My buddy Jimmy asked me if I wanted to go check out Nashville Pussy on Friday, May 17, at The Stanhope House in Stanhope, NJ. Since they're not coming around to Poughkeepsie this time around and they always kick ass, I was in.
The doors opened at 6:00pm, but we arrived about 8:15 missing the first two acts, but just before The Turbo A.C.'s took the stage. I think they've been around since 1995 and I've heard the name many times (and only good things about them) but somehow this was the first time we ever saw them. It was real good straight ahead hard/punk rock kinda like the Supersuckers (who I love) and a great way to start the night. They played around 35 or 40 minutes.
The Stanhope House is a cool venue. From the outside it's basically a beautiful old house (it's been around since 1790) on the corner of small town USA, but when you enter, there's a small performance area in the room straight ahead or you go through a door on the right into a rock and roll bar with a small stage that is less than a foot off the ground. There's an open area in front of the stage and quite a few tables set up right inside the door and towards the back where the bar is. I'd guess if they moved the tables out you could probably squeeze in about 200, although with the stage so low to the ground, if you're not right up front, at best you'll just see the performers heads above the crowd.
Guitar Wolf, from Japan, was up next. I knew they've been around for about 30 years and had heard of them and their exciting live show, but again, had never checked them out before. We decided to go stand at the front of the crowd on the right side of the stage to check things out and shoot some video to see if they lived up to the legend. Well hot damn...they are something else live!
The lights dimmed and just as they did, we realized a few people in this crowd must have been here since the doors opened at 6 and had been pounding beers from the moment they arrived. This tall dude in a baseball cap and his friend come and stand right in front of me and they were out of their heads, but hell, they were having fun. They, for lack of a better word, rocked out the whole set once it kicked in.
I hit record on the video that follows and it basically shows about the first seven minutes from when Guitar Wolf hit the stage. This consisted of:
- The trio making some noise and doing some rock star poses
- A slinky 60's sounding guitar instrumental backing track started playing as they then each grabbed the tall boys sitting on their amps, leaned their heads back in unison and downed them
- Once their thirst was quenched, they walked to the front of the stage to lead the crowd in a chant of "Hey! Hey! Hey!" to the backing track
- They then launched into "Beast Vibrator" as Bass wolf jumped into the crowd as Guitar Wolf swung his axe above his head like a helicopter before getting rid of it and grabbing the mic stand and joining his bassist in the crowd while Drum wolf bashed away. I think this was due to some guitar malfunction or maybe this is just how Guitar Wolf does it. Their roadie brought the guitar back to the Wolf and they returned to the stage.
- At this point, a big security guard who I hadn't seen comes walking over to stand by us in case the mayhem ensued, but you'll see in the video after 2 minutes or so he realizes this is just the way a Guitar Wolf show must go so we didn't see him again.
- During all of this their roadie is frantically fixing mic stands and sorting out cables on stage amid the ruckus around him
- Without stopping for a second they launch into the garage rock of "Sex Jaguar" off their new album.
That's the first seven minutes in this video below...goddamn!
As I said before I didn't know their stuff before this night, so the only other song I know they played in their 40 minute set was a cover of the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin" (also on their new album).
The part I wish I caught on video was about mid way through the set, when a new member of the been drinking since doors open crowd appeared and starting doing a hardcore stomp pacing back and forth in the 2 or 3 feet between the band and the stage. He wasn't swinging elbows and any bit of crashing into the crowd was just because he didn't quite have his balance, but after doing this a couple of times he stopped in front of the bassist rockin out. The bassist then in one quick motion backed up about 4 feet while removing his bass and launched himself off the stage unexpectedly into this guys arms. The crowd then hoisted the bassist up as he twisted and turned until he was basically doing a headstand and with the ceiling so low, he proceeded, with the crowds help, to walk across the ceiling back to the stage where he got back on and was back into the song.
I'm gonna say it, it was awesome. To be clear, that bit of mayhem appeared to be all in love too.
So yeah, Guitar Wolf were a helluva spectacle and I think if the show ended with those first 2 bands, the $22 admission would have been worth it, but next up would be Nashville Pussy in about 30 minutes.
Almost everyone went to the bar or outside to smoke, so to avoid drunk hat guy and his friend and try and get a spot to get better videos and some photos, I suggested to Jimmy we move to the other side of the stage which seemed calmer.
Well, that didn't quite work out. We had a perfect spot and then it seemed all 6 or so of the really drunk folks (including tall hat guy, his bud, and hardcore stomper) all came over to that side too. So it was either be 3' from the stage amidst drunken mayhem or go to the back of the crowd.
Drunken mayhem it would be. Because of this, I really don't have many good photos from this show, but the two videos I shot holding my phone as best I could over the heads of the drunk invaders actually came out pretty damn good I think and the band is in great form. Also you'll see hat guy doing his thing and in the other video, the short guy with the head of kinda dirty blond hair is hardcore stomp guy.
The band as always sounded fantastic and kicked our asses. Here's the setlist for the show. (Nashville Pussy's bassist Bonnie graciously signed it after the show)
They played all of this but threw in a few others which I was not taking notes on, but one of them was "Rub It to Death" which is the video below.
Towards the end of the set, Blaine suddenly announced he was super high. I don't know if it was something he took earlier that just kicked in or what, but he had that can't keep your eyes open and can't control the width of your smile thing going on as he told the audience he "DEFINITELY" was feeling better than us. It didn't stop him from rocking out, but as soon as the last song ended I think he headed out while the rest of the band hung out. We just hung out for a short bit so maybe he came back in after we left, but it was good to see the band having as much fun as the audience.
I think the tour with Guitar Wolf continues through sometime in June, so just go. Hopefully Turbo A.C.'s are on the whole tour as well. This was a super fun night and Nashville Pussy, if you're reading this, hope you come back to Poughkeepsie next time!.
By the way, as I said the photos in this one aren't too good, but if you're looking for some good shots of the band, here's my review of them from a few years ago when they played Heavy Montreal which has some killer shots. Next time I gotta print a couple of these out to bring to get signed.
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Click any photos to enlarge them to full screen. Also follow on twitter @MostPeopleBlank Then, of course, as always - Rock on and Enjoy - Paul
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