CORNER POCKET RUNS THE TABLE ON BAND SHOW ENTERTAINMENT
FOR NICE DAY’S JEREMIAH, IT’S BACK TO THE BASICS WHEN MIXING GENRES
Murrieta, CA – With the demise of Cuppy’s and The Vault, the scene splintered. Music shows and the vibe from having them spread however, to more places around the valley than ever. Now it seems everywhere except Ralph’s is putting music on the menu. So I decided to scout out just where the old scene might have gone. Last week we swung by Bob’s Murrieta Pizza, located in the strip mall at Jefferson and Kalmia, and found a large remnant of Cuppy’s regs ‘aplaying and ‘asipping while talking election results. Bopping over to It’s A Grind in the Guitar Center mall, we found some more friendly faces but from The Vault days, and even Keenwild has played Perk’s coffee shop in T-town. But where was the butt-bouching crunch you get from a real rock show? Nice Day’s drummer Jeremiah had the answer for that question this past Saturday night at a little old bar called The Corner Pocket, the third oldest bar in Murrieta. “You know in this economy (the recession) people want something to take their mind off things, and with the price of gas being what it is, they want something ‘free’. You have to give them something free. We approached some sponsors who were also looking to get their names out there more, got MTV involved, and called some bands,” said Jeremiah, who added, “I’m stressing!” So it was back to the basics of music show promotion, bar, bands, and sponsors for Jeremiah. Personally I was hooked when I saw the flyer showing a nun in a latex habit, holding a lit cigarette, with a scowl looking into the camera that says, ”You’re on the mike, what’s your beef?” But then I remember my first rock-a-billy show at Madlins, when a ‘hi, saw you at the show’ fan letter appeared at my front door written on a (clean) panty liner. You have to admire the punk/sexual attitude of the genre which could explain why I wound up in the company of a tatted Betty Paige look-alike at the after-after party, but I digress in skipping ahead.
While the show started a bit late, the crowd (the most I’ve seen at ‘The Pocket’ since the Kobe-Shaq days of the playoffs) was enthusiastic and the bar busy when sponsors Mezger, Explosive (clothing), Sideshow Artwork (tattoos), and Active (board shops) presented the first band, Violent Eden, who warmed the crowd up nicely. Filming started with the stage appearance of Nice Day, and Vince, Ian, and Jeremiah taking their musicianship to the next level as the Lustful Luxuries circulated through the audience, proving that Spandex does expand, especially in a woman’s chestal area. Though Humans As Pets would put on a single song jam set so intense that the film crew would unpack their equipment just to film them at the end of the show, it was The Elm Street Rockers that filled the ‘Pocket’ with Rock and Roll Damnation. They brought the crunch in a bunch. Girls bounced and jumped as a music milkshake hit the 21+ crowded stage/dance area. I was reminded of the long past nights when you danced with foxy strangers and met new artists, saw old friends and helped out backstage. When the load-out was done, Jeremiah received the good news, he would be putting on a show a month at the bar, ushering in a new era of entertainment at The Corner Pocket. Now there was a reason for the after party, as if a reason was needed.
Sources for this story include Jeremiah, Kaven the Kaveman, Chase, Captain Kirk, & J.J. 