, wunderkind from the ’90s San Diego hardcore scene (he fronted the popular experimental Swing Kids, and has collaborated with a number of San Diego artists since), seems to be breathing new life into the sound of the ’70s New York No Wave scene.
His latest project, , took over the on Wednesday night for a brief but explosive set of cacophony that drove at least some of the disappointingly small crowd in attendance into high-energy, frenetic dance.
The trio were all in a row at the front of the Hi-Dive’s cozy stage: Nathan Joyner played an overdriven and sickly pedaled SG that sounded more like a stack of Moogs and drum machines than a guitar, while Jung Sing sat behind an almost entirely electronic trap set (there were two floor toms and a couple of cymbals to make up the “real” parts) and belted out a rhythmic, atonal and percussive noise. Pearson gesticulated, postured, twisted and screamed to their right. The sound brought back memories of bands like Lydia Lunch’s 8-Eyed Spy and Beirut Slump, as well as Martin Rev and Alan Vega’s Suicide — stars (such that they were) of that experimental ’70s New York scene.
Pearson also visually and vocally channeled some Darby Crash — with a slightly deeper tone, almost a drawl — and added an impersonation of a young, well-coiffed Jon Spencer, complete with the Elvis-style sneer. The look fit both him and the band’s sound, and brought a tint of Pussy Galore’s signature slop to the stage.
Overall, All Leather pulled the old no-wave sound off masterfully — maybe a little too well, in fact. Even trying to guess at the playlist would be pointless. The set sounded more like one 25-minute piece, interrupted by small breaks that allowed both the group and the audience to catch a breath, just before they veered headlong into another atonal, anti-song construction.
The downside to the trio’s performance was that their mimicry of No Wave came across as a tribute more than a new addition, direction or attempt to resuscitate the genre. As valuable as it might be for a new generation to get some exposure to the absolute freedom and excitement of semi-structured noise, the majority of the small crowd seemed to be largely unimpressed. There were a few dancers that seemed ecstatically lost in the discord from time to time, but most seemed more confused by the spectacle than actually intrigued, or even really interested.
Local grindcore band played a set at least twice as long as All Leather, in front of a crowd that was also almost twice as large, full of new material. When the next record drops, judging by what they’re playing out, it’ll be at least as strong, fast and loud as last year’s “Cosmic Rock.”
Focused on the borderless flailing of Chuck French’s signature guitar grind, Neil Keener’s super-low hung bass and Andrew Lindstom’s brilliantly heavy drumming, the music was a perfect fit for Luke Fairchild’s scream — more an additional instrument in the mix than a traditional vocal part. The sound also meshed well with the drunken persona his body fell into as each song started, recalling a delusional street denizen on the 16th Street Mall, passionately howling epithets at imaginary persecutions.
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Billy Thieme is a Denver-based writer, an old-school punk and a huge follower of Denver’s vibrant local music scene. Follow Billy’s explorations at , and his giglist at .
Tina Hagerling is a Denver photographer and regular contributor to Reverb. Check out more of her .
