Jun 02, 2015 Save Music in Chinatown 6 recap with Dengue Fever, Birdstriking, Chui Wan, and Deadly Cradle Death
On Sunday, my wife and I threw our sixth DIY benefit matinee to raise money for music education at the public elementary school our daughter Eloise attends, and I think it’s cool that everyone I’ve talked to seems to have a different favorite band at the show. Cyrano and Lotus from KXLU’s Molotov Cocktail Hour loved the high-octane, post punk riffs of Birdstriking, while Lisa from Frontier Records was taken by the layers of grooves laid down by Chui Wan. My old go-to photographer at GR Ben Clark dug the hard-edged electro noise of Deadly Cradle Death and Tony Adolescent remarked that he liked Dengue Fever the most. Or did he say that he liked the lineup the most? Anyway, Eloise says she liked all the bands equally and her opinion is the one that really matters.
But let’s pause for a moment and consider how unlikely and awesome the show was. We had two underground bands from Beijing playing our little show in Chinatown, as well as an experimental offshoot featuring a member from either group. And then there was Dengue Fever, a hometown band with a huge following that typically plays way bigger shows than ours. Someone flew in from Arizona just to see them at our show! And then we had a new venue, the Grand Star Jazz Club, located in Chinatown’s main plaza and in spitting distance of the legendary dives that inspired our series of concerts. Walking up the stairs from the main bar to the top floor with its low ceilings, small stage, and Oriental windows was not unlike entering O.G. school punk shows in the plaza. So how could I not take a photo in front of the old Hong Kong Cafe with Tony and Lisa?
Nearing the end of their tour, Chui Wan had already built up quite a buzz and were on a roll after playing killer sets at the Austin Psych Fest and elsewhere. But they must have gotten an extra boost from being joined in L.A. by their buddies in Birdstriking. Chui Wan didn’t seem fatigued or jaded at all, and blew the crowd’s collective mind just like they did at NELA the night before. Holy cow are they great and how intense is their rhythm section with the bassist’s spider-like hands or the drummer’s xylophone mixed into his kit? Afterward, the lead guitarist struck up a conversation with me that entailed his being a huge Dengue Fever fan, so I took him around to meet all the members and have them sign his Burger cassette!
As stacked as the lineup was, the audience was just as heavy. Everywhere I looked, there were friends like Dave Travis from Cafe NELA, Vicki Berndt who shot so many Muffs and Redd Kross covers, and of course Ricky Maymi from Brian Jonestown Massacre who spends every moment he can promoting underground music from China. He was wrapping up a month with Chui Wan and starting one with Birdstriking. How dedicated to music can one be? Eloise had teachers in attendance, and her principal showed up, too. Castelar is no Vince Lombardi High, and appreciates rock ‘n’ roll.
I was excited about Birdstriking its touring lineup features two members one of my favorite bands from Beijing. But after seeing them two nights in a row (they totally ripped at NELA, too) I think they’ve leapfrogged Carsick Cars. They have similar cool, post punk Sonic Youth and Velvety riffs but add a layer of politically inspired aggression that is totally punk rock! Their debut is now available in the States, so go get it and try to see the band as they traverse North America through June and into July. As I sit here typing, I’m sad that I can’t see them three nights in a row. I’m probably missing their Beat Happening cover!
Of course, Dengue Fever were amazing, too. I’ve seen them so many times and written about them so often… Senon actually mentioned that I wrote the first article and took the first pictures of the band before they started their set. Yet I’m continually blown away by now how a band with such a tight, unusual focus would survive, keep its original lineup, and go from playing Cambodian psychedelic rock to creating their own mutation with elements of Ethiopian jazz, dueling surf guitars, hypnotic drone, and heavy jams. The music is instantly familiar and totally catchy but alien at the same time because of Nimol’s otherworldly vocals. The musicianship is freakishly good, and I loved getting to see them play a small stage with a rough sound system. They probably hated trying not to bump into each other and handling moments of feedback, but I loved seeing them bust through their set like a tight garage rock unit at a house party. They ended with a ripping version of my favorite song, “1,000 Tears of a Tarantula.” Rad!
Underground bands from China zigzagging the country in an unidentified van and a group that plays festivals in Asia and Europe as well as across North America–they had no business playing a tiny matinee hidden in Chinatown. But there they were, playing for around 200 people at the Grand Star to raise money so local, mostly immigrant kids could have music education and a creative outlet. How amazing was it to have such groups play for a small crowd including kids at a place like the Grand Star? How cool is to not only raise money for music education but also show the handful of brave kids who attended that music is not something reserved for symphonies and pop stars but that anyone can make a DIY show happen. And then to take pictures with the bands in front of a Bruce Lee statue on top of that? Perfect.
If you attended the show, played in a band, donated to the raffle, contributed to the bake sale, or helped in any way, thank you. We wouldn’t have gotten this far without you. If not, please join us next school year when we start another round of benefits. The school needs money every school year and Eloise will only be in second grade!
The best place to get info on Save Music in Chinatown shows is on the Facebook group page. Follow Imprint on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, too.