Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 14

B-2 SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL Thursday, September 2, 2004 SANTA CRUZ STYLE J7 i rOCkOFAGES The Songs of the Rock Era Leaving 'Los Angeles' LJ MlTlllM "iltflT'lBiri Contributed photo illustration FaithFest SC, happening at San Lorenzo Park on Monday, features Christian-based hardcore music. If You Go WHAT: FaithFest SC. WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.

WHERE: San Lorenzo Park, downtown Santa Cruz. TICKETS: $8 advance; $10 at the door. Tickets available at Streetlight Records, Graceland Bookstore, Linda's Bible Bookstore. DETAILS: faithfestscyahoo.com. becomes more desperate: "She had to get out." Doe and Cervenka wail this line repeatedly, as if the woman is clawing her way out of the metropolis.

Perhaps this was a portrayal of White Flight. Maybe it was premonitions of Wal-Mart. But it was disturbing and captivating. succinctly portrayed the gritty side of life in a seething city. Having grown up in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley, I could instantly recognize the harrowing world that brought to the surface.

With surgical precision, would go on to explore the dark underbelly of urban life, revealing tortured lives. But the songs were not without humor, too, such as "Your Phone's Off the Hook, But You're Not." (Perhaps this was an early hint of the band's work to come under another name, the Knitters, a neo-country group.) In an age of rapid change and confusing culture clashes, encapsulated so much raw energy in "Los Angeles" that the song is truly one for the history books. This was not just punk in its purest form. It was Americana being reinvented. NEXT WEEK: "School's Out" by Alice Cooper (1972).

To mark the 50th anniversary of the rock revolution, the Sentinel is reassessing the popular songs of the last half-century. THIS WEEK'S SONG: "Los Angeles," (1980). By MARK STETZ SENTINEL CORRESPONDENT Years from now, anthropologists studying the urbanization of the United States will be able to find everything they want in one song: "Los Angeles" by X. If that sounds dry, "Los Angeles" is hardly some crusty history lesson. Rather, it is an emotionally powerful and personal assault on suburbia.

Its opening guitar-and-drum salvo even sounds like someone kicking in the front door. "Bam, bam, bam! bam!" Actually, it has more the feel of cars slamming on their brakes to avoid a pile-up collision. It was precisely this sudden collision of cultures and dreams that these punk pioneers from L.A. tried to explore in the title track from their debut album. (One can't really call this a single, for its then-beginning label, Slash, couldn't promote it.

But then, "Los Angeles" wasn't a radio-friendly song 24 years ago. Now, there are pop-punk bands and others inspired by all over the radio.) "Los Angeles" brought to the surface much that had lain festering, as SoCal paradise was being quickly paved with asphalt. saw a hardening of hearts and detected cracks in the pancake make-up. This was before filmmaker David Lynch began to expose the sordid lives hiding behind white picket fences. In a couple of frenzied minutes, "Los Angeles" presented a life falling apart.

The woman at the center of it all just couldn't handle all the change, and "she started to hate" everyone who wasn't like her. proceeds to name, from her perspective and quite impolitely, all those seen as infringing on this woman's Los Angeles. (X could never be called politically correct.) Billy Zoom's frantic guitar sonically rendered the highly charged mayhem this woman experienced. But songwriters. John Doe and Exene Cervenka didn't spit the bile and anarchy we so often associate with punk rock.

Rather, their words were an unsettling meditation on the mundane. There was an odd poignancy to lines such as "She bought a clock on Hollywood Boulevard the day she left. It felt sad. It felt sad." The song presented a forlorn and disoriented spirit, fleeing her haven. It begins quite matter-of-fact.

"She had to leave Los Angeles." But then, as the punk guitars mount and the rhythm line increases its staccato punch, the refrain FarthFest Continued from Page Bl hound bus alone across the country to see the Furnace Fest in Birmingham and came away believing he could put together a similarly Christian-based hardcore music festival. He also spent time at Spirit West Coast, the annual event outside Monterey that features Christian bands playing in a festival setting. James insists that hardcore and punk are only objectionable to Christians in its lyrical content and not its style. A song is moral or immoral in its words, not its tempo or sound. "This kind of music has always been called 'Satanic' as a label.

