#theindependentSF – The Boring Old Man

Another night at The Independent, one of our favorite venues, to see one of our favorite live bands, Des Rocs!

Christopher Shayne from Phoenix, AZ was the opening act tonight, and someone we’d never heard of. When they took the stage I didn’t know what to think – the first guy I see is sporting a cowboy hat, the next guy has long hair reminiscent of Chris Cornell, followed up by a dude with a foot tall Mohawk! Once they hit it, it all made sense! Lynryd Skynyrd meets Soundgarden with a good ‘ol boy meets punk attitude. Let me tell you, these guys KILLED IT! It was fantastic from start to finish. “All killer, no filler” as the saying goes. I was beyond impressed, the drummer was rock solid, powerful and right in the pocket through the whole set. The guitar work was excellent, particularly when they broke into harmonized leads, just mesmerizing. Really, the whole band was straight up professional and they tore the roof of the place. I was actually bummed when the set was over, they left me wanting more!

The second act – Starbenders – we’d also never heard of, and they gave up a mixed performance. Musically, they were pretty good. Drums and bass were pretty basic, but solid. The lead guitarist looked like a younger version of Slash minus the top hat and tattoos, and played some impressive stuff wrangling his Les Paul around. My biggest gripe came from the vocals…most of it was ok, but she used a weird voice + effect thing – a lot – that was frankly just grating. Like literally the sound frequency was painful…I don’t know how to describe it exactly but it really distracted from an otherwise decent set. What I will say, certainly some of the songs were really good and they all gave 100% on stage. It was definitely a performance, not a recital.

Finally the main event, Des Rocs! What can I say, this guy is simply one of the best live acts on the scene today. This was (I think) the 5th time seeing them in SF, and once again they just knocked it out of the park. The energy they put out on stage is electric and it is the kind of show that ALL rock shows should aspire to. If you like live music at all, you owe it to yourself to see them at least once, you won’t regret it!

When all is said and done, it was a fantastic night! Excellent musicianship all around, tons of energy, cool venue. An all around win!

Thanks for stopping by!

Another trip to one of our favorite venues, the Independent in San Francisco.

Tickets for this show were a birthday gift from my daughter, so that made this show just that much more special!

This was our 4th time seeing Des Rocs live and it certainly won’t be the last!

The first time we saw Des (Daniel Rocco, by birth), he was the opening act, and we were floored. He’s an incredibly talented vocalist AND guitarist, but what really seals the deal is his charisma. He’s one of the most engaging front men I’ve ever witnessed, and he’s been better every subsequent time we’ve seen him.

Needless to say, both our excitement and anticipation levels were very high for this show.

The opening act was First in Flight, whom we’d never heard. Talk about an unexpected surprise! The band was fired up from the start, and the whole set was a high energy affair. Their music is a little tough to describe…the best I can do is “modern/alternative rock, with a very slight nod to hair metal”. And I mean that in a good way…strip away all the hairspray, eye liner and spandex from “hair metal”, and you will often find talented musicians and catchy tunes. Overall, they put on a great show and are now on my watch list for future gigs. Well done gentlemen!!

Next up was The Blue Stones, also new to us. This is yet another 2-piece guitar/vocals and drummer/vocals group, and they weren’t messing around! Their set was powerful, and both these guys obviously knew their way around their instruments.

My only “gripe” with their set (if you can call it that) was that the guitar got a little lost in the mix. He had a really tasty, overdriven, fuzzed out tone, which I love, but it got a bit swamped in a live setting. I suspect – though have no proof yet – that their recorded material is stellar. Some really fine musicianship was on display and I look forward to digging deeper into their catalog.

When Des hit the stage it was electric, right outta the gate.

The band (drummer and bassist) are the same two guys that have been backing him since the first time we saw Des, and they were both on their game and obviously still having a lot of fun with it, which is infectious!

Des himself…what can I even say? If you’ve never seen him, you are missing out. A musician like this comes along so very rarely, it’s difficult to describe what he does to a crowd. Aside from his singing and guitar work (which are exceptional, without question) he just comes across as so genuine and personable, he just draws you in immediately and you get totally enveloped in what’s happening on stage.

I’ve been going to rock shows for 40 years now, and have seen literally hundreds of bands. From the biggest bands the world has ever heard to the flash-in-the-pan, never heard of ’em groups and I can tell you with 100% conviction that Des Rocs is SPECIAL.

If you ever get the opportunity, go check him out, you will not be disappointed!

Thanks to all the musicians (and crew that makes all the magic on stage possible!) for a hell of a night. This was a fantastic night of music, with unexpected treats, and I couldn’t be happier about it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tag: #theindependentSF

Concert Review: Des Rocs at The Independent, San Francisco CA

Concert Review: Des Rocs at the Independent, SF