Barracuda has a rugged dive bar charm that emanates an air of volatility that spills into the surrounding streets. The bars in close proximity are still holding their rugged charm and the graffiti on the Barracuda's bathroom walls and wood paneled walls is a far cry from modern. The lineup for Tuesday night's Barracuda show would be a hard rocking triumvirate of Sailor Poon, Saint Pe, and Dead Meadow.
Before Sailor Poon went on as the first opener, someone asked me “Do you ever headbang during a sound check?”. This is the perfect statement to summarize the kind of show Sailor Poon put on. Cheraya the drummer has a pink fuzzy drum set, and when Billie the vocalist and Saxophone player brought out her Sax there was red lipstick stained on the reed. Sailor Poon used a variety of vocal sounds during their set. Screams, maniacal laughs, hysteric laughs, wailing. Spooky, bone collecting, scream queens. Sailor Poon even asked for the lights the be dimmed to a spooky red to raise the spook factor. The performance was theatrical with the vocalists dancing, and facial expressions. A totally engaging show. Billie switching from saxophone to vocals effortlessly. A mix of heavy metal sludge sounds where the music makes you slowly start head banging faster and faster then transitioning to the fast thrashy punk that makes you want to smash around. I think the audience from the Leftover Crack show would of done very well at a Sailor Poon show. Lots of moshing. The reverb of the vocals give an ethereal sound at times too.
Following Sailor Poon was Saint Pe. Ian Saint Pe, a singer from the Black Lips, started Saint Pe. Although the Black Lips are a very established band I felt that Saint Pe was trying to still find their sound as a band. There was ambivalence from the crowd. Some people stayed for a song or two then went to smoke and nobody was up front and center at the stage. Most hung in the back at a cautious distance. Vocals were difficult to hear, and it proved difficult to get into the band's vibe.
When it was time for Dead Meadows set, there was a total influx of people into the crowd. The venue shifted from a spacious atmosphere to being packed with sporadic clouds of smoke occasionally arising from the newly formed crowd. Before the show I reached out the a member from The Black Angels and asked what he thought about Dead Meadow. “They’re consistently a badass band” is what he said, and the crowds response supported that. Naturally of course, there was the guy with dreads and a dirty shirt dancing around in circles in the back. Dead Meadow gives people who weren’t alive for the birth of psychedelic rock, a band to jam to. Incorporating the extended guitar solos, “wahs “wahs”, and feedback that are staple elements to psychedelic rock. Between songs the crowd would hoot and holler “Dead Meadow!” “Hell yeah!”. People were swaying and singing along, heavy crowd engagement.
-Hillary Harris
