2010: A Rob Z Odyssey
Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of checking out a Rob Z night at El Cid. If you don’t know Rob Z then stay tuned for my Q&A with Rob Z.
For now, what you should know is that Z was probably best known by the denizens of the LA rock scene as Emcee Rob Z, aka ”Masturbator Of Ceremonies,” for the now defunct Kiss or Kill Club.
But that’s not to say that Rob Z’s best days are behind him (though his beard is about a foot shorter from its peak a couple of years ago).
In fact, despite Kiss Or Kill’s final curtain call in 2007, Z still plays a major role in the LA music scene.
That’s because when he’s not fronting his own band, Z/Schnee and The Bleeding Livers, he’s putting together shows with some of LA’s best local bands for nights at El Cid and The Fox & Hounds.
On this particular night, The Resonant Heads, Silver Needle and Tommy Peacock were on the bill. The room filled up pretty quickly with an enthusiastic crowd and luminaries from LA bands like Pussy Cow and The Dollyrots could be found lurking in just about every nook and cranny of the bar.
First up were The Resonant Heads who, in my humble opinion, have the most perfect batch of punk rock songs that I’ve heard in a LONG time. Balancing great stage presence with great songs (along with a Devo cover) they restored my faith in punk rock. They’re the kind of band whose songs you fall in love with even as you’re hearing them for the first time.
Silver Needle’s sweaty sonic assault was ferocious. They played with such intensity that I thought that their guitar necks might snap in half like a bunch of cheap chopsticks. I was chatting with Rob Z at the back of the room and, just as I asked ”Who are these guys?,” they played opening harmonics to their song “Tourniquet,” which was featured on the second Kiss or Kill compilation. I had an oh-shit-I-love-this-song-moment and then rushed up to the front of the stage for the rest of their set.
I met guitarists Daniel and Andre right after their set and they could not have been cooler. By the way, here’s a bit of trivia for ya: Silver Needle shares a rehearsal space with The King Cheetah who, incidentally, are playing with The Swagger Sticks in February at Mr. T’s Bowl, but hey, that’s another story.
Editors Note: I tried to add Silver Needle as a friend on my MySpace page today but got the message ”Silver Needle does not accept add requests from bands.” Bummer!
Last up were Tommy Peacock. I’ve actually opened a couple of shows for Tommy Peacock, once at The Brixton in Redondo Beach with Dread Zeppelin, so I didn’t see their entire set. I can say this about Tommy Peacock & Co; they are one of the most energetic bands in town. I’ve also never managed get their pop gem ”The Kids Say” out of my head since I first heard them play it at Nocturnal Bar a couple years back. Be sure to check out their Impossibe EP on iTunes.
Well, it was an awesome night. Well Done Rob Z! Don’t miss Part 2 of Rob Z’s 2010 The Year We Rock this Wednesday, January 27th at El Cid. On the bill are Guided By Vices, The Hard to Get and an acoustic set from Z/Schnee (featuring Rob Z and Mike Schnee aka Chissum Worthington).
Check Rob Z’s MySpace page for more details!
Additional Links
The Resonant Heads
Silver Needle
Tommy Peacock
The King Cheetah
Kiss or Kill Club
El Cid
AFG Must Rock!
Check out: The Swagger Sticks
Aron F. Gibson
