King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard -- U Street Music Hall - Jun 21 2015

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - This Australian outfit has enough albums out to make you think they have been around for 20 years based on the release rates of most bands these days, but in fact they are merely one of the most prolific bands out there. There records are steeped in their brand of psychedelia and are quite interesting, but it is this live performance where it all comes together in a masterful display of classic psychedelic rock. There is a 13th Floor Elevators vibe with loads of guitar a distorted harmonica and a steady throbbing rhythm section. The songs may not be quite as catchy, but the overall effect is nearly as mesmerizing. They play a mix of short songs and long jams with enough shifting around in arrangements to keep things quite fresh throughout. The club was half full but everyone was up front and as stoked as any crowd I have seen in some time. They even did a solo voice/guitar encore saying they usually don't do encores, but such was the crowd's roar. So clearly this band is connecting and as their unique name gets out there and the word of mouth continues to spread, these guys could and should really get big... at least as big as Black Angels and other fine bands in this arena. Great sound tonight, too, U Street.

photo: 9:30 Club tweet

Quote of the Night: From my favorite Irish football player Roy Keane's autobiography discussing the possible signing of the (aptly named) Robbie Savage.

'I rang Mark Hughes. Robbie wasn't in the Blackburn team and I asked Mark if we could try to arrange a (transfer) deal. Sparky said: 'Yeah, yeah, he's lost his way here but he could still do a job for you.'' Keane explains.

'Robbie's legs were going a bit but I thought he might come up to us, with his long hair, and give us a lift - the way Yorkie (Dwight Yorke) had, a big personality in the dressing room. 'Sparky gave me permission to give him a call. So I got Robbie's mobile number and rang him. It went to his voicemail: 'Hi, it's Robbie - whazzup!' like the Budweiser ad. I never called him back. I thought: 'I can't be f**king signing that.'"