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The Trailer Park Troubadours made a fashion statement with their clothes and their lyrics
By David Espinoza
IT WAS A WEEKEND for doubling your pleasure: two doses of Nina Storey at Moe's Alley (Friday and Saturday), two doses of Blues Traveler with Spearhead at the Catalyst (also Friday and Saturday) and, finally, two shots of the Trailer Park Troubadours at the Kuumbwa (Saturday and Sunday). Sunday's Trailer Park show with Antsy McClain and Stephen Foster "Flem" Fleming (backed by "Loose" Bruce on bass, "Odd Job" Bob on drums, and "Jailhouse" Jimi Jackson on guitar) turned out to be more fun than snorting green Jell-O through a jumbo straw.
Besides pulling audience members up on stage to dance (including Snazzy Productions CEO John Sandidge), Antsy spent a good portion of the show in the aisles working the crowd like a Weird Al Yankovich Baptist preacher. Thanks to their impromptu comedian-with-guitar personas, Antsy and Flem put on a performance that seemed more like they were entertaining among their pals inside one giant trailer. Indeed, like many Americana-leaning musicians who find themselves in Santa Cruz, the Troubadours expressed much gratitude for the warm reception. There are, after all, few places that could have the Trailer Park Troubadours play not once, not twice, but three times in two days (twice on Saturday, once on Sunday).
Close to the end of Sunday's show, Antsy gave a semiserious rant on Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and other fashion goons before kicking off "Skinny Women Ain't Hip." It was easily a highlight of the night, with Flem shaking his backside to the audience as Antsy sang, "I tell you what, a model ain't super if she ain't got a butt." As for the Troubadours' goofy fashion sense, I unfortunately missed the opening, so there might have been a joke or two about Antsy and Flem's subconscious patriotic theme for the night: these two white guys dressed in bright red and blue shirts.
Trocolodyte
A couple of weeks back, former Sin In Space drummer Kia handed me a demo CD of his project, Trocolodyte. Consisting of erratic blips and bleeps a la Mouse on Mars, the opening track is a keeper. Unlike the touchy feely Santa Cruz electronica bands out there, Trocolodyte takes a more aggressive approach to sampling and drum loops. Track 3 makes the eight-track demo worth pursuing, with drum 'n' bass loops perfect for any indie film.
Upcoming
The most interesting show shaping up for next month seems to be the First Annual Santa Cruz Hip-Hop Revival on Dec. 15 at the Santa Cruz Vets Hall. Back from an extended hiatus, local B-boy enthusiast Namu will do some rhyming along with other notables Jedi Knight Circle, Thunderhut, DJ Verbal Tek, DJ Clockwise and SC's skater-boy answer to the Hieroglyphics: the Moonies. ... R.K.L., Retox, Down in Flames and the Scabies play an all-ages show at the SC Vets Hall Friday (Nov. 30). Modern goth-rock crews Bethany Curve and Lisa Dewey play a "Surround Me in Sound" show at the Rio Theatre Dec. 8. ... Los Dryheavers, Double Fisted and Me vs. Everybody play a 21-plus show at the Ocean Thunder in Monterey Thursday (Nov. 29). ... The Policy and Death Before Dishes play a free show at the Saturn Cafe Tuesday (Dec. 4).
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