Jun 28, 2016 Roadshow Revival: Year 8, Day 1 with John Doe, The Blasters, Robert Gordon, and Inazuma
Sometimes the stars just align. My wife and I were setting up our ninth Save Music in Chinatown benefit when Ross Emory walked in. He said that he was in Los Angeles for the previous evening’s X, Los Lobos, Blasters, and LP & The Tragedy show, had been getting lunch in Chinatown, and saw Raul unloading drums. A Mike Watt & The Missingmen set? An all-ages punk matinee to raise money to support music education for kids in Chinatown? Ross not only bought tickets to check out the show before running off to drop off his friend the airport but donated tickets to his upcoming Roadshow Revival roots fest in Ventura for our raffle as well. My dad won the tickets, gave them to me, and I invited my brother. Instant road trip!
Roadshow Revival is more like a family picnic than Coachella. Prime spots are taken by families on blankets and there are slots for fans show off their classic cars or best Betty Page-inspired looks. You get a wristband and are free to wander around the modest vending areas (for rockabilly and roots music as well as looks) or go into town for a bite. After scarfing some vegan tacos and loading up on coffee on Ventura’s main drag, we arrived just in time to see the Cadillac Tramps. Sadly, Gabby’s health didn’t allow the band to play, but openers Inazuma got to play an encore.
During Inazuna’s kick-ass set, I spotted Ross and told him I how glad to be able to catch the high-energy punkabilly trio from L.A. via Japan in action. He asked if we wanted to check out the VIP section and how could we say no? We were glued to the barricade from then on. That meant no merch from Inazuma (next time), no bathroom breaks (we’d sweat it out anyway), and one set of earplugs between the two of us (our right ears were closer to the speakers). Poor us.
Greg and I didn’t know much about Robert Gordon except that he was a punkabilly pioneer from the ’70s who played with Chris Spedding, Link Wray, and even The Boss. Starting off with “The Way I Walk,” a song covered by The Cramps, didn’t hurt and neither did having The Blasters as his backing band. Legends behind a legend–amazing!
More than three decades ago, Greg and I got to see The Blasters open for The Go-Go’s on the Prime Time Tour. This would be the third time for me to see them this year since they played a tiny benefit for their big-hearted roadie Jamie at Cafe NELA. Is there a better band to play a roots fest than the band from Downey that carried for the torch for SoCal’s punk-spawned rockabilly revival in the early ’80s? They sound better and tougher than ever and their roots rock is as powerful as it is primal. American music, indeed.
John Doe might think I’ve been stalking him because a month or so ago I attended his book release event and two X concerts in one week. But I really wanted to see him play songs off his excellent new solo roots and raw country album as well as some reworked tunes by his legendary L.A. punk band. For good measure, the rock combo played some Johnny Cash songs, as well, in tribute to the festival’s own roots. Does anyone have anything bad to say about Doe, who has helped create so many classic L.A. punk songs, supported so many populist causes, and is nothing but humble whenever fans like us meet him?
And is there a more humble yet killer fest than Roadshow Revival? It’s easy for people to say they are influenced by rock ‘n’ roll or any subculture, but who actually attends these shows? What type of family actually puts on such an event? The grassroots event and garage rock culture made for a perfect show and day trip, especially one week before a family excursion to Memphis and Nashville–the cradle of roots rock–but that’s another story…
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