INSTAGON 8/8/97 Aaah! Capella, N.Hollywood
Reviewed by Tim White, Hollywood,CA (ov A.A.23)



       "Friday August 8   8:30pm  @ Aaah! Capella, 5907 Lankershim
        Blvd, North  Hollywood, CA  (818) 509-6738 for directions.  
        this is an all ages show,  with a cover ov $6 at the door.  
        also appearing will be ECKANKORE, HOME  AUDIENCE and 
        MUSICIDE.."
 
So read the e-flyer from the TIF list.  Lob had called me weeks before
hand, so I knew I was catching a ride from one Rev. Andy Warthog (Andy's a
Reverend in the Church of Sub-Genius...he's also Instagon's guitarist for
the evening).

We get there, mill about (this place is wierd and huge, even stranger is
it's reluctant position at the end of a strip mall), drink coffee...and
so on.  The opening acts are all good.  Eckancore and Musicide both do
good solid (to some of the employees of this oversized coffee shop,
grating) noize for decent lengths.  Home Audience is great, not so harsh
(don't get me wrong...harsh and loud is good, but Eckancore and Musicide
filled that need quite nicely) and with rhythm.  Well, pulses let's call
them.  Anyway, it was a great set.

Then came Instagon.  Instagon was, that very night, composed of Lob (the
almost always ever present bass player and noize maker), Bassman (bass
player for Thee Amish...an incredible band from Huntington Beach), the
Rev. Andy Warthog (ex-guitarist of Hitler's Bikini and Cal-Transvestites,
presently representing his own-damn-self), Alma (the bassist of The Fire
Ants), and Eddie (chief sound-maker of Home Audience).

Now with three bass guitars and one lead (Eddie is playing this old
church-sounding organ that just happened to be near the stage) you're
thinking hmmm...lots of guitar.  Well, aside from an occasional flash from
Andy or a thump from Alma...the sound over all was very un-guitar like.
Lob mangaed to fuse the usual effects and sporadic tape loops to fill the
atmosphere to a nice swirling dada-influenced jazz-ambience.  Eddie
took turns playing the organ and hitting the top panel of it with the song
sheet holder which formed the climax of the show, things started to slow
down afterwards.  Close to the end of the set, Lob introduced each member
allowing them time and space to do a solo (it was here that we saw that,
yes indeed, they can actually play their instruments in the traditional
manner as well).  It was a good Instagon show.  If you missed it...go 
ahead and be sorry. 

Oh yeah, Leon (the official visuals guy for Home Audience) did some really
great 35mm projections and slide melting behind the bands.  Quite nice.  I
especially liked how it filled the air with the scent of the melting film.

    "dont be ignorant...expose yourself to thee art ov sound 
     and noise..and gain the knowlege ov true spontaneous audio
     expressionism..."    

                   (from the e-flyer for the show)

As usual, it was a good night out.
-Tim White
  AA23


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