the Catheters, Isabell, Stars Upon Thars & American Fiction

This night was definitely something to be excited about. Starring was my favorite new Chico band, Stars Upon Thars, and also The Catheters, who have successfully kicked ass every time I have seen them, as did all the other bands in the line up.

DNA hit the lights and American Fiction began their set. They played a version of grinding soul rock that is heavy at times and light at others. The frontman searched for a niche, while Jake Daly plucked his bass. This is the kind of music you might see on the TV or hear on the radio, really great, but not exactly innovative, but the point remains that they are a well put together steady expression of hard rock.

By the beginning of the Stars Upon Thars, the Senator Lobby was basically full. Micah Warren (lead singer) shrieked, his own sound is sometimes hard, sometimes punk rock to the bone, and at other times just beautiful. Aubrey Pope has a beautiful voice that gives the band a few more layers, which at the same time meshes very well with both Micah and Zeke Rogers’ vocals. Curtis Zinn lays down the beats, making everything come together like a big sandwich, like true rock ‘n’ roll.

Up next was Isabell. These guys have been playing around town forever, so you think you know just what to expect. However, time and time again, I am blown away by how great this band really is. These guys are indeed indie troubadours. Ben Teitz has a really amazing voice and all of these men — Trevor Sellers (guitar), Ryan Zachary (bass / vocals), and Casey Dietz (drums) — come together to make some loud, balls-out indie rock.

Finally, it was time for The Catheters, who hail from Seattle and have been rocking their way all over the West Coast and beyond this summer. This was the second time they stopped in Chico in the last four months.

Brian Stanford exploded on stage, providing both the charisma and excellence that it takes to scream and shout songs while going into seizures and spats of dance. I have never been let down by one of their shows; they always seem to be on top of the game, or at least attempting to pin it on the ground and suffocate all that attempts to get in the way of the rock.

Davie Brozowski (drums), Derek Mason (guitar), Leo "Trouble Maker" Gebhart (bass) and Stanford are The Catheters, and they brought us one of the best shows I’ve seen since the Make-Up a few years back.

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