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© St. Petersburg Times, published July 25, 2002
Don't fight this System
System of A Down blessed us with one of last year's finest albums, the bristling Toxicity. (It made my Top Ten list.) The Los Angeles quartet plays fierce hard rock with smarts, and the occasional cello.
Singer Serj Tankian sings bravely of wack politics and social injustice, never afraid to let his wail twist into something beautiful, as evidenced on the radio and MTV hit Chop Suey. Dig that song's wonky vocal overdubs and harmonies to get an idea of the band's creativity. Not to mention,these guys thrash mightily, with angular guitars and whiplash-inducing syncopation that might prevent some listeners from hearing the messages, which rant against the prison system and the evils of government.
System of a Down performs with Meshuggah and Pulse Ultra at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the USF Sun Dome, 4202 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. $25. (813) 974-3002.
The very coolest thing we at Team Pop have heard of anyone doing at a wedding involves 1980s arena rock band Night Ranger and its hit Sister Christian. Anyone who grew up hearing 1980s arena rock knows that Sister Christian was pretty much the anthem of ick.
Remember these lines: "Motorin,' what's your price for flight? And finding Mister Right? You'll be all right tonight.'
Anyway, how cool is this:
You know that comedian Kathy Griffin -- the loud-mouthed, brassy redhead from television's Suddenly Susan, starring Brooke Shields? Last year, at her wedding, as 60 guests cracked up, Griffin had Sister Christian played as her bridesmaid Shields walked down the aisle. As the song hit the rocking "motorin"' crescendo, Griffin emerged on her 84-year-old father's arm, strolling to the altar to greet her intended.
Night Ranger, the second act on the bill Sunday with Bad Company and the Pat Travers Band, will likely thrill nostalgic fans with Sister Christian and (You Can Still) Rock In America, whose plucky patriotism probably resonates more so with fans, post-Sept 11.
Bad Company performs with Night Ranger and the Pat Travers Band at 8 p.m. Sunday at Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. $43.50-$47.50. (727) 791-7400.
Hip-hop heads know the Def Jux tour coming to the State Theatre this weekend features some of the underground's most exciting acts.
El-P, that red-head rapper from Manhattan, is the founder of the Def Jux label, home to all the acts on the bill. El-P, 27, burst on the scene in 1997 with the trio Company Flow (also starring Bigg Jus and Mr. Len.), pricking up the ears of hip-hop lovers, haters and imitators alike with tricky lyrics and an anti-industry stance. Soon after, El-P produced a critically-acclaimed disc from then unknowns Cannibal Ox, cementing his rep as a visionary, or at least, someone to watch.
Keep watching, because now solo, El-P just released the awesome Fantastic Damage, a whirlwind of a disc that finds him as confrontational as ever. As an MC, El-P's approach has nothing to do with typical rap braggadocio; he doesn't try to prove "gangstability" for bankability. Rather, El-P tackles tough personal demons, keeping it real by rhyming brilliantly about growing up with an abusive stepfather and a sister who was raped. Also on the bill: fellow New Yorker Aesop Rock, whose moniker hints at his penchant for dropping historical anecdotes into his rhymes; Boston's political Mr. Lif; RJD2; and the Tampa Bay area's own Red Tide, who does the Southeast scene proud with hip-hop that's intelligent and steeped in polysyllabic panache.
The Def Jux Tour featuring El-P, Aesop Rock, Mr. Lif, RJD2 and Red Tide kicks off at 8 p.m. Sunday at the State Theatre, 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. $15 advance, $17 day of show. (727) 895-3045.