Author: jkickbright

Show Review: Candy Truck, Greta O & the Toxic Shock, Chipper Bones @ Moodright’s, Savannah GA

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Candy Truck
Greta O and the Toxic Shock
Chipper Bones
Wednesday March 26, 2025.
@ Moodright’s – Savannah, Georgia
Show review and photographs by Jeffrey Howard

A friend of mine recommended Moodright’s to me when I was down in Orlando. It was a place they had visited on vacation and had a really good time there. I was new to Savannah and was always looking for new places to try out. They said it was a bar but also mentioned they had weird bowling. I didn’t know what that meant until I would wander in one evening. They have what they call Duck Bowling, which is like bowling but with small ball, small lane and small pins. Key word — small, obviously. 

The bar has three pool tables, a Photo Booth that I would end up making out in several times and a long hallway that turns into a whole different bar called Over Yonder. Now that side is more of a Texas western themed bar with a small stage and a kitchen for food. It’s really such a cool place and vibe. I took to both these places immediately.

Maybe the most important thing to me is they serve Lone Star beer from Texas. I’ve never even seen it outside Texas and definitely nowhere in Florida. I’m sold!

While there are bands regularly playing throughout the week and weekends on the Over Yonder side, it doesn’t happen too often on the Moodright’s side. Though I have seen some and seen pictures from past events. When they do they lay out a stage over the bowling lanes! It’s lifted a little high so you can see even from the back of the room.

Chipper Bones

Now this show was announced like a day or two before it was to happen. It was billed as a “secret” show for new Savannah band Candy Truck along with a couple of other Savannah bands, Chipper Bones and Greta O and the Toxic Shock. According to both bands Instagram accounts neither haven’t been very active for a few years. It seemed like a rare treat to take in some old “new to me” bands.

Birthday boy gets a cake!

I walk over from my house to Moodright’s. I feel good so I wear my favorite all-time corduroys, a multi-colored horizontal stripe by Tilt made in the 1990s. I’ve owned three pairs of them so far in life. Once when I was a size 0 in ladies size. I outgrew them and been chasing that high ever since. I literally have an Ebay alert set up so if anyone ever lists these pants I will know right away! I finally have one that fits me as I am now. I paired it with a 1980s Chuck Berry vintage wax iron on I placed on a modern American Apparel raglan shirt. I love love love iron-ons if you didn’t already know! Sorry I did not take a photo of this outfit [Edit: found one!]. I am an outfit repeater so this one may show up again.

Greta O & the Toxic Shock

I arrived at the back end at Over Yonder, grabbed a Rolling Rock as they are out of Lone Star, greeted some friends and headed down the hallway to Moodright’s. 

I could already hear a band playing walking into the room. There were a lot of people! Maybe the most I’ve ever seen. I zig zagged my way up through the crowd to the front to see Savannah band Chipper Bones for the first time. I recognized the singer/guitarist, Kyle Brown, from booking shows under the name Dog Days Presents.

They are impressive!— they rock and roll with a bit of swagger — part indie rock and part bar rock. A good combination if you’re into both Thee Oh Sees and the Bob Seger Sound System.

A beer or two later Greta O and The Toxic Shock come onstage and start the mosh pit. This band is fast punk, kinda hardcore, led by Greta Odrezin, a powerhouse singer. Their songs are quick, short and to the point. They ruled!

I’ve seen Candy Truck back in September at perhaps an early moment in their band life. I am a big fan of weird shows in weird places and that show was at a seafood restaurant down called Dockside Seafood Bar & Grill on River Street, of all places. I passed this place many times thinking it was a fancy place. Well, it was not! 

Candy Truck Lily

For those not familiar River Street is the touristy strip along the Savannah River. Some locals may call it a hellscape but I kinda love it — me being from a tourist city myself, even owning a vintage shop on International Drive, one of the world’s most known tourist strips.

Tonight the band was on fire and super fun. They call themselves skate punk which roughly means they have amalgam of influences from pop punk with a little garage rock. It’s Drake on vocals and guitar, Lily on guitar, Audrey on bass and Anthony pounding out on the drums. They get better every time I see them.

