Since the end of the nineties, Motorcycle Black Madonnas have been one of LA’s most reliable purveyors of pounding rock and roll with an equal fondness for garage-psych hysterics and Blue Oyster Cult-ian sonic fantasy. Founding couple Marea and Jonathan Hall front a lean, powerful machine powered by bassist Richard Jones and drummer (and LA Beat scribe) John Collinson. The soon-to-be-released These Days (Dionysus) is their best record yet, a diverse and memorable collection of songs performed with the kind of confidence earned through hundreds of club gigs.
Their record-release party this Saturday at the Redwood Bar – at which vinyl and CD copies will be available prior to general release – also features the wonderful Third Grade Teacher, a local treasure seen too rarely these days. They’re joined by the remarkable improv trio Extra Frothy Dynamite, with Joe Baiza, Steve Reed and Brian Christopherson, and their last two appearances just about took my head off. EFFU (featuring former Madonnas bassist Kevin Keller) opens at 8:15 and Sssssss closes out the evening. Early arrivals (before 9pm) get in free. It’s another of the best bargains in LA, courtesy of the Redwood Bar.
