Sixty Watt Shaman, Science Penguin and Mr. Grizzly Jam Out at Granny’s Place
Going into a show without being hip to any of the bands can be quite a pleasant surprise
Two days before the show, I’m asked if I wanna come out to check out Science Penguin. I check my calendar and I’m free, so why not? Three bands I’ve not previously heard AND it’s at Granny’s Place? Funky jams and flapjacks for this Friday night? I’m there.
I pull up and I’m surprised that the place isn’t jam-packed but it’s still early, so I head in to grab my spot. On the ticket tonight we’ve got Sixty Watt Shaman, Science Penguin, and Mr. Grizzly. I’ve heard rumblings about Science Penguin before, and waitress Jessica recommended Mr.Grizzly to me over pancakes at a previous Granny’s visit. (I’m serious about the pancakes here, people. Everyone raves about them!)
So, I’m going in pretty much blind tonight which is fine by me. I grab a chair, get my camera set up, and watch Sixty Watt Shaman work through their sound check. They perform the King of the Hill theme song as a warm-up, which everyone is pretty thrilled about. After a bit of technical difficulty getting their levels right, it’s go time.
On their Facebook page, the band writes that they “play a diverse repertoire of hard-hitting groove rock and ethereal psychedelic jams”, and I think that describes them perfectly.
Their vocalist is jamming so hard that there’s sweat running down the body of his guitar. Their guitarist and bassist have that signature heavy metal rock dude with long hair that they’re thrashing around as they work through their set. The man behind the kit is smacking away with his drumsticks looking super in tune with the music. Oh, and he’s got a cowbell somewhere back there that makes a special appearance here and there.
My favorite song from Sixty Watt Shaman tonight was actually their close-out song, “Red Colony”, which featured crooning vocals and a perfectly instep band behind them. We’re told by the band that this is a new lineup so there are some bumps in the road, but the crowd is patient and enjoying their time, though they are somewhat low-energy.
The band plays a great set regardless and packs up their instruments for the next group to go on. Check out Sixty Watt Shaman’s music here.
Science Penguin is playing next, they’re the guys who invited me out to the gig. They set up the stage and sit a cute little stuffed penguin on one of their amps before taking off. After about a minute in, I’m a bit puzzled as I start to search the stage for a mic. No one has one.
Well, their drummer has one but it’s pushed behind him as he performs. Their second song starts and ends before I realize they aren’t doing vocals. A little strange? To me, yes at first. But as their set continues, I’m convinced otherwise. The guitar is echoed and haunting in the best way. It’s dreamy and their music as a whole upbeat is so relaxing and I’m delighted.
One of their songs is named “Please Don’t Feed Hallucinogens to the Alligators”, and it’s not the only unique title. In fact, their whole set list is filled with interesting song names, such as “Hey, I Have That Plate!” and “Budapest Food Truck Rally”.
I mean, their band name is Science Penguin so I guess I should have expected some off-the-wall song names. From start to finish, Science Penguin keeps the mood up and at ‘em, the crowd is a little more warmed up now too. They close out their set with a tune named “Stipachios” and clear the intimately sized stage for Mr. Grizzly.
Mr. Grizzly kicks off with a twangy instrumental, it was giving me “Aladdin” vibes. I really enjoyed it, and after I found out the song was titled “Bophadees”, naturally I liked it even more. Mr. Grizzly, like Science Penguin, ditches the vocals and goes full instrumental. By this point, I’m still in a trance from Science Penguin’s set so this is a fabulous follow-up. The guitar sound is spacey with some twang, the bass is funky and the drums are sharp with just the right level of cymbals. The audience has tightened up and is standing right against the stage now, a few of them dancing at random points during songs.
At one point, Mr. Grizzly is about to begin a new song when their bassist approaches their guitarist, who is standing like a robot whose battery just died. The bassist places his hand on the guitarist’s head and rips a fake pull string from behind him, starting him up like a push mower. It takes a few tries, but the guitarist starts right up and the band continues to put out their jazzy rock sound. They even do a cover of “Hey Bulldog” by The Beatles towards the end of their set. They’ve got a limited amount of music on streaming services, but you can check them out here.
That’s all folks! I went in blind to this show and I was not disappointed at all. Things were a little different than my typical Friday night show, but I’m keen on three more bands than I was before. With a belly full of pancakes and a brain buzzing with new jams, I head home, drumming on my steering wheel the whole way.
SEE THE FULL GALLERY OF THE NIGHT HERE!
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