HEADED TO THE LONE STAR STATE Copper Pocket. |
At the Living Room last week, a healthy gaggle turned out to bid their goodbyes to Copper Pocket, a power-pop trio out of URI that is headed to Austin, Texas, where music rules in the club-strewn 6th Street district. The night kicked in with the Class, a young bunch of talented kids from the southern part of the state. Formal Action, another URI trio, flashed some moments of ska/reggae/psyche/prog brilliance, on songs like “Atension” and “Stop.” If they stripped down some tunes and carved each block of music into two or three tunes out of a single, they’d still be impressive and wouldn’t lose us in the snaking linearity of their music. Earl Greyhound, a power trio from NYC, blasted unwitting patrons to the back wall with brute force, bridging the gap between Cream, the Stooges, and the Black Crowes. Led by the post-Bonham wallop of drummer Big Ricc Sheridan, the band breathed fire into the classic rock idiom with distorted power chords, paisley sensibility, and the one-two vocal crunch of guitarist Matt Whyte and bassist Kamara Thomas. Copper Pocket — Dean Cote, Chris Kleyla, and Jay Gagne — closed the night with a nasty set on par with what came before, which is saying something; Earl Greyhound is not an easy act to follow. The Pocket also draws from the classic rock wellspring, touching on everything from Traffic and the Who to the British Invasion. Kleyla is a fluent guitarist and a talented singer, while Cote and Gagne provide snazzy, stylish, and nearly perfect backdrop for the band’s tunes. Live, they have what it takes to make an impact down Texas way, but you need a little visit from Lady Luck to rack up that rock ’n’ roll glory.
Bringing it all back home
They now call NYC home, but L-SKI has Rhode Island blood running through its veins. Helmed by locals Ben DeFusco and Chad Flaherty, the band formed last year from the ashes of the promising but star-crossed Bridges Fell. Since they self-destructed, L-Ski, which also features Jake Wolfgang and non-native drummer Joe Defils, has made serious strides. Their jammy, progressive roots-pop has distanced itself from the pop stanchions of Bridges Fell, with flecks of moe. and the Chili Peppers adding some significant flavors. Lately, they’ve been building a cadre of fans around New York’s West Village. You can see what all the fuss is about this weekend, as L-Ski takes over the Wheelhouse Tavern in Galilee on Saturday. Call 401.284.0246.
GENRE-JUMPERS: Sick Electric. |
High voltage
SICK ELECTRIC is hitting the area this week. The Fall River outfit has been around a while, and their seasoning is starting to take hold. The recent Haywire comes from a pretty impressive sonic spectrum, spanning a bunch of non-obvious genres: emo, grunge, punk, metal, thrash, and prog, glued together by a willingness to look into the dark corners of heaviness for curious and abstract sonic artifacts. On Friday, March 7, they’ll play Accu-Billiards, 3057 Acushnet Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts, with headliners IREPRESS, BABIES IN LIMBO, and CALIFORNIA SMILE. Call 508.995.6286. On Tuesday they hit AS220 with JESUSCENTRIC and others. Call 401.831.9327.Wandering eye
DAN PEPIN AND EMPTY WALLET CLUB will be on WHJY’s “Soundcheck” on Saturday at midnight. EWC will be playing live in the studio and talking about their upcoming shows and, finally, a new album. But the really big news is that LETDOWN, Pepin’s former, near-miss band, will be doing a reunion show this summer. ZOX will return to Lupo’s on Saturday. Opening for the band will be MATT WHITE and up-and-coming locals HELLO MAHALO. HM will take the stage at 6:30 pm and will be filming their first music video at this event. Call 401.331.5876.
DEER TICK is at Jerky's on Friday. Call 401.621.2244. Also on Friday, Firehouse 13 celebrates the opening of its 2nd Annual Arts and Activism Exhibition with performances by THE SET OF RED THINGS, TINSEL TEETH, LOLITA BLACK, and SALT OF THE EARTH. Admission is free before 8 pm and $10 from then on. Call 401.270.1801 or go to firehouse.org.
On Sunday, March 9, there will be a BOB ENOS MEMORIAL BENEFIT at Rhodes-On-the-Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston. As you know, Enos, a trumpeter in Roomful for many years, passed away recently while on the road with the band. Of course, Roomful soldiers on, stopping here to pay tribute to the inimitable horn man, with a full-on bash featuring BIG RED AND THE RESONATORS, EIGHT TO THE BAR, STEVE SMITH AND THE NAKEDS, and JOHN CAFFERTY AND THE BEAVER BROWN BAND. Roomful will also play, as will many alums, which means there will be quite a few surprises, just as Enos would have liked it. The show will run from 2 to 8pm and tickets will be sold at the door. Net proceeds will benefit Enos’s family. Call 401.785.4333.
The Liberty Elm Diner continues its amazing mix of food, fun, friends, and music. On Saturday, the “Your Roots Are Showing” series will present HELLBENT & HEARTBREAKIN, THE REBEL RIDERS, and LUCKY 57. Doors open at 8 pm, the cover is $6, and it’s BYO! On Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm, it’s MARK CUTLER AND FRIENDS. In fact, there’s stuff every Sunday morning, so check myspace.com/libertyelm for listings. The “Winter Coffee Conversations,” hosted by Phil Edmonds and Jim, continue on March 15 with the third installment of “Building Neighborhood Communities.” Bring your questions, concerns, and ideas and talk it out over morning coffee with your fellow locals. The little red diner is at 777 Elmwood Avenue in Providence. Call 401.467.0777.
