Happy New Year and all that. Caught Obits and The Night Marchers at the Santos Party House a few weeks ago. If the almighty Hot Snakes had to break up into two lesser entities, well, you could do a lot worse than Rick Froberg's Brooklyn-based Obits and John Reis's San Diegan (which as we all know is German for a "Whale's Vagina") Night Marchers.
I entered the luxurios Santos zone a few moments before Obits went on. This venue is a true hipster hovel. Plenty of dark nooks and crannies to recede into, a well funded PA, tall ceilings, bar presence well distributed throughout the 500ish capacity space space. The usual crowd of older, bespectacled, bearded, post 30 RFTC/Jehu/Hot Snakes enthusiasts turned out with such force that a friend later remarked "Yeah, I was looking for you, saw you, then realized it wasn't you...then that happened five more times".
Obits features 3 angry dad-like men dishing out walking basslines, steady beats, sparring surf guitars, and Froburg at the helm. I delighted in the fact that Rick's piercing voice was still, many bands later, perfectly preserved. He's not lost his touch with the tongue sword either. During a gentler number I made out the lyrics "You don't love me. You just don't want to go through the process again". Almost as good as "Think!...about carbs...Think...about carbs...Think!" I look forward to seeing them again.
Reis was in full RFTC showman mode throught The Nightmarchers' economically sized 45 minute set. I have been enjoying their record since the summer; a well rounded work showcasing the many styles he has tampered with since the early '90s, and yet, in the wake of Hot Snakes, the barrage of surf riffs and pummeling beats doesn't quite bruise the brain with the exact force you want it to have. I loved seeing fellow rock n roll diabetic Gar on guitar. The man exudes a silent "fuck you, lets party" attitude more potent than any other older dude on a medium-sized stage. "Jump In The Fire" was a clear highlight, weaving together elements from his past bands into a trimmed down, sped up Byrds meets Wipers thrill ride. Reis teased the crowd with the possibility of a Hot Snakes or Jehu Jam but alas all we got was 95% of a decent album.
