Tucson Weekly: Soundbites (August 14

Sound Bites LOLLAPALOOZIN': Many of us twenty-somethings--the kids to whom Lollapalooza was originally marketed--have come to disdain the hype and fanfare surrounding this pop-institution devoted (in theory, anyway) to the out-dated notion of "alternative." By now it's common knowledge that in practice Lollapalooza's most definitely an altar to the almighty dollar. Our Gen X ambivalence--or mine, at least--reaches beyond disgust at the bloated cash-cow the event has become, deriving more from my conception that somewhere beneath the piles of merchandise is a noble idea, however vestigial.
I hold up the Lollapalooza second stage as the festival's primary redemption. The original notion of less-than-commercially successful bands with a limited fanbase, drawn together for a singular event of epic proportions, still lives in somewhat diminished spirit behind the scenes at the second stage, where the bands' 15 passenger Econolines sit in the shade of the mainstager's glossy tour buses. New York's Skeleton Key arrived at the Desert Sky Pavilion in just such a van; a band whose presence on the second stage seemed emblematic of my ambivalence for the whole shebang. Skeleton Key, easily in their late-twenties themselves, cultivates a more mature and sophisticated audience...a far cry from the average Lollapalooza ticket holder frowning in a Korn t-shirt.
After a series of delays, traffic, and completely useless parking lot attendants, not to mention the 20-minute wait at the gate, my escort, "Sam," expertly led me through seas of cookie-cutter teenagers with fresh dye-jobs, piercings, boring tattoos and bare midriffs, on to the paltry shade of the second stage press tent. I arrived just in time to witness...an empty stage. In all the confusion and delay, I missed the band by about three minutes. Rushed to the backstage trailer, I barely had time to load the tape and blink twice before greeting Skeleton Key's Erik Sanko, Stephen Calhoon, Chris Maxwell and Rick Lee.
The band was uniformly sweat-soaked, red-faced and giddy with the heat, after what they claimed was their worst show yet on the tour. Amidst the noxious fumes of the VIP Port-o-Pot, flaming in 106 degrees upwind of the stage, and the lackluster, uninspired turn-out, it's not surprising they were put off.
So what brings a band like you to a show like this? "Well, we asked for the hottest spot on the tour. Looks like second on second stage is it," replied Sanko humorously, stepping over any deeper implications. Skeleton Key, obviously grateful for the opportunity to play Lollapalooza (which they earned by virtue of their performance at SXSW last spring) spoke pragmatically, rather than philosophically, of their place in Lolla-land.
"It's great because a lot of these kids who wouldn't be able to get into the Hotel Congress can come here and see us," they observed. Exposure is the party line for second-stage bands, even for those like Skeleton Key who deliberately keep a lower profile in industry mags.
"We're old enough not to buy into all that (image associated with Lollapalooza)," states Sanko. They live instead in the reality that in Lolla-land, second stage equals second class, and that's okay because ultimately they signed on to play music.
"We do it because we can't not do it," says Sanko. "Who is it--Falstaff?--who says, 'I do what I do because I can't do otherwise.' " Like so many other bands in their position, they need to take advantage of such opportunities to continue making music, older naysayers be damned.
However obnoxious the whole circus may seem to the purist, with all its quasi-PC trappings and "awareness" harping; and however obvious it is that kids with cash are the courted audience arbiting the taste of this mainstream rivulet, the reality remains that the bands that made the cut are there to make music, and that's reason enough to go.
Those who didn't go because of the hype and pretension are no more clued in to the merits of the event than those who flocked there because of them. For those dedicated to seeking them out, there were some great shows at this year's event: The two best performances I saw were the sensational second stage Pugs (from Japan), and Tool, who admirably filled the spaces left by the marked mainstage absences of Tricky, Korn, and of course, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
HOT PICK: Now that I've come down on festival shows, let me call your attention to another tour designed for all the young 'uns. The Electric Highway Tour, in essence a rave on the road, pulses all night at Phoenix's Firebird Raceway--starting at 8 p.m. Saturday, August 16, and finishing up well after dawn at 6 o'clock the next morning. Headlining the show is a band all the pundits are calling "Las Vegas' answer to the Chemical Brothers," The Crystal Method. British electronica's heir apparent, Arkarna, with fellow Anglos Fluke, LA's Überzone and Chicago's Green Velvet, round out the mainstage artists. The show also features live sets from several of a series of 12 DJs that'll be rotating on and off the tour, among them Josh Wink, AK 1200, Frankie Bones, Doc Martin, DJ Sneak, and Keoki. Ticketing information is available through Ticket Master, at 1-602-784-4444.
LAST NOTES: Not to be confused with the silent auction held by the Tucson Centers for Women and Children, the Monsoon Madness we all know and love continues Thursday, August 14, on the Winsett Park stage, Fourth Avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets. The bill features Tammy Allen and Susan Chase, Duane Norman and Rainer. As always, show time is 7:30 p.m., and the sidewalk seating is free and open to all ages.
Hipster Daddy-O and the Hand Grenades swing out dressed to the nines on Saturday, August 16, at the 3rd Stone Bar & Grill, 500 N. Fourth Ave. They've been hard at work putting together their first release, Armed and Swinging, expected to hit the stores mid-September--just in time for their upcoming California appearance with Dave's Big Deluxe. Tickets are $4 at the door. Call 628-8844 for more information.
If you're looking to get out, but aren't up for the club scene, stop in at the Coffee Plantation, 845 E. University Blvd., for Tucson's smoothest jazz combo The Blue Monks, who perform from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, August 15. Call 628-4300 for more information.
Skrappy's, 3710 N. Oracle Road, has no fewer than three bands per night pretty much four nights a week, which must make it the busiest all-ages venue in town--at least we hope so, given the rapid appearance and disappearance of such enterprises over the years. Get out there and spend some dough! At 7 p.m. this Saturday, August 18, Skrappy's breaks out the big guns for a Canadian invasion with Wrought Iron Smile and From Maggie to Margaret. Sharing the bill are Tattered Remains and (driving in from California) Ringworm and Betty's Love Child. Five bands for $5. You can't beat that. Call 408-9644 for more information.
Berky's Bar, 5769 E. Speedway, is holding a fundraiser weekend on Friday and Saturday, August 15 and 16, for Arizona's Best Blues Band for 1997, the Bad Newz Blues Band. All true-blues fans should come out and show their support. The band is saving the greens to finance their October trip to Nashville, to compete in the National Best Blues Band Competition. Call 296-1981 for information.
The Club Congress and Filthy Productions present LA's Lighter Fluid, appearing with Small B and Helicopter, on Sunday, August 17, at the club, 311 E. Congress St. Lighter Fluid has been working the club scene in tinsel town for the past few years, and apparently packs a mean punch live. The show is $3 at the door. Call 622-8848 for more information.
After Richard Buckner's absolutely amazing performance with Calexico's John Convertino and Joey Burns on July 5 at the Club Congress, you can bet I was all geared up to see them at the Airport Lounge on August 21. Much to my disappointment, the show has been canceled. Unconfirmed word on the street is that the trio will be performing on Wednesday, August 20, at the Club Congress. Call 622-8848 for details.

--Lisa Weeks

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