Hot Mess Magic Showcase (Or, "Why the Monolators rule.")

I have written about the Monolators before. I wrote a short live review for Duke’s blog about the time I saw Eli Chartkoff do a back flip off a kick drum, tumble down a half-stack and play a guitar solo while practically standing on his head. That was at the Que Sera in Long Beach. Ashley Jex was playing bass, Mary Chartkoff was on drums and Tom Bogdon was hauling ass on guitar.

Surprisingly, despite the amount I had to drink, it has all remained pretty clear in my head.

I also remember the first time I saw them play in Fresno. At Tokyo Garden. They killed me with their tune, You Look Good On The Train. There is something so innocent and energetic and maybe a little spastic about the way they play, the way they write songs, and the way Eli’s thin frame shakes to the music. That night they got a nice size crowd of Fresno-folks up and moving around, drinks in hand, and afterwards everyone was out of breath and sweaty and the dance floor was covered in beer, gin and vodka.

I also learned that people with whiskey don’t dance often.

Well, I am pleased to announce that these kids will be returning to Fresno to perform at Club Fred on March 30th at our “semi-monthly” (whenever we feel like it) HOT MESS MAGIC showcase. Sweet.

Originally the Hot Mess Magic showcase started off as a show to display the talents of friends that I share a studio with in Fresno, and we used the proceeds to offset the rent we paid on the place. Then I slowly started to realize that most of the time, it was just me and James Brittain-Gore performing and organizing and promoting the thing … so this time we’ve decided to revamp the idea and have some out-of-towners and some great non-studio-sharing locals on the bill as well. And make it more of a fun night and rely less on OUR talent and more on others’ talent.

Needless to say, there will still be tons of talent on display.

So mark this stuff down in your calendar : Hot Mess Magic, Club Fred, March 30th, with The Monolators, Rademacher, and Brian Fucking Kenney Fresno. Starts at 9pm.

Most importantly, remember the Monolators. This is one of my favorite LA groups and I am really happy that they are able to come up on that date. They have some great records and some great vinyl on sale at their site and on the myspace. Check it out.

DOWNLOAD : We Fell Dead (mp3)
DOWNLOAD : TOp of the Stairs
LINK : The Monolators Myspace
WATCH :