show review: power chords record release party @ the chob w/ sess, epsilons

Photos of Power Chords Record Release Party @ the CHOB

i went to this show for a couple reasons. first, i wanted to FINALLY buy the new power chords 7". second, i wanted to see the epsilons from orange county (laguna beach, for shizzy)

We arrived at 8:30, which is when shows need to start at the CHOB but never do. Imagine my surprise when, upon our arrival, the epsilons had already begun their set! shock! applause! the place was packed- kudos to action jackson, promoter.

epsilons actually are more like the power chords with a key board. they are all pretty young lads-- as one would expect from their home town. i thought the drumming really stood out, and the singer had a definite presence. for one of the last songs he physically moved the mic stand into the crowd and sang facing the band- which was neat. I'm not so sure i love the keyboard/organ, gave the sound a garage rock/surf rock feel that isn't quite my cup of tea (as supposed to giving it a devo feel). they would go well with monsters from mars, i would think.

after epsilons stopped, i had a chance to talk with Action Jackson. He's done a couple good shows- esp. the Che w/ iSociety!, Grand Ole Party & Power Chords. He is also in Vision of a Dying World. He struck me as a stand-up all right kind of guy. We had a fairly brief conversation about bringing down the adored and new motherfuckers to pair with fifty on their heels and the power chords at the che cafe. that will be sooooooo much drama, i want it to happen, just for the follow-up show review on this blog.

as i was talking to jackson, it became clear that the CHOB was totally packed. if they'd been selling tickets, it would have been a total sell-out. there were even gutter punks there- i snapped a picture of a couple of them. they were adorable! one was even loudly "shit talking" in the middle of the crowd about something or other. i'd like to see those kids try to administer a beat down- seriously, they were the most adorable gutter punks i've ever seen in my whole life.

as i stood in the back, barely catching a glimpse of the sess, i realized that my presence there was totally unnecessary- i mean... the place was packed. and of course, fifty is playing with the sess @ the tower bar. and i've seen the power chords at the chob three times already.

but- kudos to action jackson for getting the show started early, and to all the bands. The CHOB was a venue with real viability last night, and I hope to see more in the future. Maybe I'll do my own CHOB show... or maybe not, being drama free is kind of nice right now. thanks to action jackson for being so friendly! the guy has the right idea and i would encourage local (and non local bands) to seek him out via myspace and talk to him about doing shows down in san diego.

the CHOB is a FOUR LETTER WORD for FUN!

mika miko performing at the chob

from a show in august @ the chob...

This weekend is a set piece classic for fans of southern california punk rock. not the punk rock from twenty years ago, nor the punk rock from five years ago, but the stuff that's happening right now in the coastal crecent stretching from the san fernando valley south to the mexican border.


friday night it's another CHOB classic. I'm STILL not over the performance by Mika Miko I saw there a few months back. Mika Miko is starting to pick up in the Google Search Results- I saw somewhere that they were a top "add" for college radio stations in the last measurement period.

crowd scene of ima fucking gymnist

doesn't this look like a good time?

so really, if you're an actual fan of the music, you should be keeping an eye out for shows that combine some of the san diego bands with bands from other parts of southern california. these shows are cases of bands picking other bands to play with and it shows in the good energy that is generally attendant.

friday night it's the record release party for the Power Chords- w/ the Sess & The Epsilons, who are a super-cool band from the O.C. that you should all check out. Get there early! Like 8:30 PM. Maybe you're like "oh i don't want to go out that early". well, you just missed the best MIKA MIKO set ever, thinking like that...

saturday, it's onto the Tower Bar, where Fifty on Their Heels is bringing down IMA FUCKING GYMNIST and with... the Sess. I know, right? Anyway, the saturday night show has grown up hours- like we can actually play past midnight, also you don't have to drink your alcohol out of a plastic water bottle, mixed with cherry pepsi. The cover is three dollars- the CHOB, of course, is free, but seriously, don't plan to be there past 10 PM, because the cops will shut it down, AGAIN. It's part of the magic!