The Pinch

The task of glancing through the paper to find good local musical entertainment may at first seem insurmountable. With all the good local bands out there, why do so many local clubs deem it necessary to promote cheesy gimmick nights? In the quest to ride the latest trend and become the ultimate yuppie bar, the gimmicks are all so perverse and depressing. Grotesquely offensive white boys in fake ‘fros, disco polyester and a bunch of teary-eyed losers reliving their last moment of glory through an ’80s flashback hit! For those brave enough to wade through all the garbage to find good local musicians with integrity, simply keep two words in mind: The Pinch. 

The Pinch have been around Salt Lake for nearly two and a half years, and consists of Mike Smith (vocals), Kenneth Thomason (rhythm guitar), David Guelich (lead guitar), John Bagley (bass), and Kerry Cockayne on drums. Their musical background is an amalgamation of discipline ranging from improvisation to symphonic. The band’s history is yet another endearing story of musicians yearning to play from a very young age. Kerry has been drumming since infancy, and Guelich played cello for years in the Utah Youth Symphony. Bagley and Thomason grew up together and started playing guitar in high school. They all got together to form a band, and realizing they needed a singer, contacted Smith. Since then they have worked hard not only at their music but also at staying together. Scheduling gigs around their college courses proved challenging. Andrea, of The Bar and Grill, helped get them some early, yet important gigs. “I liked working with The Pinch. They used to play here and even won a South by Southwest competition. They stopped playing here, and I got the feeling they no longer wanted weekday shows. Unfortunately this misconception was caused by their scheduling conflicts with school. Bagley responds, “Andrea and The Bar and Grill were very good to us, we are sincerely grateful to any bar that will have us, anytime, and any audience, one or many, that will listen.” The Pinch and Andrea hope to continue working together in the future. 

Live Performance

The Pinch also does well at Ashbury Pub and The Dead Goat. They create a “hippie” atmosphere, where everyone is welcome, the only prerequisite being a love of music. One thing that stands out while watching the band is the total absence of distraction. There’s no obnoxious front man, no glitter ball and the guys aren’t too busy mackin’ on women to perform. Their concentration is what allows for delicious improvisation that just spins out and builds on itself. An extremely loyal crowd appreciates the band and seems willing to follow them wherever they play. 

The Dead Goat

Although they were shined by their sound guy, The Pinch kept the tunes going while a fan helped out on the sound board. The guys kept their composure while playing and the fans danced as if their lives depended on it. What the crowd lacked in numbers, it made up for in energy. The atmosphere was mellow, warm and intimate, just the way many patrons of the Goat like it. This crowd is not typical for The Pinch or The Dead Goat, but it left each listener a bigger “piece” of music to relish. “Pale White Face” and “Better Beans” boasted strong lead guitar. Throughout the performance they slipped in enough rhythm changes to keep it interesting, but never lost their tight lead and rhythm.

Ashbury Pub

The show at Ashbury Pub was a great example of the strong fan base The Pinch has been able to maintain. Developing loyalty in the early stages while phasing in original music seems to be this band’s solution to Salt Lake’s reluctance to local music. Even though everyone else seems to be concerned about turnout, the band does not. “We draw a crowd almost entirely by word of mouth.” The Ashbury crowd not only loved the music, but knew most of the words. A new and improved setlist boasted “Didn’t I Say,” which proved to be another stand out song for them. “Southbound” had a great groove and got the crowd up and dancing even more. “Better Beans” is reminiscent of Isaac Hayes with its phat, funky undercurrent. Hey Bobby, elicits a great crowd response and is probably their most familiar song. 

“Big E” features outstanding guitar by Thomason. He is by far the quietest member of the group, his guitar playing says it all.

Lyrics

Songwriting is a collaborative effort for The Pinch. Uncertainty and morality are common themes. “Raffle Jack” depicts a homeless old drug addict fast approaching death. “Pale White Face” illustrates the fear of death with, “I know what he wants but I can’t go…” “Brooke” tells of the untimely death of a young girl. “When she fell the sky went dim, her life had come to a very sad end…” The band’s Grateful Dead influence is most apparent in “Better Beans” – “Sun shone down on a little shakedown town, dust covered miles and the music played on…” Thematically, the songwriting needs to move beyond death, before it becomes trite.

For the hoards of you out there hungering for fresh local music, The Pinch offers the talent and enthusiasm to satisfy. These guys are talented, focused and can’t be bothered with a whole lot of silliness. They offer up honest music and lyrics for the crowd to do with what it will. Their self-titled CD is earnest and sincere. With all of the absurdity out there polluting your musical mind, the simplistic integrity of this music is welcome. An evening with The Pinch is an evening well spent. No polyester, no glitter, no foolin’.

“…Sit down on the floor…take your shoes off…save your warmer side and push me away…from the games that tease and pull and churn…” –Tania Paxton

Read more from the SLUG archives here:
Feature Band: Ruth Ruth
Serial Killer of the Month: Ed Gein