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Beat Street

By Todd S. Inoue

Island Breezes:

Covering the Crater Boys' Covers

"How many people here are from San Jose?" asked guitarist Robi Kahakalau at the San Jose Civic Auditorium last Friday. The place became eerily quiet. When she asked if anyone from San Francisco was in the house, the audience erupted! Jeez, San Joseans of Hawaiian descent, where were you? Friday's Hawaiian music extravaganza with the Island Riddim Band and the Ka'Au Crater Boys pulled in plenty of out-of-towners. The Island Riddim Band was on top of its game, filling its set with original songs, a fact that would play a role later on. Jeff Allard's and Kevin Yee's guitars were lusher than green valleys. Nancy Choi's soaring vocals were on point. Island Riddim is one of the South Bay's underappreciated acts.

Augmented by a bassist and percussionist, the Crater Boys gave the crown a lesson in contemporary Hawaiian music. Hits like "Opihi Man," "Noho Pai Pai" and "Carley Rose" had the locals swaying and singing. During "Surf," an impromptu house party broke out in the front with folks running up from the back of the auditorium to show their love. The floral displays lining the stage were plucked clean, and the boys found themselves pelted with red roses. I had heard that Troy Fernandez was good on the ukulele, but didn't expect what was to come. He has interplanetary ukulele skills, holding notes and working the fret board like a banjo player. I'll never look at the demure piece of varnished wood and string in the same way again.

The Crater Boys weren't perfect, however. My beef was with the inordinate amount of cover songs. A Grateful Dead song here, a Bob Marley song there, Van Morrison, Jimmy Buffett, Stevie Nicks, Orleans ... damn! These are talented guys, can't they write their own stuff? Still the Crater Boys (and Island Riddim) are perfect for next season's Music in the Park. Oh yeah, the shoyu chicken dinner ($5) was ono, too.

Rocket From the Clink

City Revolt publisher Kal Gettle and editor-in-chief Robin Stock got the scare of their life last Thursday. The duo were up in San Francisco checking out the first half of a raucous Rocket From the Crypt show at the Great American Music Hall before splitting early to see the last half of Diatribe at F/X. The couple got into Stock's car, drove up a block, and were stopped by flashing lights of four SFPD cars. Exhorted to show their hands, Gettle and Stock soon found themselves cuffed, face down on O'Farrell, loaded guns pointed in their faces. Apparently, someone was shot down the street from where their car was parked. A suspect fled in a car the same make and model that Gettle and Stock were driving. After a search of their car produced no murder weapon (or bloody glove), the duo were released, but not after receiving profuse apologies from police. "They were totally apologetic," Gettle said. "But I didn't take it too hard. They were doing their job; I'm glad they were there. But we had a good story to tell when we got back."

Los Gatos After Dark

After a month-long break, cool teen hangout the Los Gatos Teen Center is starting up its all-age, no addictions, $4 live music shows again. On Nov. 3, Lookout! favorites the Wynona Riders and locals Woolly Mammoth, Mag Pie and Betty's Love Child will perform. For more information, call 408/997-9199.

Get on With It, You Big Idiots

The Beautiful South played the Great American Music Hall on Sunday and Monday, October 29-30. With vocalist Jacqueline Abbott out due to pregnancy, it was Boy's Night Out. The band, groggy and hung over from its first tour in four years, crawled out of bed ten minutes before they took the stage.

Vocalist Paul Heaton enjoyed himself tremendously, referring to everyone as "big idiots" and downing numerous wake-and-bake whiskey rocks ("This isn't Bushmills is it?" he asked during one of his many mid-song musings. "It's John Daniels. When you know him as well as I do, you can call him John.") The band--with three piece horn section--warmed up with courageous versions of its hits like "Old Red Eyes is Back," "You Keep It All In," and "Tonight I Fancy Myself."

Heaton is a trip. Besides his propensity to smoke, drink, banter, and sing simultaneously, when he steps to the mic, everything becomes focused. He'd be mucking about, dancing like a lunatic, distracting vocalist Dave Hemingway. When Heaton would bring the microphone to his lips, the most amazing, soulful voice would pour forth. Early on, he was raw and sour like morning breath, but by the encore, in particular, "Let Love Speak Up Itself," Heaton extended it into a vocal showcase, hitting three octaves deep.

The South can't escape their past, apparently. A few fans shouted out requests for old Housemartins songs and the band, especially Dave Hemingway, had tired of this. On Monday night, it came to a head when one more audience member shouted for the Housemartins hit "Happy Hour." Heaton took time to explain that, even though he's proud of what he's made in the '80s, he's even more proud of what he's done in the '90s. Hemingway, however, didn't take it so well. During Heaton's explanation, Hemingway went postal, throwing a beer bottle across stage. The bottle shattered harmlessly off stage, shocking the audience and band. After the incident, the band kicked in to "You Keep It All In" while Heaton and guitarist David Rotheray attempted to calm down the visibly chafed Hemingway. They performed the song magically. A brilliant, if ironic, transition.

The two-week mini-tour was a huge success and the band will return in January for a full-scale American tour.

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