In keeping with the good ol' daze jag we've been on the last few weeks -- don't
worry, it won't last -- I thought we'd go to the well once more, this time hand
in hand with Neutral Nation, at one time one of the Providence area's most
beloved bands.
The Nation plays the Met this Friday in a reunion gig of sorts. I know, it's
not that this is the first of its kind, or that it will be the last. (Hell,
other bands go around the block a few times before permanently retiring,
right?) It's just that it's a great occasion for those who are curious about
the sturm und drang of Providence circa 1985 to catch a glimpse of one
of the bands that made clubbing back then something to look forward to.
"When we get back together, it's just revisiting a great place," says bassist
Tom Buckland, who admits the band will jump right back into it with little
provocation just to recapture that great feeling. "It still hurts a little. I
remember the calluses I used to have, but they've softened up. I used to run
track, but I haven't been running much at all, you know? Just look at Stumpy's
[drummer Mike Neckritz] hands -- he plays 'til he bleeds." Ahh, the bliss of
playing punk and post-punk at breakneck speeds.
The occasion of the reunion arose when some local skaters that go by the name
5.9 produced a skate video called "Erupt" that features much Nation music on
the soundtrack. "They were hesitant to ask us to get involved at first," says
Buckland, "but all they had to do was ask. They said they were having this
release party for the video and asked us to play. We don't need too much
prodding to get together for a night and play."
In fact, mentally, Neutral Nation has never really called it quits. Like the
star high school athlete who cherishes the seasons and games in which he
excelled, so too does Neutral Nation find itself eager to relive those glory
days. "We never really let it go," says Buckland, who is currently the
technical director at Trinity Rep and plays in an ambitious big-band type unit
called Herbal Nation with Stumpy (which means essentially that he has let it go
somewhat). "It was such a big part of our lives for so long and we always had a
blast when we'd get together and play -- why should we let it go?"
And the sound? How do the old Nation tunes sound some 20 years on? Buckland
laughs, "I think they sound better. It's not, `How fast can we play this?'
anymore. When we listen to old recordings it sounds kinda silly, playing so
fast, but it sure was fun at the moment. Now it's a little more fun to drop
into a groove and explore a little."
That's what Stumpy and Buckland and a dozen of their favorite musicians
currently do with Herbal Nation, a conglomerate that delves deeply into R&B
and funk. "Herbal Nation is a big giant machine that Stumpy drives," says
Buckland, who sings with the band. "The largest group we've had is 12 people
onstage and they're all totally great musicians. The bass playing is totally
funked out so I haven't been able to do that. I'm just the front guy."
It's certainly not the dexterity in Nation's hardcore steamroller that keeps
them coming back. It's the memories -- the packed clubs, the smiling faces, a
big circle pit. "This band was the wave that the four of us rode as kids," says
Buckland, speaking about his colleagues, Stumpy, singer Mike Yarworth, and
guitarist Dave Chabot. "We were and still are definitely brothers; it's just
such a natural feeling getting onstage and playing together."
And Nation's legacy? What would that be? "Well," Buckland measures. "A guy
stopped me on the street the other day, a fireman. He asked me if we were gonna
play another show and I told him about the upcoming gig. Then I asked him if he
was gonna be able to make it and he said, `Yeah, I never miss a chance to be 18
again!' "
The heyday lineup of Neutral Nation will convene at the Met on Friday,
October 5. Also appearing are Donkeypunch, the Douchebags, and Kingpin.
WANDERING EYE. On Friday at the Century Lounge, Jon Tierney & the
Truth celebrate the release of their fine debut, In the Days When We
Were Kids. Frontman Tierney, drummer Ben McLellan, and bassist Brad O'Brien
have made some serious inroads over the past year and have become a bright and
original star on the local scene. The Blackstone in Cumberland has also put
together a good show on Friday, with local faves Betty Dylan. The band
kicks off its promotion tour for their new book and CD, American Trash.
Band members Vickie and Dan recorded the disc with Bernard Purdie and Jerry
Jemmott, the legendary New York-based rhythm section featured on so many great
American records, along with Richie Cannata (Billy Joel, Elton John, the Beach
Boys), who laid down some sax and piano tracks. Producer Marvin Etzioni
suggested that Dan's book, American Trash, be released as a package with
the disc. So check it out! Fourteen songs and a book.Go to www.bettydylan.com
for more info.
Ten dollars doesn't get you much these days, but it's enough to secure you an
audience with Maine folksinger Dave Mallet, one of the country's most
memorable songwriting voices. He's at Stone Soup (67 Roosevelt Avenue in
downtown Pawtucket), and the night begins at 8 p.m. Mallet's evocative imagery
and pastoral tunes are filled with sophisticated sentiment and relatable
expression, so don't be surprised if the chills at Slater Mill don't come just
from those old windows.
The Boston-based El Eco is playing Chan's in Woonsocket on Saturday.
The group is releasing a CD called Two Worlds. They've taken some big
stages so far, including the Regattabar, the Blue Note, and the Globe's
Jazz Festival. The performance at Chan's will feature Helio Alves (piano, Joe
Henderson, Airto), Dino Govoni (sax, George Garzone, Clark Terry), Fernando
Huergo (bass, Danilo Perez), and Guillermo Nojechowicz (drums, Claudio Roditi,
Tiger Okoshi). It's a luminous and talented lineup worthy of the ambiance at
Chan's.
E-mail me with music news at b_gulla@yahoo.com.
Issue Date: October 5 - 11, 2001
