LOCALIZED: Black-beard of Hole-itude
Issue 209 / May 2006 More from this Issue
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By Dane Asose
As always, SLUG will feature Localized at the Urban Lounge (a private club for members) at ten o' clock on Friday, May 12, with Black Hole, Beard of Solitude and opening act, Crocodile Tears.
BLACK HOLE
CHOPPER-Voice
pBUTT-Bass
STYER-Bass
BOGART-Drums
A black hole is a region of space-time from which nothing can escape, not even light. It has so much mass concentrated in it that there is no way for a nearby object to escape its gravitational pull. A black hole is also an anus.
I admit I was a little under prepared and intoxicated for this interview. First I went to the wrong address and then had to rescue camera man Ron Johnson out of a thorn bush that he surprisingly fell in. But we eventually made it to the party for our first meeting with Black Hole. This barbeque birthday celebration was not the best location for a serious discussion about the band, but a good way to get to know them a little bit, and get further intoxicated. Black Hole and I excused ourselves from the party and met in Styer's bedroom to talk about the band. Little did I know that once the door was closed the tables would be turned. I tried to ask a couple of questions but pButt started asking me questions about Black Hole instead! So I didn't get much information about them, but got the hint that they were more interested in hearing what I thought about Black Holes, theirs in particular. After some drunken banter and countless interruptions from fellow partygoers, we decided that we should reconvene two days later at their rehearsal.
Their practice space rules! It's the perfect set-up. It was built by themselves in pButts' garage. It's completely sound proof and just big enough for the band and their equipment. Ruby Johnson (photographer extraordinaire) and I were greeted with earplugs, beer, and three songs. It was fantastic! I was instantly reminded why I like this band. The music is heavy and driving but not in a Metal/Hardcore sort of way. These guys have more of a groove to their jams. PButt holds it down with these rolling bass lines that drive the song. While on the other side is Styer with more staccato, choppy rhythms. The two bass players' styles and tones are very different but compliment each other perfectly. Between them is Bogart. Bogart is one of those drummers that are fun to watch because he hits really hard and is solid as fuck. This then makes a wonderful setting for Chopper's voice. Chopper has got it going on with his vocal stylings. On "Rosa" (a song about his spider, "Rosa Zappatas") you hear everything from soulful yells to falsetto crooning. Their music has a certain gravity to it that you can't escape.
BEARD OF SOLITUDE
Beardo#1 - tambourine
Beardo#2 - tambourine
Beardo#3 - keyboard
Beardo#4 - guitar
Beardo#5 - guitar
Beardo#6 - bass
Beardo#7 - drum set
Beardo#8 - drum set
A "Beard of Solitude" is both literal and figurative. It can be worn on someone's face or in someone's mind. This beard appears when you feel beaten down and too tired to try.
Starting out as a guitar and drum duo in the fall of 2003, the Beard has gone through several lineup changes. Currently, there are two sweet guitars, dos drum sets, thrusting bass, shit hot keyboards and dueling tambourines. I'm shocked that this lineup is able to find any time at all to do this band. Every super cool member is very busy playing in their other super cool groups, which include the Wolfs, The Rubes, Stiletto, Vile Blue Shades, Pleasure Thieves, KNVZ, etc. Beard of Solitude have played out sporadically since they began. They took a six month break then played seven shows in one month, only to take another month-long break. Look for the Beard to be playing at some club or event near you in the future, or just come to Localized.
The tunes are pop/soul influenced and deal mostly with personal relationships: family, friends, lovers, co-workers and so forth. The songs are short, mostly clocking out at the two and a half minute mark. But shit, if you've said what you wanted to say in two and a half minutes, why blather on? Over the last couple of years they have released two CDs, each with eight songs, on local label Croakfrog Records and also have a swell track called "This All Just Leaves Me Worried" on the new SLUG compilation, Death By Salt II: Salt The Earth.
Beard of Solitude are great! I love the CDs and love to see them live on stage, but they wouldn't really answer my questions or really even talk to me. They gave me an information sheet with the facts stated above and that was it. If you ask me, they all seemed like they were know-it-all, holier-than-thou jerk-offs. The music is fantastic, and this show will be awesome but don't talk to any of the Beards unless you want to talk to a genuine asshole.
