When one is new to a city there is lots to explore and discover…and sometimes you get surprised and delighted by what you can stumble across right in your own ‘hood.
It was a lovely and warm Friday nite in Vancouver…the streets were lively as people were out and about as we made our way over to Main and Powell as tonight was a triple header of garage punk rock at the Zoo Zhop !
After making our way into the tiny record shop we paid our entry fee for the touring band’s gastank and headed back to the room where the bands would be playing. A “room” is a fitting word…or perhaps storage room ?! I felt transported back to the late 80′s and I was overcome with a feeling that I was an underage youth just trying to have a good night out. As I made my way to the back of the room to buy a beer I was reminded of this feeling once again when seeing the shit beer they were selling. Oh, how I loved it !! Tiny, a bit grimy, and definitely not air conditioned – we were up for a good nite !
There were four bands on the bill and we made it for the first three. We’ll see Korean Gut another day, for sure. Who knows September 11th, when Korean Gut supports Grass Widow at the Biltmore Cabaret. Although … that is a Tuesday night.
As the crowd rolled in and the room temperature rose the bands did what they do best and totally rock’d the place ! The fuzzgang has a selection of vids from the nite for your viewing pleasure and we recommend you check all these bands out !
First up is Nervous Talk – and it was their fresh first time ever playing in this formation of four.
Not sure if ‘I Got Something’ the actual song title is. If you know, let us know.
Next up was Crystal Swells. Watch ‘Mellow Californian’ from their previous cassette ‘Goethe Head Soup (2011)’. No deck or walkmen needed, have a Bandcamp listen to ‘Goethe Head Soup’ here.
If you want more Crystal Swells, go listen to the new four song EP HarshSide/SludgeFreaks:
The third band Indiefuzz had already stumbled upon – the Albertans Fist City. Watch the video of ‘Guts’.
And check out the fuzz Fist City album review of ‘It’s 1983, Grow Up !’ here.