Most concerts spotlighting local bands tend to feature artists with similar styles and sound. Even national concerts around town lean on pairing local artists that closely resemble the headlining acts they're supporting.
Friday's CD release party of Jason Kane & The Jive's sophomore album Hellacious Boogie not only shined the light solely on some of San Antonio's finest bands. It mixed up the styles and demonstrated that various sub-genres can get along while sharing the same stage.
That platform was The Rock Box, and the party kicked off in serious fashion. The no-nonsense thrash provided by young upstarts X.I.L. kicked attendees squarely in the teeth on "Judgment Day," "Full Throttle Ass Kicking (F.T.A.K.)," “I Got a Gun” and Witching Hour." And lest anyone question why a thrash band was opening for the bluesy '70s-ish stylings of Jason Kane & The Jive, Kane himself kept his black leather jacket on prior to his penchant for strapping on a guitar over his topless body and bell-bottom jeans when he plays with The Jive, joining X.I.L. for a rendition of Diamond Head's "It's Electric." X.I.L. lead guitarist Joseph Aguilar offered to Alamo True Metal after the set that his band and Kane had only rehearsed it once. Watch ATM's Facebook Live footage here.
Aguilar, along with singer/bassist Austin James, guitarist Quinten Serna and drummer Jordan Hoffart hearken to a combination of a younger version of Warbringer with a touch of Metallica's angst-ridden teenage days. Watch them in further action here.
Next up was the in-your-face power of Deathdodger. Opening with "The Real You," Deathdodger set the tone of its all-too-brief ballsy set that also featured “Hell Ride” (ATM Facebook Live footage here) plus personal favorites "Two Fives Make Ten" and "Die Young."
Singer/guitarist Jack Davis III continues to hold the fort down in one of the city's underappreciated bands that deserves more gigs. Along with mainstay drummer David McGilvrey, guitarist Johnny Rodriguez and Korn tribute Freaks On A Leash frontman Josh Moore on bass, Deathdodger showed you don't have to thrash to provide several mean punches of rock. Bang your head to ATM's footage of newer track "Get Some" here.
The Heroine bridged the bluesy sounds of The Jive with Deathdodger's rock and metal as the one group on the bill that often provides a mixture of styles. From a song that's more than a decade old in "Hardworking Man" to newer offerings "Who Do You Love" and "Highway 16," vocalist Lynnwood King, lead guitarist David Arias, rhythm guitarist Jorge Luevano, bassist Wesley Vargulish and drummer Johnny "Lightning" Hernandez again demonstrated why they've arguably been San Antonio's hardest working and longest running metal band. Fresh off their sixth consecutive year of performing at the city's annual River City Rockfest on Sept. 22 (coverage here), The Heroine was a no-brainer inclusion to Kane's release party. Watch ATM Facebook Live footage of "Wolf Mama" here.
Alas, the headliners took to the stage with what likely will be the longest show they play in their hometown. A whopping 25-song set featured nearly every tune in The Jive's arsenal as Kane, bassist Nick Jive and drummer Chapoy saw the hard work of their second album come to fruition. The entire brand new CD was played live along with 2017 self-titled debut offerings "How I Do," “Crystal Ball” and "Sweet Tooth." Watch ATM footage of "Nomad" and "Bossman" below.
The Jive enjoyed its nearly two-hour stint in the spotlight one night before heading to The Rock Box's bigger stage known as Vibes Event Center as the opening act on the 2nd annual Salute to Joe Anthony, which was headlined by Legs Diamond and featured Killer Dwarfs, Axe and Heyoka.
Kane got down, literally, and dirty with the guitar (see 61-photo slideshow below) and affectionately told the crowd to "Shut your mouth" on the intro to "Bossman" while he and his cohorts mixed things up on "Courthouse Blues," "Pussyfootin’ " and amazingly soothing slow number "In Time."
On a night Black Molly was playing Fitzgerald's and many in the city were getting a head start on Halloween partying, the turnout of less than 200 still could've been greater. But for those who were there, they witnessed a rare feast of bluesy funk, rock and thrash rolled into one big trick-or-treat smorgasbord of heavy metal.
The way it should be.
