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Here ya go! Frank Moore's Cherotic All Stars Picture Joe Cocker with a beard and glasses, in a wheelchair, with that look as he hits that one high note from "A Little Help From My Friends" (the one that sounds like tearing sheets). Imagine all that plus nudity, neo-Dada performances by Al's Bar cast of colorful trendoids, weepy tendrils of sound from the CasioTones and a near-fatal heavy metal pileup from Instagon and you've got an inkling as to what this 3 hour show was like. Moore, a performance artist from Berkeley, CA and former member of the NEA 7 (Moore was dubbed obscene by Sen. Jesse Helms!), brought his strange charisma (and trio of backing musicians) to Los Angeles' Al's Bar, located just a few yards into seedsville in East L.A. It's just around the corner from the Spanish kitchen - a rising star amid the performance spaces that dot the L.A. basin. His initial set was karaoke at its most primitive, yet it was also amazing. Frank doesn't sing. He groans. Yet his attempt to belt out 'My Way' (the Tom Jones version) WITH hand gestures (sort of), had the crowd mesmerized! As to the CasioTones set, Frank Moore's comments were, "the Casiotones were delicate and laidback; my only complaint was their set was too short!" Lob, of Instagon said, "that was one spacey set, dude!" In my opinion, the set had its moments, but the groove never fully developed. I was left feeling a bit flat (besides being winded). Instagon, on the other hand, served up one of the most hard rock oriented sets I've ever heard from them. Perhaps the players (who are as transient as smoke) brought the manic energy of the night into focus. It was a wild ride, whatever the cause. Proof that Rock is bad for your brain was delivered at the foot of the stage when a bitch fight broke out between some of the patrons. Soon the debris on the floor was 6 inches deep, as deep as these "girls" would ever get it, and Grand Master Lob was egging Instagon on to its impending climax. Even though the bartender remarked on how quiet this was for Al's Bar, this was definitely not a night for the faint-hearted. Perhaps the subtlety of the artistry was lost on a crowd grown jaded and callous, but I swear it was a night that I won't soon forget. And neither will you if you reserve your copy of "CasioTones - Live!" as soon as you can. Call 562-439-9858 for ordering details. -- Raindog |
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