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June 25, 2008
Music
By Declan J. Harrigan
Stop Touching Yourself and Say "Goodnight" to The Dirty Clergy
 It was Friday, June 20th 2008, in a basement beneath a brownstone on an alley off Dolores Parkway and 20th. The stage was set for the final act of an unknown legend: the Dirty Clergy. Featuring front man and keyboardist, Abhay Singh, guitarist James Coyne, bassist Mark Nelson, and drummer Huli Curry, Dirty Clergy is an amalgamation of the finest in post-punk/goth rock influences. After a few friends of the band exchanged acoustic songs around the room, The Dirty Clergy opened the evening's festivities with “a song from 91” playing in a vein reminiscent of Interpol and the seminal post-punk group Joy Division. Then, within a couple measures, the tune revealed itself as none other than Nirvana’s ever famous Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Their set ranged in tone and inflection from the slow and moody "Claire Says" to the electric kaleidoscope of heady goth pop that is "Thousands of Nights." One song that stands outside the rest of their repertoire (if only in sound and not title) is "Watching Tonight," This song starts in the same slow ebbing fashion as previous songs, but then takes off for the last minute in an epic crescendo of punk noise with vocal styling akin to that of Iggy Pop and even at times Jello Biafra. This last display transformed the whole attitude of the band. Sadly, Friday's show was Dirty Clergy's last, as guitarist James Coyne has taken on a new project playing for hardcore, metal band Curmudgeon.
The second act of the night was a Slayer cover band named Fleshstorm. Comprised of Robby Sanguinetti on vocals, Spencer Christiansen shredding the lead guitar, Esteban Leon laying down bass, and Colin Vranizan pounding the drums this rag tag team of high school friends opened my eyes to the infamous heavy metal group Slayer. If not for Fleshstorm its unlikely I’d have ever given Slayer a chance.
Curmudgeon
The third act, Curmudgeon was a speed ball of adrenaline, heavy metal and unmitigated aggression. With the head throbbing guitar leads of James Coyne, the monstrous bass and vocals by front man Josh Jones all the youth in the room were headbashing violently, banging to the point of near decapitation. I too found myself hard pressed not to send my own skull through the drywall next to me.
Curmudgeon's influences range from metal to punk, hardcore to butt rock. Their favorite bands include High On Fire, Suicidal Tendencies, Machine Head, and early Metallica. In addition to their affinity for the heavy metal classics of 70s, 80s, and 90s, Curmudgeon also has a taste for acts like The Smiths and the Cure, as well as others in the genre. Possessing a diverse spectrum of influences, Curmudgeon’s style on any given night may vary from metal to punk and right into some butt rock. Their versatility has paid off with a formidable following. Curmudgeon will continue to play shows around the Bay Area this month. They will play next on Wednesday June 26th at The Stork Club’s Black Season of Doom Festival in Oakland, CA. For more information, check out the band's MySpace page: Link to Curmudgeon
Bored & Ashamed
Bored & Ashamed was the final act of the night. Fronted by Dirty Clergy bassist, Mark Nelson, they created an ensemble of young post-punk players in the great traditions of Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, and the proto-punk band The Stooges. Bored & Ashamed was an excellent change of pace to close the night with. Look out for more from this band. Link to: Bored & Ashamed
Big Names Popular Tunes at the County Fair
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