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Slater's Clean Slate Third Eye Blind's Jason Slater created Brougham and then found a lineup By Sarah Quelland I SAID SOME pretty harsh things about Brougham's debut album, Le Cock Sportif, that were taken very personally by members of the band. Still, I stand by my initial review. Brougham is a hip-hop metal band out of Palo Alto, and its debut was released by Warner Bros. The album was produced by Jason Slater (founding member of Third Eye Blind and visionary behind the newer Snake River Conspiracy), and from what I can gather, he's responsible for most of the material. Aside from the shoddy songwriting, my biggest gripe with Brougham is that everything about the band is extremely vague. The official media kit and website (http://www.wbr.com/brougham/index.html) are virtually useless. The current lineup (which features former members of local bands Swerver and NinePastNine) is not the same lineup that contributed to the album, but the guys are thanked in the liner notes and included in a photo located underneath the CD. Slater seems to be using something of a prefab strategy: he created a band and then found the players. Brougham performed at the Usual last Tuesday (July 11), and to their credit, the band members did the best they could with the material they were given. Seven guys onstage played their guts out. They're good performers with a strong stage presence. And while I can't get past songs like "Hubba Rock," I can't blame the guys for joining Brougham. Being in a band signed to a major label has to open some doors. As for me, I spent the night in the dark shadows of the club after hearing how pissed-off certain parties were at the review I gave Le Cock Sportif. I'm surprised that bands signed to a major label think they should get special treatment--even if they are local. I generally only write about local bands that I think have real potential, but once a band hits the major leagues, all bets are off. If you have major-label money backing you, you should get some thicker skin. Gearing up for the heavily anticipated Rhyme and Reason tour with the Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine is holding an unexpected series of warm-up shows July 25, 27 and 28 at the Fillmore in San Francisco. The band plans to record its first live album at the historic club. The Rhyme and Reason tour takes off Aug. 2 in Toronto (there are rumblings that the tour could swing through the South Bay early this fall) and features special guests at every show (those officially scheduled for early dates include Stone Temple Pilots, Busta Rhymes and No Doubt). Known for having a strong political voice, Rage is donating one dollar from each ticket to a variety of charities. Latin rock's answer to the Vans Warped Tour, the Watcha Tour returns to the South Bay on its second annual outing. This year's lineup includes Cafe Tacuba, Ozomatli, Encinitos Verdes, Molotov, Animal and Resorte. The event takes place Aug. 13 at the Plaza El Mexicano at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. ... The Summer Sanitarium tour stopped by 3Com Park last Friday (July 14). See www.metroactive.com for a review of the show. ... Breach, the Council, Fetus by the Pound, Blacklist and Inextremus perform at the Cactus Club tonight (July 20). PLAN AHEAD: The Brownies, Floppy Rods and others, July 21 at the Cactus; Eve 6, Goldfinger and Dynamite Hack, July 21 at the Fillmore; Vinyl, July 21 at Agenda Lounge; True to Form, Movement, Broken Vision and Becoming, July 22 at the Cactus; Sonic Youth, July 22 at the Warfield in San Francisco; Einstürzende Neubauten, July 22 at the Fillmore; the Ataris, Diesel Boy and others, July 23 at the Cactus; Sonia Dada, July 25 at Palookaville in Santa Cruz; Weezer, July 26 at the Cactus; No Doubt, Lit and Blackeyed Peas, July 26 at the SJSU Event Center; the Red Elvises and Chicken Coupe DeVille, July 27 at the Cactus; Brickhead, July 27 at the Quarter Note in Sunnyvale; Spike 1000, Lica Sto, Drist, 419 and Moyst, July 28 at the Cactus; SunCore 2000 with dredg, South 85, Insolence, Salmon and 5606, July 29 at Great America; Agent Orange and others, July 29 at the Cactus; the Lonely Kings, July 31 at Palookaville; Cracker, Aug. 5 at the Fillmore; Deftones and Glassjaw, Aug. 8 at the Warfield; Poison, Cinderella, Dokken and Slaughter, Aug. 11 at Shoreline; KMEL Summer Jam, Aug. 12 at Shoreline; Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Aug. 13 at the San Jose Arena; Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals and Maceo Parker, Aug. 30 at the SJSU Event Center. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]