After the amazing time that was had by all at Emissions in May 2002, it was decided by a bunch of StonerRock.commers that a trip to SHoD in Mesa, Arizona was a necessity. While fellow Vancouverite El Danno was driving down to Arizona with British import Gash and his lovely girlfriend, picking up Randolfio and Hellmistress along the way, I was flying down a little later. After some fancy schedule changing, I decided to show up a couple days early to meet our favourite Aussie Nicster and do a pre-festival road trip to the Grand Canyon, since we were in Arizona and all.
I met Nicster at the airport on the Wednesday, who was understandably a little tired after having been traveling for 24 hours. We checked into a hotel and figured on having a quiet night to let her relax from the travel and adjust to the time change. We asked the hotel shuttle driver to take us somewhere where we could get some authentic South Western food, with maybe some pubs nearby that we could take in. Where does he drop us off? At a MALL of all places!! After walking around and laughing at the sheer cheesiness of it all, we had dinner and then called it a night.
When I was booking a car for the road trip, I figured a convertible was the way to go, since we were going to be in the balmy environs of Arizona. So the next morning Nic and I picked up our convertible and began the drive to the Grand Canyon, with the top down and the tunes blaring. All was well for the first two hours or so, but the further north we got, the higher the elevation got. It started to get a little chilly, so we pulled over to put on another layer of clothes. We then made stops at Sedona and the Fred Flintstone Museum for some prime photo ops.
By the time we got to the Grand Canyon, it was downright freezing!! We finally surrendered and put up the top. How can you tell we were tourists, huh? But we pulled into the park and stopped at a lookout point to take in the view and click off some more pics. By the time we got to a major stopping point, it had begun to snow! Good thing I sprung for the convertible, haha! By this point we were simply doing drive-bys of the lookouts, as it was simply too cold to bother getting out of the car, and the light was fading fast.
On our way out of the park, I realized I�d left the cd�s in the trunk, so we pulled over to get them out and change up the tunes. As I�m getting out of the car, who do I see parked two spots over but El Danno and the StonerRock.van!! Talk about co-incidences. After a brief round of surprised greetings and introductions, we agreed to meet up later at our hotel to get some dinner and drinks.
We went to a steak house for dinner that had Native American dancing going on right in the dining area. That was somewhat surreal, but not all that surprising, considering I grew up in coastal BC, where the Native influence is quite strong. After dinner, we moved into the bar area, which featured saddles as bar stools! I had fun with those every time I got up to the bar to buy a round of drinks. Yee-haw!!
By this point in the evening, we were right fuckered. Someone had the bright idea to start ordering shots of Jaegermeister. The rest of the night is a blur of arm-wrestling competitions, stumbling across the highway back to the hotel, and then passing a few joints around the hotel room. I stumbled off to pass out at some point, only to learn the next morning that Nicster and Gash�s bird had both spent the night puking up red wine and Jaegermeister. We were all a bunch of sorry looking hung over people at breakfast the next day, as we stared at our partially eaten omelettes with a look of disgust on our faces.
Friday
But we had a festival to get to, so we packed into our vehicles and began the drive back to Mesa. Arriving at the hotel, Nic and I ran into Madjohnshaft in the lobby of the hotel, which was quite fortunate. We dropped our bags off and returned to the lobby to discover MJS had found Blandoon from the boards. We picked up El Danno�s crew and headed off to get some dinner and then get SHoD under way.
We arrived at the club in time to see Super Heavy Goat Ass finish off their set. It�s too bad we missed the majority of it, as they were sounding pretty heavy to my ears. Great stuff, and I hope to catch a full set from them some time.
Super Heavy Goatass
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We settled in at the club, meeting people from the boards that I knew from Emissions and some that I didn�t, such as Rubes drummer Gloomp, locals Damnation Gulch and Alienskin, the Sons of Serro boys, Baltar, Spitfire421, Stonerrockchick, Ryno, Captain Codpiece, Swurve, showusurtits and Mr Red (sorry if I�ve missed someone, the fest is a bit of a blur after these past couple weeks!). As well, Seattle friends ElsaEE and Stoned D and his girlfriend had made the trip down and were in attendance.
Up next for the bands was Pinky Tuscadero�s White Knuckle Assfuck. Just based on the name alone, I was quite excited to see if they had any t-shirts for sale. They were an interesting blend of stoner rock and AmRep style noise rock. They provided some good variety for the fest. Unfortunately, t-shirts were not acquired.
