By ANDREW FICKES
On Aurora Avenue north of Seattle in Shoreline there is a dive bar unlike any other – a nostalgic relic of 1970s Americana.
Darrell’s Tavern is the place and at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20, one of Eugene’s finest and wittiest songwriter/performers, Dan Jones, took the stage with his new project, Golden Motors.
On Friday, I got a message from Mike Last, frontman for Eugene alternative/Americana group the Stagger and the Sway. He told me he was heading up my way with Golden Motors to fill in on drums.
The opportunity to watch Last on drums, an instrument he originally started on with Dan Jones and the Squids, was an opportunity hard to pass up. Plus, I was eager to finally watch Dan Jones live on the stage after receiving a recent 45 he released, which included his original pop/rock hit, “Don’t Be Afraid of Love.”
When I arrived to Darrell’s Tavern, the place was packed. I sat down at the vintage U-shaped bar and ordered myself a Coors Light. Amy and Michael DuDash of Shoreline sat next to me and began to share with me about the bar and how owner Dan Dyckman singlehandedly brought back Darrell’s Tavern to its original glory.
“[Dan] has done a really good job of getting a lot of good music in here,” Amy DuDash said.
As Golden Motors crashed through their set with brazen guitar and intelligent post-grunge, pop/punk melodies, I got to meet Dyckman. He said he purchased the bar from an 85-year-old man (who has since passed away) in the spring of 2010.
Since then, Dyckman set himself on a trajectory of revitalizing the bar and bringing it into the 21st Century.
Featuring Jazz on Sundays and Heavy Metal/Taco Tuesdays, Dyckman has created a new hot spot in Shoreline that even the old-timers enjoy.
Amy DuDash said Darrell’s Tavern has joined city of Shoreline’s rebranding. She said the city is fast becoming known for more than just its casinos.
Meanwhile, Golden Motors pulled off a powerhouse set. Dan Jones and crew made playing music look easy. The quartet opened the three-band bill like a well-oiled machine. Golden Motors showcases music that is both fun and upbeat.
Many songs were heavy alternative/pop rock. Some tunes had a definite 90s post/grunge feel. The off-the-wall color was similar to acts like The Presidents of the United States of America.
Golden Motors is a new project of Dan Jones, who made his name and reputation originally as the frontman for Dan Jones and the Squids. Jones said he grew tired of the nomenclature of the band’s name and wanted a band name that felt more like a band. He said after a while he didn’t like having his name in the band.
“I wanted a new lineup and a new sound,” Jones said. “[Dan Jones and the Squids] is like a softball league. We can always get back together.”
Dan Jones and Squids have several albums to their credit.
Golden Motors, embarking on new territory, is set to release its debut later this year. Jones said songs will be about tigers, spiders and flowers. One song in the set was “Rats.” Jones belted: “Are you ready for inspiration?/Are you hoping things will sort out?”
Golden Motors is exactly what you’d play at a raving party. Jones is likely in his 40s but he dresses and performs like he’s 18 and his new rock band just made it on the cover of Rolling Stone and their music is burning up the airwaves, primed for world domination.
And what’s enjoyable about Jones is his keen ability to know when less is more and when it’s okay to slow down the pace of a song. In that respect, Jones is an artist, not just a rock star.
Case in point: Golden Motors took the traditional rock approach and made the first three songs of their set up-tempo and in-your-face jarring rock and roll.
And then, liked I’d hope they’d do, they switched it up and played a considerably slower song in three-four time. The song was “Panther Girl.” And I loved it. I’m a sucker for slow rock songs.
I told Jones after the show that I appreciated the slower paced song.
Jones told me, “I like a band that can do both [up-tempo and down-tempo] and everything in between.”
‘Nuff said.
0 comments:
Post a Comment