As I retreated from the small furnace of a room where The Art Studio monthly hosts some of the Southeast Texas area's stranger and more progressive acts, I thought to myself, "Who ever heard of melodic grudge rock?". Cousin Phelpy had just concluded an engaging thirty-five minute set amidst a small crowd of perspiring fans who seemed to, for the most part, remain undaunted in the harsh face of the extreme Texas heat that radiated through the open air venue on Franklin Street. The three piece Beaumont based band consisting of Greg Busceme on guitar and vocals, Carlo Busceme on Bass and Keyboards, and Chris Sastre on drums called for crowd requests, and even managed to keep a crowd based game of "toss the beach ball" alive throughout.Upon my arrival, having already seen and heard We Were Wolves on numerous occasions but never having been exposed to Cousin Phelpy, I didn't know what to expect from this intriguing trio who seemed to have generated enough of a local buzz to command a small crowd of 40 or more. After digesting my first taste of Phelpy I was a bit taken aback, not to say that I didn't enjoy myself, but more so concerned with how I would even begin to classify such a diverse band that clearly drew inspiration from progressive grunge and early 80s punk like the Ramones and the Misfits. However, back to my opening statement - I was intrigued by the amount of melodic overtones present in their work as well the occasional inclusion of smoother bluesy riffs reminiscent of latter day Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age. I also seemed to glean a few measures of shoreline influenced indie from their instrumental opening riffs and ariose verses which immediately reminded me of the some of latest beach rock emergences (ex. Surfer Blood). The trio did seem to lack in solidarity, but fall nicely into the Garage Rock category which is most often categorized by a certain ragged fusion of spontaneity and fussy disarray.
As for the concert itself, the first of Saturday night's two band line-up - Cousin Phelpy put on a diverse display of melodious punk-laden indie grunge that was only energized by The Art Studio's own crowd generated sauna.
The crowd dispersed outward to the lit portion of the venue, many taking a moment to purchase one of Cousin Phelpy and We Were Wolves' split vinyl LPs, and most making their way outside to catch a quick breath of fresh air as the second of the two band's began to take the stage.
It's no secret that We Were Wolves (Jake Hooker - Bass and Vocals, Zach Elizondo - Drums, Vinc Prihoda - Guitar and Vocals, and Drew Haught - Guitar and Vocals) put on a raw and highly engaging live show characterized by strong tonal distortion and crude three part vocal arrangements that seem more full of energy than angst. Classic Marshall overdriven tubular tones began to fill the thick air as the band quickly sound checked drawing the crowd back into the overly heated portion of the venue. My immediate thoughts were somewhat surprising as I was instantly reminded of one of Beaumont's debunked progressive acts from the early 2000s, Very Ultra, who shared a similar sound with W.W.W. There is nothing modest about a We Were Wolves set; raucous vocals, overtly rude guitars, and a truly dynamic rhythm section.Sharing similar influences with their newly released vinyl's co-denizens, We Were Wolves seems to draw inspiration from 80s punk and sometimes bare a musical similarity to the likes of modern progressive acts such as Wolfmother, Queens of the Stone Age, and Them Crooked Vultures. There is a glorious mixture of grunge, punk, and hard hitting bluesy soloing that emanates from all We Were Wolves compositions.
Fans broke into torrid dancing towards the middle of the set as the heat that once tormented an anxious crowd became a sweaty stimulant that only added to the ruckus-like atmosphere. In my heated indulgence, as the band broke into "Swampapi", (one of the four songs available on the W.W.W. half of the split vinyl) my thoughts revolved somewhere between the mixed timbre of a rich and windy train horn and the doleful howl of loan wolves (quite appropriate, I agree). Several times I fought the urge to escape however briefly outdoors in order to take in a breath of unsalted air, but was held firmly in place by wolfish traded guitar solos and driving bass lines.
After almost 40 minutes of being trapped beneath the hood of a 1973 chevrolet pick-up with the growling 350 V-8 engine that is We Were Wolves, the set came a close. Fans dispersed, and the room began to cool. More vinyls were purchased, and friends and die hards alike stayed late into the night congratulating the two acts on a well played night of auditory sensation and pleasant company.
The night as a whole will best be remembered as a glorious evening of distorted guitars, lone fog machines, cheers to Nati-Light, energetic tunes, and drunken revelry all blended together with a little Texas heat. Be sure to check out Cousin Phelpy and We Were Wolves on facebook and myspace, and show your support to two of Southeast Texas' premier acts. We Were Wolves leaves August 13 on a ten day tour through the southern United States. Be sure to check and see if they are passing through a city near you.
Connect with We Were Wolves on Facebook
Connect with Cousin Phelpy on Facebook
Cheers,
Bo Michael King
