The Bin Laden Memorial Tour

The more I read, the more I realize compiling the Bin Laden family tree will be a challenging project for any genealogist. 

Soon to be exiled on California Street, and with all that festival nonsense behind us, this weekend seemed like as good a time as any to go to the desert like countless before me in search of the ghost of Gram Parsons.  Or the Family Ghost.  Really, any ghost will do.  But looking at life as a Choose Your Own Adventure, as I tend to do, our own calendar makes it impossible for me to ignore the missed opportunites that will arise as soon as I leave town.  If there's a rare gap, I'm almost surely guaranteed an escape free of any remorse and any regrets.  But alas, this weekend I am not so lucky.  ANCESTORS and TWEAK BIRD chose this one to lay waste to Southern California on a three date mini-tour.  It seems like a long time since I last saw TWEAK BIRD at an abandoned store front off Figueroa in Highland Park.  I'm not sure what happened with that joint.  It was cozy to be sure, loud as hell, and the Bird took advantage of the moment to cast away any thoughts that the MELVINS and TOOL has prematurely annointed those boys as a band worthy to share the stage.  

There's a story out there to tell about why TWEAK BIRD has been relatively inactive in the City of Devils since that show, but we probably don't know it.  One reason may be that their Spaceland gig late last summer never happened because MONDO GENERATOR inexplicably bailed on the whole tour.  It may also have something to do with Ashton and/or Calen spending time at a geographic location much closer to their hometown in Illinois than here, or it may not.  We're not their mothers.  What we do know is their eponymous LP is available for sale and we have no good excuse for not owning a copy.  

We have a few more facts about ANCESTORS.  They are set to release a new EP titled Invisible White on June 21st via Tee Pee Records that was recorded in NoHo.  It marks the debut of new member Matt Barks on Moog and modular synthesizers and serves as a musical exploration into new territory, just as any EP should.  Based on what we've heard at a couple of live performances, the material is less metal, more orchestral, and comes across as a cathartic and inspiraional digression for the band.  A new LP is on the way, maybe by as early as the first quarter of 2012, and a return to the band's trademark sound is expected, though that is in no way limiting.  We've been told that the sets this weekend will include quite a few new tunes, and maybe one from way back.  

The Bootleg is a good setting for Sunday's show.  The rooms seem to grow in character each time I visit, if not only for the greatly expanded beer list.  Putting away a couple of Delirium Tremens made the recent FLOOR show all that more enjoyable.  The high stage contrasts favorably with the situation over at Silverlake Lounge, booked by the same folks, and we hope this time around if a PA speaker goes out the soundguy will take notice.  Or at least pretend to have a sense of urgency.           

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