Crambone - Indy Band Review - Ziggy's Bar & Grill South

 

'From the depths of the "all you can eat" Landfills just south of Frog Holler, Crambone rises from the ashes to conquer the Trailer Parks, Massage parlors and Truck Stops of America before embarking on a campaign of World Domination! WE ARE CRAMBONE!' (direct quote from band's FaceBook page)

 

 

The spandex and guy-liner of the 80's may have ridden into the sunset, but the south side of Indy was alive and kickin' last night with the sounds of that bygone era with local rockers Crambone, who formed in 2006. (Band members: Jeff 'Nacho Daddy' Richey - lead vocals; Marc (Marcenstein) Kiefer - lead guitar; John (Pastor John) Gammon - lead guitar; James (Jimmy V) Valdez - bass guitar and Charles (TamaChuck) O'Reilly - drums).  Innovative and entertaining stage antics set this band apart from the others, as not everyone could pull off such unique stunts.  High energy rock and roll at its best.  This is my third opportunity to catch these guys, and if you've never seen them before, you are in for a treat, as they will certainly have you wondering what they're going to be up to next!  From lead vocalist Jeff opening the show wrapped in Christmas tree lights, to chainsaws and lit fireworks in the crotch...(ok, I had to ask...yipes!)...I think that Santa's 'naughty' list expanded this year!  Just sayin', guys! :-)

 



 

80's music always produced dance floor material, true this night even if you just wanted to stand there and participate in some good ol' head bangin'.  A miscellany of tunes from Bryan Adams to Whitesnake were on tap for the night.  Even the music was visually entertaining with flash pots and John's guitar smoking during 'Detroit Rock City' (KISS).  A nice mix of some 70's and mostly 80's rounded out the playlist; 'Toys' (Aerosmith), 'Rebel Yell' (Billy Idol), 'All Right Now' (Free), 'Rock Candy' (Montrose), 'I Don't Know' and 'Crazy Train' (Ozzy Osbourne), 'You Shook Me All Night Long' (AC/DC), 'Comfortbly Numb' (Pink Floyd), 'Slide It In' (Whitesnake), 'Run To The Hills' (Iron Maiden), 'Round and Round' (Ratt), 'Born To Be Wild' (Steppenwolf), 'Surrender' and 'I Want You To Want Me' (Cheap Trick), and other tunes from Poison and Motley Crue.  Guitarists Jimmy and John take their turn in the vocal spotlight as well.

 

(Photo credit: Lorri Lewis)

 

(Photo credit: Lorri Lewis)

 

A nice tribute  and salute to our Troups and our Country, vocalist Richey sang a cappella the 'Star Spangled Banner' while club patrons stood, hand over their hearts.  The backdrop of American flags symbolizing the fact that 'freedom is not free', and we should all be thankful for the sacrifice of so many...some of those who were in the audience this night.  On a less serious note, the fun continued with 'Thank God I'm A Country Boy', performed light- heartedly by Jeff with only the beat of drummer Charles O'Reilly backing him up.  Hey, it's entertainment....let your hair down....have a good time!  Certainly the theme throughout the night. Take a visit and 'like' their FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crambone/152902246079?sk=timeline and their Myspace page: https://myspace.com/cramboneindy. I highly recommend these guys....catch 'em live....it's sure to tickle your Crambone...uh...wherever that might be!

 

 

 

 

 



80's Throwback - Twisted Sister

I have so many fond 80's memories...sweet and younger days for sure.  I guess I didn't realize exactly how 'rebellious' I was even then in my mid 20's...I knew I was as a teenager...well, I still am today, to a point anyway! Who am I trying to fool? I believe one of the best rock bands to confirm and even outright justify that back in the day was 'Twisted Sister'.  Honestly, they had to be every parent's nightmare, especially if they had a daughter! TS frontman Dee Snider, towering at 6 foot plus was quite an intimidating figure...add in the wardrobe, make-up....and all that hair...how could you not notice the hair?!

 



 

'We're Not Gonna Take It' is a classic example of rebel in all its glory. (http://www.vagalume.com.br/twisted-sister/were-not-gonna-take-it.html)  Today, at nearly 60 years of age, Mr. Snider has somewhat tamed  the big hair and frightening appearance.  I'm sure in the era of TS popularity, there were many teenagers shaking their fists at their parents and shouting 'I Wanna Rock!' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRwrg0db_zY)  Bandmates and partners in rock and roll crime, "Jay Jay French" (John Segall), Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda, Mark "The Animal" Mendoza and A. J. Pero reject the "glam metal" tag as 'inappropriate'...however you look at it, they are truly American heavy metal, and they conveyed a clear message to the youth of that time, 'be true to yourself, and do what you love'.  That's my take on it anyway...the message that spoke to me.  I've always been very individual and independent.  What the 'mainstream' was doing didn't matter much to me...I was my own person, truly unique. Go jump off a cliff, but I'm not gonna join the crowd...I'm a leader, not a follower.  Never have been, never will be....I make my own path.

 

 

So, what are these guys up to now? You can follow them at: http://www.twistedsister.com/, their website.  Check out their discography and re-live some TS milestones: http://www.discogs.com/artist/253057-Twisted-Sister.  They haven't released a new album since 2008, but had a couple 'live' LP's in 2011.  Amazingly, all the original 80's members are still together.  And of course, with 21st Century social media, 'like' them on FaceBook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Twisted-Sister/138018010313   Definitely a band that help to mold my love for heavy metal music and defined the natural rebel in my unique personality. It would be great to hear some new tunes from them...just imagine the life experiences they have from the last near three decades! Rock on guys, you're lookin' great!