Ziggens Zag Back, Look Ahead

The Ziggens, one of Orange County’s most reliably entertaining rock bands, hope an album they’ve just completed will blast them across the country and overseas for the first time.

Meanwhile, fans already on board with this humorous, satiric, philosophical, sentimental surf-punk-country-folk-Christian-what-have-you band are being treated to a blast from the Ziggens’ past: Skunk Records, the label launched eight years ago by the Ziggens and their buddies, Sublime, has put out a 26-song CD reissue of “C002,” the Ziggens’ initial demo cassette from 1990, and “Rusty Never Sleeps,” a typically charming 1994 album previously available only on cassette.

“C002” features Michael Happoldt, a Ziggens guitarist before becoming better known as Sublime’s unofficial fourth member, and includes early versions of the wry surf-rocker “Outside” and the wistful, Lou Reed-smitten ballad “All the Fun That We Missed,” both highlights of the Ziggens’ catalog. “Rusty” comes with three tracks not on the original release.

For their next act, the Ziggens will offer a fifth album, made up of 19 songs (seven of them instrumentals) recorded with producer Elliot Easton, former lead guitarist of the Cars.

“We’ve always been a little dissatisfied with our guitar tones [on past recordings], and we heard some work he did with Elliot Easton’s Tiki Gods, a surf-instrumental thing,” said Bert Susanka, the Ziggens’ main singer-songwriter. “The guitar tones were really nice, and we’d always enjoyed the guitar solos he’d done in the Cars.”

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Another former Boston rock luminary, ex-Pixies front man Frank Black, also is a Ziggens booster, and worked with them as an idea man during rehearsals. Scheduling conflicts prevented Black from making a guest appearance on the album.

The record is set for April release, giving Susanka time to decide which of two typically jokey titles he likes better: “Pomona Lisa” or “Rage Against the Vending Machine.”

The music is “the typical Ziggens thing, with lots of style hopping,” Susanka said. What’s different is a big enough promotional budget to fund videos and send the Ziggens across the country on tour for the first time.

“For us it’s a big step,” Susanka said. “We’re hoping it will get to the point where we can quit our jobs and get busy enough to support ourselves full time.”

* The Ziggens, Filibuster, Del Noah and the Mt. Ararat Finks and DYF play tonight at the Clipper, 3325 Anaheim Blvd., Long Beach. 9:30 p.m. $5. (562) 597-0014 (club) or (562) 803-0024 (taped information). The Ziggens also play Monday at the Blue Cafe, 210 Promenade, Long Beach. $5. 9 p.m. (562) 983-7111 (club), (562) 984-8349 (taped information). Other Ziggens shows are Feb. 20 at Linda’s Doll Hut in Anaheim and Feb. 24 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, opening for Frank Black and the Catholics and the John Doe Thing.

HELP WANTED: Beach Fest ’98 is looking for a few good bands. Well, actually, a lot of good bands.

The annual charity festival, May 2-3 at Shoreline Marina Green on the Long Beach waterfront, will feature five stages and 60 bands. Organizers say last year’s event attracted more than 50,000 people.

Veteran Long Beach rocker John Surge has taken over as music director. He is booking roots music on the first day (reggae, blues, rockabilly, hillbilly and swing) and indie-rock on the second day. Musicians interested in performing should send promotional packages, including tapes or CDs, by Feb. 20. The address: 4720 E. 2nd Street, Suite 2, Long Beach, CA 90803. E-mail: BeachBands@aol.com; Web site: www.beachfest.com; (562) 434-5408.

EVER GRATEFUL: The Deadhead habit dies hard--if ever--and Cubensis is still catering to Grateful Dead fans’ need to commune and twirl to the sound they love.

After a four-year run at Moose McGillycuddy’s in Long Beach, the tribute band has switched its regular O.C.-vicinity gig to the Foothill, 1922 Cherry Ave., Signal Hill, where it plays every Tuesday at 9 p.m.

Craig Marshall, the band’s founder and lead guitarist, notes that Cubensis carries on the Dead tradition not by copying arrangements of classic songs but by renewing them with fresh improvisational flights.

Marc Ford, the hot guitarist late of the Black Crowes, is a sometime guest at the Tuesday night soirees. Cubensis is working on original songs in a Dead-influenced vein, pointing toward a possible CD release. $5. (562) 494-5196.