Johnny V’s hosts a lineup at SVSX featuring three of the many flavors of punk rock: rough-and-ready cowpunk from the Shitkickers, melodic pop-punk from Talky Tina and “Streek Punk” from the Forgotten.
Shitkickers
11:30PM, JOHNNY V’S
As they tell it, the Shitkickers began more than a decade ago. Back in the day, when they would walk down the rough-and-ready and often-stinky vicinity of Pierce and Seventh streets, their only fan was a dog named Betty. What is the best kind of music to drink to? Country? Bluegrass? Rockabilly? The blues? Punk rock? The Shitkickers like to drink so much, they figured why not play all of said drinking musical genres? (They have yet to tackle Celtic music.)
Whatever style, or mixture of styles, the Shitkickers are playing, they make sure it’s loud, powerful and fueled by drunken mojo. They don’t stick to just the standard rock instruments. They will bust out a fiddle or a banjo when the mood strikes. So expect a bit of a hootenanny at their shows. The band also has old song that showed their tender side with an atypically sad country tune about the Cactus Club—that old local club all the members used to get shitfaced at.
The Forgotten
10:30PM, JOHNNY V’s
The Forgotten play punk rock in the vein of GBH and the Clash, a.k.a. “streek punk.” The band began in 1997 with singer Gordy Carbone, guitarist Craig Fairbaugh, bassist Ken Helwig and drummer Shea Roberts, who were the second band ever signed to TKO Records. They currently have four full-lengths and three EP’s on the label.
The Forgotten also have releases on BYO, Knockout, Coretex and People Like You Records and have appeared on numerous compilation and tribute albums. Dave Kashka joined on drums in 1999; Johnny Gregurich came about in 2000 on bass. After guitarist Craig Fairbaugh left the band in 2003, Johnny shifted over to guitar. Bassist Nick Schuneman joined in 2006.
The current lineup consists of Gordy Carbone, Johnny Gregurich, Dave Kashka and Nick Schuneman. The Forgotten have played shows and/or toured with Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, the Unseen, the Casualties, US Bombs, Agnostic Front, Cock Sparrer, Anti-Nowhere League, Nashville Pussy and many others.
Talky Tina
9:30PM, JOHNNY V’S
Rock & roll will never go out of style. That is, at least, the mission statement of San Jose’s power-pop trio Talky Tina. Yet, even though they swagger with the best of ’50s and ’60s rock traditionalists, they aren’t retro-rockers. They have punk-rock flowing deep within their veins.
Bass player Dave Miller and drummer Dave Conrad came from legendary punk outfit the Odd Numbers to join bassist Scott Cofer. While the Odd Numbers played with an incredible amount of adrenaline, they, too, appreciated the classic bare-bones rock style. Talky Tina takes it one step closer to the source while never sacrificing spontaneity. In place of overt punk-rock power, Talky Tina weaves in some New Wave influences—like Elvis Costello and the Fixx—and some modern-day power-pop—à la Fountains of Wayne and OK GO. Whatever they decide to put into each song, what Talky Tina cares about most is keeping it simple and fun. Just as we went to press, Talky Tina delivered its brand-new eponymous CD. The very first song, “Tarred and Feathered,” takes off at warp speed, and the album picks up speed from there. No one who hears “No Beer, No Girls” will ever forget it—a perfect anthem of disaffection.
The Silicon Valley Sound eXperience highlights more than 20 local bands at nine venues in downtown San Jose starting at 3pm on September 22. Purchase tickets HERE.
.SVSX Preview: Shitkickers, Talky Tina, The Forgotten
