JAIL WEDDINGS by LONNIE NGUYEN

@ QUE SERA
FRIDAY | AUG 31

What a great show and I liked it all, too: Woman, the band split international-playboy-style between NYC, USA and Mexico City, DF, and led by an able Australian—Beefheart splatter guitar over caveman rhythm section and split ursine vocals; sounded like Link Wray catching up to Black Flag, or something from Nick Cave, too, who was present if only in spirit in every band that played. Coming LP should be good—too-sick rock from two sick cities. Holy Kiss swung macabre where Woman swang mutated; Poe/Gorey instead of Pere Ubu, and their new record sounds good, too. Jail Weddings are unreal—full disclosure is that I respect Gabe Hart (Starvations/Fortune’s Flesh) a lot and here is the band he was born for. Nine-piece revue with himself and two wild ladies up front—Katya the incandescent blonde and Tina the bombshell brunette—and a band that is Phil Spector’s Wrecking Crew from X’s Los Angeles. Their good songs are as good as any good band and their best songs are an honor and a privilege: Gabe in silver tie with basso boom like Roy Orbison (!) hauling a song across his shoulder with the opener, “Somebody’s lonely . . . !” and the band (with violin and sax and keys) and the girls pop in on the exact same sha-la-la behind him. No gimmick—instead the total real deal, with Katya and Tina and Gabe all splitting solos (just like my Wailers at the Castle LP) off their righteous heartbroke big-beat big-chorus California rock & roll. Grand Elegance soaks the floor for finale like “Gimme Danger” and “The End” and a final new song that’s got that famous Hitchcock-Birds-descending-on-a-Volkswagen sound. Heavy ’60s rock mostly because of purity of intent and execution—after this, dudes were fighting outside against a picket fence and going, “Wheeeeeeeeeere’s my Budweisssssssser?” so let’s end this review as Grand Elegance is standing onstage, shocked and exhausted and wondering if they should do an encore. And they should have.

Tags: grand elegance, jail weddings, live, que sera