Brick By Brick - Bay Park, San Diego
February 15th 2003
By Amber Shaffer, SDAM Staff Writer
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I don't know if I pick the right nights to go to Brick by Brick or it it's just a rowdy venue.
Probably a little bit of both, since I've only been twice and both times there have been some sort
of commotion. And being a predominantly hard rock, mostly male scene, fights or people being ejected should
be expected. Still, I like it there. They have a decent wrap around bar, two pool tables, underused diner-like
bench seating along one wall, and an area I didn't notice the first time I was there – a seating
area with a few comfy looking couches, some mood lamps, and blocked off by flowy, sheer red curtains. And
since the shows are never on time, you'll want a good place to sit and enjoy your drink. I like the
door staff too. And I have to say Security is pretty on top of trying to manage the scene, although those
being "managed" might disagree with me. Allow me to elaborate.
Speedball, a metal act whom I would have enjoyed more had they eliminated the screaming portions of their vocals, had a few energetic fans in the audience. I'm all for pits and support the philosophy of if you're scared of getting hurt, don't go near the front. But there really wasn't much going on here except one guy, his girlfriend and another of his friends shoving each other around for a verse or two every once in a while. But one of the guys was trying to instigate a pit during the whole set, roaming around the entire floor, bumping in to people who were staying as far away from the pit area as they could to try and get them riled up. Eventually security went over to tell him he needed to mellow out a bit or he'd have to leave (he and his two cohorts had been knocking each other over a lot) and the next thing I knew there was five or six person fight going on. It was brought under control and all the brawlers were taken outside in under a minute. And to Speedball's credit, they did a good job of re-engaging the jarred crowed by playing what would be considered a very radio-friendly rocker. Their "love song" they joked. They also had an interesting song called Number 5 that included use of a live whistle by the drummer. The final band, Crank Wrench Audio, was the reason I had even motivated to come out of the house that night. Last time I saw CWA, I had no clue who they were, but I left the show impressed; they definitely stood out among all the bands that played that evening [see Amber's review of that previous event]. Tonight I was able to spend a little more time analyzing what it was that makes them good. To begin with, they're a tight quintet. Their stage presence is infectious although the blonde guitarist could do with a little movement, but to his credit, I don't think it's because he's uncomfortable, he just doesn't rock with as much vigor as his other string-wielding companions. For a local act, they have pretty decent stage lighting, and I'm not just talking about the Jesus candles sparkling all around the stage. And although the sound system at Brick by Brick is nothing to brag about, I could still make out enough of the lyrics to know I liked the composition of the songs. Honestly, they're just a good act to watch and I'm partial to rock that has some element of programming to it. And just to note, the singer skulks about in a trench coat and beanie before and after the show, but when he's on stage he puts out enough intensity to be engaging but not so much that you don't like him. Plus I like when he gets dramatic on his knees; it reminds me of AFI's frontman with the dark heart. Their set seemed short, maybe 7 songs including an old Police cover, but as my new friend Jamie (he's the bassist for local band Festerbilt) pointed out, it's a wise choice because it leaves the audience wanting more. I know I did. After the show I was telling CWA's guitarist Krys about SDAM and encouraging him to post their gigs so more people know about the shows since the band currently doesn't have a Web site, at which point he asked me if I was the person who wrote the review of them on our site. He had a semi-strange look on his face when he said it, but didn't elaborate. I'm positive it was because I don't write your typical music reviews; I spend more time explaining why I had fun or not, what was going on around me, and making wise cracks than trying to analyze the technical merit of a guitar solo or make snobby comparisons to bands nobody else has heard of. In the case of Crank Wrench Audio, all I need to tell you is they're a solid band, a lot of rock, a little industrial and goth, and very worth checking out live. They aren't one of those bands that have the potential to BE good; they ARE good. Find out more about Crank Wrench Audio. |