I waffled, unsure how to say what I needed to say, and eventually decided just to say it. (I am sure he put it in cooler terms than that, but not being a “coke person,” myself, I can’t remember what those terms were.) “Do you ladies want to come back to mine and do some coke?” he asked us. We stepped out onto the balcony to smoke some weed, plush white towels hiding our nudity from the August air. “I noticed you in the crowd and thought, ‘Who is that? I recognize her!’” I was charmed. “I think we matched on Tinder at one point,” he said, conversationally, between goofy jokes and silly impressions. It’s so rare that I meet someone in a skeezy environment like a sex club who I actually connect with. He was a comedian, so I shouldn’t have been surprised that he made me laugh, a lot – but I was. It's little moments like these that keep the landlocked California-haters engaged.He approached me and a friend late at night in the dungeon of my local sex club – but unlike almost all men who do this, he was respectful, casual, and cute. It's a male voice: "If you are viewing this film, then we are under extraterrestrial attacks." He also plays samples, one of which trumpets in the final song. On one song, Sadler plays flute sounds with his keyboard that are silly and great. The songs seem self-consciously surf, and perhaps a bit too gentle, often running into one another as though all are one and the same.Īt other times, however, there's a punk rock infusion (and even one New-Wavey moment that makes me think of the B-52's and long for Kate Pierson's voice). So I'm trying my best to be appreciative, and it's kind of working out. (There are several in the audience, all of whom seem to be enjoying themselves calmly). The song drifts into a jazzier section, and then begins to jump in and out of parts, going loungy, then spy, breaking down, and then building-but it's always a gentle ebb and flow, like easy listening for the rockabilly kids. The keyboard is plinking and the drums are solid and even. As a spy-themed guitar line is played, the girl at stage left mock-shoots into the crowd and blows on her finger, as if to cool it. ![]() Nothing new, right? But it definitely adds a dynamic to the show.Īfter an effective Ventures cover, the players begin a moodier, more atmospheric piece, and I'm starting to get it. Drummer Marshall Scott Warner is minimal and effective throughout, replete with "Wipeout" rolls and great fills.įor the non-archival among us, there are dancers: The band calls these two women up twice during the set, each time to go-go dance, reminiscent of Goldie Hawn in Laugh-In, replete with full '60s drag and deadpan facial expressions. But with Jim Sadler's keyboard and Doring's Hawaii Five-O-style guitar tidal-waving, Parks winds up consistently in the undertow. Bassist Natalie Parks (who stands very still and is super fucking cool to watch) is nimble and solid, definitely doing her part. While Chip Doring's guitar-playing is stellar throughout the set, at times I genuinely wish either he or the sound man would feed a bit more bass into the mix, to anchor the overall tone of the performance. "Werewolves on Wheels," Mercury Four's second song, showcases their obvious love of treble. The band's songs drift smoothly through spy-movie soundtracks, Dick Dale reverb-runs, and the occasional beefy chord progression, which provides a punk rock foundation, shaking up the otherwise giddily referential material. ![]() But I do want to be fair, and I have to say that the Mercury Four are a tight band with accomplished musicians. I think surf music in the year 2001 is merely a nostalgic novelty. Sure, there's the Rivingtons (you know, "Surfin' Bird" and "Papa-Oo-Mow-Mow"), but by the time the Trashmen ripped them off, watered them down, and opened for the Beach Boys, history has lost me. Yet here I am, watching an instrumental surf band called the Mercury Four-and I really don't like surf music. I can't relate to something that doesn't have a singer." Pere Ubu's David Thomas once responded to the query, "What do you think of Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music?" by saying something to the effect of "I don't get instrumental music.
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