Heavy bands take over Kilowatt in San Francisco's Mission

By Dave Pehling

Updated on: March 2, 2023 / 8:45 AM / CBS San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO -- Local heavy experimental power trio Terry Gross shares the newly reopened stage at the Kilowatt in San Francisco's Mission Saturday night with headliners Glowing Brain.

The popular bar only recently resumed hosting live music after new owners took over the space late last year, holding the first concert at the once storied venue since it stopped hosting bands nearly two decades ago. A mainstay on 16th Street since it first opened in 1994, the bar's longtime proprietors announced that several veteran bartenders would be taking over in December. The new owners quickly launched an effort to bring live entertainment back to the space that garnered overwhelming support in the community. The San Francisco Entertainment Commission granted the Kilowatt the needed permit on Dec. 22. While the bar was closed for a number of weeks as the new team refurbished the location, last month it began hosting DJs prior to a relaunch as a live music spot with Los Angeles punk trio the Birth Defects before two packed shows with LA Witch for this year's 30th anniversary Noise Pop Festival.

Contrary to what one might expect from a band named after the unflappably calm NPR interviewer, the threesome bashes out a bruising, kinetic style of krautrock-influenced groove displayed on their debut recording Shameless Imposter, a two-song 10" vinyl EP released on Valley King Records in 2018.

Featuring the six-string heroics of Manley, Terry Gross came together three years earlier when he started playing with his El Studio co-owner, bassist Donny Newenhouse (Film School, Hot Fog, Buffalo Tooth). The split of Newenhouse's band Peace Creep with talented drummer Phil Becker (Pins of Light, ex-Triclops! and Lower Forty-Eight) and Triclops!/Anywhere guitarist Christian Eric Beaulieu led to some informal jam sessions with Manley and the rhythm section at the studio, sparking the new project.

Digitally recording their freewheeling improvisations at El Studio, the trio began developing its unique chemistry that found the musicians exploring hypnotic extended grooves that at times recalled the droning motorik workouts of German rock experimentalists Can and Neu, but with the added heft of modern rock titans like the Melvins.

Terry Gross started playing live shows on both sides of the Bay, sharing stages with the likes of Big Business, reunited Oakland favorites Drunk Horse and Hot Lunch and establishing a reputation for dealing out their unusual style heady, muscular extended tunes.

The band released a number of tunes via its Bandcamp page during the pandemic, drawing from rehearsal recordings and finding a number of extended pieces to offer fans in order to tide them over until their next official effort. Manley's connection with indie label Thrill Jockey -- which had released albums by Trans Am and Life Coach -- led the trio to a record deal. Using their studio as an editing tool much in the same way Can would piece together its songs by drawing from raw recorded material, Terry Gross distilled its best sonic exploration into the three sprawling tunes heard on it first full-length album for Thrill Jockey, Soft Opening, two years ago. A follow-up effort is in the works.

Headlining band Glowing Brain has been making its piledriving Motörhead-inspired punk-metal noise since first emerging from Oakland five years ago. Bassist/singer Conrad Nichols and drummer James Lyter recorded the group's scorching debut EP with Nichols handling guitar before current six-stringer Doc Miller completed the trio's current line-up. The crew's first full-length album Brain Dust was tracked in five days at El Studio with Becker behind the boards almost exactly three years ago, offering up another aggressive salvo of locomotive of the band's self-described "long-haired punk." Caustic fellow Oakland outfit Milk Bath opens the show.

Glowing Brain with Terry Gross and Milk BathSaturday, March 4, 8 p.m. $10-$13The Kilowatt

First published on March 3, 2023 / 8:51 AM

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