Surf Club - 2012-01-27 - Serra Bowl Daly City [RIP]

Surf Club
2012-01-27
Serra Bowl
Daly City CA


recording by: thehappyone, using an Olympus LS-5 strategically placed on top of one of those kids-ride-for-a-quarter amusements.


Tracklist


soundchecking, bowling
Young Love
It's True
You Need Love
Lonely Days
Finding A Friend
----??----
----??----
----??----


Download audio (FLAC format, 
includes photo set)


The last of four performances that night.
It's well documented that member Frankie Soto of Surf Club was in an early version of Craft Spells, though they lean much more towards Beach Fossils in sonics, but with a Best West Coast sensibility rather than say, Jones Beach. 


Unfortunately, the vocals at this point were buried pretty low in the "mix", but hey, we're talking about live music, and it still grooves.  It does feel like you're right there with them as they're playing.  If you look carefully at the top pic, you'll see the dudes from Weekend watching.


Alas, I don't have the names of the last three tracks, but I'm sure there will be a future release from those guys that feature them, as they're just as strong as the first five.


If you want more, head on over to their Bandcamp page to hear (or purchase, like I did) their Young Love EP.

MegaZInE & hEr FLiP in action

Terry Malts - 2012-01-27 - Serra Bowl [RIP]

Terry Malts 
2012-01-27
Serra Bowl  [now closed down]
Daly City, CA


taper: thehappyone


equip: Olympus LS-5 (built-ins), laid out on a jukebox in the center of the floor




Setlist


soundcheck-ing
Something About You
In The Waiting Room
I'm Neurotic
Nauseous
No Sir, I'm Not A Christian
Tumble Down
Mall Dreams
Not Far From It


Malty goodness (FLACs in zipfile)


The Malted Ones were supposed to play last, I believe (could be wrong!) but Surf Club let them go on before...all throughout, the band wasn't sure how much time they had; thus the fairly unique running order.  All things considered, the recording came out better than I could have ever hoped, considering the lack of a PA.  I can't think of a better place to have caught them play, the background of arcade and vending machines is just so perfect for their gestalt.  It's just too fucking bad Serra Bowl is no more.  And the shouts between songs were hilarious.  "Jerry!"


As I write this, they're be opening for fabled punk group The Dead Milkmen at Slim's.  The show is sold out, so I'm thrilled they get a chance to impress people who haven't heard of them, even though I won't be able to make it since I was asleep at the wheel.


More pictures from their performance and the other groups can be found in my Flickr album.  I brought the Canon with me, so at least the photos are somewhat decent.


I'll leave you with a video of 'Nauseous' shot by Megan Dabkowski:

Permanent Collection - 2012-01-27 - Serra Bowl [RIP]

Permanent Collection
2012-01-27
Serra Bowl
Daly City, CA

Setlist

The Kids
It's Alright
One Thousand Sins
In My Head
Matter At Hand
Forget It
Too Late

Download a FLAC set of their performance

NOTE:  All the songs are featured on their, Newly Wed Nearly Dead LP which came out in August 2012.   Pay the Loglady a visit if you want a copy.

 

Brendan and Megan

One of the most surreal moments for me in my forty some-odd years was hearing the sound of hazegaze/noisedrone backdropped by tenpins, so forgive me if I don't wax eloquent here.  I filmed two tracks, which you can watch below.  You'll be hearing more from this group as I plan to be at a couple of shows with them playing later this month.

The flickering video screens behind the band add to the mystique.

In My Head

One Thousand Sins

Monster Treasure - 2012-01-27 - Serra Bowl [RIP]

This week's installment of at my heels brings us to the now-closed Serra Bowl.  I remember bowling there many a time when I was younger, or coming along with my mom for her bowling league games working on chess games (I was a bit of a nerd, you see).  So the idea of having live music there when I first heard about it a couple of years ago just boggled my mind.  My one regret was not seeing the Blasted Canyons / Ty Segall show, but I did catch ECSR and Thee Oh Sees (I just fixed the links for that so you can hear it), which still ranks as my favorite live experience of all time.  So its what that I present the lineup that played the second and last live show I caught at this special venue, and have decided to feature all the bands individually.

After a pleasant chat with Corey of Terry Malts in (where else?) the bar, it was time to see what the combined Stockton (Monster Treasure/Surf Club, playing first/last) and SF (Permanent Collection/Terry Malts, playing 2nd/3rd) had in store.  Actually, it wasn't nearly as organized...nobody had any idea what was going on and it was a minor miracle that it all came together at the end, though the first part of Monster Treasure's set was afflicted with sound gremlins at the start.

Monster Treasure

2012-01-27

Serra Bowl

Daly City CA

Recorded with Olympus LS-5, built-ins, resting on a table...I didn't feel the need to stealth for this show.

