Showcase: Friday night at The Distillery

Featuring: BellStar, Christian Kiefer and Men with Guns, and Grub Dog and the Amazing Sweethearts

This past weekend I decided to head over to The Distillery at 21st and L streets to see a couple of my favorite local musicians. It turned out to be a show unlike any other I?d ever seen.

The opening band on Friday night was BellStar, a rock band out of Davis that I had never heard of before. Their performance started off pretty slow, and there was nothing that really struck me about them. But as their set moved on, I became more and more interested in their music. The songs all had the typical punk, rock and pop influences but the band did something different with them. They had a really good sound, which falls along the lines of British rock groups Radiohead (circa ?The Bends?) and Supergrass.

The most impressive thing about this band is the lead guitarist. This guy is awesome. Not only does he play a mean guitar, but in the song “Headstone Blues” he plays the guitar and the keyboard at the same time! I?d never seen this done before and I couldn?t believe how well it turned out.

After a short interlude, Christian Kiefer and Men with Guns took the stage. I only have one thing to say about Christian Kiefer: I have never seen anyone else play rock music on a banjo. Christian absolutely rocked on an instrument typically used for twangy country music and it was totally unconventional and unexpected. That?s the thing about Christian Kiefer, you never know what you?re in for when you see one of his shows. He?s melded together so many influences that he?s created his own musical styling. He?s alternative in the definitive sense of the word. He?s everything mainstream music is not and I love it.

So if you?re into that manufactured mainstream crap that?s all over the radio and MTV, then you probably won?t like Christian Kiefer. But if you?re up for something new and experimental, check him out. If nothing else, his guitar playing will absolutely amaze you.Headlining Friday night?s show were Grub Dog and the Amazing Sweethearts. These guys are veterans of the Sacramento music scene, and in my opinion, they are one of the best rock bands in this city. Grub Dog and the Amazing Sweethearts really define what good rock music is supposed to be. All of their songs are solid and fast-paced. Their live shows have lots of energy with the band getting very involved, dancing around on stage and really getting into their music, which always makes for an entertaining performance.

Grub Dog touts themselves as “the loudest band in town.” I could not agree more, as Grub Dog seemed to be unsatisfied with his volume and kept turning it up during the show. So if you decide to check out Grub Dog and the Amazing Sweethearts and you value your hearing, bring some earplugs. They are definitely the loudest band I?ve ever heard.

Got a band you think I should check out? Do you want to buy me a beer the next time I?m at Old Ironsides? Drop me an email [email protected].

See Ryan Endean?s previous columns at www.statehornet.com