Battle royale Sasquatch takes the top prize at the Rock Hunt BY BOB GULLA

The joint was jumpin’ last weekend at Giza, the cool, stylized live music venue just outside of Olneyville Square. The reason? WBRU’s umpteenth Rock Hunt. Cold weather didn’t deter the line from snaking outside the building. Fortunately, it was pretty hot inside, thanks to some really good music.

Along for the ride this year were three top local music contenders: Bad Larry, Fungus Amungus, and Sasquatch and the Sick-a-Billys. Last year’s winners, the Lingo, were in for a cameo to wrap things up. The night’s music was judged by reps from Reprise, Virgin, and Columbia, as well as some lucky local contest winners.

When Bad Larry kicked things off, the place was already jammed and juiced. Formed just three years ago in Cranston, the band starts off fast and accelerates from there. If I had a pad with me, I would have scribbled down words like "rambunctious," "energetic," maybe "naïve." Naïve? Yeah, well, if you’ve seen them, you know. Bad Larry plays punky ska, the kind we heard back in the mid-’90s via the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Now we’re between that third wave of ska and, well, nothing — the great ska unknown. But Bad Larry doesn’t mind all that. In fact, they often poke fun at themselves for delving into such an antiquated art form. The fact is, the band understands that ska was fun once — three times, actually — and just because it isn’t popular here and now doesn’t mean it’s not still a gas to dance to. With three horns, seven dudes in all, and a few cases of Red Bull, the band bounces around like they’re gigging on a bed of hot coals. And the audience — populated by equally young and spastic high fivers and Coors Light types — responded by kicking up a racket on the dance floor, upon which the mosh pit would clear a wide berth at least once during every song.

Was it good? Sure, although the band revved it up so fast at times they had trouble staying together. But no one really cared, including those onstage responsible for creating such a din. Frontman Paul Giammarco did a nice job keeping apace with the rhythm section, while his horned buddies puffed along beside him. I haven’t had the chance to listen to the band’s full-length debut, No Deal (Off-tone), but I have a sense that it’s something like what was on display, only less so. I mean, how could it trump(et) this?

Next up was Fungus Amungus. Bad Larry’s set made for a tough act to follow, and judging from the feverish reaction to that band by the younger members of the audience, I half expected the place to empty out for the Bad Larry after party. But just about everyone stayed put for Fungus Amungus, and that was a good thing. They deserved to be heard.

Fronted by singer Ron LaPorte, Fungus Amungus was also high energy, but with more attention to detail. OK, a lot more attention to detail. With a musicianly approach, the six-piece bucket of funk digs deep into the grooves of their material in sort of an acid-jazz/jam-band kinda way. Their originals are pretty rock solid, but their covers of songs by the likes of Parliament and the Average White Band show you just how they can rip. LaPorte’s a good guitar player and a better singer; saxophonists Ryan Piccolo and Jarrod Valenti, both educated players and arrangers, know how to exploit the dynamics of a song without losing an ounce of tightness. After seeing Bad Larry shoot its wad early and often, it was a good change to see some restraint. Yeah, it’s white boy funk, all right, but it’s the best white boy funk we’ve heard around here in quite some time.

Third up, and the last of the contenders, was Dave Caetano’s notorious vintage punkabilly trio Sasquatch and the Sick-a-Billys. When I found out they’d made the cut and advanced to the finals, I thought it was a mistake. Sasquatch? In the Rock Hunt? Not because the band isn’t good, but because they aren’t the kind of band that’s terribly willing to play the game — any game, if you know what I mean. They’re better suited to pissing audiences off rather than making friends/fans. They’d rather be seen as the devil’s musically inclined bastard sons than rock icons, which they’re fast becoming. If you’ve seen them, you know that Caetano has heavy doses of negative energy working, and he uses it to good effect.

Truth is, the band kicks ass. With Johnny Custom on a big-bottom bass and Miss Natalie holding down the drum chair better than any of the band’s past time-keepers, the trio courses through a whuppin’ of nasty rock and roll. The wild-eyed Caetano looks like he can barely contain himself as he yelps, moans, growls and, occasionally, even sings. The set ended with Custom walking on top of the Giza bar with his bass, finishing in real rock-star style.

All three bands were excellent, in very different ways. Bad Larry grafted their exuberance onto the audience and had the whole place doing mosh-inspired leprechaun kicks. Fungus Amungus reached a pretty impressive instrumental peak as they took their funk to blissfully high places. And Sasquatch used his muscular ire to tap into that segment of the audience that hadn’t yet been addressed: the punks.

In the end, somewhat surprisingly, Sasquatch took home the trophy. But it was almost an anti-climax. It could be said that every band deserved the prize for different reasons. Personally, I’m pleased with the result. Sasquatch has had some bad luck over time and deserved a break. And besides, with all that youthful exuberance in Bad Larry and Fungus Amungus, there will surely be enough of that up ahead to catch a prize or two in the near future.