Then came the first surprise band of the weekend, Glasgow, Scotland�s Marshan. These guys had packed themselves all the way across the Atlantic to play at SHoD with virtually no previous exposure on these shores. And I�m glad they did, as they were quite an enjoyable band. A good mix of melody and power, they sound very polished for such young guys. After their set I hunted two of them down to get a cd, and ended up posing for pics and taking one of them with Scott Reeder! The weekend was off to a good start.
At this point in the evening, the StonerRock.com crowd had taken over one of the prime booths along the back. This was to become our home for the weekend, and even had a sign on it Saturday morning reading �Reserved for El Danno and crew�. Haha! Most of the pics people have posted of SHoD were taken from this spot.
Carol Ann were the next band up, and unlike the name would suggest, these guys were not girly in the least. Very heavy and sludgy, they pummeled us into submission to the appreciation of the crowd.
The last three bands of the night were the highlights of Friday�s set. First was Dixie Witch, a band who never fail to destroy the crowd when playing live. They were one of the best bands at this year�s Emissions and achieved similar status at SHoD. Great tunes, with drummer/singer Trinidad�s powerful vocals and steamroller drums keeping things at a fever pitch the whole time. They threw in a great Kiss cover to make things that much better.
Dixie Witch
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Next up was Sour Vein. I�d been looking forward to this for a while, as both of their albums have been kicking my ass for some time, and the only time I�ve seen them live was a quick three-song set opening for Electric Wizard and Warhorse. They started off with a crushingly heavy rendition of �Bangleaf� from the new album, only to have the bass head blow. A frustratingly long delay ensued, and by the time they were ready to go again, they only had time for 3 or 4 more songs. While the songs they played were awesome, it would have been nice to see a full set from them. Oh well, hopefully next time.
Finishing the night for Friday were Suplecs, a band who always surprise me with how good they are, even though I�ve seen them 3 times now. Amazing musicians, great stage presence, awesome songs, these guys have it all. They played many of the tunes off their latest album, and then brought Trinidad and Clayton from Dixie Witch on stage for a great finale.
Suplecs
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After this, we were all hustled out of the club in a hurry by the bouncers, so many of us hung out in the parking lot, recovering from the beating our senses had just taken. It was at this point that Allenswrench, who I did not know at the time, walked up and asked if I was Nolan from SR.com. Wow, that was a surprise, someone recognized me! Hehe. All of us staying at the Dobson Ranch hotel walked back, as it was just a mile down the road. We agreed to meet the next morning in the lobby to get a head start on the next day�s festivities.
Saturday
Saturday started off with an early phone call from Emibebe, who was stranded out at the airport with Elia as their flight had been moved up several hours and they had no way to get a hold of Robwrong, who was to pick them up hours later. I was completely stunned by a hang over and the early hour, so was unfortunately not much help to those lovely ladies (sorry, girls!). After getting a few more hours� sleep, I had showered and was wondering what to do about a comatose Nicster, when someone began pounding on our door. Emibebe and Elia had gotten a ride from one of the Sons of Serro boys, and were ready to start the day. That got Nicster out of bed, and we were soon off to the club.
We had brekkie/lunch at the club and caught the opening acts, Core of the Earth and Greenhaven. Both bands were good examples of up and coming stoner rock, but we were still feeling quite foggy and I honestly don�t remember a whole lot from these bands. We then killed the next few hours nursing beer and playing pool, missing Floating Goat and The Deed. Libertycaps and wife Shevil Dead from the boards had arrived and joined the StonerRock.booth crowd. By now I was feeling quite at home with many of my Portland SR friends now in attendance. It was quite prophetic, considering we soon learned that next year�s SHoD will be IN Portland! Oh Happy Day!
The next band, Greenhouse Effect, I�d heard good things about, so I made sure head back to the stage area and check out their set. They did not disappoint, either. Very heavy and groovy, these guys finally got me into the swing of things Saturday. I�m looking forward to seeing these guys again sometime soon.
Greenhouse Effect
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By now we�d settled in at StonerRock.booth and the beers were flowing like wine. $4 pitchers of Budweiser were everywhere, and bottles of my new favourite American beer, Fat Tire, were littering the table. Volume was up next, and they were a pleasant surprise. I�d heard their demo tape a few years back and was not all that impressed by it, but their live show changed my opinion right quick. Good stuff in an early Monster Magnet kind of vibe.