Whatever. But music is therapeutic. It's bliss to me. I can listen to hardcore and get fired up, but still remain positive and Christian." Probably the biggest name band at FaithFest SC is the South Bay metal band Tsunami, which has toured with Aerosmith, Motorhead and the Scorpions. Other San Jose bands on the slate include Life in Vain, Ria and Varsity Heroes.

From San Diego comes A Phoenix Rising, In Reverent Fear and former Santa Cruz band Next in Line. Hailing from Sacramento is Promising Tomorrow and Stars Are Falling. Santa Cruz bands Shadow Bride and Treachery's Wake round out the bill. James is hoping to attract both non-Christian punk rockers and Christians looking for new musical horizons. It's a unique position, he says, to be on the receiving end of stereotypical prejudice from two sides: from non-Christian punks and from Christians not sold on the sanctity of heavy metal.

But the 26-year-old James is hoping to blend his two greatest passions with a Web site he calls "Posi Mosh," which promotes a more positive approach to punk metal. "This (is an example of) good putting itself in'the shadow of evil." Contact Wallace Baine at wbainesantacvuzsentinel.com. Write to us about your favorite songs from the last 50 years a wbainesantacruzsentinel.com. guts for writing that song. 10.

If you play the sound collage "Revolution 9," backward, you can hear the phrase "Paul is Dead," but only on the vinyl recording. On CD, you'll hear nothing eVen if you can get the needle to stay put. Stewart was eventually toed. 8. Among theguest players on the album were Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Nicky Hopkins, George Martin, Patti Harrison, Yoko Ono and tambourine player George W.

Bush, on leave from the Alabama National Guard. 9. Ninety-seven percent of women under 40 named Prudence hate John Lennon's siniiittiniain-wai'iiiifEMtgESEl Friday, September 10 Ages 16 Thursdays In the Atrium FEVER Disco Funk Retro No Cover, Ages 21 Every Sunday Contact Wallace Baine at wbainesan tacruzsen tinel. com. Beatles Continued from Page Bl rehearsed "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey." 6.

A year after the album was finished, George had electro-shock therapy to remove from his memory any trace of having heard "Rocky Raccoon." i 7. The album wasn't referred to as the "White Album" until weeks after its release. Early on, thanks to a then-teenaged marketing intern named Martha Stewart, the album was alternately called the "Country Buttermilk Album," the "Oyster Shell Album" and the "Nantucket Fog Album." 8 BALL POOL TOURNAMENT County Residents Amateurs only Free pool afterwards Sign up at 7:30 p.m., games start at 8:30 p.m. plus Serendipity Project III? Friday, Sept. 3 Ages 2i Taj Makal Trio also New Comers and DJ Had I $7 Adv.

S9.53 Dr. Drs. 8:30 p.m. Show 9:30 p.m. and In the Atrium PAYDAY wllh DJ BEEBO Mondays In the Upstairs Bar 8p.m.

Midnight Senseless pfcRockbottom Blues Friday, Sept. 17 msu- $25 AdW $30 Dr, Drs. 8:30 p.m., Show 9:30 p.m. 'MingCing apltalftylndustpy Wgh Hoapttailtylndijstry Night mlintheAMm PAYDAY with DJ BEEBO Show Starts 10 p.m. Agea 21 No Cover Molly's Revenge TONIGHT ONLY at 6 pm See them in the Arboretum's new Amphitheater.

AGES 21 Paul Thorn Band Bartonrlora Waitresses Warnm Hold SmfT ntr; Show your payatub for 12 ol'f drinto food no $17 Advy $20 Dr. Drs. 8:30 p.m., Show 9:30 p.m. and in the Atrium PAYDAY with DJ BEEBO Tuesday, Seplember 7 Ages 21 John Hiatt plus Peter Walker Sit Down Show $38 Adv. $40 Dr.

