I know that it’s hard to believe, but there are actually bands in Detroit that don’t play “garage rock”, have not played with the White Stripes and are not being written up in the NME in the UK. I have been guilty of this as much as anybody else, so it was time for me to head down to the Lager House to see the return of Easy Action.
I still need to get this timing down; I pulled into my familiar spot in the Lager House parking lot and was horrified to see that it was mostly empty. My faith in the tastes of the Detroit audiences was quickly justified as people started pouring in to the place as soon as soon as the music started. First up was the Wolfman Band – I figured this out all by myself during the first couple of songs because everybody in the band was wearing a “wolfman mask”. They immediately tore through some unforgettable covers including “Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent. I was very impressed by the choice of material as this now allows me to skip the upcoming Nugent/Aerosmith/Kiss show at Comerica and probably save about $80. There were other nuggets of musical history that filtered through from their performance including a very time Stooges cover. Now I love thrashing reunions of any band from the 70s, but a Stooges Reunion tour cannot possibly be limited to one show in California – there MUST be a Detroit show. Cobo Hall stands there empty, beckoning Iggy and the Asheton brothers to finally return home.
As my mind wandered back into the present I was totally knocked out by the Sullen from St. Louis. I have never heard of them before the show, but by the end I was happily clutching their CD and yelling for more. These kids were young, but they quickly warmed up to the Detroit crowd and gave us a rocking great time. (Note for out of town bands: guys yelling “Fuck You” from the crowd are just giving you the Lager House version of “Welcome to Detroit”.)
After this pleasant interlude it was time for Easy Action to finally return to Detroit. Their lineup was a little different, but anytime John Brannon is playing on a stage – I will be there. He’s given so much of himself to music in Detroit from Negative Approach through the Laughing Hyenas to Easy Action that I feel privileged to hear his band again.
I have seen Easy Action a bunch of times and have always been impressed. This time was no different – they kicked ass playing all of the Easy Action staples and throwing in some NA for us old-timers. It was one of those magical nights were the music and the show all came together – and it’s the reason that I feel so honored to see this kind of music on a regular basis in Detroit.