Links:
Candy Truck
Greta O and the Toxic Shock
Chipper Bones
Moodright’s
Dog Days Presents

Extra Photographs

Greta O and the Toxic Shock
Candy Truck

Show Review & Story: Small Talk, Klept @ The Peanut Gallery – Savannah, GA

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Small Talk

Small Talk, Klept
Friday March 14, 2025
House Show @ The Peanut Gallery – Savannah, Georgia
Review and story by Jeffrey Howard

“Small talk makes me wanna die” — modern proverb.

I think you’re already accustomed that “show reviews” are not, indeed, show reviews. This is the Jeffreyshow and that’s how it goes. I’ve been called Jeffrey, Jeffrey Howard, Jeffrey KickBright, KickBright, Kick, and most recently walking the streets of Savannah, “Mr Bright”. Call me whatever you want. Take heed, only my mother is allowed to call me Jeff. She named me so she gets the only pass.

The address for this house show organized by local DIY purveyors Big Blue Booking seemed familiar. It was on E 38th Street. Now, the first house I moved into in Savannah a year and a half ago was 645 E 38th and this address was just a few numbers away. For me, 645 was a good luck number as it was the first digits of my childhood phone number on Cavendish Road back in Winter Park, Florida. That was in the days right before mandatory area codes. I love a good “sign”. That’s when you know without a doubt things are meant to be.

On my old street for instance: early morning before work there was a car accident that defied gravity. I’m not sure how, but a car was completely turned over. Like, how???? One cannot drive fast enough on 38th to do a flip. The street is narrow and cars line on both sides of the street. They did it!

More neighborhood stories: there’s a man who worked on a red boat. For months it was being restored little by little. The street cleaner comes twice a week in this ‘hood. It must be time consuming to move the boat from one side of the street to the other. 

In general, the neighborhood is mixed race with a conglomeration of high rent condos, Airbnbs and gunshots. Don’t go too far down east 38th because you might question where you are. The closer to the west side you’ll find long time residents, young artsy couples, student group houses and late night booty music parties. Of course, the soundtrack is always dogs constantly barking. There’s always THAT neighbor.

This is also nearby an intersection that took me to HER house, just around the corner. I would affectionally call her just that — my “wonder around the corner” because she was literally that. I timed the walk from my front porch to hers. It was delightfully short. Sometimes her cat, Lana Del Rey, would also greet me with a meow and follow us inside. 

Our close proximity made it easy for us to be “porch bandits” leaving each other gifts. One time I arrived home to a gift bag of books and other items. I admit I cried on the spot. Never had a woman made me feel this way— ever.

It was so early on in our courtship, too. I was certainly trepidatious about starting something new. I had gotten out of a long term relationship and even the thought of dating anyone ever was not on any To-Do list I had created in my head. I didn’t want anything with anybody. But this….. she was different. I’m sure people say stuff like that all the time but no — this was so ravenous I wouldn’t be ignoring her. She’s the kind you marry and that’s why I altered my direction.

This corner house, The Peanut Gallery, had some issues I remember — It was a typical old Savannah two-story house with its own high up porch.  Porches are so high here — is there that much flooding? Is it just a style? I don’t know. I haven’t been here long enough to know the area architecture. 

The people living there had been thrown out at some point. There was garbage and belongings all strewn about the street. I stopped, poked through but took nothing. Eventually, there were workers restoring for weeks. Then it seemed to be turned over to actual residents. Interesting art objects would appear in the windows. The still unfinished remodeled porch, with no railings, seemed to invite a weariness. I always wondered what was inside.

I get dressed at home after coming home from work, dolling myself up in my favorite Levi Signature jeans (I have at least three pairs) with my 1984 Prince ‘When Doves Cry’ tour concert t-shirt under a vintage blue denim jean jacket with several buttons decorating it with my favorite snake skins cowboy boots. The ones that are falling apart and got for one dollar from one of my all-time favorite thrift stores in Andrews, North Carolina. The shop when you never knew would ever be open. Maybe only for three hours between 11am and 2pm on a Wednesday or sometime else infuriating. It’s across the street from Dean’s Music — though I can’t tell you if they are still open…..

I decide to walk over instead of biking. It’s not far from where I live now and I’m trying to stay on foot, taking in details of the city. I pass a gate entrance on 37th Street with a huge “J” marking the property. I take a picture and continue on. I still find it funny I live between Jefferson and Howard Streets.

I arrive. The show is in the back yard. A gate with an above sign decreeing it “The Peanut Gallery” hovers inviting. It’s cute. Bands are setting up. The third band that was on the flier cancelled, Chris Casey, whom I really wanted to see. It’s this dude and he just released a song called “Cow Killers” that is an instant Southern Rap/Rock banger. Have you heard it? You gotta hear it!

There are a decent amount of people there. I scan the crowd. I am looking for anyone I know and also, HER. At first glance I don’t see anyone. SHE is not speaking to me since the incident at the previous First Friday when I was vending outside the vintage store next to her tattoo shop. It was the first time she walked past me like I didn’t exist.

Klept — Photo By Jeffrey Howard

HER house is nearby she’s liable to meander along any second. She knows everyone — or at least everyone knows her. As they should. My eyes keep darting over to the entrance wishing I could just relax and just enjoy this first band.

The first band is called Klept and are interesting in several ways. Immediately they remind me of Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, the great New York art rock whatever band from the 1990s on Matador Records. Klepts songs are complex, sometimes skipping a beat or two with fine tuned precision and then blasting into a freak nit whirlwind. Thrown in some screamo parts and they’ve landed something totally unique and interesting. 

They have a new release out — it’s out just in time for this show. I enjoy them immensely.

I mix in the crowd. I meet the bass player from Small Talk. His name is Bryce and is super nice. I am introduced to them by a new co-worker of mine who I would find spot looking around more closely at the crowd. I can’t remember her name in the moment so I am afraid to say what I think it is out loud. My work desk is too far away from her spatially to exchange any meaningful connection and I feel quite a bit stupid for not knowing. I should ask but I don’t. I do get to know her a little better and I feel good about that.

Another friend shows up but they’re looking for ANOTHER house show nearby. There’s cool stuff happening all over town — even on the same Friday night.

Evidently this was the last breakup show for Small Talk. The flier called it a “funeral” — I like that idea. Close friends and fans did dress up all in black! Some band members were moving away from Savannah for the reason of the occasion. This town is a college town (SCAD) so creative people of all ages come and so do their bands, music and other creative endeavors. 

Small Talk — Photo by Jeffrey Howard

They’ve been around for a few years going back to 2017, according to their Bandcamp releases. I listened to them briefly beforehand enough to know that yes, I would indeed love a slow and loud dream pop shoegaze band. Oh yes sir!

I recognize the drummer from being in the one-person drum band Nosebleed. Now that project blew me away when I saw them a few weeks ago at El Rocko for Cougar Fest. I am finding a lot the same musicians are in a million different bands around town — just like everywhere else in the country.

Small Talk are fantastic and hit all the sweet spots of quiet drones with loud delays and feedbacks and those hard dancing breaks. The crowd dances and screams between songs. It’s sad because they will be no more and more people won’t get to experience them. I may be coming in late but I’m a fan.

Walking home, I’m searching the sidewalks for ghosts. Halloween decorations are long gone in the countries most haunted cities but I’m sure skulls are half buried silently screaming. I can feel them at least. A Lone Star beer at Over Yonder/Moodrights makes the walk back home less lonely. I also stop at Starland Yard for a photo booth picture. I’m a slut for a photo booth so I do not resist! Looking down at the cracks in the concrete I see graffiti. It reads “mirth”. The strong association I have with that one word hits hard. The ghosts may catch me yet or is it another sign?

Links:
Small Talk — Bandcamp
Klept — YouTube
Big Blue Booking — Instagram
The Peanut Gallery — Instagram
Chris Casey — YouTube of Cow Killers

Daikaiju, Measurement, Pink Peugeot, Doof @ Southbound Brewing. Savannah, Georgia

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Story and photography by Jeffrey Howard.
Friday January 17, 2025.

This is a love letter.

Is it really true all good things must come to an end?

Some say yes. Some say no. Some say what is meant to be is meant to be. I think I know an answer or two. I may be confident but also know all can crumble faster than an English rusk biscuit.

One of the first places I saw a show at where I wasn’t performing at in Savannah, Georgia was at Southbound Brewing September 2023. I remember when I was actively trying to relocate from Orlando to Savannah I would drive up, take care of business and afterwards try to grab a taste of this new city. 

