When an up-and-coming local band puts together a freshman CD, a most logical place to celebrate its release is Hollywood’s Whisky-a-Go-Go. Knowing this, the five hard-rocking members of the Southland outfit known as BlackBrew were gratified, on Saturday, July 31st, to play a hearty set of songs from their self-titled debut disk for a very receptive crowd at the legendary nightspot on the Sunset Strip. But while many supportive fans may have already seen some of those songs performed before, at locations such as Paladino’s and The Cat Club, this Whisky gig would mark the first time the public would see the reconfigured lineup of the band. It so happened that after participating in the recording of the band’s self-titled CD, former BlackBrew guitarist Bill Lima and bassist Matt Samadian amicably departed the group, leaving drummer Mike Ikona and singers Kurt Loun and Joanne Allen to carry on somehow without them. Happily, it didn’t take long to find replacement musicians, and Jimmy Ash and John Anthony Guy were soon able to step in and fill the vacant guitar and bass spots. And so it was that BlackBrew was able to proceed with a CD-release party and performance at the world-famous Whisky.

In good old rock-’n’-roll tradition, the band members all wore black t-shirts, with Kurt, Jimmy and Joanne clad in jeans, and John in shorts. BlackBrew blasted off with the first track from the new CD, “Morbid Rage,” and a good vocal blend was achieved by the two singers, as Kurt’s aggro projection was supported by Joanne’s strong, pure tones. From the outset, it was plain that both Jimmy and John are capable players – but wouldn’t you know it, somehow, during that very first song, a bass string broke on John’s axe! Kurt promptly asked for help, maybe from another band, hoping someone could possibly lend a bass, but for the moment no aid was forthcoming, as BlackBrew prepared to plunge into the next song, appropriately entitled “Why Me.” John managed to forge through like a true trouper, while Jimmy showed his own mettle with some high-end shreds. Next, Jimmy picked up an acoustic guitar to demonstrate his picking and slide capabilities in a piece that Kurt referred to as “Reflections, Part 2,” which some listeners said was somewhat Zeppelinesque, and during that time, somebody generously came through with a replacement string for John, and he was back in business. “In Loving Memory” then started out with a funky, fuzzy intro, as Jimmy thumb-slapped his Fender’s revitalized strings and Kurt got hoppy and happy at center-stage. Joanne’s voice swooped from low to soaring throughout the song, which featured tight breaks and a strong, solid finish from all hands.

Next, as Kurt addressed the subject of change and new directions, the band broke out a surprise for everyone, with an entirely new song called “Eye to Eye,” which proved to be a strong rocker, highlighted by the expert use of a guitar talk-box by Jimmy. The guitarist creatively employed the effect for an intriguing lead, and the crowd’s response showed that the band has another winning song, good to go for the next CD. “I Am the One” was then belted out, featuring another masterful lead by Jimmy, this time enhanced by his wah-wah pedal, in keeping with BlackBrew’s established sound. Jimmy changed pace again as he plucked the minor-key opening to “Breath,” leading into crunchy, choppy chords that were accented by precise, restrained drumwork from Mike at the outset. But Mike’s percussion became more vigorous and propulsive as the song progressed, showing his range as a hard-rock drummer. Then, finally, Kurt stated that BlackBrew was ready to try a song that hadn’t yet been played live by this new lineup, and many in the audience guessed that the piece would be “Black and White,” and they were right. Overall, the song sounded great, with maybe just a hiccup or two as it unfolded from melodic to crunchy – and the culmination was a very well-executed slowdown and taut ending, and the crowd hollered, clapped and howled in approval, making plain that BlackBrew’s CD-release performance at the Whisky was a rousing success.

blackbrew.org

BlackBrew is a young Southland band that infuses the head-banging gratification of good old hard rock with a progressive sensibility that makes its mark and leaves a favorable impression. Led by Kurt Loun on vocals and propelled by the percussive talents of drummer Mike Ikona, the band recently rocked Hollywood’s Key Club right before glam/sleaze legends L.A. Guns took the stage, and those whose appetites were whetted for more of BlackBrew’s insistent metallic stew can now be appeased by the group’s just-released debut CD. Eponymously entitled “BlackBrew,” the new disk delivers ten well-crafted compositions, designed to rattle rafters, stir pulses and spur reflection.

