Vol. XXVII, No. 21  October 13 - October 26, 2003

mailto:ClubReviews@musicconnection.com

These artist reviews can also be found in the current paper edition of Music Connection magazine.

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Contact: 818-508-9383

Web: www.surve.com
E-mail: surver1@earthlink.net

The Players: Paul Rivera, vocals, guitar; Rusty Spragg, guitar; Rich Prunicki, bass; John Jolly, drums; Bobby Tahouri, keyboards and programming.

Material: Brooding and menacing, Surve conveys a style of industrial rock that is visceral in the extreme. The material is consistently strong and powerful in scope. Think about Nine Inch Nails, Ministry and Pink Floyd to get some idea of this act’s impact. Sweeping in their remarkably complex textures, the songs flow and caress just before they smack you senseless. Not for the weak of heart, this is the kind of music that will pump your blood until it boils.

Musicianship: Excellent hardly describes the level of musicianship this group possesses. Driving and forceful, the players are intense in their passion and confident in their skills. The standout, however, is Rivera who presents an imposing figure. His playing is vicious, yet precise, while his voice is dark in shade and in the lowest of registers. When Rivera burns off a run it slices through the air. But, it’s his vocals that command with an intimidating authority.

Performance: Frightening, but engrossing, this group displayed a power that enveloped their audience. Dressed in red leather and black clothing, Rivera could have been a character from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. With a wicked, but wise, charisma, he was like a medieval sorcerer who engaged the crowd to lose its inhibitions. Alternating between a soft, almost conspiratorial, whisper and a booming bombast, Rivera mesmerized the house with his personality.

Summary: Surve will give you an experience you won’t soon forget. They will take you into the darkest of dark, the blackest of black –– and make you love it. Not that the songs are negative or evil, but rather their power is such that they are irresistible. Surve can also be seen accompanying a magnificent Bob Fosse-like rock extravaganza. The show climaxed during “Gone With the Whim,” where Rivera performed on stilts –– looming above the dancers.

––Bernard Baur

Contact: Management, Patrece Bryan, 310-863-6948

E-Mail: patrecebryan@yahoo.com
Web: http://www.novablue.net/

The Players: Pam Way, vocals; Erik Matthews, guitar, backup vocals; Itai Disraeli, bass; Amir Efrat, keys; Erik Selliken, drums.

Material: Nova Blue’s multi-genre music generates an atmosphere of eclectic bluesy rock with dance beat rhythms. The style can be compared to Chrissie Hynde meets Jimi Hendrix in a dance mix. Their songs are fun as well as passionate, with numbers such as “I Need You” and “Dream You Away” being highlights. The lyrics display Nova Blue as a serious act, and not just another lightweight party band.

Musicianship: Pam Way has a smooth, yet powerful voice that sustains itself in the second soprano range with complete control over her notes. Erik Matthews is a phenomenal guitarist, who strums everything from pop to bluesy solos with near perfection. Erik Selliken and Itai Disraeli maintain a solid, tight rhythm section, and are great timekeepers. Amir Efrat plays everything from strings and organ to sophisticated solos impeccably and with a style all his own.

Performance: Wearing a suit jacket and a top hat, Way displayed personality, separating herself from other divas. Though she appeared to be enjoying her performance, her eyes were focused on Matthews throughout the set, displaying an obvious bond between the two. With this exception, the rest of the crew seemed to enjoy performing. And, in response, their fans were cheering and dancing vibrantly throughout the entire set.

Summary: Nova Blue has solid songs and a sound that is influenced by the best of the past. Hopefully, this group will continue on their path of independence. And, with their art-felt philosophy of “it’s all about the music,” they may just succeed. However, their material does run the risk of being overlooked and labeled “dated” by industry. With artists this talented, that would be a tragedy.

––Anne O’Neary

Contact: Marc Monroe, 323-668-1073, soulshineband@yahoo.com

Web: www.soulshineonline.com

The Players: Marc Monroe, vo-cals; Scott Cambridge, guitar; Din-esch Lekhraj, guitar; Jose Castro, bass; Eric Cuarez, drums.

Material: Fusing passionate vocals into dynamic song structures similar to Jane’s Addiction or old-school Pearl Jam, Soulshine are painting outside the lines of the typical hard rock act. Dipping and weaving through catchy choruses and explosive instrumental builds, their sound has the unique ability to be both commercial and emotionally inspiring.

Musicianship: With an angst-ridden quiver in his voice, similar to that of Eddie Vedder, Monroe consistently croons the audience right into the palm of his hand. The blatant feeling flowing from his voice, combined with his ability to belt out choruses, immediately places Monroe at the helm of this project. Bouncing off each other like veterans, Cambridge and Lekhraj incorporate just enough sonic substance into their driving rock riffs to make their prominent guitar sound unique. Aggressively fingering his five-string, Castro manipulates the full neck of his bass while Cuarez keeps the cadence with a juggernaut of rock and tribal beats.

Performance: Aptly complementing the edgy nature of their songs, all five musicians contributed to a powerful performance. Scowling at the crowd and wildly flailing around the stage, Monroe immediately captured the attention of the audience (especially the wide-eyed women up front) and kept them riveted throughout. All three guitarists jumped and gyrated during the power points of each song, and Cuarez provided a fitting backdrop of swinging sticks and a bouncing body.

Summary: In the dog eat dog Los Angeles music scene, a rock band has got to really stand out from their peers if they honestly intend to open the eyes of the elusive A&R reps. Fortunately for Soulshine, their unique and powerful sound, climactic songs and invigorating live performance provide them with enough heavy artillery to virtually mow down their local competition. This captivating quality, combined with the undeniable mojo of their frontman, should be more than enough to spark some serious label interest and give this soulful band their opportunity to shine.

