Wild men have run around the firelight of our imaginations and mythology since the dawn of humanity. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, we are introduced to Enkidu, an Akkadian beast man who through his own brazen disregard for the customs of human deference to the gods, is banished from life into a netherworld exile. Native peoples from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic circle and beyond have spoken of beast men who lived like chaotic emissaries between howling, inscrutable nature and the verbal confines of society, bereft of language but supernatural in motion. Side shows and urban legends created whole zoos of in-between creatures whose physical beings bridged the primal human/animal divide. And sometime in the age of rock ‘n’ roll, there were those who built massive cults of sound and personality on the charisma of raw carnality and gluttonous excess. And sometimes, those cults broke regional containment and changed the understanding of human expression around the world for generations.
Forget about rock stars, forget about the carefully sculpted affectations of massively popular artists. Forget about pop music and record sales — this is about the arena of the stage and the vinyl sculptures of a less curated era. Imagine instead a man running on sheer id, and the anti-social beauty of wild action for its own sake. I’m at the edge of explanation here, words like “lead singer” and “frontman” don’t cut it. Imagine a man who grew his hair out like tentacles and banged his head around just to shake those tentacles like furry middle fingers, not for sport or sex, but because it was there. A man who loved the Beatles so much he found a cheap and effective way to get at John Lennon’s doubled vocal approach by taping two mics together and screaming at the world in blunt stereo. A dude with the mannerisms of a slaughterhouse hammerman and the voice of an angel with leather and bone wings. The caveman conqueror, a prehistoric time traveler thrust into the age of nuclear-blasted shadows and chemical warfare. A primeval human voice screaming for vengeance in a wilderness of concrete, plastic and napalm. The tip of a cross whose three other points were vitally positioned to form a perfect, indelible structure as resonant as Revelation and louder than jet engines. Black Sabbath changed the world, carved masterpieces out of monoliths and iron, songs which could never have been sung by anyone else. Five records, released in yearly sequence before its creators had crossed their mid-20s, stand among the greatest musical expressions of our species.
Change music forever, tour for over 50 years, play one last show in your hometown with your original crew of thieves, who in youth helped steal fire from the gods, and die uncursed. Legendary. A life lived in the eternity of pure expression, beyond words or philosophy. Jack the Stripper, the National Acrobat, the one hero brave, stupid and crazy enough to confront the storming wilderness and, for a moment, silence the screaming darkness of the vast tundra with his own war songs. We never in all human history had a name for such a character and now we do, forever. Ozzy.
Rest in peace.
Thursday
The last day of July seems like a fine time to mention the free Eureka Summer Concert Series on Madaket Plaza at 6 p.m. This week’s talent is a band called Rash, which, despite the name, isn’t a crust punk band, but a Rush tribute band. Fans of that now decommissioned trio, take note.
Friday
It’s the first day of the mighty month of August, and as good a day as any to celebrate festival culture. If you are headed down to the 36th installment of Reggae on the River, or interested in such, I hope you have a great time. There’s plenty of info about it found elsewhere, so I won’t pack this column with the lineup. If you are staying away from the madding crowds but would still like a taste of another festival staple, jam music, here’s a couple choices. The Basement opens its doors at 8:30 p.m. for the eclectic jam group Propolis, which you can enjoy for a mere $5. Meanwhile, starting at 6 p.m., Humbrews will be live streaming all three days of Dead and Company’s Golden Gate Park concert celebrating 60 years of the cult of the Grateful Dead. Today’s guest down in fog city will be Billy Strings, a fine edition to the lineup. No mention of price that I can find, but it can’t be much, if anything.
Saturday
The Miniplex is hosting Los Angeles band Dummy tonight at 8:30 p.m. The group is relatively new, with its 2021 record Mandatory Enjoyment on Trouble in Mind records making a big splash in the underground music scene for its excellent stitching of ambient landscapes filled with pop guitar song work. Sacramento’s San Kazakgascar is as odd as its name and will be providing touring support with a sound that blends former Soviet state folk tunes with a garage surf and art rock blend ($15).
Sunday
New venue alert. This time we travel to Phillipsville, where the Riverwood Inn is now under new ownership as the Olde Riverwood, where food and drink are back on the menu, along with live music, which means all-ages fun. This evening’s music starts at 6 p.m. and will be a solo show by Blueberry Hill Boogier, Cowtown Serenader and Makenu henchman Daniel Nickerson, a formidable song-player on his own. Like the best things in life, this show is free.
Monday
Back at the Miniplex again, this time for a touring trio of darkwave and post punk-inspired acts. Past Self from Las Vegas headlines the night, with a shoegaze sound merging English and Korean lyrics for a sound they call “K-Goth.” On the undercard are Sculpture Club from Dallas and Philadelphia’s the True Faith. Fans of the Cure and New Order, take note of this show, which starts at 7:30 p.m. and will cost you $10 at the door.
Tuesday
The Moss Oak Commons is the place to be tonight if you are looking for some alt-folk fun, Portland’s Foot Ox coming in hot from out of town, joined by local strummers Bleater. The rockier local band Litter is also on the bill. The kickoff is at 7 p.m. and, like all shows here, there’s a suggested donation of $5-$10, although a lack of scratch won’t keep you from the venue.
Wednesday
I don’t know how many fans of early ’90s rap-rock and nu-metal are around, but if you are among them, prick up your ears for this gig at Humbrews at 8 p.m. Hed PE are veterans of the eclectic electric scene that formed in the wake of Faith No More’s late ’80s and early ’90s success, and have been doing their thing for over three decades. On the support side of the bill are similarly minded acts Mindbender and Madopelli. The ticket price at the door is $25, with five dollars off if you buy in advance. Cheers.
Collin Yeo (he/him) welcomes the august month of August.
This article appears in ‘I Am an Artist’.