Cowboy, Experimental Dental School, Pan Pan & Lil' Suicide Bunny

This was my first time watching a show at the D.I.Y.R.G., and I have to say that I was very impressed. First off, the people running the shows are really really nice, creating a positive environment. Second off, The D.I.Y.R.G. has a cool three-foot-tall stage. There's just something mystical about standing atop of a big ol' stage. The sound of the room is also great — not too reflective, but still live-sounding. Third, saying 'Dirge' makes you sound like a pirate. Yaarrr. Granted, it's a little tricky to find, but once you've been there it's easy to find your way back. For more information about it, check out www.chicolist.com. There should be a link to the D.I.Y.R.G. page.

Lil' Suicide bunny kicked off the evening with their blend of melodic indie rock. Being the drummer of said band, it's impossible for me to have an unbiased opinion on how we played. Friends of ours and the members of the other bands said we played great, but they're biased as well. You're probably just gonna have to come out and see us play so that you can judge our show for yourself.

Up next was Redding's Pan Pan. The female-fronted three piece indie rock band played a good set filled with tense, inverted chords and bombastic drums. Becky's vocals were delicate, yet not lacking in strength. Pan Pan's sound comes alive through the contrast of melodic major thirds against anxious color tones. Their songs were generally fast-paced with consistent strumming and immense drumming. Their drive was not hindered by the lack of a bass player, but the low register was still conspicuously absent. Maybe one of the guitarists should use an octave pedal to give their sound more bottom end.

It's always fun watching Experimental Dental School set up — even though the band is merely a duo, they have a gigantic rig. Employing loops and gizmos, the group launched into a set of noise and smarmy heave-ho rhythms. It's too bad there's no drinking at The D.I.Y.R.G., because I suddenly had a hankering for a bottle of rum. Yaarrr. Unique is the key word in describing Experimental Dental School. Alternating between keyboard and guitar noise interludes and dancy pounding beats, the band still finds time to throw in a more or less traditional pop number. The only thing the band is lacking besides fire-blowing midgets, is a lot of vocals. I really like Shoko's voice — she should use it more. With diversity and evil ingenuity, the band never fails to put on an interesting performance.

Cowboy finished the evening off with riveting rock 'n' roll. I didn't catch the name of their opening number, but it features Connie Cassidy and Brad Neighbors singing a beautiful melody an octave apart, and I really enjoyed it. Their flowing medium tempo songs make you want to slide across the dance floor and rock out with abandon. They're typically a great band, but this night they fell short of their usual stellar performance. The combination of it being late in the evening, and playing to a thinning crowd without the help of monitors, may have blunted the edges of their otherwise sharp sound. They still rocked out, though. Connie rarely stopped jumping up and down, and guitarist Jason was immersed in swaying rock. I had a great time watching them, and look forward to next time. Also, special thanks to the nicest band in Chico for letting Lil' Suicide Bunny use their bass rig and drum set. Trevor and Conrad — you rock!

Bookmark: