Battle of the titans: Elvis vs Elvis at the 1078

Originally published Feb. 22, 2007 in The Buzz

Music lovers crowded 1078 Gallery in downtown Chico Friday in hopes of reuniting their lost love of the Elvises, as 17 Chico bands covered songs by Elvis Presley and Elvis Costello.

The Zombats kicked off the night with Presley's "Trouble." With lyrics like, "If you're looking for trouble, you came to the right place," it was the perfect way to start the gruesome battle. The Zombats' moody sound seemed to in fact, bring Presley back from the dead.

Following The Zombats' one-song argument in defense of Presley, a red record player was turned on to spin both Presley and Costello records.

The faint volume and hiss of the record player gave an eerie feeling of lost love. It was as if the room transcended everyone decades into the past.

Up next was Rev. Junkyard Moondog with his rebuttal in defense of Costello. Before playing "Pump It Up," Moondog proclaimed he was going to prove that while "real rock comes from the heart, real heart comes from the rock."

He took the rocks suspended form his neck, tied with strings, and literally rocked out, inspiring the first crowd sing-along of the night.

Chico State University student Martin Svec cited Moondog as his favorite performance of the night.

Although Svec attended the show in support of Costello, the Gorgeous Armada's Presley performance also ranked high in his book, he said.

The Gorgeous Armada took the stage and welcomed everyone to "the memorial," calling its performance an interpretive dance.

The band gathered around one microphone and hummed "Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)."

Band member Handsome Gorgeous, dressed in boxers and a bathrobe, placed a chair, labeled "toilet," in front of the stage. He took a drink out of a bottle in hand and choked down some pills. As legend says, he proceeded to die on the toilet.

The audience cheered in disbelief.

every move of the dance was like watching a suspense movie. You knew what was going to happen next, but you did not believe it would actually happen.

The Gorgeous Armada proved that a lot can be said without even saying a word.

On the other hand, words can get a point across as well. The Shankers made it clear whose side they were on.

"I think Mr. Costello sucks," said lead singer Johnny Shanker.

The Shankers' fast-paced renditions of Presley's "That's All Right" and "Heartbreak Hotel" got the audience on its feet and asking for more.

Following with the same opening song, Gruk gave Presley's' "That's All Right" and "Jailhouse Rock" a faster-paced punk spin.

Lead singer Rachel Loveless began each song with melodic vocals, but quickly changed the pace with aggressive screaming, switching back and forth.

While Gruk made each Presley song its own, it was not hard to choose between Presley and Costello, said drummer Sean Cummins.

"Presley is slight more punk rock," he said.

To prepare for the performance, the band listened to original songs repeatedly and searched for guitar tabs on the Internet, Cummins said. While they wanted to play the songs as close to the original, the had fun practicing them at different speeds.

Gruk's aggressive performance made a solid case for Presley, but by the end of the night Costello won 9 to 8. However, that is based on the number of bands who chose a side.

No winner was officially announced.

The only clear winners where 1078 Gallery and the Suburban American Tract Home compilation, which raised $600 from the door.

The night proved that Chico has respect for rock's forefathers and talent of eclectic styles of music. Each band brought its own style to the table, but it would have been nice to see no repeated songs.

While Jessica O'Donnell attended the show to support Costello, she would have liked to seen a band perform Presley's "Blue Suede Shoes," she said.

O'Donnell and others will just have to wait for the next time Presley and Costello cross paths. Judging by the night's close race, a rematch might come sooner than later.

Chico’s Secret Stolen: Rock ‘n’ Roll, a working van fuel DIY tours

Originally published Feb. 01, 2007 in The Buzz.

While most people spent their winter vacation sleeping in, four young Chico musicians drove across California on a “do it yourself” tour.

Relying on networking skills over the Internet, The Secret Stolen booked shows in more than 10 California cities for a three-week tour in January. The band kicked off the tour January 2 in Chico and embarked on a search for ears willing to listen to their high-energy, mind-bending brand of alternative rock.

Besides, the members being young, ages range from 20 to 25, the band itself is also fairly young.

Childhood friends, Billy DiBono (drums), John Wold (bass, vocals), and brothers Cameron Ford (guitar, vocals) and Nolan Ford (guitar) played in bands throughout high school, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2005 that The Secret Stolen was born, DiBono said.

Previous to that summer, Cameron Ford was attending college in Santa Barbara, but kept in contact with DiBono, he said. Cameron Ford sent DiBono songs he had been working on while in Santa Barbara. When Cameron Ford made a visit to Chico for the summer, the idea of starting a new band sparked.

As soon as they heard about the idea, Nolan Ford and Wold became interested in joining the band. The Secret Stolen was born June 2005 and Cameron Ford did not return to Santa Barbara.