Volume
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At this point I�d bumped into a member of Borgo Pass in the men�s room, who were looking forward to playing but wondering if they�d fit in with the other bands, since they were somewhat heavier than the standard stoner rock band. Intrigued, I hustled back to the booth to check them out, and was blown away. These guys were one of my favourite bands of the weekend. Sure, I can understand the Down Jr. comments, but I love that style of music, so their brand of southern-tinged heavy was hitting the spot for me. I bought a cd after their set.
Borgo Pass
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Next up were Spiritu, fronted by MeteorCity�s own Jadd Shickler. They busted out their own brand of heavy doom, with Jadd�s acrobatic vocals adding an interesting diversity to their sound. This band seems to be going places, and the crowd was quite appreciative of their set.
Spiritu
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Following this was probably the biggest surprise of the weekend for many people: Smoke In Sunshine. After releasing a split 7� with Drag Pack a few years back, I�d heard nothing of these guys and wasn�t aware that they were even still going. Their previous output was a tad generic, so I didn�t expect much. Well, these guys have completely changed their sound and added a Hammond organ to the line-up and they proceeded to blow away everyone in the crowd. I lost track of the number of times Gash turned around while playing air guitar to yell �fucking brilliant!!� at us. Hopefully they�ll be putting out some new studio output soon, as they have definitely stepped up their act and should be ready to make a move in the scene.
We were now ready for a star-studded final segment to the evening. The remaining four bands were all high on my personal list of �Bands to See Live�. First up was Slow Horse. I�ve been into these guys ever since I picked up their self-titled cd from Freebird Records a few years ago. They had Rubes bassist Mace standing in for the tour, and didn�t miss a beat. Singer/guitarist Dan serenaded us all with his ultra-slow, melodic brand of doom. The songs were pulled off flawlessly and left me even more impressed by this band. Hopefully the recent closure of their label, Berserker Records, won�t impede their progress, as this is a band that needs to be heard and should not be wallowing in obscurity.
Slow Horse
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Japan�s Eternal Elysium were next and were obviously quite excited to be making their first US appearances on their tour with Witch Mountain. I was curious to see how their songs would translate live, and they pulled them off spectacularly. The crowd was totally into them and they seemed quite thrilled with the response. We were treated to a great Rawk moment when Robwrong of tour mates Witch Mountain joined them onstage for a double-guitar rendition of �Splendid, Selfish Woman�, and there was much rejoicing at the StonerRock.booth.
Eternal Elysium
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The rejoicing continued for Witch Mountain�s set. Obvious favourites of the StonerRock.com crowd, they played one of the best sets I�ve seen from them yet. I am really digging the vibe these guys are able to achieve with their three-piece line-up now, and I can�t believe they continue to remain unsigned. It�s a tragedy, to be sure. Returning the favour was the singer/guitarist from Eternal Elysium, who joined WM onstage for a song. The love was in the air.
Witch Mountain
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The final act of the evening was one that everyone had been anticipating all night, especially after the numerous Scott Reeder sightings all weekend (some real and some not, as the long-blond-hair-and-bushy-beard look seems to be in vogue now). Unida were in town to close out Saturday�s festivities. Much ado had been made about lead singer John Garcia bad-mouthing former band-mates and StonerRock.com at the previous week�s appearance in New York, but tonight John was in a good mood and had many a gracious comment for the crowd in general and SR.com in particular. Unida�s set was nothing short of mind-blowing, sounding even better than their recorded output. Personal faves of mine were played (�Balck Woman� and �Flower Girl�) and they even pulled out a Kyuss tune!! �One Inch Man� had the crowd going ballistic. This was definitely the highlight of the weekend for me and many in attendance.
Unida
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We headed back to the hotel with plans on carrying the partying further into the night. We piled into Gash and Clare�s room, only to be sidetracked by trying to fix their leaking toilet. Gash and I were elbow-deep in the tank of their toilet for 10 minutes before we got it to stop flushing. By that point Clare had climbed into bed, so we decided to save our energy for the next day.
Sunday
Waking up Sunday morning, it was quite obvious that the week�s excesses, as well as the poor eating habits in practice, had taken their toll and a slow, relaxed start to the day was going to be necessary in order to survive the evening�s festivities. Nic and I hung out in the hotel room, watching movies on cable and ordering room service, taking our sweet time getting moving. We then decided a quick drive was in order, to get a little use out of the convertible that had been sitting in the parking lot for two days and the amazing weather that we were having. So we picked up Gash and his girlfriend Clare and decided to hunt down the Frank Lloyd Wright museum.
