The Severed Cortex

Link: http://www.exenecervenka.com/

I can't remember ever seeing a band at the Tap Room. I know I've eaten there, and met friends there, and drank delicious, but Republican, beer there, but I can't ever remember seeing a band there. Maybe there was one time a folkie guy was set up in the corner in the bar where the pool tables are, but I'm dead certain I didn't go there with the express purpose of seeing him (or her) perform. But, I wasn't going to let my never seen a band here thing stop me, especially after seeing Exene Cervenka perform with Craig from the Trip Daddy's a couple weeks ago. I needed to see this same lineup perform again, especially since they were the headliners because I felt their set was cut short being the opening band for Rancid.

A little light reading about the two opening bands gave me the conclusion that this was an extremely odd mix of music. And as expected, the crowd was extremely mixed. Nancy mentioned that the crowd for the opening band, Rats and People, looked like the entire senior class from St. Louis University's art department. I thought it was a spot on description because it really defined the music the band was playing. Overly arty. I can appreciate a good art band every once in awhile, but it needs to lean towards Sonic Youth wall of sound. Some bands are arty and good, but most suck. To me, I guess I should say. Some people must like that kind of stuff. Look, some bands are good live and suck when recorded. Some bands sound great on a recording but suck live. Some bands just suck. I won't say which category Rats and People fall into but I don't have any of their recordings, if you know what I mean. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. Say no more. Actually I shouldn't say it sucks because people spent their time creating it. So, instead I will call it arty. I do say it in much the same way that nice Southern ladies say bless your heart. They played their own stuff, had a violin player, and a guy who played trumpet, so I give them real props for that. It just wasn't happening for me.

The second band was a drum and keyboard duo who called themselves Black Diamond Heavies. They opened the show with the keyboardist/singer saying, "We just drove here from Tuscaloosa". Somehow my inner redneck refrained from yelling, Roll Tide!, and I wondered why I didn't yell it for the rest of their set. Their opening number was the Ike & Tina classic Nutbush City Limits, which they ripped fairly well right off the bat. They did a couple of mid-tempo numbers in the middle of the set and finished off with some good loud grooves at the end. It was enough to get the crowd going. I have to say that I liked the drummer in the band a lot. The singer had a real deep, throaty voice that was sort of a cross between Tony Joe White and Michael Gerald from Killdozer. I kept singing Knuckles the Dog in between my wondering why I didn't yell Roll Tide! Plus, from the side we were standing on, the singer kind of looked like comedian Mitch Hedberg. And no I don't mean dead. Black Diamond Heavies didn't suck, but they weren't overly outstanding either. I will give them some credit though. They had a plenty cool southern blues/rock thing going for them. And, they were the first duo I've seen in rock music since Local H, which is pretty cool. (Black Diamond Heavies are not as good as Local H.)

Finally, Exene Cervenka and the Original Sinners took the stage. First off, I'm glad I brought earplugs. I may get laughed at, but I'm going to try to save what little hearing I do have left. Exene started off way better than last time. I don't know if it was the mix at Pop's that was off, but her voice here sounded infinitely better. It seemed like this sound had way more Exene and Mark (her guitarist husband) and less Craig than the Pop's show a couple weeks ago had. Plus it seemed like they played a lot more punk leaning tunes this time than the rockabilly stuff at Pop's. I'm not complaining, I love both, but it seemed like this show was much louder and much more in your face. Exene ripped through tune after tune and her voice just seemed to get stronger as the show went along. As good as she still is, and as influential as she was to punk music, it really is odd to see her perform. She just looks like one of your mom's friends. But, I guess performing punk and/or rockabilly at that age is nothing more than furthering the punk ethos of non-conformity and I should be spit on for even questioning it. Either Craig was toned down a little or he just didn't stretch out as much. I guess a third idea is that I had earplugs in and couldn't hear all the nuances. Then again maybe it was because there was a giant pole blocking my view of the band and I could either see Exene or Craig, not both. I started on the Craig side, but three songs into it I leaned to the Exene side and sort of stopped listening to what Craig was doing. I don't normally tune out the guitar player.
The band did a lengthy set that got the modest crowd dancing a little raucously, or at least raucous enough to make the older security guard up front start to get nervous. And then they did a peanutty, brown bullshit walk off the stage and come back on 30 seconds later to do an fairly lengthy encore. It was like getting a set and a half, but chopped up weirdly by time. It's my understanding that there will only be one more show with this lineup so catch it if you can. You won't be disappointed.