Tav Falco's Panther Burns at El Cortez, Brooklyn, NY 5/15/2018

Tav Falco's Panther Burns (or Tav Falco & The Panther Burns) formed in 1979 with Ross Johnson on drums and Alex Chilton (who would leave the band in 1981 but record and produce various Panther Burns albums into the 1990's) on lead guitar. Their initial brand of swampy rockabilly - something that would eventually be dubbed "Psychobilly"- with a garage rock sensibility would later see the band adopt elements of Blues, Tango and general Roots-Rock.

I've been a fan of Tav Falco and his Panther Burns since 1991, when I first heard the classic Chilton-produced Life Sentence In The Cathouse album. It was love at first listen. But I'd never seen them live. They played Rodeo Bar in NY mid-2013 but was unable to attend. I made sure I didn't miss seeing him on his latest Northeast jaunt. He's touring to promote a new a documentary Make Me Know You're Mine, about the man himself.

His band was comprised of younger musicians (Falco is an astonishing 73 years old...astonishing because the man moves and performs like he's a few dozen years younger). They were well-dressed with slim-fitting suits and Beatle-Boots. The audience treated Falco like the cult legend that he is. Aside from a completely random drunken fight between two jackass punters - who were swiftly shown the door - the night was basically an old-school rock and roll dance party. Tav offered anyone willing to tango to one of his songs - appropriately a tango - the opportunity to dance on stage, sadly, no one took the offer seriously enough to do it.

The Panther Burns played a nearly two-hour set of typically obscure classics ("Arkansas Stomp", "Bad Motorcycle" and the wonderful "Make Me Know You're Mine"). His encore included a nice tribute to Alex Chilton with a faithful cover of "Bangkok".

A great show from a legendary cult figure and his ever changing Panther Burns.

Brian Wilson: Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary World Tour, Northside Festival, McCarren Park, Brooklyn NY 6/12/16

The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album is one of the most acclaimed albums of all-time. Rolling Stone Magazine has placed it at #2 in it's 500 Greatest Album Of All Time list. Paul McCartney has famously said that no one is educated musically, until they've listen to it. The late George Martin has also said that "Without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper never would have happened. Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds". It basically went on to inspire an entire genre of music (Baroque Pop).  So,
to celebrate it's 50th anniversary, Brian Wilson took the road with his very adept band and Beach Boy Al Jardine and one-time Beach Boy (circa 1971-1974) Blondie Chaplin.

They headlined the Northside Festival at McCarren Park in Brooklyn this year. The band opened with a half-dozen Beach Boys classics - "California Girls, "I Get Around", "Surfer Girl" & "Don't Worry Baby" sung by Brian with his wonderfully capable band, plus "Wild Honey" and "Sail On Sailor" with Blondie on lead vocals. Then the band performed the entire Pet Sounds album in sequence. which includes the classics: "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Sloop John B", "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", "Caroline, No" and "God Only Knows". Plus a whimsical singalong version of "Row Row Row Your Boat" as per request of Mr. Wilson, which was a pretty hilarious highlight. 

The band closed things out with sincere readings of "Good Vibrations", "Barbara Ann", "Surfin' USA" and "Fun, Fun, Fun" - all of which produced a fantastic audience response. It should be noted just how great his band were and how authentic they sounded with obvious love and respect towards to original arrangements of the songs.

Madrid's Hinds, a garage rock combo and were touring in support of their Leave Me Alone album. They were a welcome, if small, surprise. And made for a fine opener who perhaps deserved a better response. Ex-Vampire Weekend member Rostam, backed by a string section also performed as well.

The Fleshtones & Los Straitjackets featuring Deke Dickerson at The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY, Friday 10/31/14

The Fleshtones - originally from Queens, now of Brooklyn - and Nashville's luchador-masked Los Straitjackets (featuring Deke Dickerson)  were the bands performing this year at Brooklyn's The Bell House Halloween show.  And there were many costumed-patrons there to celebrate the festive holiday as well. I've been a fan of both Los Straitjackets and The Fleshtones for many years and the thing that these bands share: their blends of surf and garage rock stylings with various other elements unique to the individual bands. Neither bands ever fails to deliver an entertaining performance and both make it look all too easy.  

                                     

I'd seen these two bands (along with Southern Culture on The Skids) perform last Halloween-season at Brooklyn Bowl, so I'd come to know what to expect. The Fleshtones deliver solid, dependable 60's styled R&B-infused garage rock: "Super Rock", as they've long dubbed it. And the fully-formed fourteen-song set they delivered was excellent, and I believe, took  more than a few audience-members by surprise. The band casually strolled onto the stage from the side of bar, while playing one of their Halloween standards, "Dance With The Goulman" via wireless bass & guitar. Lead singer Peter Zaremba walked around with a bucket of candy and distributed it to the crowd. The band then launched into their big should-have-been hit from the original motion picture soundtrack (and title-track) I Was A Teenage Zombie.

 The band performed songs from their newest album - their twentieth in all - Wheel Of Talent ("What You're Talking About", " Remember The Ramones" & "Veo La Luz"), as well as songs from their last few Yep Roc releases - the band's label since 2002 -  from 2008's Take A Good Look ("Feels Good To Feel"), 2005's Beachead ("Pretty Pretty Pretty") and from 2003's Do You Swing? (a cover of the Coastliners' "Alright"). Despite a fan gripe that The Fleshtones rarely venture into their wonderful and woefully-overlooked I.R.S. Records catalog of material, the band's choice of  material was satisfying.

I've yet to see a band more forthcoming in their performance without grossly overstating things than The Fleshtones. Bands half their age (their average mean-age for the band members is 50) have much to learn from these guys. Bassist Ken Fox, Drummer Bill Milhizer and Guitarist Keith Streng are still as vital as ever. They've been preaching the word since 1976 and show no signs of slowing down. If these guys are in your town, by all means check them out!

The Fleshtones, above, in mock-heroic pose. And the band in human-pyramid mode.

Before exiting the stage Fleshtones lead singer Peter Zaremba reliably informed the audience that
"only the Fleshtones know how handsome Los Straitjackets are".

Los Straitjackets performing above, in perfectly-synced surf guitar pose.

Instrumental surf rock masters Los Straitjackets are currently on tour supporting their newest album Sings The Great Instrumental Hits!!! with special guest vocalist Deke Dickerson. The album tackles instrumental hits such as "Pipeline", "Miserlou", "Popcorn" & "Theme From A Summer Place". However these songs had lyrics all along and Dickerson is here to reinstate them back to the public consciousness. Deke Dickerson is an excellent surf rock guitarist, but he is a just an okay vocalist.

So, to have one of the great modern-day surf rock bands perform with a just-okay vocalist is anti-climatic to say the least. I overheard someone behind me mumble "uh-oh, it's the show killer" when Deke, dressed like a Dracula Elvis, gamely sauntered out for his first song.

The band performed only three instrumental songs, the last being a spooky version of "Theme For Halloween", before being joined by Deke (who overall put on a pretty good performance). If you've ever seen Los Straitjackets perform and are a fan of their instrumental greatness, you can only imagine their set being tainted by a vocalist, let alone an average one. If the band are on tour without a guest vocalist, they must be seen to be believed.

 

All photography copyright: Bill Wikstrom.