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Aural Fixation Fine Metal: A new generation of heavy-metal bands vamped last Thursday at the Usual By Sarah Quelland THE New Generation of Metal showcase, presented by Vamp Magazine and featuring Krenshaw, True to Form and SECURITY, was held last Thursday (Sept. 30) at the Usual. Finally seeing Krenshaw perform was a real treat. With its melodic, groove-heavy rock & roll, this local group could be described as Mötley Crüe meets Alice in Chains. Krenshaw's musical roots stretch back to the hard-rock and metal scene of the '80s, but the band's sound is far from dated. Its fast songs are fun, its slow songs sincere, and frontman Kelly Dalton has a strong, sexy voice that brings out the emotion in his lyrics. I look forward to hearing more from this band. Following Krenshaw, True to Form's aggressive death- and thrash-influenced metal brought a speedy change of pace. Led by the gruff vocals of Ron Taniguchi, the band gave a polished performance, powering through old material as well as songs from its second album, New Generation of Aggression, including "Why" and "What Is the Way?" SECURITY headlined the night. Known for consistently solid, straightforward performances, the band's high-power blending of aggressive metal and confident rap vocals gives it a real edge. Songs like "667," "Process," "Exercise" and "Evil Monkey" are extremely well-produced on the band's self-titled album and come across clean and clear when performed live. Taken as a whole, the New Generation of Metal showcase was considerably well balanced, with each distinctive band complementing the other's sound. Limiting the lineup to three bands was a wise choice and gave each band a chance to really take its time onstage. It looks like the Donnas might be trying to cash in on the teen pop craze. In a decidedly unpunk move (you wouldn't catch L7 doing this), the girls from Palo Alto turned up on the Drive Me Crazy soundtrack, keeping company with vanilla lightweights Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys and Matthew Sweet. The Donnas' vocal mutilation of the R.E.O. Speedwagon classic "Keep on Loving You" is painfully disappointing. A year after local musician and bandleader Joe Ferrari lost his life in an automobile accident, a memorial concert is being held in his honor featuring the Joe Ferrari Memorial Big Band. The free event will be held Saturday (Oct. 10, 1-3pm) at the Central Park Pavilion on Kiely Boulevard in Santa Clara. Everyone is welcome to bring a picnic lunch or something to barbecue, dance or just relax on the lawn. That same day, friends, family, fans and performers from around the Bay Area community gather at Waves Smokehouse and Saloon to pay tribute to writer and community activist Nicky Baxter (a contributor to Metro for more than 10 years) who passed away in August. Admission to this fundraising event is a $20 donation, which will go into the Nicky Baxter Literary Arts Scholarship fund. Baxter's family plans to award scholarships to young writers majoring in journalism or English in his name. A host of musicians will perform from 4 to 9pm, including Wally Schnalle, Chet Smith, Eric Bolivar, Smith and Gail Dobson and Ron Johnson. There will also be performances by Equal Solutions, Los Otros, Rhyme Ritual Trio and Tabia, to help celebrate the life of a leading voice in the South Bay's musical community. PLAN AHEAD: Spike 1000 and Empty, Oct. 7 at the Usual; Monkey, Oct. 8 at the Cactus Club; Pavement, Oct. 8-9 at Maritime Hall in San Francisco; Stunt Monkey and Dealership, Oct. 9 at the Fishbowl in Sunnyvale; Spitkiss, Oct. 10 at the Cocodrie in San Francisco; KSJO Day On the Green, Oct. 10 at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds; Smash Mouth, Lenny Kravitz and Buckcherry, Oct 11 at the Concord Pavilion; the Road Kings, Oct. 13 at Agenda Lounge; Ultravibe.com Launch with Papa Roach and Insolence, Oct. 14 at the Edge; Widespread Panic, Oct. 14-16 at the Warfield in San Francisco; M.I.R.V., Oct. 16 at Cactus; Pennywise and Strung Out, Oct. 16 at Maritime; L7, Oct. 17 at the Edge; Family Values, Oct. 19 at the Cow Palace; Old 97s, Oct. 20 at the Great American Music Hall; Sting, Oct. 22 at the Flint Center in Cupertino; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Oct. 24 at the Edge; John Paul Jones, Oct 28 at the Fillmore; Diamanda Galás, Oct. 31 at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley; Suicidal Tendencies, Nov. 2 at Palookaville in Santa Cruz; Harry Connick, Jr., Nov. 6 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]