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Aural Fixation

Spitkiss Kicks Downtown: The Cactus and Usual played host to a roiling roster of rockers over the weekend By Sarah Quelland DOWNTOWN DID well last Saturday (July 24). True to Form held its CD-release party at the Cactus Club with Spitkiss, Broken Vision, Superchannel and Impact, while Salmon took the stage across the street at the Usual as part of a KSJO/Miller Blind Date promotion. Salmon gave a strong performance and vocalist Lawrence Martinez even busted out some break-dancing moves during "Livermore." Broken Vision, the second band to go on at the Cactus Club, lived up to its budding reputation. People crowded toward the stage to check out this heavy five-piece. Soft-spoken offstage, the band (all members hover around age 18) came out with a raging force strong enough to impress even the most jaded Cactus regulars. With a good sound and dynamic stage presence, these guys show a lot of promise. It's been a while since Spitkiss' last local performance, and Saturday was the band's first show with drummer Mike Reppucci. Though Spitkiss was going to perform "TLF," a track rarely done live, the set was cut short, and the band closed with "Digits." Found on Violence Is Golden, "Digits" has been selected for inclusion on LIVE-105's Local Lounge compilation due out this fall. True to Form tore up the stage with new material from its self-released sophomore album, New Generation of Aggression, along with songs from its first disc. The Edge was packed as people turned out to see GWAR (with Sparrow's Point and Redrum supporting) last Thursday (July 22). All eyes were on the stage when the bizarre theatrical metal troupe, known for showering its audiences with spurting (fake) blood, took over. Brave souls who journeyed close to the stage emerged cloaked in the pink, blood-soaked badge-of-honor that's become a GWAR tradition. A reminder to anyone with designs on crashing Reggae on the River (July 31-Aug. 2): tickets sold out in May, and according to promoters, there are no tickets available at the festival. Try catching the Renegade Music and Camping Festival (with B-Side Players, Wailing Souls, Toots and the Maytals, Strictly Roots and others) held July 30-Aug 1 at the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds in Quincy, the Hog Farm PIGNIC (featuring Spearhead, Galactic, String Cheese Incident, Ozomatli, Strictly Roots and many others) Sept. 4-5 at the Black Oak Ranch in Laytonville or the Teva Spirit of Unity Tour (featuring Steel Pulse, Third World, Maxi Priest, Shaggy, Diana King, Culture and Ras Shiloh) Sept. 11 at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. Iron Maiden, Soulfly and Monster Magnet are coming to the San Jose State Event Center July 31. The Gambler himself, country singer Kenny Rogers, comes to the Mountain Winery in Saratoga July 30-31. Ministry tickets just went on sale; the band will be at the Warfield in San Francisco Aug. 22. After kicking off its tour July 13-14 to support its latest album, California, Mr. Bungle is scheduled to stop at Palookaville in Santa Cruz Aug. 27 with Dillinger's Escape Plan. Sadly, Misrak Mart, located at the corner of South First and San Salvador streets, has closed its doors. No more are the pitstops for smokes, gum, sodas and other late-night pick-me-ups at that downtown institution. PLAN AHEAD: Stunt Monkey, July 29 at the Cocodrie; Imperial Teen, July 29 at the Fillmore in San Francisco; the Forgotten, July 30 at the Cactus; Riff Raff, Synapse and Even Ground, July 30 at the Chemical Free Zone; Insolence, July 31 at the Cactus; True to Form, ManMade God, Lica Sto and Systematic, July 31 at the Cocodrie; King's X and Protein, Aug. 4 at the Edge; Papa Roach and SECURITY, Aug. 6 at the Cactus; Operator: Generator, Aug. 6 at the Fifth Quarter; Ween, Aug. 6 at the Warfield; Monkey, Aug. 7 at the Cactus; the Donnas, Groovie Ghoulies and Stunt Monkey, Aug. 12 at the Edge. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]