Setlist

Hy In The Sky

Our Minds

----?----

This

Amy Chan

I Don't Give A Shit

Lossless recording in FLAC format

I was actually pretty blown away at how fabulous this group was, but I'm admittedly partial to fuzz noise with harmony leads.  Stockton has definitely come a long way from Pavement, okay it had to be said, and hopefully they'll shake that albatross for good.Please, please, PLEASE, head on over to their Bandcamp to check out their eponymous EP.  You won't be sorry.

And thanks to the wonderful Megan Dabkowski, bassist for Curse Words and Permanent Collection, we've got video footage of my favorite song from these guys, "This".  And somehow she avoided filming me (a good thing in my book).

Serra Bowl garage rock! - 2010-07-03 - Thee Oh Sees, ESCR, Sic Alps, and Fresh and Onlys

For your listening pleasure, here's Eddy Current Suppression Ring  live at Serra Bowl, at an free all ages show back at the start of July.  

taper:  thehappyone, using Sonic Studios DSM-6/Ls > Edirol R-09HR

setlist:  Get Up Morning / Memory Lane / Isn't It Nice / Sunday's Coming / Tuning Out / You Let Me Be Honest With You / Wrapped Up / Precious Rose / Walked Into A Corner / I Admit My Faults / Which Way To Go  [total 42:38]

My stream-of consciousness notes made shortly afterwards...

Outstanding quality, only marred by someone (who was also at the Eagles show) talking through 'I Admit My Faults', as well as some of yours truly whooping and a bit of stereo field shifting for when Brendan walked out into the audience.  Some more video, including 'Get Up Morning', 'Memory Lane', and 'Sunday Coming', can be viewed here.

NOTE: I'm aware that some of the linked photos are broken, I'll be working on getting these back online...somehow... (update: DONE)

Petey of TOS (credit: ESCR)

First of all, you have to understand that we're in a bowling alley.  With people bowling.  I have memories of the place when I was 11 or 12 accompanying my mom back when she was in a bowling league, and sitting working out chess games while pins fell.  That this show could even be booked in such a venue by John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees) just staggers my imagination.  Just fucking amazing.  Somebody else in blog-land had commented about the rhythm section of this group, with 'I Admit My Faults' bring shivers up their spine.  No kidding...And if 'Wrapped Up' and 'Which Way To Go' aren't up there in the best things to come out in the last 10 years, I'll eat my shorts.  Being able to see them up close must

Sic Alps performing

have been the same feeling Aussies had when seeing The Saints around the corner at one of their hotels or Brits being able to see an early Joy Division at the local youth club.  Just intense. 

I'm in this pic (credit: ESCR)

And as amazing is this was, what was to come once Thee Oh Sees took the stage was on a level beyond...oh my God, I'm still in awe at what I witnessed.  It was probably the most enjoyable performance I've ever seen in my life, for the sheer positive energy this band seems to engender.  If you're wondering, my recording fell apart after the first song (the pit dislodged my batteries), but I'll share what I got, as I hopefully have a contact with somebody else taping, but not sure if he managed to get the whole thing (Ed. note, he didn't, sadly). 

Brigid close up

Warm Slime (Summertime Jam) was featured as the lead article on the Bay Bridged site that did a great job in dissecting the song...it also mentioned that they were recorded by John Baccigaluppi who of course recorded the Vomit Launch albums....

So, this gives us the following fragmentary documentary sources...we have this setlist because I had the foresight to call bcingyou and let him listen to it.

1. Enemy Destruct [thehappyone aud]
2. I Was Denied [thehappyone aud, 10s + rewplayff 420p video (mistitled), audio ok, incomplete]
3. Meat Step Lively [rewplayff 420p video, audio ok, inc.]
4. Tidal Wave
5. Block Of Ice  [DannyBSnacks 720p video...audio is good on this!]
6. Crack In The Eye
7. Ghost In The Trees
8. AA Warm Breeze
9. Contraption
10. Warm Slime (Summertime Jam) [rainivision 420p video, inc.] 

I also managed to record Fresh & Onlys earlier, with both older kids in tow, since I had the bright idea that they might want to catch an all-ages event like this, which ended up being somewhat of a failed experiment, sadly.  Unfortunately, the vocals were almost inaudible during the mix, but the recording's otherwise decent.  The sound greatly improved for the other sets.

The Fresh & Onlys (credit: ECSR)

Setlist:

soundcheck / D.Y. / Fog Machine / I'm Gonna Be Your Elevator / ? / Endless Love / Fascinated / Waterfall / ? / I'm A Thief / Outro

Apologies for the start of Waterfall where you can hear the younger son state that the oldest wanted to leave...ended up missing much of Sic Alps as I drove both of them back home and returned

in time to catch the other bands.