Red With Envy, Mynis & Black December

Due to the fact that I rolled my ankle four hours prior to the show, I was looking for something to put me in a good mood and take my mind off the throbbing pain that was slowly emitting from my stump of agony. I showed up at LaSalle’s around 9:15 PM or so and decided to post up at the bar for awhile and check out the scene. The first band, Black December, came on while the wood floor in front of the stage seemed to be vacant as the streets of the college town of Chico, CA, during Christmas break. Black December is a four-piece rock band out of Chico with a slower, hardcore Korn type of sound with the use of intricate guitar effects. The singer had smooth, calm vocals and tore into screams when ever he came to a chorus. Though I could see the disappointment on BD’s faces due to the lack of a crowd, that seemed to have no effect on their performance and they still went on strong. Black December had it going on due to the fact that after every song you could hear girls give out intermittent hollas, or it might have been that the band was giving their CD away, which they said “would make great gifts.” By the end of their set they captured a decent-sized crowd.
Looking down at the blue glowing star on my hand and armed with a pitcher of pale ale, I was up for Mynis to come on. Mynis, a four-piece, was a little less punk rock than I expected from their appearance, given the bass and guitarist sportin’ Mohawks. The sound of deep, slow, dark verses followed by spastic roars gave off a System of a Down type feel. The singer was off the hizzle and had more energy than a can of Mexican jumping beans as he ran amuck through the audience, climbing up on whatever he could get his hands on, crackin’ jump kicks off stage, and beating himself with the microphone stand, flailing it around in the air as if waving down a taxi. My friend Jeremy summed it all up in, “Damn, he has mad talent in aerial skills.” He got in the audience’s face whether they liked it or not. The Doors cover seemed to give a final touch to their set, laying down a good line-up for the night.
After winning a $2000 prize in a Battle of the Bands contest the night before in Redding, CA, Red With Envy was charged and ready to rock like the Energizer Bunny. Drummer Nick Harris filled the room with drum beats as people crowded towards the stage. From the first song the audience was ecstatic and fiending like a bunch of moths attracted to this colossal light show. As soon as the band began playing “To Whom it May Concern,” the crowd went crazy like a plague of malaria as the floor began to rumble. The vocals were a little rough but it didn’t matter because it seemed like most people knew the words anyways. Some slow songs resulted in lighters being lit in the air while a group of girls fixated themselves at the front like a boy walking past Victoria’s Secret window for his first time. These bands left everyone wanting more and I’m sure that their followings will only grow stronger in the future.
– Chad Inman
– Photo By Alyssa Starkey

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