An opus that opens with “Morbid Rage” and concludes with “Conflict Within” might well bespeak an angry, embattled attitude, yet the CD is not all gloom, doom and double-kick devastation. Bone-shaking beats give way to innovative breaks and inviting melodies, framing thoughtful lyrics that often seem to seek answers rather than to remain mired in depression. Yes, “Morbid Rage,” the vigorous first track, is indeed fast and furious, featuring intense, determined vocals from Kurt along with flashy fretwork from guitarist Bill Lima, backed by Matt Samadian’s solid bass. Yet the subsequent song, “Last Chapter” is more heartily grungy than thrashy, and is sweetly enhanced by a versatile singer named Joanne Allen. Appearing on seven of the CD’s tracks, Joanne sometimes croons or soars in counterpoint to Kurt’s relentless delivery, and at other times she vocalizes in unison with him, creating an appealing choral texture. BlackBrew’s sound is replete with variety, as heard, for instance, when the ringing chords of “Breath” give way to a choppy, aggro rhythm, or when “In Loving Memory” commences with a jazzy salad that rapidly turns funky and chunky. In that song, a mesmerizing mood is first set by Joanne’s bewitching vocals, and then Kurt brings the beef. Contemporary social commentary comes through in “Society’s Whore,” wherein observations on legalistic hypocrisy make the listener lean in to catch the nuances of the lyrical indictment. Then, at the melodic outset of “Black and White,” Joanne sings of a billion hands reaching up to the accompaniment of peace songs, yet the image ironically turns to “every aching fist in the sky.” The song is partly tuneful, partly crunchy, flavored with a punchy urgency that contrasts the bygone memory of flower-powered pacifism with a more current call to action, promoting the point that somehow, positive change is still possible. “I Am The One” also makes an energetic statement, while “Why Me” has a somber power-ballad momentum that leads to a shredding conclusion. Following the ominous complexity of “Said,” the grunge-flavored drive of “Conflict Within” wraps up the record, wailing off into the night with a pulsing tribal riff.

Bill’s guitar leads are spicy and engaging throughout BlackBrew’s freshman effort. Production is consistently crisp, tastily highlighting Mike’s precise drumming and Matt’s strong bass, while keeping the capable vocals of Kurt and Joann coming through loud and clear. But the band reports that in the time since the band’s Key Club gig with L.A. Guns in June, Bill Lima and Matt Samadian have gone their separate ways, amicably. It is also noted, though, that reinforcements are already in place for BlackBrew’s upcoming CD release party, to be held at the world famous Whisky-a-Go-Go on Saturday, July 31st. Attendees at the show will have the chance to see a reformed and reinvigorated BlackBrew lineup, featuring not only Kurt, Mike and Joanne, but also new members Jimmy Ash on guitar and John Guy on bass.  Mike and Kurt have said that a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the making of BlackBrew’s premier recording, and similar energy will be no doubt be expended to bring the band’s masterful mix alive onstage.

http://blackbrew.org

Photos by Ernie Manrique

Hollywood’s Key Club was electric with anticipation on Thursday, June 10th, when Tracii Guns, founding guitarist of the glam/sleaze outfit known as L.A. Guns, brought his hard-rocking posse back to the Sunset Strip for a promenade through the band’s hits. The group’s current incarnation featured sassy vocalist Jizzy Pearl on the microphone – the former Love/Hate frontman who recorded the “Shrinking Violet” CD with L.A. Guns eleven years ago. The evening’s festivities were announced as a celebration of the recent re-release of that disk, with the inclusion of several bonus live tracks, on Steve Vai’s Favored Nations Entertainment label. Also on board for the show were bassist Jeremy Guns and drummer Chad Stewart, plus noted session-man Teddy “Zig-Zag” Andreatis playing keyboards. Tracii and his merry men, along with a few special guests, all veterans of the Strip and no strangers to the Key Club stage, came ready to once again dominate the Boulevard. In short order, a houseful of horns-hoisting fans were making it clear that Los Angeles, home of such down-and-dirty, scene-setting bands as L.A. Guns, is a town where rockers of all ages and persuasions still like it loud and sleazy.

