Noise Pop 2013: E V Kain, The She’s, Dirty Ghosts and The Thermals

Noise Pop 2013
E V Kain, The She’s, Dirty Ghosts and The Thermals
March 1, 2013
The Rickshaw Stop
San Francisco, Ca

Did You Hear That Pop?

Wait, shhh. That Noise, did you hear it? It was the same shit that the weasel goes. It created a whole litter, Festival if you will, scattered throughout our fine city like a grip of awesome puppies. Candice and I had tickets to see one particular array of such Awesome at The Rickshaw Stop. There were four puppies in this particular litter: E V Kain, The She’s, Dirty Ghosts and The Thermals. These bands were close to various major arteries of our collective heart, so Candice and I were quite pink with tickledom.

The She’s

Kandle, who you may remember from a previous episode, joined us in this wonderful birthing of Noise Pop-ness. Since we were busy drinking two bottles of wine and eating some amazing Italian food we missed E V Kain. Next time, EV’s. The She’s were in full surfy swing when we crossed the Rickshaw’s threshold. Now, allow me to explain my history-induced fondness for this band: a few years back I worked at the beautiful Balboa Theatre deep in the Richmond District of San Francisco. I was commandeered to do a special marquee reading for The She’s to take a photo for their upcoming single, Surfer Boys. One of their moms bought me six-pack for my troubles. That sounded weird -oh yeah, I forgot to mention they’re young, high school. Anyway, when the recording was done they brought a copy of it to the theatre for me. And, “Damn, yeah!” there was a photo of stupid-ass me on the back working on the marquee. I brought the CD home and listened to it and I loved it. I’ve always had a soft spot for surf music.  The She’s bring it with this really great reverb-droned sound coupled with a harmonizing of vocals that are like an even more tubular variation on The Beach Boys…if The Beach Boys were, uh, girls. Pff, duh. Anyways, I loved their set and felt a fatherly kind of pride for this group of youngins who have only met me once and probably don’t even remember said meeting. Which is more than I can say for a few other father/child relationships I’ve heard of. Touchy subject? Let’s move on.

Dirty Ghost – Erin

Dirty Ghost – Allyson

Up next was Dirty Ghosts. Candice is homegirls with their bass player, Erin, who I’d met along with with their singer/guitar player Allyson a couple weeks back. I love it when I meet a fucking kick-ass band who’s teetering on the brink of stardom and has every reason to treat me like a miserable peon, but then actually just act like regular-ass people. Erin and Allyson were both the sort of folk who I felt immediately comfortable yuckin it up with. Which is sweet cause I’m usually an awkward dipshit when I first meet people and these girls made me feel like that was juuust fine.

This was the first time I’d seen them live. I loved it, my friends. Candice’s fist-pumping grew dangerous and I had to take a couple steps back at one point. One of her dreads almost took my eye out just from her head-bumping velocity. Dirty Ghosts is a three piece and they had Erin’s bass turned to a volume that ranked it pointless to determine which instrument lead and which followed. Their misshapen axes chopped neck and neck as they powered the night away. They played a song from one of the greatest movies ever made, Valley Girl. I nearly shed a tear of gratitude. Candice and I loved their set and wouldn’t shut the fuck up about it. Good shit.

Dirty Ghosts

The final act of the night was The Thermals from Portland. Candice loves these guys (and girl) and was particularly enthused about seeing them. And so was everyone else, clearly. As their set took charge the night’s first mosh pit was birthed. Granted it was a bit of the sissy variety, but people were nonetheless getting wily. I got in there all drunk and stupid and didn’t even have to stiff-arm anyone or Credit Card anyone’s ass. And no, that wasn’t me who farted in the pit. I swear. I liked The Thermals a lot; they were some up-beat rocking shit for sure. They got the party started I tells ya.

I went back to the bar about halfway through their set to get a drink and ended up just staying back there, free from the muggy sweat-mist up in front of the stage. Candice and our friend Hanna were back there with Dirty Ghosts, getting good and drunk(er) and we all enjoyed observing all the silliness that ensues when awesome music is played for drunk idiots. One dude got dragged out and was trying to bust as many heads as he could along the way. It took about six grown men to shuffle him out the door. That was tight.

The Thermals

The Thermals finished their set and the next thing I know Candice, Hanna and I are tornado-ing through Hayes Valley. Candice got excited to go into the gay bar Marlena’s because it was their last Friday night open after 22 years (its dying breath of culture barely audible above the shuffle of $500 pairs of shoes). Crap got pretty funny in there, dude.  Last call rounded third and we stormed out and got our asses home. All in all, that was a damn fine night. Many thanks to E V Kain, The She’s, Dirty Ghosts and the Thermals for writing another chapter in the Bible of Sweet Concerts. The night went Pop and all we could do was fizz.