Tucson 'chock full' of talent

Whether you know it or not, there are a number of Tucson bands that have gained national attention. Hell, a Doo Rag tune even appeared in a Levi's commercial. Who would've thunk it?

Not to mention Jon Spencer Blues Explosion recording Now I Got Worry at Waterworks, dobro guitar wizard Rainer Ptacek getting a huge write up in Ray Gun magazine. The list goes on.

The problem is, it seems, this town. The heat just sucks the get-up-and-go right out of you. Or something does, anyway. Nobody seems to care about the music going down right here in the Old Pueblo.

Just ask Howe Gelb, frontman for Giant Sand, who sells more records abroad than at home. Or Rich Hopkins and Luminarios who could pack 'em in as far away as Germany but had trouble filling watering holes here in town.

I know because I saw Rich and Gene Ruley, lead guitarist of The Drakes, on the same stage at the Downtown Performance Center, before it closed, and I was one of maybe 10 people there..

They nearly blew the roof of the place and nobody saw it.

The problem isn't the music, it's the town and the people in it. Especially the ones who set up and orchestrate shows-it's like tryin' to follow a one armed conductor.

Allow me, for the moment, to cover my ass. God bless club managers willing to put up with bands and the inevitable problems that tend to follow them around. Without them there would be no place to play. There are hardly enough decent venues now.

Much of the blame, surely, must lie on the shoulders of the crowd- even the ones who go to clubs and shows here. I asked Richard Buckner about the audience response to his Sept. 7 set at Club Congress.

I asked him if he thought the audience really knew what he was saying, were they really paying attention?

No, he said, not really. He explained that he feels really in touch with the crowd once every five shows. The crowd at Congress, as usual, chatted through many numbers.

Buckner writes potent, melancholy tunes with a country feel that have earned him comparisons to Graham Parsons. With two albums under his belt and another on the way, he is still looking for ways to pay the bills. One website claims the 30-year-old plans to do some baby-sitting after he finishes up his CD-ROM project.

I'd believe that one.

He was on of the nicer musician-types I've met. Soft spoken and smiling.

(By the way, getting the PA to sound right at Congress was tough. The stage is hollow and wooden. It's to sound what a sponge is to water. And the place is small and awkwardly shaped, making it tricky to get all the sounds to mix well. To top that off, the regular sound guy, who everybody knows as Fletch, reportedly fell off a ladder or something, so a stringer had to run the board.

"I couldn't hear myself singing ... we just didn't pull it off tonight," said Buckner. (I digress.)

I thought the performance was strong and it was a real pleasure to see a band play at Congress without making your ears bleed. My friend remarked as he walked in, "This is the quietest band I have ever heard in this place."

Buckner's songs are heartfelt, whiskey drenched country ballads about rain coming down on the interstate and the woman who wouldn't stay. Despite Buckner's quibbles about the show, the songs were well executed and strong in the area of dynamics. The man knows when to be quiet and when to get loud.

The show was opened by Ton which is a conglomeration of local talent including Gelb and two guys from Greyhound Soul, the singer and the drummer.

"We just like each other's company so damn much we just decided to play. Usually we get together and lock the door," he said.

Gelb said the band rarely practices and called Ton's performance "clearly unrehearsed."

I think they had most of us fooled.

The band featured guitars, bass, drum, keyboards and a wailing harmonica. They sounded like roots rock 'n' roll with an experimental twist in the loud direction. Like the Rolling Stones meet Dinosaur Jr.

They were followed by Calexico.

Their songs are jazzy and quiet and the band is normally drums, guitar and a vibraphone. The music is sexy, sometimes simple and always well stated. Joey Burns has a very appealing voice and his hollow body guitar tones, often drenched in reverb and echo, weave between the watery sounds of John Convertino on the vibes. Diva Tasha Bundy, who also tends bar and DJ's at Congress, lays down the rhythm on drums. Sunday, she had to work through the first part of their set.

Some of the members of Calexico were in Friends of Dean Martinez, a Tucson band that was featured on the Sub Pop label a few years back. Their 1995 release The Shadow of your Smile is one of the best Tucson albums I've heard. It's "chill" music that ranges from southwestern country to jazz. They even cover "Misty."

Now that takes balls and skill, something both Calexico and Friends have in excess.

It all boils down to this. The music scene here isn't hurting for talent, it's chock full of it. Most of the participants love it so much they are in many bands.Buckner said he's considering moving here.

As I've said before, being a musician, especially in Tucson means being in bands with your friends.

It sure doesn't pay the bills.