THE CHURCH OF JOSH VAN NESS

There's one thing I can definitely say about up-and-coming New Jersey artist Josh Van Ness: Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the man has got GUTS. There's plenty more to say, of course. This is, after all, a review, and reviews are meant to garner attention, whether it be positive or negative. There are reasons why I feel Mr. Van Ness has got it, and I'd be happy to illustrate them for you. First off, The Pontiac Grille on South Street (and Philadelphia in general, for that matter) is a hard venue for even a loud rock no roll band to get respect. People stand in dark corners and attempt to look as disinterested as humanly possible as the bands sweat their balls off trying to put on a good show. Friday night, February 1st, was no different. The bands played their guts out. The audience kept hitting snooze. This was definitely not due to the lack of energy of the bands. They moved, they sweat; they played their little hearts out...Crickets. In the midst of a night of loud, energetic hardcore/metal/punk/what-have-you, Josh Van Ness was brave enough to step on that stage without a band. No wall of noise to hide behind. No "I'll make your ear drums bleed until you listen to me" tactics. Just a man, a guitar, and some damn good rock n roll songs. I believe he even said: "Don't let the acoustic guitar fool you. This IS a rock n roll show." What nerve. Shit yeah! Wait, there's more: Not only did he get up there and face that obviously narcoleptic crowd head on, He woke them the hell up. With a tight, half-hour set of catchy, pop-soul fusion in the style of Jeffery Gaines, Edwin Mc Cain, and The Black Crowes, Josh Van Ness not only had new fans, he had believers. He kicked off his set with "(You Should Be) Careful What You Wish For", a song that should, for all intents and purposes, be on steady rotation on every modern rock station in the country. Hear to it once, you'll remember it. Equally as memorable songs like "10ft Tall" and "Spinning around" were driven by his soul-soaked voice and rock star attitude. He even played a cover of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" and made it believable. Now that's talent. Check out www.joshvanness.com to see when the next service will be held.

The Vexers

Sundays can be rough...Either I’m riding the remainder of a blissful weekend buzz, knowing full-well that zero hour is fast approaching, and the dagger-toothed imp known as the working week is around the corner, ready to bash my head in with a week of cold-hard responsibility, or I’m dead asleep until noon. But mostly, my friends, I'm just plain vacant. Nothing makes much sense. The hours slither by with indifference. It usually takes a score of attempts to rouse me from my nest to the cold streets of Philadelphia. This Sunday was not much different. I was lazy and disconnected. I needed a good wake-up call. I got it, thanks to the lovely four-piece punk band, The Vexers. The Vexers draw their influence from late 70’s British and NYC punk. The Buzzcocks, The Jam, The Dead Boys, and The Ramones get equal respects from the band. There are even touches of Patti Smith Group and modern-revivalists, Elastica, in the mix (possibly due to the fact that The Vexers are a female-fronted band). The Vexers are tight, really tight. Slamming effortlessly through a half hour set of aggressive, yet melodic punk. Punk played the way it should be played: just messy enough to prove the point that music is about heart, not precision, and tight enough to bring that point home hard. Yes, boys and girls, the Khyber was ablaze with some good old-fashioned truth. Keep your ears to the street and listen for the Vexers, you won’t be disappointed. - Joseph Lekkas.