Tucson Weekly: Soundbites (December 11

Sound Bites NO LIE: The Geraldine Fibbers blew the roof off of the Theater Congress last Saturday, December 6. Scheduled for what turned out to be one of the busiest Saturday nights for live music in recent memory, the show was practically a secret--sorry about that, kids, but we weren't even sure it was happening ourselves.
The whole thing was nearly an unRev3: k would have it, on the last stop before the end of a tour that began during the summer, the Fibbers' van blew a tire on the way into town. The timing of the show was uncertain as a result, and technical/logistical complications had everyone guessing if anything was going to happen.
Sound check? Who needs a sound check? At one point early in the evening, it appeared the keys to the Theater might not turn up, so Mr. Lulu's fashionable storefront was volunteered as an alternate venue. Now that would've been something to see; but thankfully, moving the show was not necessary.
Oh, and did I mention the torrential downpour?
All twists of fate aside, once it got started the show did go on...and on. The Fibbers wrapped up their second encore, an entrancing Bozulich/Cline guitar duet, around 2 a.m., by which time the crowd had dwindled to a few handfuls of mesmerized stalwarts.
At the behest of none other than Fibber Carla Bozulich herself, Tucson's Fierce Bad Rabbit emerged from their cozy bunny hole of retirement to open the show. The Rabbits hacked out a half hour or so of crunchy, discordant glitter-glam guitar coupled with cool, unflappable meandering bass lines, and oh-so risqué lyrics. And speaking of holes, the Rabbit's frenzied, show-stopping finale, "Fuck My Hole," complete with wildly lewd gesticulation, was a moment of pure punk-rock righteousness, right down to the dramatic feedback-fuzzed exit stage left.
The Eyeliners filled the middle slot, and I, unfortunately, caught only the very end of their set, holed up as I was elsewhere awaiting a break in the rain. But comments from eye-witnesses have all been favorable. And then, finally, the mighty Geraldine Fibbers.
Their music and instrumentation is such an original amalgam that it defies short, catchy labels. One attribution that frequently seems to crop up is "country-slash-fill-in-the-blank." Anyone who'd even loosely term the Fibbers "country-something" hasn't seen them live. Okay, yeah, Nels Cline, guitarist/genius, played the lap steel for a couple of songs; and Bozulich does have a throaty voice that'd tickle any cowpoke's spine, but come on. The Geraldine Fibbers ROCK. Despite the small crowd, the show being the last of a very long tour, the noticeably absent hoopla, and the wise-cracking jackass harassing them from the floor, the Fibbers were tight, professional and held nothing back.
They boldly dished a hefty chunk of material from their most recent release, Butch, including "Trashman in Furs," "Toybox," "Butch," "California Tuffy," "Seven or in 10" and "You Do Right." William Tutton moved with ease between upright, bowed bass lines and taught electric fretwork. Especially keen was his solo intro to "You Do Right."
"Marmalade" was a tart surprise--I spotted more than a few exuberant fans singing along in the crowd, blissfully riding wave after wave of feedback. Even "California Tuffy," the song most likely to suffer a perfunctory performance, was delivered with attitude and vigor.
Bozulich, widely known for her take-no-shit, "not-so-fast, fucker" disposition, was gracious and engaging--surprising considering the evening's conspiracy of unfortunate circumstances. The Fibbers made it plain that in the midst of their recently swelling popularity they haven't forgotten how to play it raw and with passion to a small crowd in a small club. First rate, all the way.
THAT'S THE WAY: K.C.--the original Boogie Man of Sunshine Band fame--is a very busy fellow these days, as I found out after several unsuccessful attempts to schedule an interview with him. His triple-platinum second release, K.C. & The Sunshine Band, was one of the first records I ever bought. At the tender age of 8, I couldn't get enough.
It's been 20 years since the heyday of disco, but the colors, the sounds, the clothes, and now it would appear the faces of the late '70s are back. That's right (uhhuh, uhhuh), K.C. (known to his Durham, N.C., neighbors as Henry Wayne Casey) has been touring the world in recent years with a reconstituted Sunshine Band which includes two of the original members.
He spent the '80s battling booze, the bulge and a drug habit--a nasty trio of trouble that plagues many a star on the other side of fame's bell-curve. But to give you a small idea of just how big a star K.C. was, consider this: Over the course of his career he's sold 75 million records. K.C. & the Sunshine Band shine on the Old Pueblo on Tuesday, December 16, at the New West, 4305 W. Ina Road. Tickets are $15 in advance or at the door. Call 744-7744 for more information.
HOT TICKET: The Fells have returned from their five-week fall tour of various east coast venues, including three dates in the Big Apple. They're ready, steady, go! to play a big double-bill with The Weird Lovemakers at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, December 13, at the Nimbus Brewing Company, 3850 E. 44th St. Call 745-9175 for more information.
LAST NOTES: Following a series of in-store and radio appearances around town, Soundings of The Planet recording artist and acoustic guitar virtuoso Scott Huckabay appears live with guests Dean & Dudley Evenson at 8 p.m. Friday, December 12, at the Zenith Center, 330 E. Seventh St. Tickets are $5. Call 1-800-93-PEACE for more information.
The Tucson Jazz Society and the University of Arizona School of Music and Dance present two jazz legends: alto saxophonist Frank Morgan and pianist George Cables. The duo perform an acoustic concert at 8 p.m. Friday, December 12, at UA Crowder Hall, in the Fine Arts Complex. Tickets are $15, $10 for TJS members and students with valid ID. Get them in advance at Hear's Music and Last Wax Records. Call the TJS Hotline (743-3399) for more information.
Lastly, badass blues guitarist Andrew "JR Boy" Jones returns to Tucson and the Boondocks Lounge, 3306 N. First Ave., for an evening of smokin' Texas blues on Thursday, December 11. Cover is $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Call 690-0991.

--Lisa Weeks

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