#bubblecats

This coming Saturday we’re back at The World Famous Kenton Club probably for the last time this year. Medicine Family has asked us to support their gig and I’m very excited. I dig Medicine Family, a band made up of a lot of really great musicians, most of whom played in another band I really enjoyed, The Git Rights.

When I first moved into the Kenton neighborhood about 7 years ago, The Git Rights would play a Sunday "Gospel Brunch" show once or twice a month. Basically a cover band that played everything from traditional gospels tunes to Tom Waits' Chocolate Jesus. I suppose if the song mentions Jesus it might get a chance to be part of the set. The frontman Michael, would set up behind a white pulpit with a goat skull affixed to the front (super metal). He'd dress up like an old west gunslinger turn preacher, sometimes with crazy feathers and shit coming out of his white cowboy hat. He played a black flying v acoustic guitar for fucks sake. The whole thing was a blend of sacrilegious fun, outlaw country, metal posturing but also a warm and genuine celebration of music and community. The Kenton Club would be packed to the gills on a Sunday afternoon in a way that would shame some of the bigger weekend nights. People loved that band, I know I did. Turns out they still play every once in awhile, I believe they played Doug Fir last summer with Hillstomp, it's just not as frequent as it once was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80fzhMimvEU

Anyhow, now I will remove my puckered lips from The Git Rights and place it directly on the ass of Medicine Family. They’re fucking cool. They kinda remind me of Wilco in that they are rooted American Rock but allow their sound to breath outside of those confines. They remind me of Bubble Cats in a way, refusing to have a singular sound - they are stylistically eclectic. The singer Jesse, used to drum in my old band Curious Hands. Another incestuous point I'd like to make is, Chris, Medicine Family's drummer and morning bartender at The KC, was the drummer of my very first Portland band, The Tallboys back in 2000-2001. We lived together with the rest of the band over in felony flats. I was with him on 9/11/01 people and that makes us run deep like baby seals. We used to get stoned (before it was legal) and watch Pokemon weekday afternoons at 4:30pm. Ah, the simpler times.