Monday, May 25, 2009
The Spin Chris Crofton and the Alcohol Stuntband at The Basement 5/23/09
Posted by The Spin on Mon, May 25, 2009 at 1:06 PM
Check out the slideshows for more photos: Chris Crofton and the Alcohol Stuntband; Bad Friend and Take the Power Back.
"If I don't get rich I'm gonna find another way to make a living. I know a lot about finance. Don't worry about me," observed Chris Crofton last night. Oh, we're not. Chris Crofton and the Alcohol Stuntband, playing Saturday night at the Basement in support of their new self-titled EP, seem to know exactly what they're doing. But let's back up a bit.
Firstly, we must apologize for missing Take the Power Back, the all-female Rage Against the Machine cover band. It's just as well, really. We're not very familiar with the Rage Against the Machine oeuvre. The band's virtuosity and passion would have been wasted on us; our penetrating critical intelligence would have been wasted on them.
Anyhow, by the time we joined the packed Basement crowd--amid thick clouds of fog that made us feel like we were on the surface of Jupiter--we were impatient for some rock. Crofton came prepared for the occasion in a black jumpsuit with his band name written in tape on the back. The night's performance was a loud, high-speed and focused show that revealed the band's love for AC/DC-style hard rock. (Its current lineup features Brandes Holcomb on guitar, Dave Dawson on bass and Todd Martin on drums.) During an hour-long set, they sped through a mix of old favorites like "Functional Drunk" and "Snakeskin Snake," and newer material like "She's Insane" and "B4 U Go 2 Jail" (in which Crofton offers erotic services to a future inmate).
The fog was thicker than ever as the band launched into misogynist-rocker "Girls," prompting Crofton to remark "I feel like I'm Sherlock Holmes playing a rock concert." (More like John Holmes playing a rock concert, right?) The show was lighter on between-song banter than the usual Stuntband outing, but Crofton did pause to offer his advice on cocaine ("actually, it's not that expensive anymore"), and to comment on the audience ("I hope you like sweaty guys!").
They rounded out the show with old favorites "Dickerson Pike," a song that imagines a group of hapless Caucasians on the world's most dangerous street ("we were trying to find Local Honey, and we got lost, and we got raped"), the nostalgic lament "I Wish John Denver Were Still Alive," and finally, an unexpected encore that could only be "My Cock Is a Wrecking Ball." If that doesn't satisfy you, we don't know what will.
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Crofton is fucking awesome.
How about that?
Are we going to get some hate responses from the 5 assholes that get on here and posts criticisms under 50 different pseudonyms?
I heard the show was terrific, and I know for a fact the EP is awesome because I'm listening to it right now. "Dickerson Pike" is the shit.
Stuntband kicks ass.
To Hearn: i guess you have a kindred spirit now in chris crofton...your bands are both "lightning rods for controversy."
You, too, know what it feels like to be the object of much scorn and disdain, EXCEPT THAT YOUR BAND DOES SUCK, and, well, the stuntband is kind of rockin'. Though the Dicerson Pike song is a little too close to
several things Dave Cloud has sung about for the last 20 years, i'll give him credit for putting it out there...and the local honey line is hilarious...
Crofton turned me off on record day with his racist crowd banter.
Talking to the crowd about "BLACKS" as if there were no "BLACKS" in the crowd. Was he BLIND?? I was standing right next to my BLACK friend, and he wasn't impressed.. Wake up dude.
I might suggest that when CC is making jokes about BLACKS, said jokes might actually be directed at WHITES, because WHITES say things like "my black friend."
Dear Simon,
Satire is in the dictionary. Look it up, then go find some other reason to get pissed off.
This guy is just a racist,sexist asshole that copies other shit.He's good to laugh at because he's so pathetic but that's about it.
Well maybe it's not Crofton fault? He could have grown up in an environment around people who constantly degraded women and talked about "black" people as if they should be seperate? Maybe the guy is from Mississippi or something and doesn't know any better. You can't really blame him I mean you have to try and be controversial if you've got nothing else going for you. That's always the easiest means to get attention. Satire? This isn't the freaking fifties man, you don't say shit like that ever!
You were right "you got my back",this guy is basically copying what Dave Cloud has been doing for more than 20 years. The difference is that Cloud can actually do something beyond writing dirty songs about picking up hookers. Cloud can summon and write about an aura of sadness that people like Crofton will never have.
I'd like to second Chris' sentiment. Saturday night was a ton of fun and I was VERY proud to be a part of it. Thank you to all of our friends and families!
Haters and haters.
The Spin got it right when they said if that don't satisfy you I don't know what will. Crofton kicks ass.
They also got it right not to talk about a Rage Against the Machine cover-band or Bad Friend.
"Cloud can summon and write about an aura of sadness that people like Crofton will never have."
Possibly the funniest thing I have ever read on here. hahahahaha! Wake up, fool!
I would call myself a hater because I don't like people who degrade women or say racist things about "blacks". So I guess I hate Chris Crofton too.
I feel it should be said that both Bad Friend and Take the Power Back played great sets and were largely responsible for keeping the crowd around for our set. I will offer this advice to the ladies of TtPB though. You guys need to work on your attitude. You're not quite angry or stompy enough. You sound awesome; you look satisfied. You should be pissed off and it should show... especially when you're playing before the biggest bigot on this side of the internets.
Quit having fun and get mad, dammit.
to Mark P.: Do you even know dave cloud?
there is something to what flaster said. the guy has had a world and wealth of experiences that, frankly, would blow your mind if you were to hear about them. and everything he sings about is usually something that has happened to him. Granted, there have been some drunken shows
during which all you hear is the typical DC banter...but the guy is a deep read. And i know chris crofton even admires dave, and to go a step further, probably takes much inspiration from him. If you actually listen to one of Dave Cloud's 5 CD's, you might see that the "aura of sadness" comment is right on.
The funny thing is the members of Alcohol Stuntband feel the need to stalk this blog and comment under different names about how awesome they are,and thank everybody for coming out multiple times.Aren't you guys late for your shift at McDonalds or something?"Quit having fun and get mad, dammit"????Are you seriously making jokes about racism.Truly disgusting!!!!!Some ass clown like Chris Crofton is not worth the effort.
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