And if sleaze was what the people wanted, that’s what they got, as Tracii and company charged out from the gate with the racy piece called “Sex Action.” Anthemic chords quickly led into the well-known ode to naughty behavior, with crisply-coifed Jizzy spryly setting the pace by showing off an engaging theatrical flair that was part puppet-master, part marionette. The seasoned frontman was in fine vocal form, bringing the nice-’n’-nasty lyrics alive with every high-reaching howl. In counterpoint to Jizzy’s emcee-like appearance, longer-haired Jeremy and Tracii both wore leather vests, and the heavily-tattooed guitarist sported a headband, in keeping with the fondly-remembered style of the glam era. The band rolled into “Electric Gypsy,” following with “One More Reason” and then the throbbing bass line of “Decide,” which featured keys and axe complementing each other’s high-octave riffs. Soon thereafter, Tracii fooled a few in the house by fiddling with the familiar, ominous intro to AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells,” and then he took a surprising turn by seguing into “Never Enough,” which promptly proved to be a sing-along favorite with the crowd. The pace mellowed with “Dream Time,” featuring nostalgic, Fifties-style “doo-wop” construction and vocals. Tracii then brought out an old friend, bassist Phil Soussan (famous for his work with Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Idol, among others), to team up on a nugget known to everyone, “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” which naturally led to hearty audience participation. And then, in another interesting twist, two members from local ska-punk-funksters Fishbone were brought forth: John Norwood Fisher on bass and John Steward on drums, backing Tracii and Zig-Zag for a tasty rendition of “Red House.” Fisher’s trademark dreadlock swung from beneath his cap, keeping time while Tracii handled vocals on the blues classic made famous by Jimi Hendrix. Paying heartfelt homage to the tune’s heritage, Zig-Zag brought out his harmonica to trade licks with Tracii, culminating in a satisfying, shredding crescendo.

And as Jeremy and Chad resumed their places, the opening notes of “Ballad of Jayne” brought instant recognition from the audience, prompting yet another chance to sing along. Funny, isn’t it, how songs about girls with that name seem so poignant – one recalls, in particular, Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane,” and of course “Jane Says” by Jane’s Addiction. After “Jayne,” the metallic dirge of “Over the Edge” had a couple of mohawks in the crowd bobbing along while Tracii got intensely expressive with his axe. Tracii continued with his guitar-hero posturing during “Show No Mercy,” scrambling the strings expertly all the way up the neck. Next, in a nod to Jizzy’s previous band, an old Love/Hate tune called “Blackout in the Red Room” kicked things into good-time rock-and-roll overdrive. By that point, drummer Chad was loose and sweaty, and ready to break out all his licks and tricks, including cowbell, for the set-closer, “Rip and Tear.” The Key Club’s eager throng pressed the stage to soak up the hard-rock riffs, basking in the barrage blasted out by Tracii and company while they ripped it out and tore it up, bearing the banner and burning just as brightly now as back in sleaze-rock’s original Eighties heyday.

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Right before L.A. Guns came on, the Hollywood crowd was treated to a powerful set from a newer Southland outfit, BlackBrew. Led by a solidly-built singer named Kurt Loun, the band served up a series of songs that melded classic hard-rock roots with up-to-date creativity and energy. BlackBrew began with the minor-keyed intro to a song called “Breathe,” which fused chunky chords from guitarist Bill Lima and heavy rhythmic support from bassist Matt Samadian and substantial drummer Mike Ikona into a molten audio stew. During that song, Bill’s fondness for his Morley “Bad Horsie” wah-wah pedal was evident, and he returned to that effect repeatedly throughout the songlist, while showing a taste and talent for shredding. “Last Chapter” commenced with a marching progression of ringing chords that seemed to channeled Black Sabbath by way of Alice In Chains, with Kurt vocalizing in a masterful tone distinctly his own – he’s not exactly a screamer nor a growler, but he certainly projects his pronouncements with authority. After delivering what the singer called a tongue-twister of a title, “And They Say, So They Said,” Kurt invited the ladies in the audience to dance, as the band changed up the groove with the funky onset of “In Loving Memory.” Then came another change, when the band got good and thrashy with “Morbid Rage,” a song fit for a pit, even though no moshers materialized, this time. In following, “Black and White” began with a melodic, wavery guitar line that led to a confident two-chord flow, plus another dose of thrash. And lastly, a thoughtful, progressive piece entitled “I Am The One” rolled out like a boulder down the Strip, a final chunk of hard, hefty tuneage from the competent foursome called BlackBrew – another local band that’s well-worth listening to and watching, on the road to rightly-deserved recognition.

blackbrew.org