Skeleton Key C/D

"So, at the last minute behest of a friend, I went and checked out the newly
resurrected Skeleton Key at Northsix in Williamsburg, Brooklyn last night.
Herewith my report.

For a start, maybe it's been a dang long time since I've walked around the
`burg in question, but when did Williamsburg become Seattle circa `91?
Everyone is so damn hip and ironic and cool that I nearly had a cramp. Guess
I'm just gettin' old. Where's my Geritol?

This was actually my first trip to Northsix. Being the thankless Manhattan
snob that I am, I usually don't travel outside of the superior burrough --
let alone to Brooklyn -- for fear of contaminating myself with the
sub-plankton inhabitants thereof. That said, it must be remembered that
Brooklyn was once home to a bevvy of pavement-cracking bands, notably
Barkmarket and ye olde Cop Shoot Cop, and it's currently a hotbed of musical
activity in the form of that whole, happenin'
electroclash/neuvo-discorock/post-post-punk scene that the kids are all
swingin' to these days. So, in any case, it seemed well beyond high time
that I go check it out. With the wife out with one of her pals, I seized the
day.

Northsix is actually kinda a great venue. Or, maybe I just think that
because so many great venues in Manhattan have gone the way of all flesh. In
any case, it sort've reminds me of a slightly truncated version of the
Knitting Factory. Cool arty exterior bar with good sized stage area in the
back.

The opening act was a band called Truck Stop, a rather hodge-podge ensemble
of players, one of whom *MIGHT* be an ex-rapper for hirsute hip-hop duo New
Kingdom (remember "Mexico or Bust"?) who specializes in a gravel-throated
delivery. The bass player -- it is rumoured -- was once a contributor to
Pere Ubu, but I find that a bit hard to fathom. I've been wrong before,
though. The guitar player was most unfortunate in every imaginable capactiy.
Basically, Truck Stop is a vehicle for two rappers who dust-off and polish
up every ancient hip-hop cliché like they were shiny badges. The ex-New
Kingdom (maybe) guy indulges in a lot of wavey arm-gesticulations that make
him look like he's sanding an invisible armoire. The other rapper unwisely
practices a style virtually indistinguishable from his co-hort's, rendering
the entire operation a bit samey and, summarily headachey. Despite the best
of intentions (the drummer wore a NoMeansNo t-shirt...indicating some vague
genre cross-polination, I suppose), we repaired back to the front bar after
two numbers in which the band reminded us of their name ad nauseum. Next?

Skeleton Key were up after. Now, the last time I'd seen the band was at the
Village Underground some time after reports of the original line-up's
disolution. I remember being somewhat dissapointed at that show, but more
out of remorse for the demise of Skeleton Key Mk 1. Then, after a period of
rumormongering and Erik's strikingly un-Keyish solo album, reports of newly
revitalized Skeleton Key surfaced, followed by a spanking new album that
featured the return of spastic percussionist and erstwhile Enon'er, Rick
Lee.

Last night's incarnation, however, was a new beast entirely. I didn't catch
any names, but the new line-up features a remarkably youthful percussionist
with a sharp, Travis Bickle-styled mohawk behind an arsenal of clangey metal
objects. The guitarist and drummer also boasted unfamiliar faces.

Resplendant in utilitarian jumpsuits, Erik and Co. plugged in and
**WHAM-O**. Any doubts as to the propulsive power of the new model Skeleton
Key were instantly blown to whistling, ricochetting smithereens. Cracking
open "Sawdust" like it was a vigorously shook-up can of whup-ass, the band
transformed the stage into a rickety, hurdy-gurdy contraption that, having
blown several crucial gaskets, might split wide open in a cataclysm of
rusted springs and piping hot steam at any moment. They were fierce.

In a nutshell, if you'd never seen nor learned that the line-up that
recorded FANTASTIC SPIKES... had imploded, you might've sworn that this was
the very same crew. In terms of re-creating the old gang's trademark sound,
Erik's new recruits were spot-on. My solitary complaint was the absence of
one of Chris Maxwell's numbers, "Wide Open," but I suppose that was more the
result of absentee logistics than anything else. Beyond that, the band
whipped off tracks from the new disc, including a rousing romp through "One
Way, My Way" and serpentine weave through "Roost in Peace," among old faves
like my favorite "World's Most Famous Undertaker" and galvanized rip through
"Watch the Fat Man Swing." The new guitarist is wildly capable and fun to
watch, and little Travis demonstrated more than his fair share of
vein-popping exhuberance.

The last act was the re-mobilized King Missile (or "King Missle III"), led
by John S. Hall, the concept of which made me sort've sad. We split.

There you have it."

but anyways i am glad to hear that the current SKey lineup is doing some justice to the name.

Hmmmm....well, dunno about that. Rick Lee definetely added his own style and personality to it, but Phil Puleo from Cop Shoot Cop was doing the standing odds'n'ends percussion gimmick way prior to the `Key.

btw, how's the Sanko solo album?

"scratch" is a great song btw; that's all i can really remember from them.