One miserable, heartbreaking trip I found myself sitting in a parking lot with a van load of items I wanted to drop off at a storage unit until I had a place to live lined up. I had been talking to some people online about a room and was to meet up with them but they ghosted when I arrived. Brutal. I was questioning everything. 

Am I doing the right thing? Is this a sign I should not do this? Why am I opening myself up to the universe? What is it trying to tell me right now?

I had no answers, just growing doubt creeping into a rage. Rather than tuck my tail between my legs I wanted to reach out to the city. I don’t go down in a fight. I was recommended a show from a new friend who was giving advice about moving there, since they had done the same and they thought I was interesting enough to help. The kindness of strangers.

It was an all day show fundraiser for a local DIY startup, Big Blue, that was raising money to open an all ages event club. I had run an all-ages club back in Orlando way back so could totally relate and know that I would feel welcomed. Step one, find your people, right?

I remember driving and parking, noticing there was a police station directly across the street on one side and the other a sketchy looking field with run down, abandoned houses. Attached to the building was one of those axe throwing places. Sure let’s mix alcohol with handling dangerous tools. Let’s do it!

So, that day I saw a bunch of bands. I almost can’t remember who all I saw. I looked up the flyer and don’t even recognize the names but I did see them as I was just taking everything in. I did feel like this was all going to work out even if it looks really, really hard. I’m taking such a chance,

The next time I attended a show at Southbound was about a month later and it would be quite an evening for a number of reasons. It was The Maxines record release show with Bastardane, Girlfriend From Hell and several other bands. I really really really liked Bastardane. One cool thing this show was I met some new friends in person I had only talked to online before. More importantly, this was the night I put my arm around HER and left it there. I admit feeling both bold and dizzying in that moment.

Fast forward to right now. This nights show was going to be a doozy! Instrumental surf rock band Daikaiju, based in Houston Texas, was going to come in hot. It’s what they do! They literally light things on fire. I did not want to miss it. Three local Savannah bands were opening. Also, SHE was going to be there but without that bold arm holding replaced with only a brief hello before parting into the loudness of the music.

First was Savannah two piece experimental doom metal band Doof and switch up between total camp and real passionate true metal. They are having fun and if you aren’t having fun then you’re just not getting it. They were quite fun.

Next was prog rock spazzout outfit Pink Peugeot. Members Robert Melton and Joe Kapcin play between synths, drums and electric guitar. It’s pretty groovy and when the two really dial in to each other they make magic.

Next was a band called Measurement, also hailing from Savannah. They’re a four piece band riding the line between post punk and artcore. Vocalist Jenn Carroll really holds it down behind their bandmates tight interwork. It is an understatement to say they are blistering through every song. Very cool!

Daikaiju closed out the night in style. I’ve seen them several times so I know what to expect. They play raging surf punk while riding the interplay between themselves and the full audience. Concert goers are just as likely to be in the band by the time the show ends. Their music demands closeness. People descended upon the band from all sides. Glorious!

Yes, they did set fire to their drums. Yes, they did set their guitars ablaze. Yes, a ladder appeared out of nowhere while the drummer played their drums high in the hair, held up piece by piece by the audience.

Sure enough, audience members were passed  instruments and something new happened. A new collective of like minds melding from flames to ash and back to sparks until the walls are covered in soot. Instruments changed hands again around back to the band where they ended the show. Amazing!

So now, Southbound Brewing is closing two weeks after this show. What will become of it? The original space will be gone. They will continue on doing what they do, brewing beer. Just someplace else perhaps. Without bands or events. They’ll sell off equipment and move to a smaller location to regroup. Will they keep it going? Will they, by strange windfall, find a new opportunity? Someplace new? Will they come back even stronger than before?

I like the last option.

More Photos:

Daikaiju standing over the crowd.
The audience takes over — pictured Jonas and Magnolia, brother and sister.
Jeffrey (me) in the middle — Photo credit? I didn’t take this one obviously…..

Links:

https://measurement.bandcamp.com/
https://pinkpeugeot.bandcamp.com/
https://doofband.bandcamp.com/
https://daikaiju.org/
https://southboundbrewingco.com/

New Print Edition of Kick Bright Is Released

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The latest issue of kickBright Zine titled #50: “Between Two Ferris Wheels” is out now! I really, really, really want to to get a copy. This issues covers the last year of my life chronologically from December 2022 through December 2023. Other than converting color photos to black and white this issue was created, written and printed without the aid of a computer during March 2024. I used typewriters, scissors, glue and photos I took over the past year.