SUPERCHIEF TRIO. Rhode Island roots/blues band Superchief Trio will celebrate the release of their debut, The Devil Knows Me Better, at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland on Saturday (the 26th). The trio features Keith Munslow on piano and vocals, Pam Murray on trombone and vocals, and John Cote on percussion. Together they ricochet from New Orleans grooves to hot swing to smooth, sultry ballads. The band’s disc includes special guest appearances by saxophone whiz Geoff Adams, Thom Enright on slide guitar, and Marty Ballou on upright bass.

Munslow met Murray at AS220, where they performed together in the Smoking Jackets and the Neo ’90s Dance Band; Keith and John played together in the Big Nazo band, before John left to drums with the Neo ’90s. Keith and Pam began playing gigs at an ill-fated but still glorious basement bar called the East Bay Regatta Club and they recruited Cote into the fold. The Trio was born. From there, the band took on a casual élan, a sort of recklessness, and they began experimenting with arrangements and a daredevil approach to the idiom. So far, the results have been stellar. TST sounds fresh and wild without straying too far from really good roots music.

Admission to the release party is $10. For reservations or information, call 725-9272.

The Midnight Creeps 500. The Midnight Creeps’ show at the Living Room on Saturday will be a celebration of many things, not to mention a cool gig in support of ’77 punk icon TV Smith of the Adverts. First, the show is a celebration of the life of Andy Conn. Andy died tragically in a fire last month on Cape Cod. He was a constant fixture on the Providence and Boston music scenes and a great friend of the Creeps. Whether he was front and center at shows supporting his friends or silkscreening patches and T-shirts for local bands, Andy always lit up the room. His presence will be sorely missed.

The show is also marks the 500th show for the Creeps. Yep. Five years and 500 shows! That is a remarkable achievement and a real testament to the true love affair this band has with rock and roll. Lastly, the show will mark drummer Jeff Creep’s last local appearance with the band. After the grind of leaving his heart and soul onstage for the last five years, Jeff is heeding the cry for help his body is making and calling it quits on the performing end. There will be an announcement at a later date on his replacement, but one thing for sure, says the band, "that person will have enormous shoes to fill." Jeff has agreed to continue working on the business end of things and help get the new drummer acclimated.

The complete lineup of Saturday’s show is Midnight Creeps, TV Smith, Sasquatch & the Sick-a-Billys, the Sleazies, Benny Sizzler, and Red Invasion. The show is open to all ages.

Bill Harley. On Saturday, Stone Soup offers up what is always a special evening, a performance by the inimitable Bill Harley. According to Soup guardian Richard Walton, "There is simply no one like him. He can, for a grownup audience, evoke such powerful, often moving images of childhood, making us remember what it was like to be a kid. He writes some fine topical songs and, of course, he is just so damned funny. I may be a bit prejudiced since he is a very close friend but, hell, he was twice nominated for a Grammy so somebody else must like him too." It’ll be a special evening all right, so go warm your cockles in Pawtucket at Stone Soup. Bill Harley will make sure you’re glad you did.

Wandering Eye. This Friday (the 25th), the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River is hosting a CD release party for JP Jones. Jeremiah is JP’s 11th release, and his second solo acoustic disc. Surf on over to www.jpjones.netfor more information. And don’t forget the Narrows’ Wednesday night open mic.

Grandevolution, Illustrious Day, Luck Over Spent, and Hawkins Rise highlight a great night of local music on Friday at Giza.The cover is $5, doors are at 8, and it’s 18-plus. On Saturday, the Revival Preachers play with the Ooga-Boogas at Jake’s Bar & Grill on Richmond Street. Free as usual, great music as usual.

Becky Chace is opening for John Cafferty and Beaver Brown on Saturday at the Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket. Beyond Blonde performs at the Area Venue in Newport on Saturday, with two hours of all original material. Then the band moves on to the Century Lounge on Sunday (the 27th) for a show with Jon Tierney opening. Otis Read, Cathy Clasper Torch, and Phil Edmonds will perform a free concert of original, Celtic, and European folk music on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Mathewson Street United Methodist Church (134 Mathewson Street, Providence). An offering will be received to support a preschool in Johannesburg, South Africa. Call 331-8900 for more information (free parking is available in the lot next door).

Nobody’s favorite rock ’n’ roll combo, Too Ugly for Radio, will be playing this Sunday at the Blackout Bar at the Green Room and next Saturday (the 5th) the Green Room. That show is with Randy Pinto and Galactic Boots, who will be playing its last show ever. But we hardly knew ye!

The Mike Messier Show, which airs twice on Saturdays (3 to 5 a.m. statewide on Channel 13 and Saturday at 12 am on Channel 18 in Providence and Kent County), will run a special two-hour Station tribute episode featuring interviews with David Kane, whose son Nick O’Neill was the youngest person killed in the fire, and "Melanie," a survivor, who lost family and friends in the fire. The episode will air through March 12.

E-mail me with your music news: big.daddy1@cox.net.