Inbreds Mike O'Neill (left)
and Dave Ullrich partied with the Santa Cruz crowd like it was
1994 at Lee's Palace Friday night.
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Photo By Paul
Till |
Inbreds' déjà vu
Reunited fuzz-rock duo launch 90s revival at Santa
Cruz
| THE INBREDS with FOX THE BOOMBOX at Lee's Palace, March 11.
Tickets: $10-$12. Attendance: sold out. Rating: NNN |
Now that teenagers are dressing like Adam Ant and bragging
about their 80s obsessions on Myspace, what's next for the urban
hipster elite? A full-on 90s comeback? After long-lost fuzz-pop duo
the Inbreds packed out Lee's Palace last Friday - a
feat they rarely accomplished during their Edgefest-era heyday - it
seems 90s retro parties are the next shit. And while there was a
conspicuous lack of flannel and Docs, the joint was nonetheless
rammed with nostalgic indie kids looking to turn the clock back.
Playing their first show since 1998, drummer Dave Ullrich
and bassist/singer Mike O'Neill were also feelin' the
vibe. "We never really got to say goodbye properly," declared
Ullrich to rapturous applause. "It feels like 1994 again."
No kidding. Despite the touch of grey in Ullrich's hair, the pair
sound exactly the way they did a decade ago. And even if Ullrich
still has a propensity to slow down and O'Neill's fingers flub a
bass figure here and there, their strengths were always melodic. And
on that note, the band was spot on.
Rather than boring us with a bunch of new stuff, they went the
Pixies route and delivered a greatest hits set. While some of the
band's lesser-known material dragged a little, songs like
Matterhorn, Prince and Any Sense Of Time were all rolled out with
the same earnest, stripped-down delivery that made the Inbreds indie
rock poster boys a decade ago. And the audience loved it.
Floored by the response, the pair said afterward it was their
best show ever. And judging by the lineup at the merch booth, it
probably was. Even though it was billed as a one off, don't be
surprised if we see sporadic gigs from these two – especially when
we consider that Ullrich is reissuing much of their material on his
new label, Zunior.com.
Openers Fox the Boombox are five crazy ladies who look
like they just walked off the set of Willy Bogner's zany 1986 ski
flick Fire And Ice. And to paraphrase that movie's trailer, the Fox
played a high-pitched, keyboard heavy-set that was guts, grace and
glamour – all the way.
However, someone should tell 'em the 80s thing is totally over.
These days it's all about the 90s. 
NOW | MAR 17 - 23, 2005 | VOL. 24 NO. 29
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