Snowmen, The iMPS & Rookie 13

Snowmen, The iMPS & Rookie 13 at Harrington’s
Wednesday March 10, 1999

The lights were dim in Harrington’s on Wednesday night but the sounds were akin to that of "Where the Wild Things Are." As I walked up, I could hear the rumbling of Rookie 13’s bassist, Colin Brewer and his colossal bass cabinet. Inside the venue, the Rookie 13 boys were tearing it up with their catalogued hard-core sound. They roared through what was probably the best set that I have yet to see them play. They even enlisted the help of an old friend visiting from Seattle and put him in place as the frontman. Mr. Brewer managed to blow yet another fuse in his amp. Guitarist Eric North and drummer Greg "Butch" Hopkins maintained the tempo while the minor malady was fixed. The remainder of the set was comprised of songs like "Jack/Dad" and "She Says." The grand finale of the set was an incredible feast of well executed electronic mayhem and distortion pedals.

Next up were the iMPS. These guys haven’t really been playing that much lately, so it is was a pleasure to see them in action again. The beginning of their set was explosive. It was the kind of intro that grabs the audience’s attention and forces them to take heed of what is to come. They followed up with another one of their great sets. The small crowd was very appreciative for such a domineering and intense effort that both Rookie 13 and The iMPS put forth. It was the kind of show that makes you realize that these guys have a shit load of talent and they thoroughly enjoy playing their instruments of choice.

The Snowmen were great. They took a song or two to warm up, and then they let it loose. Their sound is a peculiar style of pop. They incorporate a symphony of deranged tuning, haunting melodies and rough-and-ready style vocals into their song writing. The man in the front with the voice is Cole Marquis. At this show he dawned a cowboy hat and played a plethora of guitars. One of the interesting things about this band is the versatility of the percussion and rhythm sections. Drummer, Mike Ehrhardt, switches to the bass while keyboarding maniac, Patrick Main, takes his turn with the sticks and pounds the skins.

Too bad there wasn’t more people there on Wednesday night. Hey, I understand that it is Chico and Wednesday night is buck night, however when a show like this arises in our little North State oasis, more attention should be paid. This show was a definite musical blast. I am sure the Snowmen will come back through here again, so make it a point to check them out. And, make damn sure you show up and give your support to two of Chico’s best rock bands, The iMPS and Rookie 13. You will not be disappointed. I promise.

– Words and Photographs by Brett Wm. Franklin

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