We never did find the museum (or did we? I�m still unsure as to what that building actually was) but we did get some neat pics of each other, standing in front of 20-foot tall cacti and throwing rocks to ward off any unsuspecting snakes or scorpions in our paths. We then headed back to catch the second half of the day at the club.
The first band we caught upon our return to the club was Hillbilly Devilspeak, who were just finishing up as we arrived. I don�t really remember a whole lot about this band, but given my state of disorientation that was probably understandable. Same goes for the next act Mountain Maker.
The first act to make an impression on us that night was Smoke, who came across as a bit of a cross between Nebula and Monster Magnet. They got a good response out of the crowd, and attracted a lot of attention from the ladies, who were drooling over the front man. Oddly enough, his girlfriend got much of the guys� attention, looking like she stepped out of a muscle car magazine, with the tight Hustler t-shirt and the beach bunny body.
Smoke
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Following this act was one of the really different sounding groups of the weekend, Graves At Sea. The music, while heavy and aggressive, wasn�t too far out of the range of stoner rock, but the singer was alternating between a guttural death metal growl and ear piercing black metal shrieks. While this engendered many a confused look from some in the crowd, my heavy metal roots were digging it, if only for variety�s sake. And their bassist turned out to be one of the guys who were eliciting a lot of �Hey, is that Scott Reeder?� comments, so it was quite amusing to see him actually playing bass!
We were then treated to one of the best performances of the weekend when The Rubes took the stage. These guys surprised the hell out of me at Emissions, and I was quite excited to see them again. They put on a great show again. All of these guys are amazing musicians, with bassist/singer Mace from the forums having one of the best voices in Rock. Not just Stoner Rock, but Rock. Man, that guy can sing. And the guitarist and drummer (Gloomp from the forums) are no slouches either. At what I thought was the end of their set, I headed into the men�s room to take a much-needed piss, when I heard Zeppelin�s �Black Dog� blaring from the bar area. At first I figured it was part of the between set tunes, but then I realized it was way too loud for that, and that it was actually The Rubes playing it. I hustled back out to catch one of the most bad-ass covers I have ever witnessed. They totally nailed that song and had the crowd screaming for more.
The Rubes
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Traditional doomsters Pale Divine were next. I was quite looking forward to this, as their debut cd �Thunder Perfect Mind� had been in high rotation back home. They were sounding great to my ears, but I must have been in the minority, as many of the attendees took this time to go out for smoke breaks or whatnot. I guess there is no accounting for taste. They managed to pull off a great rendition of the 11-minute opus �Amplified�, which made me extremely happy. It was good to see these guys make the trip out from the East Coast, but I just wish more people had given them a listen.
Pale Divine
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Local heroes Sons of Serro were the penultimate band of the evening. I had only heard a three-song cd-r from these guys, and wasn�t all that impressed by it, but the live set this night was heavy and rocking. They had a great crowd in front of them, one of the benefits of playing a festival in your own back yard, and they smacked us around with riff after riff. It�s been said many times in the past, but once again I realized that you really need to see a band live before you can get an informed opinion on their sound. Great stuff, and very deserving of the talk they get on the forums.
Sons of Serro
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Finishing off the festival were Tummler, who had made a great impression on me both with their debut cd �Queen to Bishop IV� and with their appearance at Emissions. They were touring on a new cd that had not been officially released yet, so I was looking forward to hearing some new tunes. They mainly stuck with the older, well-known songs, but did drop a new song on us. Let me just say now that the best word to describe Tummler live is HEAVY! Holy crap, these guys are just monstrous, with riffs the size of King Kong�s fist thumping us on the head over and over again. It was a great way to end the festival, using up any remaining energy we might have had left.
Tummler
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Returning to the hotel, we piled into El Danno�s hotel room to continue the partying, as it was obvious that many of us did not want the weekend to end. Some reluctant good-byes were said to new friends both that night and the next morning, and by 10:30 Monday I was on the highway back to the airport. It was not easy, as all I wanted to do at that point was hang out at the pool of the hotel with all of my new and old SR.com buddies, but since I haven�t won the lottery yet, I had to get back to that thing called a job back home.
Sasquatch
Live at Stoner Hands of Doom IV
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Hognose
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