3/24/14

REVIEW/PHOTOS: Reverend Horton Heat w/ Nekromantix - The Roxy Theatre Los Angeles by Kelli Hayden

Hello from sunny Los Angeles! The weather here may be always warm, but hotter than usual after Reverend Horton Heat and Nekromantix have been melting our faces off with their psychobilly and "punkabilly" melodies during their 3-night residency at The Roxy Theater in West Hollywood. Walking into this show filled me up with teen angst nostalgia, back to yesteryears of being underaged and swooning over slick dudes with the likes of sexy Gretsch guitars, stand-up basses, and pompadours. All the ladies' hair, makeup, and outfits were perfectly put together which assures the rockabilly culture is still alive and strong, and continues to celebrate the era of the birth of rock n roll. This is known to many as the happy place. It's an actual lifestyle.

 The theater was max-capacity, completely sold out all three nights which consisted of an impressive line-up of Deke Dickerson, Nekromantix, and Reverend Horton Heat. Attending the second show out of the three, I walked in just as Nekromantix took the stage. There was already a mosh pit in full force. "It's on!" I thought to myself. Maneuvering through this crowd was going to be a tricky one as The Roxy Theater doesn't have a designated photo/press pit and I HATE shooting from the stage. Their lighting is so incredible for such a small venue, it's worth it to get squashed and elbowed in the jaw. I can't even remember the last time I listened to Nekromantix, but Kim Nekroman's stage presence was just as I remembered; spooky, animated, and illustrious - just like his iconic coffin bass that casts a shadow over everyone in the front row. I felt like I was watching a horror cartoon and I dug it (like a grave).





 Gentleman (and ladies)- START. YOUR. ENGINES. The Dallas-based group who coined the term "punkabilly" is upon us y'all, and I call shotgun! The curtains opened and Christ himself introduces the band. -Yep, you read that correctly- Jesus.  A bright red glowing "REV" sign flickers on and out walks Jim Heath, Jimbo Wallace, and Scott Churchilla. The room erupts with a loud roar of cheers and whistles. Consider our engines revved. For those who didn't quite get their fill of Kim, he came out as a guest for "Psychobilly Freakout". The rest of their set was nothing short of the expected: high-octane rock n roll with spit-whiskey-in-your-face undertones. Jim Heath effortlessly strums his Gretsch without missing a chord. Jimbo Wallace slaps his bass like it misbehaved, and Scott Churchilla doesn't miss a beat. Age is but a number, and as seasoned as they may be, they look and sound as if they've aged like a fine whiskey; smooth, but with a bite. They really brought it home. Again.