Cameron Ford joined DiBono at Chico State University and the Chico workforce with Nolan Ford and Wold. They all soon found out how difficult it is to play in a band while juggling school and work.

Being tied down to school and work makes it hard for a band to leave town for a tour. That is why The Secret Stolen has taken advantage of semester breaks and uses them for touring.

Their January tour marked their third touring adventure. Instead of relying on a booking agent, the band researched venues and booked the tour.

For some shows they used contacts at the same venues they played on their last tour, DiBono said. Other shows were booked through networking done by DiBono and Nolan Ford on www.myspace.com.

While the Internet is helpful for networking, the band still encountered some obstacles while planning the tour, DiBono said. Planning a convenient route was not an option. Relying on their van for full support, the band had to take any shows that came up, regardless if they required long drives in between dates. Luckily, their van, named Jean-Claude Band Van by friend Kiel Kennedy, had no problems.

The group searched for bands in other cities that play music similar to The Secret Stolen and asked if they could play a show with them, said Cameron Ford. Playing a show with a band that already has a following in a city gives The Secret Stolen security that they will not be playing to an empty venue.

“Hopefully, we can strike a nerve with their fans,” he said.

Yet, all shows on the tour did not attract large audiences, DiBono said. The band played a few shows that had a 21-age restriction. Those shows were not nearly as fun or successful as shows that had no age restriction.

Other shows did not happen at all, DiBono said. The band had booked two shows in San Diego, but both were cancelled due to other bands on the bill breaking up. Canceled shows, however, did not halt the tour. As soon as the band found out about the canceled San Diego shows, they got back on the Internet and acquired a show in Long Beach.

Proving that everything happens for a reason, the band’s most memorable show was also unplanned, said Cameron Ford. The band had yet to book a show for Jan. 19, but while on the road Cameron Ford was able to book a show in Reno. However, the band had a show in Monterey Jan. 18 and another in Morgan Hill Jan. 20.

After deciding that the drive to Reno would have been too strenuous, the band was able to find a show in Turlock, Cameron Ford said. The show was all-ages, but the band was not expecting much.

“There’s nothing in Turlock,” he said.

To the band’s surprise, more than 100 people attended the show.

“It was the first time on the tour we played for genuine people who cared about our music,” Cameron Ford said.

Meeting genuine people makes all the hard work worthwhile, he said. The benefit of doing a DIY tour is being able to improve and have people take notice. Eventually, someone in a higher position will see the band’s constant tour dates and will want to help out the band.

The tour dates keep coming for The Secret Stolen, he said. The band is ready to leave California and tour more days out of the year.

Learning from stressful experiences, the band is now able to tour anytime of the year, Cameron Ford said. He and DiBono are now solely taking online classes at Chico State University.

After a short break in Chico, the band will leave in March for their first tour of the Northwest, hitting cities like Portland and Seattle, DiBono said. They hope to be well received in the Northwest and not encounter the same obstacles as before.

Either way, they will enjoy the creativity that new surroundings bring.

“Tour is trial and error,” DiBono said.

Cafe Coda: Age is not an issue

Originally published Jan. 18, 2007 in The Buzz

Chico's Cafe Coda specializes in small-plate dining with a large side order of live music.

With just seven weeks under its belt, Cafe Coda is proving to be the child prodigy of Chico cafes and a promising all-ages music venue.

The venue, which opened its doors Nov. 29, shares its home with Humboldt Studios at 265 Humboldt Ave. It is no surprise the cafe took on a musical theme, being in a building that has so much music within.

The menu includes "sweet melodies" such as French toast and pancakes, "masterpieces" such as eggs benedict and wraps and single orders of "improvisations and solos."

Owner Eric Danielli, from Paradise, is also no stranger to music. Danielli, 26, was in a band called Phoenix Down, which included members of Chico's La Fin du Monde.

Originally, Danielli wanted the cafe to only operate in the mornings and focus on a breakfast menu, he said. He wanted to stay away from the bar crowd.

Thankfully, Cafe Coda is more than a place for breakfast.

Danielli decided to host music events because music is a big part of his life, he said. Besides, live music is a positive addition to the cafe atmosphere.

"It's not a dinner house, more of a gathering," he said. "Have your senses entertained."

The food takes care of the taste buds, live music comfort the ears and art on the walls please the eyes. The dim lighting and soft maroon and tan painted walls draw you to the tables, which are already set up with plates and glasses. There is also bar seating if that is your style.

To the far right lays the stage. Speakers are suspended from the ceiling, waiting to spread the love of music. Soft lights accompany the speakers, ready to shine on the next musical sensation.

