Zip up your fly and say goodbye

The very last Club Pow! ever:
It feels like everyone used to show up for Club Pow! at The Press Club on Monday nights at precisely 11 p.m. on the dot. But when I arrived at said time this past Monday, I was late: The club was already slamming busy.

Sadly, these hour-to-midnight arrivals at Club Pow! are gone: Ira Skinner is leaving The Press Club and his weekly indie-dance to-do is no more.

The very last Club Pow! ever, however, was banging. The Press was nearly wall-to-wall packed with what felt like half-a-decade’s worth of familiar faces: Shaun Slaughter in the deejay booth. DJ Mike C. in the crowd. Shutterbug Amy Scott at the stage shooting grabs. Clay Nutting in the house fliering (see page 58).

“How big are your pockets?” a guy whispered into my ear, creeping up behind me. I spun around and it was David Mohr, formerly of 20,000, now of Favors, who slipped a hand-crafted CD by his new band into my hand, which I then slipped into my big-enough pocket. Turns out, Mohr is rehearsing live with members of the Impotent Ninja and hopes to start playing gigs as Favors by early summer (not soon enough, dude; get cracking).

Anyhow, the point is that it was an evening of local-music-scene faces, everyone there to have one last good Pow! and also show Skinner some appreciation.

Dusty Brown—playing as a three-piece with Jessica, Dusty and Zac—were onstage finishing their set as I wiggled through the crowd. I’d seen Dusty a couple weeks earlier, as a two-piece, but was taken aback at how far removed the band’s sound was with Jessica on vocals—and in a good way.

Later, Pow! went out with a bang as de facto most-popular-band-in-town and Sacramento Bee cover boys the New Humans headlined. The crowd likely rivaled in size that of the sold-out Cake show earlier that same night at Blue Lamp.

New Humans were tight, but I’ve got a bone to pick: They’re not mod enough. You know what I mean? OK, so maybe you don’t, but here’s the gist: Four guys get onstage to play, clothed in leather and black, and, while I’m no slave to fashion, I get all geared up for an angsty set of dissonant post-mod rock jams. But then New Humans start up and the vibe is more theatrical—almost vaudevillian, blues-inspired anthems—than a “fuck you” rock bit, like something the Jam might play.

Still, I’m interested to hear their forthcoming EP, which was recorded by Zac Diebels of Rock Inc. and will be out early next year.

In the meantime, Adam Varona of the Inversions has taken over booking Press Club. Skinner now will be doing more studio work; contact him at http://www.myspace.com/irasleepsover if you need a producer. (Nick Miller)

Drinking with math professors:
I almost freaked out when I arrived at Old Ironsides on Monday night, because I thought I saw my former college math professor on the drums. Then I realized the drummer, unlike my professor, had his fly zipped up all the way and was missing a trademark mustard stain on his shirt. Still, Igor & Red Elvises was, according to my boyfriend, the most entertaining show we’ve seen all year in Sac. And the crowd was the happiest group I’ve almost ever seen: Everyone wore enormous grins as the rockabilly/rock/surf group went through their greatest hits, including “I Wanna See You Bellydance” and “Drinking With Jesus.” There were several “Kumbaya” moments on the dance floor: group hugs; encouragement for those trying to combine Russian, swing and belly-dance moves—except for the lady in red across the room, who tried to hypnotize others with her sultry hip swaying. Guitarist and scat vocalist Milka Ramos, probably barely 5 feet tall, was a force to be reckoned with. She had a raw yet refined voice, a commanding presence and some of the most hilarious gestures and words mouthed between lyrics. Igor Yuzov and his Red Elvises had so much energy they could have done a show inside Arco Arena with the same effect. (Jenn Kistler)