Salt Lake City Upcoming Concerts: Rock the Bells, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, All-American Rej

By Brian Staker, 12-08-06

	Caption: Staker Pick of the Week: Michelle Malone

 Rock the Bells

How do original ‘O.G.’ rappers celebrate the holidays? I’m not sure if this is a celebration as much as an excuse to bring the hardcore hippity-hoppity music, and me to embarrass myself trying to utilize the lingo. Do you remember the first time you heard the adjective ‘hip-hop?’ I thought, do the musicians hop around or something? All kidding aside, this Rock the Bells is a collection of some of the heavyweights of the West Coast school. The lineup varies a little from stop to stop, but Redman previews his upcoming album Red Gone Wild, and Wu-Tang member Raekwon includes old standards. If you missed the recent Wu-Tang reunion, then here’s a chance to get a slice. DJ Kool special guests.

Supernatural is one rapper who has actually earned his nom-de-rap, recently breaking the Guinness World Record by rapping for over nine hours. No word if he’s going to try to repeat that here. This is the fourth year for the festival, organized by Chang Weisberg of the production team Guerrila Union, and it has quickly become the gold standard of the genre. Dirty Heads join the tour at this juncture.

December 8, Harry O’s (Park City)

Also appearing:

December 9: Denver, CO (Ogden Theatre)

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Yet another in a long line of bands celebrating their decade anniversary this year, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is decidedly different, a 60-piece orchestra playing rock operas about Christmas. If you are beyond the bland renditions of holiday favorites by Mannheim Steamroller, this ensemble adds a much more dramatic flair to their original material. Under the helm of veteran rock producer Paul O’Neill, it’s not really Siberian; the title just seems to refer to the wintry nature of their music. But it is also fiery, heating up at times with operatic vocal soloists and electric guitars. O’Neill has said that his goal is ‘to create great art,’ and you can decide for yourself whether their music qualifies for this lofty aspiration, but at least it never sinks into the level of pure kitsch of Mannheim. After ten years, in its own way TSO has become a holiday tradition. My Xmas wish, though, is to hear TSO play some BTO.

December 9, E Center

Also appearing:

December 8: Nampa, ID (Idaho Center)
December 12: Denver, CO (Pepsi Center)

All-American Rejects

It’s like ‘alternative rock’ in the 90's. Emo has become the red-headed stepchild of the rock music world, the tag that seemingly no one wants to claim yet everyone has some elements of. My daughter describes he All-American Rejects as being more pop, with ‘a sprinkle of emo.’ I think that should be a product in the stores, to add to your laundry to make your wardrobe seem more hip. ‘Now, with 20% more emo!’ The Stillwater, OK band’s sound is bright and poppy enough for mainstream radio, yet rocks enough to satisfy the post-punk quotient. And best of all, at their second album, last year’s Move Along (Interscope), the band hadn’t hit its sophomore slump yet. Maybe next time around.

December 9, SaltAir

Also appearing:

December 10: Denver, CO (Fillmore Auditorium)

Cattle Decapitation, Goatwhore

The name reminds me of a Halloween joke: ‘how do mummies like their coffee? Decapitated.’ What would the holidays be without the subgenre one might call horror metal? And where would you guess a band called Cattle Decapitation might hail from? San Diego is about the bottom of the list. Ten years extant as side project from art noise group the Locust, this group is more pure death metal, a tureen of steaming hot black coffee to the other unit’s latte. Only they probably drink their java with iron filings added. Their latest, Karma, Bloody Karma, marks the third in a strident trilogy of releases for Metal Blade, though I prefer the title of their initial release, Human Jerky. And To Serve Man has the Twilight Zone reference. Stay classy, San Diego. Louisiana black metal troupe Goatwhore sprung from the fetid flesh of Acid Bath, whose John Wayne Gacy album cover is also quite entertaining.

December 10, Club Boomva (Ogden)

Also appearing:

December 9: Aurora, CO (Hubba’s)

Voodoo Glow Skulls

This band sounds like it could almost go with Cattle and Goat on the previous listing, but Voodoo Glow Skulls are nothing like that. Hispanic ska-punk may be the least likely genre of all in a world in which genres cross-pollinate like tsetse flies. Now here’s a band that’s been around nearly two decades now, and shows the refinement of time. In writing or oil painting, how many years does it take? Probably about ten before you start doing something at all decent. As far as myself, several decades still haven’t born fruit from the pen.

But like coloristic oils on canvas, a horn section adds such a rich complementary dimension to a band, especially a rhythmically-oriented one like VGS. Their cross-pollination is cultural as well, delving into the ska genre, the roots of reggae but hereseemingly indigenous to pimply kids in Utah County. Switching to Victory from Epitaph two years ago (two imprints known for their fine quality of output), 2004's Adiccion, Tradicion, Revolucion is their eighth, and shows a more political tinge than previously. Averaging two years in between releases has allowed them the time to hone their production to finely pitched recordings. At the same time, their live performances are captivating and infectious cultural events.

December 12, Urban Lounge
December 13, Club Boomva (Ogden)

Also appearing:

December 9: Boise, ID (The Venue)

Michelle Malone **Staker’s Pick of the Week!**

Atlanta folky Michelle Malone was first fostered in musical aptitude by Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls. So her pedigree is from the class of 1988, which gave us people like Tracy Chapman and Sinead O’Connor in addition to the grunge school, which fired up and burned out comparative quickly in comparison to the new folk renaissance still going on, one of the best happenstances for the musical environment. Her one Yuletide effort was 1993's Singin Christmas in the Attic. Perhaps for this gig she’ll reprise some numbers from that one. But on this year’s Stompin’ Ground, (Sugarfoot) she evidences a Southern drawl in her voice as well as the guitar strings, that is really closest to what she is all about. She seems primed for commercial success with the single “Where Is the Love,” included in two versions seemingly as a gambit to give the tune more lift, but is also a risk if it makes the production seem less confident. The songwriting, as with all her work, is strong enough that it works.

December 13, Urban Lounge

Also appearing:

December 8: Boulder, CO (Abrams On the Hill)
December 9: Lyons, CO (Oskar Blues)
[End of article]