THE WITHERS/PEOPLE'S TEMPLE/BLANK TAPES

Firstly, I don't review local bands so no comment on the Withers in this forum.

People's Temple come from Lansing, Michigan which I would have seen as a good sign if they hadn't already been  commanding the stage before announcing that.  As I found out after buying both their  LP and latest single they are comprised of two sets of brothers which brings me to  my  one detraction that  they were a bit too masculine.  Nothing wrong with that, especially when you never stop or slow down.  This band had me hooked pretty much the entire time.  Looking and sounding like everything great  about the 70s  their tight energetic hard rock ran the gamut from funky kraut to glammy new wave and everywhere in between.  It would be unfair to call the lead guitarist the standout,  but his unique Les  Paul style  was something to behold especially when simultaneously evoking Dick Dale and  Phil Manzanera.  The drumming was relentless in it's power and as  Miles commented, the player reminded him of Grant Hart at his peak.  The songs made you move while frying your brain which is  really what  I look for most in a band.  Towards the end of the set there was one real stinker though that made me question if I had even liked them up to that  point despite witnessing the best  harmonica playing  of my life mere moments before.  I don't  know what happened but they recovered and solidified their status as the best  70s rock band you will live to see.

I didn't stick around for much of Blank Tapes for personal reasons, but that's okay.  They were from San  Francisco and it was really  obvious.  In fact they should be called "Four Nice Kids from San  Francisco," but then no one would see them.  The bassist wore a goofy hat  and  played  a violin bass, the girl played a snare and floor tom with mallets and the twang  in her voice wasn't sincere.  The guy playing a hollow body guitar was a better vocalist, but the  whole  thing was just too light.  Then there was a guy  with glasses and one tambourine in the back.

I haven't listened to the People's Temple records yet, but that will change soon.  Either way they are to the 70s what the Brian Jonestown Massacre was to the 60s.