Mission Mission

Last month, we asked readers to identify the sound of the Mission. Emily and others suggested that it might be beloved but long-gone punk band Hickey.

Hickey is my new favorite band. Largely due to a couple things: 1.) The above picture of a group of their fans watching them perform at Mission Records in 1996, and 2.) the Voodoo Glow Skulls controversy:

Probe records released a 7″ which was made to look as if it were a split between Hickey and the Voodoo Glow Skulls. On one side of the 7″ was the Hickey song “Food Stamps and Drink Tickets” and the other side members of Hickey played the trumpet that was stolen from Voodoo Glow Skulls over the answering machine messages left by Voodoo Glow Skulls members and Epitaph Records employees demanding the return of the instrument. The 7″ also falsely had the Epitaph Records logo on the back as Epitaph had no official part in the release.

According to the zine included with the 7″ the two bands played together at the now closed Nile Theater in Mesa, Arizona. Matty Luv, singer of Hickey, made disparaging remarks about Epitaph Records and the commercialization of punk. After members of both bands had a confrontation, the Voodoo Glow Skulls convinced the venue owner to eject Hickey without pay. In response, Hickey stole the trumpet in question out of the Voodoo Glow Skulls van.

After receiving threatening messages on their answering machine, Hickey filled the trumpet with pudding and returned it.

Lucky for us, somebody is maintaining a site dedicated to Matty Luv’s memory, on which are archived mp3s of pretty much the entire Hickey catalog, including the aforementioned split single. The Hickey side is a keeper, but the Voodoo Glow Skulls side is simply astonishing. I’d transcribe some of the lunacy, but you’ve really just got to hear it for yourself.

Matty Luv memorial website is here. Hickey discography is here. Or go directly to the jawbreakingly hysterical “Voodoo Glow Skulls Death Threats” here.

Note that the Voodoo Glow Skulls are playing Slim’s tonight as part of the Ska Is Dead Tour.

“Hickey @ Mission Records – 1996″ photo by Dave Morffy.

Geoffrey Ellis of Sadkids got in touch to tell us about an opening tonight at Rite Spot Cafe:

“Rock Show”

Group Photo Show featuring:

C.Anderson (Victim of Time/Horizontal Action)
Tiger Lily (KALX/Jet Lagger)
Geoffrey Ellis (Sadkids)
Charlie Homo
Julie Zielinski (Noise Pop)
Annie Southworth (Panache/Noise Pop)

Reception:
Sunday February 1st between 6-9

Link. As a bonus, at about 9:30, Sweet Hollywaiians take the stage, and they sound like a good time.

And even if none of the above floats your boat, remember, Rite Spot is the permanent home of probably the best painting of all time.

“Mr. Quintron at Gonerfest 4, Memphis, 2007″ by Geoffrey Ellis.

By James Stevens / Photos by Matt Rubin

Thorns of Life loaded in their own equipment as about a hundred kids looked on in a scene that must have been reminiscent of Blake Schwarzenbach’s humble beginnings playing houses and small clubs in San Francisco, L.A and the East Bay. Schwarzenbach, considered one of the biggest influences on punk and emo music, is back playing and writing music with his new band Thorns of Life after nearly a six-year hiatus.  Last night they played Thrillhouse Records.

Thrillhouse, next to the 76 on the corner of 30th and Mission is the prototypical punk rock record store.  The store is a non-profit collective and part of a house where six of the members live.  It houses a DIY record label and is also a show space (although the Fire Marshall shut down the basement last summer). The venue embodies the ethos of Schwarzenbach as an artist- entirely focused on the music and having a good time with no attention paid to making money or drawing huge crowds.  If Jawbreaker is the sound of the Mission, then this is how the Mission parties.

The atmosphere was distinctly different from the show Thorns of Life played at the Hemlock on Monday.  The only famous musician I saw at Thrillhouse was the Mission’s own Adam Pfahler who was the drummer in Jawbreaker and now owns Lost Weekend Video (as opposed to Fat Mike from NOFX and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day at the Hemlock).  There was no guest list, no line to get in and no obnoxious bar owner telling people to leave or that there wasn’t any room.

At Thrillhouse there wasn’t any room, either, but everyone who made it was invited in with open arms.  At the Hemlock, crowd members rudely shouted out names of Jawbreaker songs and at Thrillhouse the crowd bantered with members of the band and songs were dedicated to Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone, “Don’t forget about Moscone, he got blasted too.  Every time you go to the Moscone Center think about that,” Schwarzenbach quipped.

The show itself was great.  If a comparison has to be made to Schwarzenbach’s other bands (and plenty are being made already), the music was the same combination of literature as lyrics and three chord punk that Jawbreaker fans love, with certain songs dropping the tempo and building in complexity in ways that are similar to Schwarzenbach’s second band Jets to Brazil.   However, because of the three person guitar-bass-drums set up of Thorns, the sound is decidedly more punk and upbeat than Jets to Brazil.  Blake’s telltale growl shines through it all, a familiar voice we never thought we’d hear live again.  Thorns of Life play 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley on Saturday.

Related:

Thorns of Life house show in Brooklyn (Video) at Bohemian.com (Thanks, Thaddius!).

The Sound of the Mission on Mission Mission.

Thrillhouse Toilet Graffiti on Mission Mission.

Jay Reatard is playing the Independent tonight. I’ll go, and I like that place, but it all really just makes me miss 12 Galaxies more. Please somebody let me know if the band is planning on playing some kind of secret show at the Knockout or something while in town.

Previously:

Really Engaging Jay Reatard Q&A on A.V. Club.

Jay Reatard Covering a Beck Song (wtf?) on YouTube.

Jay Reatard is Waaay Better Than the Black Keys on Mission Mission.

I Love 12 Galaxies on Mission Mission.

Toshio Hirano killed as usual. This was the first time in a while that I’d seen him perform sans backing band, and it was a welcome return to basics. Those old Jimmie Rodgers tunes never sound so good as when it’s just Toshio, his guitar and his yodel.

This was also my first experience with Amnesia‘s new men’s room. It’s much nicer, much cleaner, but still no soap, still no paper towels. What gives?

I have no regrets, I swear. But one thing that sometimes bums me out is I never got to see Joe Strummer perform live. This sticks in my craw because there was this one Sunday about eight years ago on which Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros played a free instore at Amoeba at 2pm, and then Jonathan Richman played at Bottom of the Hill later that evening. I lived in Sacramento at the time, and I had this big plan to drive to the city for the day, see Joe Strummer, hang out, and then go see Jonathan Richman. What a memorable day it would have been!

Unfortunately, I got a late start and skipped Amoeba altogether, thinking, “They play all the time, I’ll see them some day.” Joe Strummer died a year or so later I think, and I never got that chance. So all I have is this clip from Letterman of them performing “Johnny Appleseed.” It’s a great clip though.

Anyway, I told this story the other day, looked up the video, watched it multiple times today, and wanted to share.

Please watch the above video announcement. My two favorite local bands AND my favorite local DJ all share a stage at Bottom of the Hill tonight. Airfix Kits go on first, followed by the Passionistas, and Primo spins hits all night long. I don’t know jack about the headliner, but who gives a shit? What a lineup!

Show starts at 10pm and costs $10.

In one of SFist‘s first posts of the year, Christopher Rogers takes a look at Jawbreaker, a beloved San Francisco punk band that broke up over a decade ago. Nonetheless, Rogers calls their sound, “now and forever the sound of the Mission.” Link.

Is he right? Jawbreaker’s time here certainly predated mine, so I can’t really identify. Toshio Hirano or Jonathan Richman might be my sound of the Mission. Or Omer, if he weren’t such a dick to people. Or The Fucking Champs if they’d come out of exile. What is the sound of the Mission?

Previously:

Toshio Hirano at Rite Spot

Katie Reviews Jonathan Richman’s New Album

Omer Talk

Fucking Champs New Year’s Eve at 12 Galaxies

On Christmas, I got to be a substitute DJ at my sister’s radio station. It was a family affair, so the first bit was my sister, the second bit was my cousin, the third bit was my ex-girlfriend, and the last 90 minutes was me. You can dance to most all of it I’m pretty sure. I played a fair amount of local stuff, including some Omer. If you want to listen, it can be streamed for the next 24 hours or so at the KDVS website.

First two hours.

Third hour.

Fourth hour.

Airfix Kits‘ most recent MySpace bulletin:

Get yourself down to the Casanova (Valencia & 16th) in SF tonight where I’ll be spinning some choice finds from my recent tour of Glasgow record shop 50p bins from 9pm til 2am. Phil will be on hand to jump in when I collapse with sheer exhaustion from the exertion of playing so many goddamn burners.
see you there!
- Allan (& Phil) Airfix Kits