As always, SLUG will feature Localized at the Urban Lounge (a private club for members) at ten o' clock on Friday, May 12, with Black Hole, Beard of Solitude and opening act, Crocodile Tears.
BLACK HOLE CHOPPER-Voice
pBUTT-Bass
STYER-Bass
BOGART-Drums
A black hole is a region of space-time from which nothing can escape, not even light. It has so much mass concentrated in it that there is no way for a nearby object to escape its gravitational pull. A black hole is also an anus.
I admit I was a little under prepared and intoxicated for this interview. First I went to the wrong address and then had to rescue camera man Ron Johnson out of a thorn bush that he surprisingly fell in. But we eventually made it to the party for our first meeting with Black Hole. This barbeque birthday celebration was not the best location for a serious discussion about the band, but a good way to get to know them a little bit, and get further intoxicated. Black Hole and I excused ourselves from the party and met in Styer's bedroom to talk about the band. Little did I know that once the door was closed the tables would be turned. I tried to ask a couple of questions but pButt started asking me questions about Black Hole instead! So I didn't get much information about them, but got the hint that they were more interested in hearing what I thought about Black Holes, theirs in particular. After some drunken banter and countless interruptions from fellow partygoers, we decided that we should reconvene two days later at their rehearsal.
Their practice space rules! It's the perfect set-up. It was built by themselves in pButts' garage. It's completely sound proof and just big enough for the band and their equipment. Ruby Johnson (photographer extraordinaire) and I were greeted with earplugs, beer, and three songs. It was fantastic! I was instantly reminded why I like this band. The music is heavy and driving but not in a Metal/Hardcore sort of way. These guys have more of a groove to their jams. PButt holds it down with these rolling bass lines that drive the song. While on the other side is Styer with more staccato, choppy rhythms. The two bass players' styles and tones are very different but compliment each other perfectly. Between them is Bogart. Bogart is one of those drummers that are fun to watch because he hits really hard and is solid as fuck. This then makes a wonderful setting for Chopper's voice. Chopper has got it going on with his vocal stylings. On "Rosa" (a song about his spider, "Rosa Zappatas") you hear everything from soulful yells to falsetto crooning. Their music has a certain gravity to it that you can't escape.
BEARD OF SOLITUDE
Beardo#1 - tambourine
Beardo#2 - tambourine
Beardo#3 - keyboard
Beardo#4 - guitar
Beardo#5 - guitar
Beardo#6 - bass
Beardo#7 - drum set
Beardo#8 - drum set
A "Beard of Solitude" is both literal and figurative. It can be worn on someone's face or in someone's mind. This beard appears when you feel beaten down and too tired to try.
Starting out as a guitar and drum duo in the fall of 2003, the Beard has gone through several lineup changes. Currently, there are two sweet guitars, dos drum sets, thrusting bass, shit hot keyboards and dueling tambourines. I'm shocked that this lineup is able to find any time at all to do this band. Every super cool member is very busy playing in their other super cool groups, which include the Wolfs, The Rubes, Stiletto, Vile Blue Shades, Pleasure Thieves, KNVZ, etc. Beard of Solitude have played out sporadically since they began. They took a six month break then played seven shows in one month, only to take another month-long break. Look for the Beard to be playing at some club or event near you in the future, or just come to Localized.
The tunes are pop/soul influenced and deal mostly with personal relationships: family, friends, lovers, co-workers and so forth. The songs are short, mostly clocking out at the two and a half minute mark. But shit, if you've said what you wanted to say in two and a half minutes, why blather on? Over the last couple of years they have released two CDs, each with eight songs, on local label Croakfrog Records and also have a swell track called "This All Just Leaves Me Worried" on the new SLUG compilation, Death By Salt II: Salt The Earth.
Beard of Solitude are great! I love the CDs and love to see them live on stage, but they wouldn't really answer my questions or really even talk to me. They gave me an information sheet with the facts stated above and that was it. If you ask me, they all seemed like they were know-it-all, holier-than-thou jerk-offs. The music is fantastic, and this show will be awesome but don't talk to any of the Beards unless you want to talk to a genuine asshole.
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