I’m sharing my journey from Orlando to Savannah through pictures and words. It’s a little sad, a bit joyous with a lot of rock and roll along the way. One acquaintance called it “romantic”. I’ll take it. You’re gonna laugh, that’s for sure.

Rock and roll appearances: Loose Touch, Godflesh, The Cure, Basically Nancy, Teen Cobra, MrENC, S.M.O.P, Velocity Girl, Jonathan Richman, Poghoh, Tuscadero and others!

Regular copies are $12 including postage. I have special hand-colored editions for $20 including postage. I highly recommend the colored version. They are way cool!

In Savannah, you can find it on the zine rack at Sulphur Studios on Bull Street. Or find me around town! You can also find it upstairs at Bizarro-Wuxtry in Athens GA.

PayPal: kickbright@hotmail.com

Venmo: @jkickbright

Cash App: $jkickbright

If you need to pay another way just message on Facebook, Instagram or my email kickbright@hotmail.com

Pajama Party with Paperback Romance and a Million Other Bands

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Stardust Pajama Party with:
Paperback Romance
Real Men
Widows
Holly Pocket
Plastic Flowers
Default Friends
The Elephants
@ Stardust – Orlando, FL
Friday February 10, 2023
Photos and story by Jeffrey Howard

Kick Bright has never been about bands, or shows, or music, or reviews or anything anyone else has ever associated this with. It’s about me just trying to navigate this stupid world. It was never an attempt at journalism, because duh. Show reviews aren’t show reviews. They’re my memories — what band did what song or what person I saw at the show or the niceness of a new friend. 

I reread my show reviews a lot and notice I am friends with so many people still to this day. Hard to believe I know anyone from more than twenty years ago. I notice writing about people I haven’t seen in years. I wonder how they are. Do they ever think to look up Kick Bright? Maybe someone will even see this and say hi like no time has passed. That would be nice.

Anyway, I came to this show by myself. I haven’t heard or heard of any of the six or seven bands that played this show but that’s not a deterrent. It was also a pajama party. Yes, I totally wore my pajamas and my super cool hot air balloon robe. It is really one of my favorite clothing pieces though I never wear it, not even at home. It just hangs on the bathroom door of every house I’ve lived in the past few years. You know, what if someone knocks on my front door in the morning. Whatamigonnado?

Now when talking about this show and sharing these pictures I don’t know which band was which. I even looked them up afterwards and still couldn’t figure them out. Except one: Paperback Romance.

Now Paperback Romance was the reason I even showed up. I was delivering them buttons they had made with us. But this wasn’t just a client drop off. One of the members of this band actually tracked Kristin and I down. Now, see we were both members in the band Courtneys along with two of our favorite Courtney’s ever. 

Courtneys were a death/cutecore band that sounded cute but also had violent lyrics. We were in it from 2005-2008 or so but the two Courtneys had been doing their thing for a couple years prior with other members. It was a super fun time. Our tour with Doris Delay in 2006 will always be a fond memory.

Paperback Romance.

So two friends (one being in Paperback Romance) were at a thrift store and found a Courtneys CD on the shelf, bought it, listened to it and loved it. Time passed and the CD went missing. Oh no! You can’t find those on Discogs! They looked up the band on the internet and eventually tracked down us, the former members. They messaged us if we had any copies left. 

When the hurricanes hit in 2022 our storage unit was completely flooded. Among the losses were the last of Courtneys CDs, all the handmade ones the ladies had drawn. They were so cool but we all ruined and had to toss them. It was devastating for me to do. 

Now in one of our Hot Hands (one of our most current bands) tour merch cases I just so happened to find three copies of the official version left. They were literally the last ones to exist. Sure, the music is on Bandcamp but physical copies are rare and special.

Real Men

I messaged them back and said I brought the tour merch case to our newly opened shop and they came down. I shared with them some Courtneys stories like our fun bloody tour outfits and such. They had their favorite songs like “Eladon”. Kristin always mentions that her drumming on those recordings make her sound like a drum machine.

