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ZONY MASH / SWEETER THAN THE DAY - New Years - Vancouver


StoneMtn

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ZONY MASH / SWEETER THAN THE DAY

NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY with ZONY MASH, SWEETER THAN THE DAY, VARMINT (featuring Robin Holcomb) & THE HIGHBALLS

Venue: The Wise Club Hall (1882 Adanac St., Vancouver, BC)

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To put it simply, Zony Mash KICK ASS!! They are a killer jazz funk band from Seattle, lead by keyboard extraordinare Wayne Horvitz. I am constantly amazed that they are (or were) completely under the radar in our scene, cause they are four incredibly talented musicans (bass, drums, guitar, B-3/Rhoads) who can lay down a groove and bust crazy solos like no one else.

Put it this way: If Charlie Hunter, MMW, John Scofield Band, and Zony Mash were all playing on the same night, I'd be at Zony Mash, no question.

Sweeter Than the Day is the more acoustic incarnation of the band (same members), and they do beautiful, more quiet, jazzy stuff. That band still plays occasionally, but Zony Mash retired a couple of years ago. So the fact that they are coming out of retirement to play this NYE show makes it all the more special.

The only thing I'm a bit underwhelmed about is all the other bands on the bill. Even Sweeter Than the Day, who I also love - isn't really my idea of an NYE party band - and the others, even less so - I'd way rather see a 3-set 'evening with Zony Mash' show.

But there you go - Zony Mash freakin' RULES!

More info in another thread on another board here.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Music Choices

Groovy gigs this week

Publish Date: December 28, 2006

NEW YEAR’S EVE AT THE WISE HALL

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If Robbie Burns, author of “Auld Lang Syneâ€, time-travelled to Vancouver this Hogmanay in search of musical revels, he’d likely head for the New Year’s Eve bash at The WISE Hall. The canny Scottish bard would get good value for the coins in his sporran—an earful of music from three Seattle groups and one local outfit. Cover-band Varmint will play country, roots Americana, and Grateful Dead songs; Sweeter Than the Day will perform avant–chamber jazz; Vancouver’s faux-Mexican party band The Highballs will entertain with their mariachi-punk-ska-surf-Tex-Mex material; and Zony Mash, led by ex–Naked City keyboardist Wayne Horvitz, will carve psych-rock and jazz-funk grooves into the wee hours.

Alleged Schedule:

STTD/ZM 9-10:30

HIGHBALLS 11-12:15

VARMINT/ZM 12:30-on

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A short review, by my good friend KindVibes:

Kindvibes

Aficionado

Posts: 271

(1/1/07 8:31 pm)

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Zony Mash/STTD - 12/31/06

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I had high expectations for NYE this year - and they were surpassed. Zony Mash - what an incredible band - and it was that much better because it was music I thought I'd heard live for the last time (the band 'retired' a couple of years back). But they were back, and in full force - as amazing as ever.

We arrived at the WISE hall early to set up the recording gear and secure the prime table up front for our home base. For anyone who's never been, the WISE hall is a great venue - a big rectangular room with very high ceilings and nice chandeliers. The stage was a bit high but the sound was good. Bouncy dancefloor up front, with round tables and chairs (complete with candles for the occasion) around the sides and further back.

The evening started off with Sweeter Than the Day - the band is generally quiet and acoustic, but the crowd was in celebratory mood, so they cranked it up a bit for the occasion. They played a few really good songs to warm things up, then Wayne turned from the Rhodes to the B3 and proceeded to fucking rock the place with classic Zony Mash - the tightest funk to be found anywhere. It felt like they were just getting into the set, when they unfortunately stopped for a break.

Next up was the Highballs - a 'faux Mexican party band' - and it was just that - a mob of about 10 older, heavy-set dudes wearing leopard skin fezzes - I caught a couple of their names in their semi-intelligible inter-song banter: Senior Discount, and Manuel Labour (har har). They played Mexican flavored punk/ska kind of stuff. At one point there were two guys playing bass (lead bass and rhythm bass...?). It was a good party band, but I just wanted the serious funksters to return to the stage.

The Highballs did the countdown, etc., and it was a pretty raucous scene - champagne all around, and general revelry and jubilance. At around this time, great spread of food appeared at the back of the hall - samosas, fruit platters, cheese, and lots of yummy sweet things - great job on the food! Just what people needed to keep grooving.

Then Varmint took the stage - they did a set of cover tunes which were largely unknown to me - until the end when, for Cem's birthday (Jan.2, I believe...?) they played 6 Dead tunes in a row! Friend of the Devil, Candyman, Operator, Cream Puff War (!), and...a couple of other older, relatively obscure ones that I can't remember at the moment.

The highlight of the evening was...you guessed it - when the extra members left and they busted back into the Zony Mash catalogue - they closed out the night with a string of my favorite ZM tunes, which had me going off like mad right up front and center the whole time. For me, it just doesn't get any better than that. The fact that I was one of only about 10 people dancing (and me probably being by far the most into it - although AM was givin'er too, as usual ) left me mystified as ever as to why more people don't seem to dig what I consider, without exaggeration, some of the best, funkiest music I've ever heard.

Well, regardless of that, I had a friggin' great time - there were plenty of places to be for the big night this year, and I'm sure they were all a lot of fun, but there is definitely no where else I would rather have been for the occasion.

Huge THANKS to Cem and Zula for talking Wayne into ressurecting Zony Mash, and bringing them up to Vancouver - it was a very special show!

Viva la Zony Mash!!!

kv

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