BEST LOCAL ROCK & ROLL WEEKEND EVER- THE DOGS, DR. BOOGIE, THE PANDORAS

 




 
It was the perfect, genuine Rock and Roll weekend in the Greater Los Angeles Basin: Friday 11.20.15 THE DOGS at Valencia's VU Bar, Saturday 11.21.15 Dr. Boogie at Silverlake's El Cid and on Sunday the reunion of The Pandoras 11.23.15. 

Above and below, rowdy, legendary Detroit/L.A. ruckus-raisers THE DOGS (history, see LINK)-- singer/guitarist Loren Molinare, bassist Mary Kay, drummer Tony Matteucci-- headlined a punk/shock rock bill with theatrical, pointy-coiffed and becostumed Rebel Rebel in tow, the latter's singer Jet Jupiter appearing very Kabuki. THE DOGS performed three new songs from their forthcoming Smelvis Records' release Ain't Going Nowhere as well as an assortment of their hardest rock, fan favorite classics like "Slash Your Face," "John Rock" and "Sleaze City."

   PHOTO OPS: 

 

 Above, Loren Dog, Rebel Jet Jupiter and California Rocker editor Donna Balancia.

 ←Loren Dog, Julie Scher Molinare and Mary Dog with Blackstar Amplification execs. Set list → LINK for info.   

Proactive entreaties to dance and rock were well met by Dr. Boogie and fans alike.

Fresh from their tour of up and down the West Coast, Saturday night, 11.21.15's record release party for
Dr. Boogie
at El Cid packed 'em in as they played raucous selections from their new Got To Get Back to New York City cd/download/vinyl. This hot collection of true rock and roll, reminiscent of The Faces and The Stones, can be purchased from Deadbeat Records here: LINK

I reiterate the bandmembers names because this is one aggregate that truly is the sum of its well-honed parts: each is indispensable and strong-- Chris P on lead vocals and guitar; Dustin James on guitar, Jeff Turpin on bass, Luis Herrera on drums.

 

Our local gig of THE PANDORAS' first reunion in about three decades fulfilled a much anticipated show for longtime fans as well as the storied girl band geeks. The 11.22.15 performance at The Satellite followed a vigorous summer European tour of festivals, so the band's garagey sounds were super tight despite the interim.

                                                           Joyous and sexy though their music is, The Pandoras have a fairly tortuous history: some two or three dozen bandmembers all total in their perpetual game of musical chairs, early death of their singer/songwriter/guitarist/co-founder, complex musical prodigy Paula Pierce (who easily could fit in the subset of Sandy Denny and Janis Joplin for unfulfilled promise,) bisection, lawsuits etc. Do click my first-person thinkpiece on them, it's some of my best writing LINK. Originally part of the 1980s Paisley Underground, they evolved to presage riot grrrls by half a decade and remain influential.  Fortunately, bouncy, effervescent Kim Shattuck (The Muffs, The Pixies [briefly]) was up to belting out the innuendo-heavy set comprised of a great mix of tunes from The Pandoras' first two albums, pre-fame demos and later songs. She originally was bassist in the group.  Hillary Burton on drums and bubblegum replaced Pandora Sheri Kaplan Weinstein mid-tour.

 

Tambourine Queen as well

  as keyboardist Melanie Vammen; former drummer turned bassist Karen Bassett.

SET LIST: Haunted Beach Party, Want Need Love, Let's Do Right, 

You Don't Satisfy, It's About Time, You're All Talk, I Want Him, Hot Generation, Getting Harder, I Want My Caveman, You Lie, That's Your Way Out, The Way It's Gonna Be, You Won't Know, I Live My Life, You Burn Me Up And Down, It Felt Alright.

Opening act The Woggles presented their Chesterfield Kings/Brian Jones' Rolling Stones' soul with their active singer serenading from the rafters, literally as well as figuratively.

PHOTO OPS:       

 ← Shelley Ganz (The Unclaimed) and 
Kim Yee.  

Unidentified
biting objects 
backstage. →

 
Yours truly in action at this gig, always the oldest blonde in the room with the cameras: photo courtesy of John Stardust Alvarez