The Ponys Attract Motorheads, Maintain Focus

Not wanting to miss the Chicago-based Ponys for a second time in seven months, I made sure to ingest a healthy dose of café latté prior to making my way to the Crocodile Tuesday night (11/6). My day job as a desk jockey, you see, requires me to be awake at inhuman hours, so getting to a fucking rock show on a weekday night is a process that sometimes involves the most legal of drugs (don’t worry, I had beer, too). Turns out I should’ve said “No” to legal drugs, because these guitar heroes provided any and all necessary energy I would need to enjoy their distinct brand of garage-psych.

Led by gargantuan guitarist/vocalist Jered Gummere (seriously, they DO grow them as tall as corn out in the Midwest), and perpetually wobbly guitarist Brian Case, the Ponys once again solidified themselves as true rock ‘n’ roll stalwarts when it comes to melting one’s brain (in a good way) with hazy and harmonious hooks. In a genuine effort to create a cloud of fuzz, Gummere continually employed his cherry-red Epiphone as a quasi-violin, substituting his cabinet for the bow. Mostly while on his knees. I’m not sure if Case had ants in his pants, or had simply lost his depth perception, but I constantly felt as if I was gonna have to catch him in my arms if he fell off the stage. It was probably his bad-ass guitar squalls that polluted his line of balance. Of course, bassist Melissa Elias kept the soul flowing with her usual disaffected deftness, and Nathan Jerde’s drumming couldn’t have provided a better backbone if he had skinned a giraffe.

Despite the fact that Seattle show-goers have been lambasted (mostly unjustly) for being apathetic boors in the dancing department, this show certainly had it’s share of chaotic weirdoes. About three songs into the set, a cavalcade of camo-wearing motorheads invaded the floor with what appeared to be little interest in the performers or their immediate surroundings. I’m pretty sure I heard my lady say she was going to swipe one of the dude’s camo-hats and “shove it down his @#$% throat if he steps on me”. Awesome. Through it all, however, the Ponys kept their eyes on the prize, and finished the hour-long set (including a 2-song encore) with aplomb. The played about 80 percent of their latest release Turn The Lights Out (Matador), and hearkened back to their debut LP Laced With Romance (In The Red) for a good 4 or 5 songs. My favorite, Celebration Castle (In The Red), got a few nods with “Glass Conversation” and “We Shot the World”, both with noticeable tweaks since their 2005 tour.

If you missed this brilliant show, the onus is on you, my friend: make up for it by purchasing any of their excellent records.

*Special Note: Seattle three-piece Tall Birds opened the show and sounded great—kind of a punkish, 60s blues-rock sound. Tour partners Chin Up Chin Up, also from Chicago, didn’t really do it for me. Sorry dudes.

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