The Asskickers

You'd think that, being in the middle of one the nation's most fertile stretches of farmland, Chico might have a booming country music scene. That's not the case, and in fact, the most consistently gigging country band in Chico is The Asskickers, a group of punk rock ex-pats whose affinity for tongue-in-cheek twang and skill in musical and vocal delivery make them the only country band this town needs, as far as this reviewer is concerned.
And the only thing better than catching an Asskickers show is catching one at happy hour. Last Thursday, LaSalle's was kinda hoppin' when the band started, and those in attendance spent the first half of the show hoisting beers to tunes like "Porno Queen" and "Wide Eyed Leroy." The place was really jumping towards the end of the fist of two sets and the applause got louder as the crowd got drunker.
Frontman Bob Howard's previous musical exploits included The Transexpistols, in which he was the cross-dressing bass player Cynthia Vicious - a stark contrast to his role now. As the bandleader of The Asskickers, Bob usually sports a flat-pressed suit with a bolo tie, a cowboy hat and decidedly more subdued stage presence than he would have if he were still wearing fishnets to perform. His vocal delivery is equal parts Johnny Cash and Steven Wright - his deep country croon coming off as heartfelt and straight faced enough to provide both seriousness and a stoic humor. The rest of the band is as sturdy as they come: Alan Wood's standard country / blues licks and drummer Steve Bragg's steady gait are the bands backbone, while the flash and flair is added by pedal steel guitar player John LaPado and lead guitarist Scott Pressman, two of the most established and talented guitar slingers in Chico. The sound is a country / rock hybrid, though there is just a little bit of punk rock in there.
Half way through the set, it was obvious that the crowd was there to see the band, not just to drink happy hour-priced beer. Fans sung along and some even danced to songs about trees and righteous hippie girls ("I Cut Down Trees"), being caught with your pants down ("S&M Blues") and the cream of the crop in American cultural absurdity ("Springer Show"). The overall Asskickers vibe is distinctly Chico, a humble blend of various tenets of hipsterness combining to make some simply good music.
- Philip Bole
- Photo by D.C. Ramirez

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