Sep 18 The Expendables (Aaaa 16) UN FOR THE Sep 19 Lot FreddysLos Solitariol (Aon 21) Seo 24 Shock 0Dlaltal Underground IAoei 161 WHOLE FAMILY phs JJ Grey torn Mofro Saturday, Sept. 4 Ages 21 Sep 25 Univorsal Language (Aqes 16) Sep 26 Qomei (Aoes 16) Oct 7 0. Uw SpNllI SuKtSltyrgy Stoopld Aui 16) Oct 8 0, lova Special SiuciSllghtly Stoopld Aw 21) Drs. 6:30 p.m., Show 7:30 p.m. AlasdalrjFraser': UrjFrc and In the Atrium IAI llfflriV $20 Adv.

$20 Dr. Drs. 8:30 p.m., Show 9:30 p.m. fi Qi feiJBt.lMI II II Ml Ifl II Hill km Popular local Celtic band, just returned from a world tour, and releasing their new CD this month. anow warts 9 p.m.

Ages 18: S10 (2: 15) and in the Atrium D3 DDI Show Starts 10 p.m. Ages 21 No Cover ucis urounuation (aqes 16) Oct 1 4 Call CommW the Funky Homo Sapien Aon 1st) Oct 16 Vandals (Aoes 16) Oct 22 Pepper (Aoes 16) Oct23Steve-0 (Aoes 16) Nov The Cramps (Aots 16) Every Wednesday WEDNESDAY DOLLAR NIGHT Sept. Si. Atrium fg (i Sunday, Sept. 5 Asia 1 T.S.0.l.ft Sep 1 5 Scarlet Symphony Sep 22 Signal Path Sep 29 Selecta 7 Unless otherwise noted, all shows are dance shows with limited seating.

Tickets to all Catalyst shows, subject to city tax and service charge, are available by phone at 1-866-384-3060, and online at our web site. Advance tickets are also available at the Catalyst every day with a plus D.I. also Riff Raff Get a slice of pizza or a beer lor $1 until 11 p.m. Ages 21 $1 door Drs. 8:30, Show 9 p.m.

$12 Advy $12 Dr. Drs. 7:30 p.m., Show 8:30 p.m. irmnmai servicB cnarge (Maximum ij (DOOM-Jf SCOTTISH FIDDLING SCrtOOf. ceLtlc conceRt at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium 307 Church Santa Cruz Friday, September 3, 2004 at Tor Ticket Info Call: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium Box Office: (831) 420-5260 Nonprofit Cwporatw No 767798 the Arboretum at ucsc phone (831) 427-2998 arboretum.ucsc.edu Open for parking at 5 pm.

Food Drink available. Lawn chair seating provided, or bring your blanket! Tickets at the Gate still available. Public: $10 Arboretum Members: $8 VaM t-ll rraiTiTI Open Studios Attention Artists! Now you can afford to advertise your open studio in Santa Cruz's best read local newspaper. Reach over 70,000 potential customers with your ad. dates: 107 1014 Choose your Thursdays 930, Your ad will run Santa Cruz Prices reflect cost of sample ad below- actual size.

Larger sizes available. 0t. 2nd 3rd plus Oct. 16th 17th 11am to 6pm Sentinel THE GUIDE section DEADLINE: SEPT. 24, 2004 Lorri Scon Wrap yourself In style In a "Wayward Threads" stole featuring various threads, ribbons, exotic yams lace Also handwoven dyed silk velvet garments.

cultural council Nfincv Howeiis ihores a modem take on "Ruby Red slippers. Sculptural mosaic art furniture with a sense of humor. 421 Gharkey St. Santa Cruz 831425.1602 23rd ANNUAL CREEK CULTURE FOOD FESTIVAL FREE ADMISSION SEPTEMBER 10, 11 AND 12 FROAV: 5PM TO KPM SATURDAY: HAM TO 10PM SCMDAV! NOON TO 8PM Call the Sentinel or your Sales Representative to Participate ft 490.7414 Santa Cruz Sentinel THE PROPHET ELIAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 223 CHURCH STREET, DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ (Knots FMH THI LJAAV1 FOR MOPE INFORMATION CALL (831) 429-6500 tV ooi.