Now this show was Paperback Romance’s first show ever and I must say they were really good. They are one of many promising “younger” bands. You know the kind, where their parents attend the show to show support. How cute, right???? Their influences sounded all over the place, grabbing some pop punk, some indie without sounding like either. I was impressed.

The other bands were also entertaining. Like I said I don’t know who was who but what I can tell you their music was interesting and ALL OVER THE PLACE. Listening to new bands like this they have so many influences that I wouldn’t even be able to comprehend how they find and listen to music. Between all these bands the following bands were covered: Weezer, Oasis, Blink 182, Black Sabbath, Sublime, Radiohead, Mannequin Pussy, Rage Against the Machine and a cover of Van Halen cover of the Kinks. There was even one song the band was “Everyone sing along” and I had no idea what the song was. I mean, what????? My friend Sarah (the only person I knew at this show) and I were looking at each other trying to figure it out. We laughed at our failure.

The audience was also special. They were all having a real fun time.

Between bands I was being introduced as being a Courtney. And they even knew who that was. What???? I messaged with Courtney M during the show. She was kinda mad because WHO IN THE WORLD WOULD DARE GIVE UP THEIR COURTNEYS CD????? She makes me laugh because that’s exactly how she would react and also appreciate she’s at the point where she is an influence on people. And that goes for me as well. It gets me choked up.

I don’t have to figure it out, I just get to enjoy it.

Yes, all of this made me very emotional (I’ve already been an emotional wreck lately) and I couldn’t help but have some tears. No fighting them back— it was time to just let them go. This show had so much joy I’m going to add this to my “Favorite Shows Of All Time” list.

And going home afterwards, since I was already dressed in my pajamas it made going to bed super easy. I just hopped into bed. Nighty-nite to me.

Thanks for reading,

Jeffrey

Paperback Romance
Real Men
Band that had the Cowboy Hat.
Default Friends

Related Links:
Paperback Romance
Real Men
Widows
Holly Pocket
Plastic Flowers
Default Friends
The Elephants
and of course
Courtneys

Show Report: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Night Ranger @ Ocoee Music Festival

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Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Night Ranger
Ocoee Music Festival @ Bill Breeze Park Ocoee, FL
Friday March 10, 2023
Photos and Review by Jeffrey Howard.

Joan Jett is the best. The Blackhearts are so good. As headliner of this festival she really stuck out from all the other male dominated rock and country acts playing. She starts out with playing a Bikini Kill song over the PA and goes right into a twenty song set full of her best songs and a few choice covers including “Everyday People” by Sly and the Family Stone and The Replacements “Androgynous” — maybe going over the head of the average audience member but appreciated by people in the know. 

Even her new songs, some unrecorded, still sound pretty cool like they’ve been hits for years. It’s my third time seeing the Blackhearts, such a solid band. For an outdoor concert the sound was unbelievably good. Kristin and I were dead in the lively side of the crowd. “PUT THE SIGN DOWN” — that’s an inside joke for those of us on the “fun” side.

Night Ranger was one of the openers. They’ve been at making mediocre radio rock for forty years now. No doubt they are good at what they do, it looks like they’re having fun. They have a part in their show where all five members gather around and bang out a drum solo. I can appreciate their connection for one another. Their most popular song “Sister Christian” is actually sung by the drummer, not the lead singer, who may have lost his voice over the years but makes up for it with enthusiasm. They threw in a few popular Damn Yankees songs for the deep south freedom loving crowd.

Related Links:

Joan Jett Official Bandpage

Setlist from this show.

Joan Jett @ Bike Week (with a cool photo of Joan and myself).

Joan Jett @ Downtown Orlando (Kristin wrote this nicely detailed review. Honestly, it’s a must read. Much better than this current one.)

LOOSE TOUCH Live Debut Video Shot At Etoile Boutique

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Aaron Borowicz and Tyson Bodiford was a new band called Loose Touch and they are a total fuzzy scorcher. They made their live debut as a four member band a few weeks ago. I was out of town so I missed it. I saw some quick clip videos on social media and sounded raw and fuzzy. When I spoke to them they didn’t have any plans for any other shows. Hopefully that will change soon.

