Daniel Davies is the son of the Kinks’ Dave Davies, but if you went to see his band Year Long Disaster expecting them to play super catchy British Invasion style rock, you are going to be very disappointed. Instead of the long haired mop top music his dad played, the younger Davies goes more for the long haired metal of the early 80’s, before it got glammy and soft. His band used to include drummer Brad Hargreaves (a promotion from his day job with Third Eye Blind) but tonight when the band joined him after a handful of ambivalently received solo songs they looked an awful lot like Karma to Burn. “So basically Year Long Disaster is just Karma to Burn with that Soundgarden-y dude?” a friend asked. Apparently so. Blurring the lines even more, Davies joined the instrumental band during their set, giving them the extra guitar muscle I didn’t even realize they were lacking.
Surprisingly the wiry handsome Davies was not the most fascinating person on stage, that award goes to bass player Rich Mullins. He spent 90% of his time on stage in an impossibly wide-legged stance, bass between his legs, the guitar hanging barely a foot off the ground. His slim but muscular thighs were about as big as his impressive biceps, and accentuated by the skin-tight stretch jeans which he must have bought in the juniors department. He wore a mischievous grin, eyes sparkling beneath his cap as he plucked, strummed and thumped his bass. One thing for sure, it was much easier to watch him than shirtless drummer Rob Oswald, who looked a little like a hobbit behind the kit. Better heard than seen in this case.
The night began with local screamers the United Sons of Toil. Tonight’s powerful set was pleasantly abrasive but tight and concise. In contrast to a bar time-shortened set at the Frequency a few weeks before, tonight they got to play all their songs. A good thing since lead singer Russell Hall didn’t like being told he had to quit by the Frequency soundman. This was one of only a few shows in town this summer as they take their show on the road to such exotic locations as Chicago and Dubuque. Their heavy math rock was a perfect kick-off to a surprisingly entertaining night, even if it wasn’t always the music that I was entertained by.
A Seth drink
The United Sons of Toil
Year Long Disaster
Karma to Burn
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