacchus played guitar in this old band from NY called D Generation back in the 90's or something. D Gen were good - kinda reminded me of LA more than NY style-wise. They tried during a period of music where it just wasn't gonna happen for em. Critics loved em but no one bought it so it ended. So that's the back story for Richard Bacchus. This was kinda like latter period Replacements - very 90's. Not my thing so I left after 3 songs - maybe I'm not the person to ask how this band was.

All in all, worth it for the 90210 argument alone! I'm sorry Darbe, but I'm with Tonya - I don't think I'll be watching the new 90210 anytime soon.