Scorpion vs Tarantula, The Pods at Lost Leaf 8-27-11

Scorpion vs. Tarantula unloaded a pile of sweaty, in-your-face punk rock & roll at the usually laid-back downtown drinkery The Lost Leaf Saturday night, and left some in the enthusiastic crowd wondering what hit them.. and most of them begging for more. In their debut at the trendy boutique in the heart of Phoenix’s arts district, SvT was firing on all 8 cylinders, with the usually wild antics of frontwoman L Hotshot and lead guitarman Louis Lashes propelled into overdrive by the furious drumming of guest timekeeper Ian Lee. Many of SvT’s frantic Stones/Stooges/ACDC-style mashups are local classics, with favorites “Short Leash”, “Don’t Waste My Rock and Roll”, and “Snake Coiled Up Inside His Heart" sending the fans into a frenzy.

A mosh pit may sound like a pretty bad idea to anyone familiar with The Lost Leaf’s cozy interior and relaxed atmosphere, but the maniacal shoving in front of the stage added to the already raucous proceedings, and a good time for all ensued. The energy reached feverish levels when Ms. Hotshot and Mr. Lashes ventured into the crowd, with both eventually climbing atop the bar. If there had been a chandelier overhead, L probably would have swung from it.

Originally a 3-piece garage band, Scorpion vs. Tarantula has added considerable firepower in recent years--Lashes, Lee, and bassist Tana Satana-- and rocks the house as hard as any band currently on the local scene. SvT’s 2-guitar attack seemed fierce enough to blister the paint on the Lost Leaf‘s walls, and the flimsy flooring of the converted 1920s-vintage house could barely withstand the strain of the mayhem above. The undulating floorboards at times felt on the verge of collapse, and the amplifiers swayed noticeably as the band rocked on.

Openers The Pods let loose a brisk barrage of fuzzed-out noisepunk reminiscent of seminal L.A. punks The Urinals or early Sonic Youth, with guitarist/vocalist Jackie Cruz coaxing some serious static from her Stratocaster and co-frontwoman Dusty Rose deftly switching between guitar and bass and sharing the shrieking lead vocals. Their set was billed as a farewell performance, with the band going on an extended hiatus that hopefully won’t be a full breakup-- this world, often filled with mediocrity, is in desperate need of a few good bands like The Pods.

--Karl Wentzel