Schoolyard Heroes, Kane Hodder Calling It Quits
Two of the biggest all-ages draws in town will reunite with their classic lineups at El Corazon on Dec. 19, and then promptly break up.
“I’m really glad Schoolyard Heroes are being put to rest the way it started,” says vocalist Ryann Donnelly. “And, honestly, the reason we’re calling it a day on Schoolyard isn’t because we don’t love it.”
Donnelly says that she and bassist Jonah Bergman couldn’t see working any longer as Schoolyard without guitarist Steve Bonnell and drummer Brian Turner, who exited separately within the past year. The pair will join Donnelly and Bergman at El Corazon.
“It was strange to play shows as Schoolyard Heroes with different people,” she says.
In an announcement on their Web site, Schoolyard hinted at their future: “Don’t freak out! If Schoolyard Heroes has taught you anything over the years, it is that death is always around you…and that from death shall emerge new channels of destruction. Loud, distorted, maybe even operatic channels.”
Andrew Moore, lead singer of the Bremerton-based hardcore band Kane Hodder says, “I had been looking for a while [for] an appropriate way to end Kane Hodder. It just seemed to be kind of rambling along with no purpose.”
To wrap things up, Kane Hodder—currently featuring Moore (vocals), Eric Christianson (guitar), Charley Potter (drums), Jerome Sauer (guitar), and Aaron Yost (bass)—will bring back former members Jeremy White (guitar) and Nick Cates (bass). Both incarnations of the band, the classic lineup and the new, will perform at a Dec. 18 show at Bremerton’s Coffee Oasis, and the former will play a condensed set at El Corazon.
“I’m gonna miss it,” Moore says. “But I can’t say that I really regret any moment of it. I don’t want to be mourning the loss of anything. I want the last shows to be more celebrating the awesome times I had with, you know, my best friends who I got to play with and all the people that were there watching us and all that. I’m kind of hoping that it’s more that kind of vibe, and I think it will be.” —Chris Kornelis
PUSA Split With Manager, Cite Next Phase of Career
The Presidents of the United States of America have split with their manager, David Meinert, whose Fuzed Music co-owns the Capitol Hill Block Party and manages Blue Scholars, among other acts. Meinert had been managing PUSA since 2004. PUSA frontman Chris Ballew says it’s time for the band to move to the next phase of their career.
“Shaking things up feels healthy for all parties involved,” Ballew said in an e-mail. “We respect David and his management skills and hope his future is bright. We are excited to focus our business and get more streamlined for a spell as we toddle toward our happy future as a band.”
What that future is remains unclear, Ballew says. Right now he’s working on music for kids under the name Caspar Babypants, and “we are just enjoying that thing called regular life and gathering steam for the next phase, whatever that is.”
Meinert, for his part, says he’s paring his roster down to the projects he’s most excited about, noting that he’s recently completed the purchase of the 5-Point, and is about to open a new venture on Capitol Hill.
“I’m also about to have my first child, and she will be my number-one priority,” he says. “So something had to give. [PUSA will] be fine without me, though. They’re awesome.” —Chris Kornelis
Past Lives’ Debut Album Coming in February
Seattle’s Past Lives—Jordan Blilie, Morgan Henderson, and former Blood Brothers members Mark Gajadhar and Devin Welch—is finally releasing its first full-length debut, Tapestry of Webs, on Suicide Squeeze on Feb. 23, 2010. Recorded at Avast! with Steve Fisk, the band has posted a track list on its MySpace blog and a song from the record, “Hex Takes Hold.” —Sara Brickner
Teens Get a Little Help From My Friends
On Sunday night I was fortunate enough to participate in a benefit show for LAYN, an L.A.-based shelter for teenagers who have had a rough start in life. LAYN provides a starting point for these youth and an emotional safe haven. Slash asked if I’d play the show, along with a bunch other killer folks.
Here are my thoughts on a few of Sunday’s performances.
Wolfmother, “Woman”: I know these guys just put out a new record, but I have yet to get it. Watching Andrew Stockdale perform “Woman” convinced me that perhaps Wolfmother will be around for a long, long time.
Jane’s Addiction, “Mountain Song”: I remember first seeing these guys do “MS” in an L.A. club in 1987. Seeing Dave Navarro and Perry Farrell play it some 23 years later, I realized that song has lost none of its urgency.
Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train”: We are all just lowly pretenders when OZZY enters a room. Fuck! —Duff McKagan
