Legend Stretches Repertoire With Guest Drummer Symmonds

Twenty-three years ago, a young Spokane drummer, Glenn Symmonds, packed his bags and moved to Oakland, Calif., to pursue music.

Since he left, he formed several bands, including Automatic Man, which was signed to Island Records (Bob Marley, U2, Tom Waits and others). He played with jazz musician John Klemmer, ska band the Untouchables and rocker Eddie Money.

Not a bad career.

Now he’s back, at least for a little while.

Symmonds, who lives in L.A., has been vacationing in Spokane for the last two weeks, as well as drumming and singing for local lounge act Legend. He’ll be with the band for two more shows at Thudpucker’s, tonight and Saturday.

Symmonds is an old friend of Legend leader and guitarist Kevin Twillegar. When he was 14, he taught Twillegar, who was 8, how to play the guitar. So every time Symmonds is in the area, he sits in with Legend.

“I showed (Twillegar) his first chord on the guitar; now we’re playing together years later,” says Symmonds.

“Kevin’s very creative. He allows me to do whatever I want to musically. And I like to play with him because I get to come to Spokane, see my old friends and enjoy the area.”

Legend has survived 12 years and 33 member changes. Three members even joined twice.

Some musicians might have decided to retire the band, which works about 300 days a year. But not Twillegar.

“I’ve been doing it so long. I love playing music. It’s just hard to let it go,” says Twillegar, 35. “I keep going through member changes, but it seems to always work. Every time I make a change, it’s always for the better.”

Although he hopes to get a break that would enable him to leave Spokane, Twillegar, a husband, father of four and a guitar teacher with 40 students, is content with the life he’s carved out here.

“If something comes up, I would probably jump on it right away,” he says. “For the most part, I’m pretty settled here.”

Singer Carole Stirn and bassist Jerad Ribic are relative newcomers.

Stirn, 40, and a teacher at a local modeling school, enlisted in the band about a year ago. Before joining, she lived in Seattle, singing with different bands for more than eight years.

Ribic, 25, is the youngest member in the band. The bassist also flexes his creative muscle in two other local original-music bands, Disgruntled Joebox and Flourish.

With Symmonds on board, Legend has strayed a bit from its usual mix of pop and rock to reggae and ska. In the ‘80s, Symmonds played with the influential ska combo, the Untouchables.

After Saturday’s gig, Symmonds will fly home to L.A. His current band, a Latin-flavored ska troupe called Skunk is gearing up for its first shows. Plus, he’s got students to teach.

While he’s been here, he has been pretty impressed with talent he has been surrounded by in Legend.

“I think it’s one of the best bands in town,” he says. “The fact is, the band changes a third of its repertoire for me. They leave a third out and I fill in that third.

“What I bring to the band is not ordinary music. It’s a lot of history and stuff that goes unnoticed in small communities like Spokane. But it’s very hip and exciting in bigger urban cities like London, L.A. and New York.”

Legend plays at 9 both nights.

Oh, Goodness

After packing out the Northern Corner in August, Seattle rock quintet Goodness returns to the venue Saturday.

Goodness, signed to Atlantic, is touting a strong self-titled first album. The band has yet to score a hit, but even so, it’s still a refreshing alternative to mediocre mainstream fare being shoved down our throats.

The band is fronted by ex-Hammerbox singer Carrie Akre. And that’s the last time you’ll read that in this paper.

Elizabeth Emblem opens. By showtime, the veteran Spokane band should have its shiny new debut CD on hand. If you’re inclined, buy one.

Music starts at 9:30 p.m. The cover is $5. Bring your ID.

The punkest church around

For eight months now, Westminster Congregational Church, Fourth and Washington, continues to be the home of local allages punk shows.

Tonight, the infamous punk band MDC will headline a show with local hardcore combos Cause and Inti Fada and gritty punk trio Clabberhag.

It’s been more than four years since Spokane had the privilege of hosting MDC, a band whose origins date all the way to the early ‘80s.

The band, originally from the Bay Area, has relocated to Portland. I think I speak for everyone when I say the Northwest is better off because of it.

Both Cause and Intifada share two songs on a joint seven-inch. The four-song EP came out last month on a local label, Hybrid.

Both bands recently toured the West Coast, spreading a message of disgust and rage where ever they went.

Music starts at 8 p.m. Admission is $3.

Yeah, but can they still take our breath away?

New Wave pop band Berlin is out on the comeback trail and will play the Northern Corner on Sunday.

Berlin was among the cutting-edge New Wave bands that dominated music in the ‘80s.

Early on, they were considered controversial mainly because of singer Terri Nunn’s bold sexuality. Berlin’s single “Sex (I’m a)” was banned from playlists across the country.

After producing two promising albums, “Pleasure Victim” and “Love Life,” Berlin surprisingly shifted directions. To the dismay of fans, it resorted to slick pop on the 1986 album “Count Three and Pray.” The album, along with the “Top Gun” soundtrack, featured the smash hit “Take My Breath Away.”

After flirting with commercial success, Berlin ran out of breath and disbanded.

Spokane’s High Lonesome will open at 9 p.m.

Advance tickets are $10, available at the Northern Corner and 4,000 Holes. It’s $12 at the door. Bring ID.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: NIGHTWATCH PICKS Best bets at area clubs: TONIGHT: MDC, Clabberhag, Cause and Intifada at Westminster Congregational Church TONIGHT AND SATURDAY: Legend at Thudpuckers SATURDAY: Goodness, Elizabeth Emblem SUNDAY: Berlin, High Lonesome