Ice Age

The Icehouse converts cold-storage facility into underground recording mecca

Comments (0) By Gilbert Garcia Thursday, Sep 25 1997

Party Favors: By far the most fascinating thing about the Refreshments' September 17 CD-release show at a jam-packed, oppressively sweaty Hayden Square was the crowd response. With an enthusiasm that was equal parts adulation and family pride, the crowd--which included many hanging-from-the-rafters types outside the fenced-in confines of the square--sang in unison along with every word of the band's songs, including tunes from an album that had been in the stores less than two days. The few Refreshments neophytes were coached by old fans, who would turn to them after a particularly important lyric and recite it back to them. I guess this is what they mean by a hero's welcome.

Similarly, Fred Green's eight-band "Groover Maneuver" at the Electric Ballroom in Tempe on September 13--after several weeks on the road--was a kinky love fest, with Fred delivering a no-nonsense show that was tighter than your miserly stepfather. Among the revelers were Tool singer Maynard James Keenan and Brett "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" Michaels of Poison.

Crazy From the Heat: Spanish-language rockers Casa de Locos finally have their debut CD in the stores, and they're celebrating it with kind of an unofficial CD-release show at the Mason Jar on Sunday, September 28. The Spanglish troubadours just got back from playing a show in Las Vegas, where they encountered neither fear nor loathing at the Matador, one of many clubs around the country opening up to the idea of offering a weekly Rock en Espanol night.

--Gilbert Garcia