More SXSW half-memory jarrers- in honor of our celebrity guest- SLOBBERBONE Club DeVille, Thursday, March 18 If no one else is gonna do it, allow me to be the one to get the ball rolling on adoption proceedings for Slobberbone. This band needs to be local. Anyone who responds to a rainstorm like we had on Thursday afternoon with a rock show like Slobberbone pulled off under the leaky tent outside Club DeVille is a welcome addition to any scene. The consistently sky-high energy levels of their live shows, their total commitment to life on the road (about 200 dates this year), and the joyful abandon of their self-destructive lifestyles embody what being in a rock & roll band is supposed to be all about. The headlining Bottle Rockets were no-shows at this day party for Doolittle Records, so following a long, tight set of swinging rock by Chicago's Mount Pilot, Slobberbone took the stage after much extra time and beer had come and gone. The skies darkened, and after the first few songs the clouds let loose with a downpour that sagged the tent roof and chased everyone out from under it or inside. Singer/guitarist Brent Best, along with guitarist Jess Barr and bassist Brian Lane, laughed in the face of electrocution, standing in an inch-deep puddle of water during their entire set. And what a set it was. Slobberbone has been tagged alt.country, with songs about drinking, fighting, cheating, and drinking, but beyond the obvious country subject matter and the drawl, it's all rock. "Barrel Chested" and "Front Porch" were high-powered enough, but by the end, when the unmistakable opening riff of Judas Priest's "Breakin' the Law" cut through the wet air, Slobberbone had everyone convinced that this was more Social Distortion than Lynyrd Skynyrd -- the "Sweet Home Alabama" cover notwithstanding. As often happens with knock-down, drag-out shows, things started to deteriorate into onstage anarchy, Best saying, "The quality control of this show has slipped below even our standards. Thank you very much," and walking off the stage. He was nearly coaxed back for a number with Jimmy Smith of the Gourds and Deborah Kelly of the Damnations TX, but the powers-that-be and long-fought safety concerns prevailed and the power was cut. "Austin-based rock quartet Slobberbone." Sounds pretty good to me.
