By Cliff Hicks
Staff Reporter
Instrumental surf rock being
played by guys in Mexican
wrestling masks - need we really
say more?
Tonight, the frantic Los
Straitjackets will play
Knickerbockers, 901 O St., at 10.
Formed in 1994, the Nashville
quartet aimed to be something
different, something they defi
nitely have accomplished. In
addition to having no vocals, the
band literally has no stage face -
merely the Mexican masks they
wear.
“We’re just trying to be enter
taining on stage. That’s why we
wear them,” guitarist Danny
Concert Preview
together something that we all
thought would look really cool.
Rock ‘n’ roll isn’t supposed to be
that deep, I think.”
All of this instant recognition
does have its downside, though,
Amis said - anonymity after
shows.
“After the show, with the
masks off, no one knows we’re in
the band, so we miss out on all
the compliments and other
bonuses that come with being in
a rock ‘n’ roll band,” Amis said.
In addition to Amis, guitarist
Eddie Angel, bassist Scott
Esbeck and drummer L. J. Lester
comprise Los Straightjackets.
The balance of two distinct gui
tarists, both of whom have very
^different influences, gives the
band that balance between sever
al layers of sound.
“Danny and I play different
grooves, but there’s great chem
istry between us,” Angel added.
“It’s intangible. I honestly have
no idea how it works. All I know
is that we can’t force it.”
As for why there are no
words, Los Straitjackets are
quick to point out their reasons.
“Seventy-five percent of the
world’s music is all instrumen
tal,” Angel said. “Do you think
anyone misses lyrics in a
Coltrane or Mozart piece?”
Los Straitjackets also has got
ten its share of famous fans, from
Quentin Tarrentino to the mem
bers of Pearl Jam to Tom Petty.
The band is currently on tour
for its second album, “jViva Los
Straitjackets!” and has appeared
on Late Night with Conan
O’Brien. Tickets for the
show are $7.
_ Photo courtesy of Fishbone
FUNKMASTERS FISHBONE will play with Omaha homeboys 311 7:30 p.m.
Sunday at Westfair Ampitheatre in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Fishbone opens 311’s return home
By Patrick Miner
Music Critic
Be prepared to jump up and down
‘cause that’s the 311 and Fishbone
style.
Former Omaha band 311 and Los
Angeles-based Fishbone will bring
their hard-to-describe sounds to
Westfair Amphitheater in Council
Bluffs, Iowa, Sunday. The show
begins at 7:30 p.m.
The multidimensional sounding
311 is making its first return to the
area since the June 1996 show at the
Mancuso Convention Center in
Omaha. Since its last stop, 311 has
garnered much attention - courtesy of
plentiful MTV and radio airplay of
their breakthrough single “Down,”
from its 1995 compact disc “311”
The band followed up that song
with another modem rock hit, “All
Mixed Up.” This complemented an
already abundant word-of-mouth
grass-roots following.
Concert Preview
With the success of “Down” and
“All Mixed Up,” 311 found itself tour
ing extensively in ’96 and early ’97,
instead of releasing a record and con
tinuing its album-per-year trend.
Although the band released a four
song supplement to the “Enlarged to
Show Detail” video, released Nov. 5, it
took until Aug. 5 for its follow-up to
the double platinum “311.”
The band’s fourth Capricorn
album and seventh in the ’90s,
“Transistor” features 21 new tracks, as
well as a new sound for the band.
The album features less rapping
and more harmonizing than previous
releases. Standout songs include
“Beautiful Disaster,” “The Continuous
Life,” “Rub A Dub” and second, and
current, single “Prisoner.”
The album wasn’t exactly critical
ly acclaimed, as it was bashed by most
major magazine distributions for
being uncreative. The reviews didn’t
hurt record sales, however, as
“Transistor” debuted on the Billboard
Top 200 at No. 4.
At an Aug. 9 show at Denver’s Red
Rocks, 311 played 26 songs, 16 ofi
them from 1993’s “Music” and 1994’s
“Grassroots.” Only five were from the
new album.
The song selection made it clear
the band chose to perform their stan
dard, hard-driven show instead of
playing several tracks from the new
album. However, with more than a
month since the album’s release, the
band could very well play more of
“Transistor” since the Omaha fans
have had a longer time to listen to it
than the Red Rocks fans.
Although 311 has enjoyed some
considerable recent success, the past
year hasn’t been as eventful for
Fishbone. However, the band has
enjoyed long-term success that 311
Please see 311 on 14