Tired of derivative grunge rockers moaning about how miserable life can be? Wearied by ironic indie rock bands who act like being on stage is more of a joke than a thrill?
The cure may be a San Diego punk/R&B sextet known as Rocket From The Crypt. The band’s set at Metro Saturday night was an exuberant affirmation that fun is not a four-letter word, enthusiasm not uncool and entertainment is as much a part of rock ‘n’ roll as Fender Strats.
Sporting greaser coifs and leopard-skin-patterned bowling shirts, RFTC hit the stage looking like Sha Na Na on crack as it began slashing through a rapid-fire three-song intro of “I Know,” “Panic Scam” and “Made for You.” But if the band resembled a bunch of schmaltzy ’50s rock hambones, it sounded like a school of barracuda punks backed by a no-nonsense ’60s soul revue.
Led by raspy-voiced singer/guitarist Speedo, the rest of the band–JC 2000 (trumpet), N.D. (guitar), Apollo Nine (sax), Atom (drums), Petey X (bass)–ripped out song after song in a torrent of chugging axes, call-and-response vocals and staccato horn bursts that crossed the MC5 with a dash of Otis Redding. Throughout its set, RFTC maintained a balance between ferocity and finesse that kept the great hooks in tunes like “Young Livers” and “Born in 69” from being swallowed by its formidable roar.
As a unit, RFTC generates its megawatt power more through cohesion than through flashy chops, but its one obvious instrumental star was drummer Atom. The spindly stick-man’s ceaseless cymbal wash, aggressive syncopations and precision timekeeping were clearly the fuel that enabled this Rocket to achieve escape velocity.
The band occasionally varied the predominantly torrid tempo of its set with slower tunes such as “Used” and “Let’s Get Busy” that recalled the bluesy, rockin’/R&B sway of early Springsteen or Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. While any extended comparisons between RFTC and the old E Street Band aren’t exactly warranted, Rocket is one of the few groups around that captures even a small amount of the freewheeling, house-party thrill that the Boss’ late ’70s/early ’80s sets routinely delivered.
In large part that’s because RFTC openly embraces the concept of “rock ‘n’ roll as entertainment.” From its underrehearsed choreography to its oversized stage props to frontman Speedo’s tireless audience pumping, the band never forgets that rock ‘n’ roll is as much about a good time as it is about good music.
And that’s a prescription we all need now and then.
