Celebrated Canadian Hard-Rock Trio Comes To Bay Area
By Dave Pehling
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Tuneful Toronto-based hard-rock trio Danko Jones pays a rare visit to the Bay Area this weekend, headlining shows in San Jose and San Francisco starting Friday night.
Founded by namesake lead singer and guitarist Danko Jones, bassist John "JC" Calabrese and drummer Michael Cari Cari in 1996, the trio developed a hook-laden, cowbell-banging sound that drew influence from such classic acts as AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, Kiss and Motörhead while touching on the propulsive energy and raw aggression of punk. Initially insisting they would only be a touring act and had no plans to record any of their original songs, Danko Jones built a solid following playing in Canada and the northwest with like-minded punk upstarts including the New Bomb Turks, Nashville Pussy, the Dirtbombs, the Chrome Cranks and the Demolition Doll Rods.
The band would eventually relent and release an eponymous EP in 1998 that featured several of their brief, raucous salvos that showcased Jones' knack for writing singalong choruses, cheeky lyrics and punchy guitar riffs. A second EP followed before the trio was signed to Swedish label Bad Taste Records, which repackaged the two EPs together on a single disc (I'm Alive and On Fire in 2001) with wider distribution prior to issuing the band's proper debut album, Born a Lion, the next year.
Though the band was already enjoying rising popularity in its native country, their radio-ready hard-rock tunes didn't really fit into the format of most U.S. stations playing rock music. Danko Jones would concentrate their efforts on Europe, releasing a string of albums through the decade and becoming a popular enough festival act to earn stints opening for the Rolling Stones, Motörhead and Guns n' Roses on both sides of the Atlantic.
Despite a steady turnover of drummers (current member Rich Knox has held down the stool since 2013), Danko Jones has maintained it's status as one of the leading lights of modern hard rock, thanks in large part to their explosive, high-energy stage show. Jones has also branched off into spoken word, moving from being a part-time radio host and releasing his spoken word album The Magical World Of Rock to touring his self-described "lectures" and starting a podcast with frequent co-host, Toronto comedian Nick Flanagan.
Last year, the band teamed with noted heavy rock producer Garth Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Kittie, The Melvins) for the band's forthcoming ninth album, A Rock Supreme. The trio's first for new label M-Theory Audio, the effort set to be released in late April presents another fist-banging salvo of crunchy, hard-rocking ear candy including the opening high-octane raison d'être anthem "I'm In a Band" and the swaggering "Fists Up High." The band will play classic hits and preview tunes from the new record at these two shows with tour partners Nashville Pussy and Prima Donna.
Started in 1996 by former Nine Pound Hammer drummer Blaine Cartwright, the Atlanta-based group drew their name from a crass bit of Ted Nugent banter and found Cartwright switching instruments to match his guitar-playing skills with his wife and fellow ax-wielder Ruyter Suys. Similar to contemporaries Danko Jones, the band put a punk-rock twist on sleazy, blues-infused '70s hard rock deeply indebted to AC/DC, Motörhead and the aforementioned Nuge. While they have maintained an underground appeal during the band's 20+ year career, Nashville Pussy has been nominated for Grammys (for their song "Fried Chicken And Coffee" from their 1998 debut), toured arenas with the likes of Marilyn Manson and regularly had their music featured in television and film. LA glam punks Prima Donna open both shows at the Ritz in San Jose on Friday and Slim's on Saturday.
Danko Jones with Nashville Pussy and Prima Donna
Friday, Feb. 15, 8 p.m. $20
The Ritz
Saturday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m. $20-$22
Slim's