What, the How Did This Year, of Shows Urns out S Ago Or

b-sides

time it was the version most people knew, When we started out, none of us were it had become something much more for massive players or talents. Whatever we Bad to us. That was mid-’90s. We didn’t have the had was bigger than the sum of our parts. It expectations that most bands [have] who would have been cynical to think we could the ’Bone tour as much as we did. It just replace someone and was just a rolling clubhouse move on. ore bands should study the elegant, for us. The further it went Slobberbone Is there a new record in Malmost neoclassically refined career we enjoyed it on a different 9 p.m. Wednesday, August the works? arc of Slobberbone. The flight path goes level because of that. What 12. Off Broadway, 3509 I don’t know. Maybe. We like this: drink beer, play for your friends, tore us down in the end was Lemp Avenue. $10 to $15. try not to plan too much. take your name from a porch dog’s chew losing sight of that. I don’t 314-773-3363. We’re going to tour and see toy, tour, rock, tour and above all else, rock. think we had the requisite if we like it. That was part The Denton, Texas, foursome of songwriter mentality to handle things and parcel of the headaches and singer Brent Best, guitarist Jess Barr, on a bigger level. We always knew that Slob- of the last year for Slobberbone. Everything drummer Tony Harper and bassist Brian berbone was the four of us, so it feels good had been mapped out for the next two years. Lane put together an improbable ten-year to be back in a room together. I don’t think That just didn’t make a lot of sense for us. run of unhinged, cocksure, strangely poetic that would have been possible if we had jet- We were an of-the-moment band, maybe two country- and punk-infl uenced rock & roll, tisoned somebody along the way. months at a time at most. We’re not too keen with songs that veered from trailer-park noir Slobberbone is a band, as opposed to the on getting into that situation again. to apocalyptic warnings. guys who play your songs. — ROY KASTEN After playing what was to be its fi nal show in 2004, the band has recently welcomed back Brian Lane, the tallest bass player in rock & roll, and is picking up where it left off: shredding But Seriously, Folks speakers and Americana preconceptions in any bar that will have them. From his home ometimes simply being fun isn’t enough laden with vague philosophizing, misguided in Denton, Texas, Best picked a ’Bone with to keep a pop act interested. Take genre-dabbling, multipart suites, and liberal B-Sides. SGreen Day. The band shocked its own use of words like “world,” “soul,” “life” and B-Sides: Slobberbone has re-formed. Is career back to life in 2004 with American “mind.” — JASON TOON this your attempt to divert attention from the Idiot, which twisted and infl ated its economi- blink-182 reunion tour? cal pop-punk riffs into a sprawling, Voice Of Brent Best: Is there a blink-182 reunion? A Generation statement. In 2009, the Bush Green Day and Franz Ferdinand Oh my God! I need to call my booking guy. I era is over, but the grandiosity continues on 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 11. Scottrade don’t want to interfere. Green Day’s latest album, 21st Century Break- Center, 1401 Clark Avenue. $22.50 and If only it were that easy. This is, what, the down. Here’s how American Idiot compares to $47. 314-622-5435. fi rst Slobberbone tour in fi ve years? How did some other notable attempts to get serious, all you talk Brian back into the band? Brian was back in Texas earlier this year, Album The Makeover Cover Clues Creative Gambles Key Lyric The Verdict so just for fun we booked a couple of shows Huey Lewis & the News The ultimate ESPN Huey juggling a globe An instrumental reprise of “Now we can fi ght one an- The only HL&N album with in Dallas. They were really fun. Turns out Small World band changes the the title track; the awful reg- other like they do on TV/Or no songs you’d recognize. he moved back about two months ago or (1988) channel to CNN gae of “Bobo Tempo” we can help one another the Huey scurried back to the whatever. He’s just fi nding his feet again, way it’s supposed to be” sports bar for 1991’s Hard doesn’t want to get a job, and we all under- at Play. stand that. So we thought it would be fun The Fat Boys Tubby novelty rappers try a The word “rappera” A dancehall/ragga excursion “Man, all these problems in Failed to fi nd relevance (or to book a tour. On and On concept album (yes, seriously) called “T’ings Nah Go So” our world today/I just don’t an audience) in the age of I was trying to picture the lawyer-fest: Your (1989) know what to do, man” NWA and Public Enemy. suits going up against Brian’s suits, and then the label suits, back and forth. Green Day Aging pop-punks outgrow A fi st holding a grenade Not one but two nine-minute, “One nation controlled by Made Green Day massive Yeah, well, we don’t really work that way. American Idiot drugs ’n’ masturbation shaped like a heart — whoa fi ve-part suites; not one but the media/Information age again. We weren’t seeing What we do is get together out in the country (2004) two lighter-waving ballads of hysteria” them on Letterman and SNL where I live and have one massive BB gun in 2003, were we? fi ght. Whoever scores the highest decides Chubby Checker Portly dance-craze merchant Chubby’s pensive, All of it, from the woozy “My mind comes from a high Released only in Europe what to do. Chequered! goes psychedelic funk brooding stare “Stoned in the Bathroom” place” and disavowed ever since by Where was Brian living? (1971) to the Hendrixy freakout Chubby himself, but easily He’d moved to Clearwater, Florida. He “Gypsy” his most interesting work. moved there before Slobberbone was done. The Dead Milkmen ’80s laff-core brats ponder A cartoon Earth, dizzy Brass-driven funk on “Big “We are trapped inside a They were clearly more com- There’s a lady he met while we were touring Soul Rotation “The Secret of Life” in the and exhausted Scary Place” and ska on prison all around the world/ fortable with lyrical concerns who became his wife. He got married, now (1992) grunge era “Shaft in Greenland” And we’re the ones who hold such as “Takin’ Retards To he’s no longer married, and now he’s back. the keys/We are our own The Zoo.” It was a little Florida sabbatical. worst enemies” I think some might say, “OK, why did the ’Bone call things off in 2004? Brian is just the The Beastie Boys Frat-rap poseurs start No band name listed Closing with the twelve- “Living on borrowed time Commercial letdown now bass player.” Paul’s Boutique taking hip-hop seriously minute, nine-part epic “B- and borrowed money/Sleep- unanimously hailed as an Yeah, but we were never that way. (1989) Boy Bouillabaisse” ing on the street, there ain’t unassailable classic. Slobberbone started as a joke, really. By the a damn thing funny”