Von Badsville’s Voodoo Lounge promotion cranked up last Saturday night at the Airliner in Los Angeles. Doors opened around 9:30 and things got rocking pretty quickly as the downstairs crowd was treated to a little traditional rockabilly from Mad Dog & the Smokin’ Js and folks strolled around the outdoor patio shopping at the vendor tables or getting their photo snapped by Jorge of JMV Photos, the pinup photographer extraordinaire.
But it was the upstairs that was rocking with traditional California style Psychobilly, which is to say, a pretty heavy Mexican influence. Bands “The Quarenteds”, “Cannibal Mad Men” really warming up the crowd to a fever pitch. One guy even took the occasion to storm the stage and propose to his girlfriend, she said yes, which let out an wild, uninhibited party scene like I haven’t seen since my Latin American travels. Even the girls got into the act with a fearless female only wrecking crew that had me and the Russians cowering in a corner, fearfully snapping pics from a safe distance (too dark for video, sorry).
You can’t really mention the words “Mexican” and “Psychobilly” without mentioning Calavera. This legendary pyschobilly band plays a raucous, in your face punk style of psychobilly (2 blasting guitars, standup bass and a drum), that forces your limbs, no matter how much they might reisist, to move.
Calavera took the stage well after midnight and the packed crowd seemed to let out all their pent up frustration at not seeing the band play since the latter part of the last decade.
Why is that you ask? Well Ceasar, the founder and the one constant for the band has been traveling around the world, living and traveling in Singapore, Malaysia and the Phillipines before finally returning to Tiajuana Mexico, his current abode.
Ceasar and I got a chance to chat before the show and I have to say he looked really rested and ready to go, like the break did him good. He also seemed really excited because he says the band is working on some new stuff that will incorporate some of the global rhythms and sounds he’s been exposed to these past few years while traveling the planet.
Ceasar was speaking my language. Travel the world, absorbing cultures and influences and then come back home a changed person. He deserved some time off and he deserves another shot at creating some of that “can’t help but wreck in the pit” psychobilly music Calavera was so known for in the 90’s and early 2000s’.
Calavera cranked through their well known songs like “Brains on Fire”, “Tiajuana Rain” and one of my favorites “Ain’t That Loving You Baby?” (See video)
From the crowd reaction it’s not going to be a difficult journey back. Hell, from the crowd’s reaction, on this unusually hot California night with music so loud that even with my heavy dose of wax in the ear earplugs… my ears are still ringing 2 days later, I think it’s safe to say, Calavera is indeed already back!
Special thanks to Ceasar, Ito and the whole Calavera gang and to to Brando Von Baadsville and his crew for hooking us up at the show.
Enjoy pics and video from Saturday nights show.To see all the pics go HERE.
