Rock n roll, oh God how I’ve missed you.
It seems we, as music junkies, have been awash in bands that embrace dance music (disco), the bearded banjo hipster class (faux folk, neo bluegrass), or stupid songs about what a fox says; these are cold days to be a rock music fan. Well, fret no longer. On September 28, young retro rockers will converge on Czar Bar for an ass-shakin’ good time.
Headliners J. Roddy Walston and the Business are riding high on the success of its single “Heavy Bells,” taken from their latest effort Essential Tremors. With strong airplay on stations across the country, including KC’s own 96.5 The Buzz, J. Roddy Walston’s blend of barroom rock, piano soul, and down-and-dirty boogie has lit a fire in an otherwise dark, rehash-filled world.
Great bouncy songs like “Marigold” (a tune that would make Fats Waller and Leon Russell proud), the jaunty “Black Light,” The Band-influenced “Nobody Knows” or the sock-hop-ready, fuzz-drowned “Tear Jerk” drive an album as refreshing as a mojito on the beach.
Joining J. Roddy and the Business will be indie stalwarts Gringo Star and St. Joseph’s own Scruffy and the Janitors. Gringo Star blends the influences of British Invasion (think The Kinks mixed with Supergrass) with ‘90s alternative to make a racket that is as moving as it is fun.
Scruffy and the Janitors, a local favorite known for the high energy of their performances and musicianship well beyond their years, draw from references like electric blues, alternative, ragtime and punk rock to create a sound that’s familiar, yet fresh. Be ready to hear some new songs from Scruffy as the trio is readying its second full-length album Friendship Forest to be released in the upcoming months on This Tall Records. You may hear splashes of Arctic Monkeys, The White Stripes, or The Animals within their sound, but as soon as vocalist/bassist Steven Foster sings the first note, it’s a whole new ballgame.
So, if you are missing rock ‘n roll or want to hear some new, young talent while the tickets are cheap and the room is intimate, bring yourself down to Czar this Saturday, September 28. You will not regret it.
The rock show starts at 8:00 pm. It’s 18+, $10 advance and $12 at the door. Check it out if you can.
–Danny R. Phillips
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Danny R. Phillips has been reporting on music of all types and covering the St. Joseph, MO music scene for well over a decade. He is a regular contributor to the nationally circulated BLURT Magazine and his work has appeared in The Pitch, The Omaha Reader, Missouri Life, The Regular Joe, Skyscraper Magazine, Popshifter, Hybrid Magazine, the websites Vocals on Top and Tuning Fork TV, Perfect Sound Forever, The Fader, and many others. |