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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bayou Background Sweats Its Way Into Tab Benoit’s Blues Sound

Young blues extraordinaire Tab Benoit, who plays Bolo’s on Sunday, learned to play the blues in the muggy swamplands and bayous of south central Louisiana.

Thus, living in this climate has translated into a steamy, rocking body of work. You can actually feel the humidity in the music, leaving you hot and bothered and drenched in sweat.

Benoit’s live show has been said to have the same effect.

Three stellar albums carry the Benoit name. His new one is called “Standing on the Bank,” and it’s on the reputable Austin, Texas, independent Justice Records.

Although the entire album, from start to finish, radiates with brilliance, “Standing on the Bank’s” most affecting moments occur when the 28-year-old singer-guitarist employs the most skeletal of arrangements, letting his prowess as a guitarist and singer take the fore.

“Rainy Day Blues,” a duet with Willie Nelson, and “Going Down” are excellent examples.

Benoit’s show is not to miss.

Tickets are $12.50 ($15 day of the show) available at Bolo’s. To charge by phone, call 891-8995.

Porch lights up Outback’s

Todd Huth, guitarist and vocalist for Bay Area sonic terrorist Porch, once punched the time clock for rocker weirdo Primus. Porch plays Outback Jack’s tonight.

Huth was an original member of Primus. In fact, he’s still in a band with the ever-deranged Primus bassist and vocalist Les Claypool called Sausage, which also includes the original Primus drummer.

Huth’s band Porch, rounded out by former Today Is The Day bassist Chris Frey and one-time Samiam drummer David Ayer, doesn’t resemble Primus in the least. Where Primus builds its songs around Claypool’s funky and jazzy bass noodlings, Porch carves out noise rock, making minced meat out of the listener’s head.

The band’s eponymous album on Claypool’s Prawn Song label, as well as its first 7-inch “Expectorant” on Alternative Tentacles, are worth picking up.

Opening bands were not available at press time.

The barrage begins at 9:30 p.m. Cover’s $3.

Emocore to fly

It’s easy to lose sight of bands these days, even ones that draw well in Spokane.

Take Ladybird Unition from the Tri-Cities, for example.

Ever since the purveyor of fine emocore (a progressive punkish style unique to Washington D.C.) changed its name from Small, more than a year ago - a higher-profile band from North Carolina took the moniker first - the band was swallowed by the whirlpool of Northwest music.

Finally, the Ladybird Unition’s career is primed to take flight.

The band has the support of a Seattle management team, and it’s about to enter a Seattle studio to record its first full-length.

If you’re starved for a Ladybird Unition recording, the band will have its debut EP as well as a five-song cassette at tonight’s show at Ichabod’s.

Noisesmith Fatty Lumpkin and local emocore outfit Element 115 open.

Noise at 9:30 p.m. Cover’s $3. Bring I.D.

L.A. Guns to fire in North Idaho

In the whole scheme of the ‘80s and early ‘90s L.A. rock circuit, L.A. Guns is but a footnote.

The currently unsigned band, whose future is in doubt, plays the Cotton Club in Hayden on the Wednesday.

The pop metal combo formed by guitarist Tracii Guns, who was the “Guns” in Guns ‘n’ Roses, and bassist Steve Riley, formerly of W.A.S.P., at the height of the L.A. scene’s popularity in 1986.

Although L.A. Guns went on to release five albums. Only one of them - 1989’s “Cocked and Loaded” - spawned a hit, “The Ballad of Jane.”

After firing off a dud on A&M last year, L.A. Guns has been dropped by its second label in two years.

Local bands Cotton Mouth and Silent Rage open. Showtime’s at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available at the Cotton Club. Call (208) 762-9912.

Rare appearance

Singer/songwriter Nancy Lynn Allen will appear at El Toreador tonight and Saturday.

Allen, who makes very few concert appearances in Spokane, released a striking debut last year called “Seconds.”

On the CD, Allen dips into a nice mixture of styles, from folk and honky tonk to country and pop, while maintaining a mostly introspective voice.

Allen will perform with Monty Hines and Melanie Hirt.

Music starts around 9-ish. There’s no cover.

Hapless sounds

Hapless, a fairly new Seattle rock band, is trying to capitalize on the enormous exposure the foursome received when the band opened for Shoveljerk at The Met last month with three shows in the area.

The band played Spokane last night, but has two more shows in the Inland Northwest, one at the Zoo in Pullman tonight and another at the Rat House in Moscow on Saturday night.

Leading the band is former Sweet Water lead guitarist Dudley Taft, who left the popular rock group because of creative differences during Sweet Water’s “Super Friends” sessions.

Seattle’s Cunninghams open both shows.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: NIGHTWATCH PICKS Best bets of area clubs: TONIGHT: Ladybird Unition, Fatty Lumpkin and Element 115 at Ichabod’s North; Porch at Outback Jack’s TONIGHT AND SATURDAY: Nancy Lynn Allen at El Toreador SUNDAY: Tab Benoit at Bolo’s

This sidebar appeared with the story: NIGHTWATCH PICKS Best bets of area clubs: TONIGHT: Ladybird Unition, Fatty Lumpkin and Element 115 at Ichabod’s North; Porch at Outback Jack’s TONIGHT AND SATURDAY: Nancy Lynn Allen at El Toreador SUNDAY: Tab Benoit at Bolo’s