––Scott Perham

Contact: Gina Acuna, 323-664-0315; fateshand7@hotmail.com

The Players: Gina Acuna, lead vocals, rhythm guitar; Ken Smith, lead guitar; Steve Siefert, bass; Becky Heath, drums, percussion; Dana Seifert, keyboards.

Material: Fate’s Hand is a folk band disguised as a rock band; not that there’s anything wrong with that. Although the band’s “feel my pain” songs of bad love and endless yearning paint them into a thematic corner, songwriter Gina Acuna gets an A for effort. Her strummy acoustic ballads are heartfelt and honest, but at times come off as underwhelming because of her lack of musical transitions within each song. Alluring and passionate tunes, such as “Again,” “Eighteen Days,” and “Talk to Me,” are screaming for the musical convention of a bridge. It is this weakness in her songwriting that gives her material a one-dimensional quality.

Musicianship: Acuna has taken music that would fit nicely in an intimate coffee house setting and beefed it up with the aid of an extremely competent band. Bassist Steve Siefert grooves efficiently and provides ballsy solos. Dana Seifert on keyboards fills out the overall sound choosing sonic textures over noodling, while drummer Becky Heath adds rhythmic sophistication.

Ace guitarist Ken Smith provides tasty counterpoint and feisty solos, but is shackled by the harmonic limitations of the compositions. Fearless leader Acuna, a rock-steady acoustic player, suffered intermittent pitch problems but it didn’t matter. When she sings, you can tell she means it.

Performance: Fate’s Hand delivered the goods for their fans and obviously attracted some new fans as well. Precariously sandwiched between a night of Eighties-rock tribute bands, Acuna boldly and confidently led her well-rehearsed outfit to victory, winning over some of the toughest headbangers in the room.

Summary: Gina Acuna and company are a good live band with its own special vibe and flavor. By further developing her songwriting, Acuna will most certainly rise to the next level. Branching out thematically and adding harmonic interest as her song craft matures can take this act to new heights.

––Oscar Jordan

Contact: Sharon Farias, 323-343-1117

E-Mail: steiger@RockGuitar.net
Web: http://www.projectsteiger.com/

The Players: Ken Steiger, lead guitar, vocals; Brian Noe, rhythm guitar; Yolen Farias, bass; Gene McEwen, drums; Michael T. Ross, keys.

Material: Some might consider shred master Ken Steiger a throwback to those heavy metal days when the speed of a lick was just as important as a player’s skill. But, if he’s a dinosaur, at least he’s a classy one. Calling his style of music “Instra-Metal,” Steiger presents a form of progressive rock that is ambient and moody.

Epic in scope and mammoth in sound, Steiger impresses with searing impact even if you’re not a fan of the genre. It seems that there is nothing he can’t do with a guitar, and he makes the most of it with songs that have wide instrumental passages, giving him plenty of room to strut his stuff.

Musicianship: Steiger’s performance at the Musician’s Institute was a class in expert axemanship. His playing is impeccable and his band rises to the same level. The players come across as pros in a tight, precise manner. With songs that have as many changes as there are notes, they flow smoothly and effectively. Project Steiger is a perfect choice for students to see what real players can do.

Performance: Steiger was the guitar coach for the Mark Wahlberg movie Rock Star –– enough said. He had every rock-star move and pose down to a tee. And though some of his mannerisms might have looked like something out of Spinal Tap if anyone else tried them, Steiger managed to appear both natural and comfortable. Indeed, the intensity of his performance brought the crowd to their feet.

Summary: Project Steiger takes a sophisticated approach to metal. With elements of jazz, new age, industrial and rock, the music is encompassing and nearly overwhelming. This is the kind of music that anyone can appreciate, but it will be especially loved by metal heads of all ages.

––Bernard Baur

Contact: Bob “Flash” Larson, No Worries Prods., 310-459-9695

Web: www.malibooz.com

The Players: John Zambetti, guitar, vocals; Walter Egan, guitar, vocals; Marty Fera, drums; Scott Monahan, Keys; Tyanna Parr, backing keys and backup vocals; Janis Liebhart, backup vocals; Johnny Zambetti Jr., guitar.

Material: Emulating the surf rock greats such as Dick Dale and the Beach Boys, the Malibooz recreate a classic American sound, while adding a few modern twists to it. “Face-off at Point Dume” is a dark, brooding instrumental, while “Our Summer Love” shifts the band from rocking surf tunes into a cooling sunset ballad. “I Won’t Be Too Young” is their most upbeat and energetic song.

Musicianship: The Malibooz are an obviously seasoned group of musicians who have all mastered their parts well enough to concentrate on showing the crowd a good time. Zambetti and Egan supply excellent guitar solos, while keys, drums, bass and backup vocals build the perfect surfside backdrop.

Performance: Sound levels were off at times, which drowned out or completely distorted what seemed to be some quality guitar work. Both lead and backup vocals were done extremely well after technical difficulties were corrected. Zambatti’s lead vocals were a bit low at the start of the set, but eventually the technical difficulties subsided for a near flawless production.

This group’s high energy level and polished musicianship caused the crowd to leave their seats and boogie on the dance floor. Aside from the few sound and mixing issues, however, this was a great performance.

Summary: Years of experience and true love of the music pays off for the Malibooz. Their versatility in this genre and their natural musical talent make for an impressive performance. The Malibooz know their way through classic American surf rock inside out, forward and back, and it’s this keen knowledge that produces a great live show. All in all, their American tribute is fun and engaging.

––Dale Hill

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