While Cafe Coda has been appealing to the post-college age group, ranging from 25 to 55, the variety of live music is inviting for people of all ages, Danielli said. He is striving to make the cafe a stable music venue where age is not an issue. Considering the difficulty of sustaining an all-ages music venue in Chico and the fact that Cafe Coda sells alcohol, Danielli is aware of the tough position he could possibly be in, he said. If all goes well, underage drinking will never arise, as staff is diligent about checking IDs.

Danielli hopes the community realizes that he is simply trying to give back by making all music events open to all ages, h esaid.

"I don't want to exclude anyone," he said.

So far events have been successful and well received by the community, Danielli said. People who have stopped by for music have also been good about making food and drink purchases, which allows the cafe to make all events free from a cover charge.

The most successful shows to date featured Chico's The Yule Logs and The Secret Stolen, which show the variety of music that can be heard on any given night.

While Danielli is trying to stay away from metal and punk bands, he is open to any ideas, he said. Events will not only feature Chico bands, but also state and nationally recognized acts . However, bigger shows may call for a small cover charge.

Cafe Coda is also proving that live music is not only for night owls. Early birds can also enjoy love music on a few selected mornings.

Lukily for Cafe Coda and music lovers in Chico, music is oh so sweet at any time of the day.

New CD finds Danny Cohen at his primal, analytical best

Originally published Jan. 11, 2007 in The Buzz

Musician Danny Cohen wants you to meet his many alter egos and see the shades of Dorian Gray.

Cohen, who resides in Paradise, has different personas that take care of different aspects of his music, he said. There is one entity that writes the songs, one that performs them, one that produces them and another that does the artwork. Each entity has different qualities that are essential for making a solid album.

The performer is primal, the producer is analytical, while the writer is intuitive, Cohen said. When trying to create a unique sound, it is important for the writer to rely on intuition and not worry about rules of music theory.

Unique is an understatement when describing Cohen's new album titled "Shades of Dorian Gray," schedule for a Feb. 6 release on ANTI-Records.

The layering sounds and sense of character development throughout the album is not surprising, considering Cohen was an English literature major. The themes are complex, yet organic. Even the title of the record is drawn from literature, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde.

The story line in Wilde's novel is similar to the mood of the album, Cohen said. The music evokes shades of gray and absorbs time as in the novel where the picture ages rather than the artist.

"The music seemed to be old sounding, like it had cobwebs," he said.

The album was recorded on different formats in order to evoke the different moods, Cohen said. Some songs were recorded on Alesis digital audio tape with half-inch reel to reel to give a warm sound. Other songs were recorded straight to a computer at Chico's Humboldt Studios to give a dense sound.

Cohen, who grew up in Hollywood during the 1950s, describes his music as '60s British invasion pop music with classical, jazz and folk influence. He wrote most of the album on a keyboard similar to a theater organ. The process was a change from writing songs on a guitar, which explains the more gothic aound on the album.

"It is kind of like 'Phantom of the Opera,'" Cohen said.

Cohen's record label, ANTI-Records, was not expecting the more organ-based music, he said. The label, home to artist such as Neko Case, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Tom Waits, prefers simple three-chord songs that are more blues based.

However, Cohen was not afraid to write complex songs when he saw that his listeners enjoyed that more.

"Shades of Dorian Gray" will be Cohen's third release on ANTI-Records, but he has also released three albums on a smaller label, called Tzadik. The number of releases is impressive considering Cohen decided to make music his career only eight years ago.

Cohen started playing guitar at age 9 and was in his first band at age 11, but it was always just for fun, he said. His band, Charleston Grotto, never took its career very seriously. His mother played the classical guitar; therefore, he learned to play the guitar simply for the fact that there was a guitar in his house while growing up.

Cohen is content with just playing music with friends in a garage, which he often does, he said. "Shades of Dorian Gray" features a wide array of Butte County musicians who have been playing with Cohen for seven years. The album is dedicated to John LaPado who played lap steel guitar on the record, but recently passed away.

Cohen describes his bohemian outlook on his music career as a Catch-22. Lables usually lose more money than make money when releasing music like Cohen's. However, labels still release it because they truly enjoy the music and have confidence in the artist.

In the spring, Cohen hopes to do a tour in Europe, he said. In additions, Charleston Grotto is planning a reunion in Los Angeles in February.

As for the release of "Shades of Dorian Gray," Cohen wants to play at small venues in San Francisco and Los Angeles, he said. One of this favorite places to perform is the Theatre of Note in Los Angeles, which has a 46-person capacity.

In the meantime, Cohen is happy playing music with his friends, regardless if anyone is willing to listen.