Clint Brownlee

 

So there's your taste of how the new Brad record, Best Friends?, sounds and what the band thinks about it, courtesy of shaggy guitarist Stone Gossard, drummer Regan Hagar, and frontman Shawn Smith. It drops on Pearl Jam's Monkeywrench label, half a dozen years after it was recorded, on August 10. (Yes, it was worth the wait.)

More welcome news from the on-again, off-again band: A High Dive record release show on the day it's issued, and an in-store gig at Queen Anne's Easy Street Records two days later. And, for an appetizer, why not tune in to KEXP on August 4 (at noon) to hear a live studio performance?

There's no telling how long Brad will keep the live shows going—due partially to PJ's success, Brad has never been a full-time gig—so catch them while you can. And pick up the new record to show Shawn, Regan, and Stone you want them to continue making time to make new music.

There's still no answer to the potentially myth-building riddle that is Who Will Land the Title Role in That Kurt Cobain Biopic? But one name is no longer in the hat, if it ever was to begin with: Team Edward captain Robert Pattinson.

It's not that RPattz is too busy sucking on Kristen Stewart, that his filming schedule's too packed, or that he's Cobain-ignorant. The Nirvana fan—a dime says his favorite song is "Drain You"—essentially pulled himself out of potential contention by calling Cobain's long-self-suffering widow Courtney Love a "dick" for saying that he, Twilight Boy, would be "stupid" and "just wrong" as Kurt. "No offense," she finished. Apparently there was some taken.

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While this sucks for tweens and budding cougars, it's a cause for celebration for Nirvana fans. No one would possibly see a smidgen of Cobain's soul through Pattinson's eyebrows. (He does have the pale, thin thing going for him. But no naturally disheveled, seemingly aloof gravitas.)

It's also a good thing for one Mr. Zac Efron. If you're at all familiar with the ongoing efforts to silver screen-ize Charles Cross' Heavier than Heaven, with this picture, or with Kurt Cobain's regrettably slim oeuvre, you know there's no living being better suited to portray Cobain than Efron. (I've been calling for this inevitable casting decision for years, lastly on February 21. The video above was posted February 26. Is someone really listening?) He exudes dangerous duality. He simply oozes self-loathing. And who would look better in flannel?

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Attached director Owen Moverman (accomplished helmer of The Messenger) apparently won't be casting multiple actors as Cobain as was done in the Bob Dylan oddity I'm Not There, which Moverman co-wrote. That's good. But there's still plenty of time for him to screw up in filling the Nirvana frontman's celluloid shoes. Here's hoping he reads TSB.

Because while she was right about Pattinson, Courtney Love—a producer on the film with, presumably, Moverman's ear—is wrong about Scarlett Johansson. The woman born to play Love? Lady Gaga.

It's week-old news, but I'd be remiss not to relate Pearl Jam's latest philanthropic charge, Oceans, an aptly-named, regrettably necessary effort to "look after" the planet's "one Ocean for everyone and everything." The band launched a new page, http://pearljam.com/oceans/, which includes eleven ways to help our singular sea survive ungodly tragedies, provide a healthy environment for life, and more. That reverent video, for H2O-appropriate Backspacer track "Amongst The Waves," tops the page. Watch it again. And again. On your i-device. Proceeds (via iTunes download) benefit Conservation International's Ocean Campaign.

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As usual, Pearl Jam’s tour schedule is as serious as its activism, and the band is currently in Europe, close to wrapping a multi-week stint. And while you were enjoying rain-soaked fireworks, they were playing the Werchter Festival in Werchter, Belgium—where old-school colleague Dave Grohl joined the band for a blazing, encore-ending cover of "Kick Out The Jams."

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That's Them Crooked Vultures' Alain Johannes sharing shredding duties with Mr. Guitar-Behind-My-Back Mike McCready.

Yes, these guys have been playing together—with unflappable intensity—for nearly twenty years. Thank 'em by tossing a buck fifty into the wishing well that is our Ocean.

If you've ever hummed a Malfunkshun, Mother Love Bone, or Pearl Jam tune, you owe it to yourself to grab a copy of Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood Story when it's released on DVD later this year. (As you do if you've ever abused a substance, played a KISS record, plucked a guitar, or appreciate music in the least.) The touching documentary first played in Seattle via SIFF five years ago; it will finally get its available-to-the-masses due in August.

To celebrate the release, director Scot Barbour, Malfunkshun guitarist (and Andy's brother) Kevin Wood, and his mother, Toni Wood, presented the film at the new Hard Rock Cafe last Friday. And then Kevin, vocalists Shawn Smith and Tom Mick, uber-producer Jack Endino, and several other old friends and colleagues briefly recalled Andy's talents and lovingly played his "love rock" tunes—along with some new ones.

Malfunkshun captivated a sit-down crowd (peppered with visitors from Bainbridge, where the band formed 30 years ago) while the restaurant chain's logo bounded around TV screens all around its airy second floor. And the doc's heavy subject matter—the short, drug-fueled life of a talented vocalist and musician and the much shorter life of his two bands, Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone—elicited tears from family members and fans alike.

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The opening voiceover sets a harsh tone that gradually softens, but never gushes: Don't ask a junkie to be your frontman, says the Wood family's late father (who was possibly an addict himself). The tip punctuates a nighttime view of the Seattle waterfront, as seen from a metaphorical islander's ferry-approach to the city. Then Barbour takes us back to see how Wood unfortunately became that "junkie." While eagerly sprinting, and finally staggering—as his handwritten, therapy-mandated "drug-a-log" testifies—through the roles of beloved son, brother, fiancee, and best friend. And, of course, unforgettably flamboyant stage presence.

Windows on these facets of Andy's life are opened through interviews with those closest to him before he ever played or sang a note—Kevin says his first song came at three years of age—and when he died following an overdose in 1990. That includes brothers Kevin and Brian; mother Toni; bandmates Regan Hagar, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Bruce Fairweather, and Greg Gilmore; friends including Soundgardeners Chris Cornell and Kim Thayil; and would-be wife Xana LaFuente. Each clearly misses Andy and remains affected by "L'andrew the Love Child," who ironically pursued love rock while believing that "love is pain."

The interviewees' frankness and fondness make Malfunkshun riveting; their humor lends it—and the late Andy—a disarming charm. In one scene, Kevin, speaking while driving a green island road, says that he read a Satanic bible shortly after he and his brother formed Malfunkshun, as he thought the text might imbue him with a devilish shredding ability. (His post-film axe-wielding with a revived version of the band and his Shawn Smith-fronted act All Hail the Crown prove he never needed help. Or that he got it.) Several home-movie "interviews" with Andy—who through one monologue sits on a couch and puppeteers a large stuffed frog in his lap—display the guy's childlike innocence, faux delusions of grandeur, and honest wit. They're the qualities that drew people to him both on and off the stage.

Live and studio-recorded Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone songs play throughout the film, of course; the MLB tunes much more polished and straightforward, showing the evolution of Andy and his fellow musicians' sensibilities. Every song was, at the time—and is, in the documentary—a building block in the foundation on which Seattle's world-conquering grunge genre would be built. When Andy died and MLB folded, Pearl Jam (and Temple of the Dog, briefly) formed. Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden soon released big records. And history was made. He missed it all; it owed so much to him.

Following the Malfunkshun screening, Barbour, Kevin, Toni, and Endino professed gratitude for each others' roles in Andy's former mortal and future celluloid lives, appreciation for everyone in the room, and love for the man who had so much to share it came out in golden words and notes. The live music that followed—with Smith and former Feast vocalist Mick singing Andy's Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone lyrics—was love rock at its finest.

Malfunkshun's Hard Rock gig poster

Some 30 years ago, brothers Kevin and Andrew Wood and Regan Hagar formed the "love rock"-pioneering band Malfunkshun. Thanks to Kevin's scorching guitar, Regan's thunderous drums, and Andy's songwriting and charisma, the trio's music was one of the few things born in the '80s that didn't suck. (The face paint and stage antics, I think, sucked by design.)

That's why a resurrected Malfunkshun, and a forthcoming documentary about Andy and the band, aren't simply artifacts of nostalgia.

No, there's much more significance and depth to Malfunkshun the band, Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood Story, and all that's come between and since. Andy passed away in early 1990, just as his next band, Mother Love Bone, was on the brink of serious success. His void and the local music community's celebration of his short, bright life before it, you could argue, changed the world.

Kevin and Regan have continued making music in other bands, and at times with each other—even to play Malfunkshun songs with Shawn Smith at the mic (as From the North and All Hail the Crown). Kevin set up his own independent label, Wammybox, to distribute Malfunkshun-related music. And the film, which debuted at 2005 film festivals (including a Neptune Theatre-hosted SIFF sellout) and then disappeared as quickly as its subject, is finally getting a release.

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Next Friday's Malfunkshun event at the Hard Rock Cafe brings the film and the band—with a "surprise" vocalist singing Andy's original lyrics—back to the spotlight. (Tickets are available for both the music half and film screening/music whole.) I recently checked in with Kevin about this special evening and what will follow.

What’s going on with Wammybox? Looks like you’ve been busy.

Yeah, I got some distribution. The From the North Monument CD will be released commercially in August and be available in retail, iTunes, etc., and online at wammybox. I'm ready to support it as well in the flesh. I'm working with a cat in L.A. who is helping open some doors. I'm putting out All Hail in October, and have plans to release my brother Brian's CD in early 2011. [It is] co-produced by Stone Gossard. I'm also working on a solo Andy limited-edition vinyl LP.

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Will these releases be identical to your self-released discs?

All Hail the Crown is entirely new. From the North morphed into All Hail, but it's an entirely different thing. Rob Day and Mike Hommel are the rhythm section, and we decided to go with the new feel and sound. Shawn Smith is on vocals and that's about the only thing besides me that's the same as From the North.

The Andy CD will be the same as the Untitled Demos I've been selling at wammybox for years. I'm also going to package the old Mfunk stuff as well, but with limited distribution. That's kind of a niche thing for connoisseurs.

What kind of release is planned for the film?

[Director] Scot Barbour worked out a deal with Universal to put it out. The release will include an Andy solo CD and a re-release of the Malfunkshun Return to Olympus CD. It's a box set. The DVD and CDs will be available separately and by download at iTunes.

Why isn't Regan Hagar on the Hard Rock poster?

Regan was offered the option but declined. I don't know why. He is happy with being in Brad and Satchel and I am happy for him. He is truly one of my oldest friends. Steve Fourier is an incredible replacement, though. Watch for the drum solo.

If Shawn Smith isn't singing with Malfunkshun, who is?

I'm very excited about Shawn's success with Brad and Satchel, and extremely excited about having him in All Hail the Crown. All I can tell you is it's going to be a surprise.

Is All Hail recording new, non-Andy songs?

Yes, All Hail is all Shawn's lyrics. It was important to have the full-blown Shawn experience on the material. Rob Day wrote some of the tunes on All Hail too, so it's more of a collaborative effort. Everyone has room to shine. I still have tons of Andy material, though. He inspires me still.

Are you looking to carry "love rock" on with that band?

I carry the torch of love rock with every band I play in. Shawn and the guys are all on board as well.

Will the new Malfunkshun continue to play shows?

Yes, the dream is still alive. It really always went beyond the three of us. It was an all-inclusive expression of creativity that encompasses all influences and talents. That's what love rock is all about. A channeling of our gift of expression that includes and never excludes. An expression of love, in rock music.

Fans of rock poster art, take notice: This Sunday, you can ogle gig sheets, meet poster artists, and buy fiber wares at the Showbox (at the Market). It's sponsored by Pearl Jam's Ten Club fan organization, and will prominently feature "poster highlights" from the band's near-20-year touring history, but the Rock N' Art Poster Convention will include non-PJ works by accomplished print masterminds as well.

This unique event runs 1-5 p.m. and is free to the public. (Ten Clubbers get 30-minute early dibs on whatever "hard-to-find" stuff is for sale and whoever's there to meet.) Artists scheduled to be in the building: ACORN, Ames Bros., Brad Klausen, Brian Methe, Dan Stiles, Frida Clements, Geoff Peveto, GIGART, Guy Burwell, Jeff Kleinsmith, Jeff Soto, Jesse LeDoux, Justin Hampton, LMK, Mark 5, Marq Spusta, Maxx242, Munk One, and Nat Damm.

Easy Street Records owner Matt Vaughan will also be at the venue, selling audio treasures. "From their collection of rare, vinyl records," no less.

You don't have to know offset from silkscreen or Emek from Kozik. (I don't.) Just bring your eyeballs and your tubes, dudes.

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Just as you rise from your pit of depression opened by missing last week's "Nudedragons" show, the band (Soundgarden, via anagram) releases an official video shot at the Showbox event. But don't fall back into despair. The filmed performance of "Beyond the Wheel" only proves Kim Thayil, Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, and Ben Shepherd are back. Wow. We'll get a chance to see them again.

The announcement of Soundgarden's glorious return via Chicago's Lollapalooza stage didn't come as much of a surprise. By contrast, rumors of a super-duper-secret-friends-only Soundgarden show at the OG Showbox tomorrow night are raising local fans' eyebrows. Here’s an already-outdated summary of the sudden digital whispers.

Given last night's amazing Satchel/Brad/Malfunkshun/Mother Love Bone marathon at the same venue, it's possible an attending Soundgarden insider spilled the beans. (With all the legendary musicians on stage, you have to believe there were fellow musicians and friends behind the curtain.) But it's just as likely that some opportunist is chuckling as the fruits of his/her hot-aired labor spread across the interwebs.

What do you think? What do you know?

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Axeman Kevin Wood told me several years ago that if his Mother Love Bone-fronting brother Andrew was still alive, he’d probably be a "talk show host or a reality series panel judge." Even if he were a living TV personality, I suspect Andy would be appearing at the (original) Showbox on Wednesday, when the reunited Brad and Satchel, along with the remaining members of MLB, will take fans back two decades.

News of Satchel's return (including a new record) hit late last year, and after much local grassroots hype, the reunited trio rocked the Croc February 18. Though dissolved for 13 years between gigs, Shawn Smith, Regan Hagar, and John Hoag sounded sharp—and heavy.

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A sardine-packed thirty- and forty-something crowd was all smiles and shouts throughout the night. Stuck On A Bus, a seriously talented School of Rock quintet featuring Hagar's daughter on vocals, induced the giddiness with Led Zeppelin ("Whole Lotta Love," "Kashmir") and Black Sabbath ("War Pigs") covers, among others. (The kids, who'll rock the High Dive on Friday, effortlessly outshined sandwich act With Friends Like These.)

And then came Satchel and its effects pedals. You haven't heard a true "wall of sound" until you've heard Smith and Hoag's axes duel. That and Hagar's pounding kit (and guest bassist Jeremy Lightfoot's groove) had everyone stomping. The band killed tracks from their 90s albums EDC and The Family, barely pulling punches for the latter's softer songs. (Smith did settle behind the keys and croon unaccompanied through several songs) At least half the nearly two-hour set featured heavy new tunes, presumably off Satchel's new record, Heartache and Honey. They've since played the Sunset, and will follow Wednesday's show with an April 30 High Dive gig.

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Smith and Hagar are also founding members—along with Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard—of Brad, an on-again, off-again act that basically absorbed Satchel in the late '90s. And after three years between shows (and five between albums), Brad is back on. If its new promo photo is any indication, the band has also formally become a trio, shedding previous bassists Jeremy Toback and Mike Berg. Along with a fresh free song download, Brad will soon issue a new record (Best Friends?) on Pearl Jam's Monkeywrench label.

The together-again guys of Satchel and Brad aren't the only musicians convening at the Showbox this week. Gossard's Hank Khoir (an amoebic, eclectic Hank Williams-devoted collective previously boasting Pete Droge, Vince Mira, and others), Kevin Wood, Steve Fisk, Bruce Fairweather, Greg Gilmore, and Jeff Ament are all on the bill.

For those not keeping score at home, this impossible lineup makes the performance of songs by Malfunkshun, All Hail the Crown, Pigeonhed, and even Pearl Jam very possible. A reunited Mother Love Bone (with Shawn Smith at the mic, channeling Andy?) seems certain. Brad may be headlining this event, but every act will stand out.

The show is sold out, of course. Whatever the scalper asks for tickets, it will be worth the price.