The members are long time friends with Fallon, owner of vintage shop Etoile Boutique (2424 E. Robinson St Orlando), who just began a new video series called Petite Etoile (translated “small star”), where musicians and bands set up in their store and filmed by top notch videographers. The Loose Touch video is the third to be released. Previously sessions included The Sh-Booms and John Lee Wyatt. This session was directed by Forest Royer with Loose Touch performing as a two-piece. Take a look!

Links:
Loose Touch Instagram Bandpage
Petite Etoile Etoile Boutiques YouTube Channel

Show Report: Auto Chlor, Hi-Fi Envelope, Snotnoze Saleem @ Uncle Lou’s Orlando FL

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Auto Chlor, Snotnoze Saleem, Hifi Envelope
@ Uncle Lou’s – Orlando, Florida.
Sunday February 12, 2023
Show report and photos by Jeffrey Howard.

Every once in a while LA resident and former Orlandoian Tim Murray brings one of his musical projects back to Orlando. This year it’s Auto Chlor and he brought together the electro sounds of Hifi Envelope and hip hop artist Snotnoze Saleem.

Hifi Envelope brought the electronics and synths ever evolving from sound to sound, blurring the lines between where songs begin and end and begin again. He was backed by the visuals of Broken Machine Films with dual screens in the background

I wasn’t familiar with Snotnoze Saleem. It was one person and a microphone with backing tracks. The set started off a little slow but ended up being pretty cool and HEAVY.

Auto Chlor (Tim) enlisted the assistance of Tony Mauss as hype-person and button masher as Tim sang through vocal pitch-shifters high and low. The substance fueled performance was entertaining and surprisingly well orchestrated. Glad to see Tim back in town.

See Also:
Sloppy Kisses, Room Full of Strangers, Dark Sixties.
Sloppy Kisses @ Peacock Room.
Hifi Envelope Bandcamp.
Snotnoze Saleem YouTube Channel.
Auto Chlor Bandcamp.

All photos are copyright by Jeffrey Howard.
Please don’t display elsewhere, unless you credit them and link back to Kick Bright.
Thanks 🙂

City of Caterpillar, Gillian Carter, The Caution Children @ Wills Pub. Orlando, FL

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City of Caterpillar
Gillian Carter
The Caution Children
Sunday January 22, 2023
Wills Pub. Orlando, Florida
Photos & review by Jeffrey Howard.

The last time I saw City of Caterpillar was 2002 way back at local venue Stone Soup Collective down there on South Orange Avenue. Flashbacks, right? The band came to town at least three times that I remember. Each time they were pretty remarkable, even from my terrible memory. 

When it was announced I was pretty excited though Kristin and I had plans to be a vendor at a Rockabilly Festival the night before down in Immokalee, which is basically in the Florida Everglades. It’s several hours away.

We ended up making it back to Orlando in time for the show, even if we stopped a million times at thrift stores and looking for a pair of shoes for me since I got blisters from standing all day.

The line was already down the block to get into Wills Pub. We didn’t have tickets so we were concerned if it was sold out or not. Luckily, we got in and made our way to the front. Right in back of us in line were members of one of the opening bands at the 2000 show. How crazy!

Opening up were local legends Gillian Carter and The Caution Children, both whom share members, notably Bob on bass and Tony (also Flashlights) on drums. It’s been a while since I’ve seen any of these bands. A lot of the crowd are all friends and familiar with their music so there was plenty of screaming along and “skits” put on by The Caution Children which involved a mattress with blankets….. and somehow a person sleeping then waking up. Lots of crowd surfing and the singer spent as much time off the stage as on. Fuckin’ great!

Gillian Carter took the stage next with mastermind metalcore guitarist/singer Logan Rivera just ripping into musical membrane that is the Wills Pub stage. More crowd surfing ensued.

So twenty-one years later City of Caterpillar can still put on a great harsh post-hardcore set. They may not be breaking bottles or crushing cinderblocks in the literal sense but do musically. The passage of time just made them laser focused. I couldn’t tell you what songs they did, it’s been so long since I pulled out their CDs or record singles. Every song was as the first time I heard them. They were intense. So glad this band is still together. I picked up their latest album Mystic Sisters that came on on Relapse Records last year.

See also:
City of Caterpillar at DIY Records 2000.
City of Caterpillar at Stone Soup Collective 2001.

All photos are copyright by Jeffrey Howard.
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