Soul, rock 'n' roll
Duane Jarvis & the Cinematics and Neighborhood Bullys make every note matter at the Buccaneer
By Bliss 10/23/2008
There’s something deeply satisfying about witnessing a crew of seasoned musicians explore the farther-out realms of their craft in a neighborhood watering hole while grizzled locals nurse their Buds at the bar. The running joke is that such gigs are like paid rehearsal for the players. But when the chemistry and ambiance are right, the results are anything but funny.
Such hole-in-the-wall gigs are like home away from home for Duane Jarvis and his band. Jarvis is one of those go-to guitar heavies who made his name playing alongside Lucinda Williams (with whom he co-wrote “Still I Long for Your Kiss”), Frank Black, the Divinyls, P.F. Sloan and M. Ward, among others. The peripatetic Portland native, who last year was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame, first migrated to LA’s vibrant roots-rock scene during the ’80s heyday of the Blasters, Lone Justice, Los Lobos, the Plimsouls and Dwight Yoakam. A decade later he relocated to Nashville, and about five years ago he came back to the Southland, where he splits his time between the Westside and a house in Joshua Tree. Along the way he’s also recorded and released several solo albums.
These days, when he isn’t paying the mortgage touring with headliners like Michelle Shocked (with whom he’s doing a UK tour next month), he’s fronting an explosive combo of his own, the Cinematics, comprised of keyboardist Carl Byron, bassist Davey Meshell and drummer Steve Mugalian. Seeing them at work within the confines of a dive bar is a fascinating study in contrasts.
Dive bars are, almost by definition, proof of lowered communal expectations. But when Jarvis & Co. plug in and let loose, they raise anticipation with each song, whether they’re stomping through an original Jarvis rocker like “Happy Town,” teasing apart the loping grooves and lyrics of “Coulda Woulda Shoulda” (co-written with Peter Case) or “A Girl That’s Hip,” or digging into the Stax songbook. Part of the fun of seeing them live is discovering what old-school R&B chestnut they’ll pull out and reinvent. Meshell and Mugalian pound out a rhythmic foundation on which Jarvis’ meaty tone and confident fretwork provide a solid counterpoint to Byron’s soulful keyboard workouts.
Meshell’s also frontman for the pleasingly rowdy Neighborhood Bullys, who’ll be joining Jarvis this Friday at the Buc. It’s local, the price is right (admission’s free), and it’s all too rarely we get to hear spiraling jams and dynamics like this in a bar. Go.
Duane Jarvis & the Cinematics and Neighborhood Bullys rock Buccaneer Lounge, 70 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, 9 p.m. Friday. Call (626) 355-9045 for details. www.myspace.com/duanejarvis, www.myspace.com/bullys.
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT