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The Panic Channel with Bullets & Octane
Several weeks ago, traci asked me to reserve a specific date, saying she wanted to take me out for a “special evening.” I had no idea what she had planned, but I should have known. The sneaky little minx had gotten us tickets for last Friday’s concert featuring Dave Navarro’s new band, The Panic Channel!! Dallas is their third stop on the new tour supporting the launch of their upcoming album (ONe), and they decided to perform at Gypsy Tea Room, a cool little venue which holds about 200 people. We got there when the doors opened at 9, so we managed to score a place right at the stage.
We were eager to see The Panic Channel and really didn’t have patience for the opening band. We wanted to get right to it! But serendipity can be a wondreful thing, and we found out that Bullets and Octane was definitely worth a listen. Lead singer Gene Louis has charismatic, engergetic, and just plain knew how to work a stage and a crowd. Their music was a hard-driving combination of punk & metal, defying either description and borrowing liberally from both sub-genres. 
I liked their stuff so much, I went ahead and bought the CD at the show, something I rarely ever do.
My only problem with the show (aside from Gene’s occasional spitting into the crowd) was the mini-mosh pit of 17 year olds shoving one another during several songs. I know it shows my age, but when I go to a show I am there to hear the music and enjoy the live performance of the band, not focus my attention on keeping stinking, sweaty boys from knocking my girlfriend over. 
But regardless of my over-30 attitude, we had a great time watching them and discovering a kickass new band! I’d recommend checking them out on iTunes, but it seems their digital recordings on that site have some skips in them. So seek them elsewhere for now, but definitely get an ear full of them!
We were close enough to lean over and snap a shot of The Panic Channel’s set list…
After having followed the drama that resulted in the breakup of Jane’s Addiction as well as keeping tabs on Dave’s blog, we were both eager to hear the sound of the new band. After all, three of the four members of J.A. were part of Panic Channel. Only lead singer Steve Isaacs was new. So they could either be really great, or sadly mediocre. Luckily for us, it was definitely the former. Their sound falls squarely in the middle of what I consider modern rock. Kind of a mixture of old-school Zeppelin with a metal twist.
Call me star struck, but it was way beyond cool to be there at this little place, standing right next to the stage, and have Dave Navarro walk out and stand 2 feet away. I don’t care much about many celebrities, and so this wouldn’t have been quite so impressive except for the fact that traci and I have been following his career for the past several years. Oh, and the fact that traci has a tremendous crush on him! (yeah, her and every other female in the joint!!)
Actually, there was one other problem with the show. And that was the over-zealous attitude of some of the female fans. In their desire to move two steps closer to Dave Navarro, there were a few girls who simply tried to push past us, no matter what that meant. It began with constant and very overt shoving. And even that soon turned into tactics like pouring a beer down the back of the girl beside me (and all over my arm as well). One girl behind me who decided to put out her cigarette on my arm in order to get me to move!! Despite my upbringing, I was sorely tempted to stomp on her foot for such behavior, but quickly decided that the payback would not be worth getting thrown out of the club and forcing traci to leave her place at the stage. I settled for keeping my elbow in her ribs until she eventually got the message and moved back a bit.
Sheesh! What is wrong with some people?
After playing for well over an hour, they did a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” which was a nice treat. And they even took a few minutes to do an acoustic set, too. These guys are not only rockin’ the house, they know how to give a show
Anyway, get to iTunes and check out The Panic Channel (their two new singles are “Why Cry” and “Teahouse Of The Spirits”)! They’ll rock your ass.
Posted by FullMetalPatriot
12th gen. American, Constitutionalist, Harley-riding Texan, gun owner & NRA member, blogger, illustrator, Florida Gator alumnus. #TCOT
12th gen. American, Constitutionalist, Harley-riding Texan, gun owner & NRA member, blogger, illustrator, Florida Gator alumnus. #TCOT
