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Aural Fixation Dredging the Sound: dredg's waters run muddy but deep By Sarah Quelland Queens of the Stone Age, Other Star People and dredg performed at the Cactus Club last Saturday (Sept. 11). An unusual fourpiece from Los Gatos, dredg has an interesting, if sometimes green, musical style. Incorporating a soulful spirituality into its heavy, atmospheric sound, dredg performed works from its concept album, Leitmotif, which features complicated song titles like "Movement II: Crosswind Minuet" and "Traversing Through the Arctic Cold We Search for the Spirit of Yuta," as well as an intermission section that runs more than 6 1/2 minutes. While dredg's strength lies in its intricate guitar sequences and complex melodies, its weakness shows in the untrained vocals, which tend to waver off-key (it's probably no accident they're muted both live and recorded). To its credit, though, the band comes across with confidence when performing live and, musically speaking, seems to have an untraditional vision. Stikmon's Big Ass International is sending locals Sad Boy Sinister overseas Sept. 21-Oct 18 to tour in Germany, France, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and other countries. Catch them at the Cactus Club during the SoFA Festival (held this Sunday, Sept. 19, on South First Street in downtown San Jose. See p. 33 for story and complete schedule) before they head out. Agenda just started serving lunch in the restaurant and, starting later this month, should be ready to offer patio dining. The patio, a new addition, featuring a retractable awning and heating units to ward off the night chill, is in progress at 389 S. First Street next-door to the original structure. JJ's Blues and SR Fox Productions are launching a talent search in October. Three bands will be selected to play each Wednesday, and the band judged the best of the night will be eligible to participate in an end-of-the-year playoff, with a $500 award going to the winner. Call JJ's Blues at 408/243-6441 or SR Fox Productions at 408/377-2600 to get involved. Saturday Night Live, that staple of late-night TV, and Dreamworks release Saturday Night Live: The Musical Performances volumes one and two on Sept. 21. Compiling an all-star musical lineup of live performances, disc one features Paul Simon, Sting, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, David Bowie and others, while disc two includes cutting-edge artists Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Beck, Green Day, Neil Young and more. Speaking of Neil Young and Green Day, the Bridge School Benefit (which contributes to the Bridge School program for the communicative and educational development of children with severe speech and physical impairments) will be held Oct. 30-31 at Shoreline Amphitheatre. The lineup to date includes Young and Green Day as well as Pearl Jam, Billy Corgan and James Iha, Tom Waits (Oct. 30 only), the Who, Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Brian Wilson. Tickets are available thru BASS. To appease diehard fans while he's working on his movie Holywood, Marilyn Manson is releasing a live album titled The Last Tour on Earth, recorded during last year's "Rock Is Dead" tour. Slated for a mid-November release, a video companion is also in the works, titled God Is in the TV (taken from a line in the song "Rock Is Dead") that will feature video clips including the previously unreleased "Coma White" and live concert footage. Interestingly, "Cake and Sodomy" is conspicuously absent from both releases. In an inspired career turn, country superstar Garth Brooks has reinvented himself as Chris Gaines, a world-famous rock star, for the movie The Lamb, set for release next year. The teaser disc features two songs. The lilting R&B of "Lost in You" showcases Brooks' sweeping vocal range and takes a completely different direction than his distinctive country sound. The passionate heartbreaker "It Don't Matter to the Sun" finds a more familiar Brooks. The complete pre-soundtrack to The Lamb, featuring the greatest hits of the fictional Chris Gaines, will be available Sept. 28. Papa Roach performs tonight (Sept. 16) at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz with Diversion, Jetlag and Black Silence. PLAN AHEAD: Dance Hall Crashers and No Use for a Name, Sept. 18 at the Fillmore in San Francisco; Down2None and Broken Vision, Sept. 25 at the Cactus Club; Boy Kicks Girl, the Ataris, HBA and others, Sept. 25 at the Odd Fellows Hall on Race Street; Smash Mouth, Oct. 22 at the Usual. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]