the iMPS, Union of the Dead & damelo

The iMPS, after a too-long hiatus, brought the rock back to Chico on Friday night. The show was originally slated for Mr. Lucky's, then canceled, and then, luckily, found a new venue at The Blue Room.

Opening the night in front of about 20 people on a few hours notice, was my band, damelo. I can't really say anything about us, but someone called us, "melodic screaming."

The crowd grew as the night wore on and Union of the Dead took the stage. UOD tore up the stage with their usual rock 'n' roll ferociousness. In rare form, the band assaulted their instruments and the stage. While covering Danzig / Johnny Cash's "13," drummer Fred Telles pounded a Budweiser. Frontman Cliff Greenwood took command of the stage, falling to his knees and screaming lyrics. He kicked the mic stand out and drew it back in with his foot in an impressive display of rock-star prowess. Telles finished UOD's final song, "Music and My Friends," with a half a drum stick in one hand. Greenwood slammed his bass onto the stage as guitarist Gerardo Wackenhut spun back to his Marshall half stack. Telles tossed his drum set all over the stage as UOD's set closed.

The iMPS started rocking a half an hour later and quickly drew the crowd, which now filled the room, up front and center. Young men and women were bopping their heads to the iMPS alternative / roots-rock sound. The iMPS' songs are amazing. Just a few chords on frontman John McCall's dual-humbucker Gibson are blended into pop masterpieces. They have about five songs that would, in a perfect world, easily be Top 40 hits. Yet they slave in this little town to an appreciative student and pizza-place-employee audience.

The iMPS' new drummer, Jim Rizzuto, was a perfect addition to their lineup, maintaining an ear to ear smile while pounding on his set. I've never seen a drummer look so happy while playing. Bassist Erik Morton played with enthusiasm as well, busting two strings in their first five songs without missing a beat. McCall's often reverberated vocals filled the room. Brilliant pop lyrics like "Summer Time"'s "We can build a clubhouse / with anything we find / we won't let no girls allowed / we'll have secret signs," kept the crowd enthralled. iMPS' favorites "Hill of Beans" and "Vegetarian Lesbian" had crowd members bouncing into one another.

Shouts of "I love you, John!" greeted McCall throughout the night. The iMPS have an awesome ability to put an audience in a good mood. The crowd begged for an encore and the iMPS obliged. The iMPS made their return to the stage a triumphant one, bringing back the rock that Chicoans love.

- Brian Brophy

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