Flush, With Excitement

Simi Valley will be the place to be tonight when the four guys in Flush appear, along with a bunch of other bands, at a free, all-ages gig at the Solid Grounds coffee shop.

Solid Grounds is about the only place in town for original bands to play these days, and this show should be a big hit.

And why not? The guys in Flush are all well-known in Simi Valley. Singer Tom Kelly was the front man of April’s Motel Room, the most successful local band of all time. Drummer Sam Jones came from the Bungee Chords, and guitar player Danny Jones and bass player John Shaw came from Contradiction. All in all, Flush is a Simi Valley supergroup.

Flush recently released an album, “E Flat,” that they have been giving away at their gigs.

Danny Jones discussed the latest news concerning his favorite band.

So how’s the Flush biz?

We play once every two weeks, but now that the CD’s out, we’re trying to play once a week wherever that may be--Ventura, Santa Barbara or L.A.

You guys have been playing sometimes at the Bombay in Ventura. How does that work?

The Bombay has been very good. We’ve been fortunate there--they treat us right, and we’ve started to build a crowd there.

Tell me about this Solid Grounds gig.

Solid Grounds is a little coffee shop tucked behind one of those corner-shopping-center things. It’s a pretty young crowd, but it probably doesn’t hold much more than 100 people. It’ll be nice to have a place to play in Simi.

How’s the scene in Simi Valley?

Nothing. This Solid Grounds gig will be the first time we’ve played in Simi since a benefit last December.

So what’s the story on “E Flat”?

Basically, we pay homage to E Flat [music studio] because it’s the one place in Simi Valley for recording and jamming that has existed for practically 10 years. It was started by a band called Redfish, and our singer, Tom, started renting that place when he was in April’s Motel Room. It’s a little industrial unit. When April’s got the front money for their album, they built two rooms in there and made it possible to record.

So “E Flat” is the album and also a place, and perhaps the legacy of April’s Motel Room?

Right. It is the legacy of April’s. We rent it out and about five bands rehearse there. We make it much more worth their while to stay here rather than pay what they charge in the Valley. If anything, it’s causing a little networking and a little scene even in this small town. So, it’s kind of a cool vibe.

How would you compare the new album to the first one?

I think the songs are harder on this one. The songs on the first CD already existed and were older songs and we just didn’t have time to develop as the band we wanted to be. This album expands that. It’s an EP [extended play] done by us--written, rehearsed and recorded by us. We worked hard and it took a long time.

So is it a combination of all three previous bands or something totally different?

A lot of people will forever relate Tom’s voice to April’s Motel Room, but I think the flip side is that [John and I] bring the heaviness from Contradiction into the band and Sam brings in that funky soul from the Bungee Chords. We probably have about 30 songs.

When Flush plays, do the people dance or stare?

They dance, but we’ve had what we call the infamous horseshoe, where everybody stands in this horseshoe-shaped crowd. Then, when someone who is usually drunk comes out to dance, we usually say something like “Watch it--you’re messing up the horseshoe.” . . . We have this hard edge where we almost sit on the fence between hard edge and punk, but not as fast as punk. We have the melody there, which makes it cool, so people will dance. But we’ll take a horseshoe--at least people aren’t leaving.

What’s the best and worst thing about being in Flush?

The best thing about the band is that the band all gets along really well. That’s also the worst thing because we’re like a bunch of yentas sitting around talking about what could be. We’re really great at talking about things. The new CD’s out and it’s going well. We’re just trying to pump it, get it motivated again. The music is growing and I feel more confident sending out this CD to industry people than I did the first one. We’ve been giving them away at our shows.

Even I can afford that. So what’s the next step for Flush?

We have long, long talks about this. Right now, we’re trying to shop it to labels, management and lawyers--someone who can take us to the next level. We’ve done a good job now, but we need help. There are a lot of great bands that I see in clubs that are totally unknown and unsigned. Then I see these other bands on TV that are signed, but are terrible. It’s a sick business, but we’re involved in it because we love the music. We’re still there three nights a week practicing, rehearsing and recording. Making it is the dream, but not the motivation.

DETAILS

Flush, Rendered, the Wretched, Venus in Flames and Cross-Eyed at Solid Grounds, 1464 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley; 8 tonight; free; 579-0504.

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Mother Hips began its career as the soundtrack for party central, becoming the most popular band in Chico nearly a decade ago. Throughout their career, the Hips have released numerous albums, toured relentlessly and been signed and unsigned. They will bring their brand of danceable groove rock to Nicholby’s in Ventura tonight.

Chico State is annually named among the top party schools in the nation. When Mother Hips began playing, most of the bands in the Chico bars were playing covers. Mother Hips changed all that once it finally was able to land a weekend gig. Members released their debut album, “Back to the Grotto,” and rather than wait for a major label to show up in Chico, they took their show on the road, where they’ve been ever since.

The band inked a deal with American Recording, becoming label mates with the likes of Johnny Cash and the Jesus and Mary Chain. These days, they’re independents again.

Citing the Everly Brothers and Buffalo Springfield as musical heroes, their own bio describes the band thusly: “Their music is a potent blend of guitar-driven roots-rock, country, folk, R&B;, blues, soul and pop, laden with time-signature changes and lilting harmonies. Rooted in their dynamic rock guitars, soaring vocals and deep harmonic grooves are lyrics that tell of everyday living in America.”

This will be Mother Hips’ first local appearance in about a year and, according to club owner Nick Taylor, the phone is already starting to ring with anticipation. This solid bar band should start about 11 p.m. after Sway opens.

DETAILS

Mother Hips and Sway at Nicholby’s, 404 E. Main St., Ventura; 10 p.m. today; $7; 653-2320.

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The Red Cove in Ventura is home to quarter pool, affordable drinks and, lately, live music on Saturday nights. Local bands such as Luck of the Draw, the American Cheese Band and Kitty Kat Stew have all packed the place with free gigs. Making their Cove debut Saturday is Jackass, featuring Toby Emery and Billy McGraw, the original guitar players from Raging Arb & the Redheads.

Emery, who was a sideman with the Redheads, is the frontman for Jackass. Completing the lineup are Jason Loree on drums and Michael Jones on stand-up bass. Jackass has a few Emery originals, but they don’t play any Redheads songs despite the fact that he wrote most of them.

The only song perhaps familiar to Redheads fans is “Overtown,” a cover of a Charlie Pickett & the Eggs song. Jackass plays an eclectic set of cover songs from artists such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cheap Trick, the New York Dolls and Devo.

On band night at the Cove, the pool table downstairs is scooted against the wall, giving the band space to set up and room for a small dance floor. The other three pool tables adjacent to the bar would stay busy even if the Rolling Stones showed up, since the continual attraction of pool for a quarter is not to be underestimated.

DETAILS

Jackass at the Red Cove, 1809 E. Main St., Ventura, 9 p.m. Saturday; free; 643-1101.

Bill Locey can be reached by e-mail at blocey@pacbell.net.