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Notes From the Underground

Bad Moon Risin': Queer atmosphere brings out the wolves I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE LUNAR ECLIPSE or what, but the tension in SC last week was visible to the naked eye. Everyone seemed ready to resolve conflict by pulling out the proverbial gun and firing first--asking questions later, if at all. At the Swingin' Utters show on Saturday night at the Vet's Hall, things generally were well under control--perhaps due to the physical dimensions of the bouncers--and the few spats that formed on the sidelines were successfully defused. The audience was rowdy and remarkably diverse, with older local punks reminiscing in the back while the younger crowd Oi!-ed itself into a frenzy during the Utters' set. The psychobilly and swing-dancing set made its appearance for Hayride to Hell, getting a stand-up bass fix before retiring to the bar stools. Mass flyering and KOME hype drew an even larger crowd to see the Queers at the Vet's Hall Basement on Sunday. After solid performances by Black Label, Reliance and Screw 32, the Queers doused the entire building in bubblegum punk. After such a benign set, I was surprised by the hot tempers in the parking lot. It must have been the Queers' cover of Ramones song "Rockaway Beach" that got them all riled up, or all those songs about girls. In any case, the bouncers were much smaller and more distracted than the previous night, and a few people got knocked around. We've done a pretty good job of keeping the peace at shows in recent years, so please, folks, don't go and spoil it now. Arwen Curry Haute Skate Culture Yo, grommets! You might prefer grinding planter boxes to checking out art exhibits, but here's an exhibit at the downtown SC's Art and History Museum you should check out. Waveforms: Skating The Urban Forest is all about the artistic and social value of skateboarding. The expo--which opens on Saturday and runs through November 30--includes paintings, photos, videos, sculpture, silkscreened posters, deck art and online stuff. Local talent includes Moish Brenman of Consolidated Skateboards, whose work has been widely distributed. Skate park architect Ken Wormhoudt also will be showing off his designs. Other notable stuff includes poster art by Frank Kovic, paintings by William S. Burroughs and works by underground skate artists Mark Gonzales and Barry McGee. And don't forget the large-scale works of Sunde White, the sole female member of a group of SF Mission District skaters called Latinos on Skates. Admission is $2 for county residents. Call 429-1964 for more info. S.C.U.M. is Everyplace Not only is NFU available online, but Oliver Brown (aka King Turtle) and ex-Poppy bassist Russ Granger have set up a new web page for the local underground music scene, including local d.i.y. show listings (only all-ages, alcohol-free shows listed), with hyper-links to band web pages, music directories and other neat stuff. You can access the SC Underground Music page and send the Turtle confirmed show info including date, day, lineup, place, time, price and a contact number at [email protected]. Upcoming Psychosomatic plays on Friday at the Vet's Hall with the Drapes, the Insults and Political Silence (all ages, $5, 8pm). Vincent's Ear and Pipe play at Emi's on Sunday (21 plus, 10pm). Michael Mechanic [ Metro Santa Cruz | MetroActive Central | Archives ]