I think there comes a point when, if you’ve consistently been under the influence of various intoxicants for awhile, you have to stop the party wagon for a moment and ask yourself, “Whoa! Am I fucked up, or is that Sonic the Hedgehog?”
Or I do, at least. A few months ago, that’s kind of what happened. My friends and I had just finished band practice, and I was doing my best to pack up my gear despite the brain fog created by five beers, two bowls, and a roach, which, if you’re unfamiliar, is a lot like how it feels when you can’t find your keys when they’re cradled in the palm of your hand. It’s baffling and difficult, in other words, and it really taxes your concentration. In my case, my concentration was taxed trying to make sense of a couple of tangled instrument cables. My focus suddenly shattered when, mid-coil, I heard a busy guitar lead and its synthesized harmony part bleed through the door, a tune that sounded suspiciously like a video game soundtrack that’s been etched in my brain for more than 20 years.
“That’s definitely Sonic,” I said, wandering down the hall to the door hiding the source of the sound. Specifically, whatever band rehearsed on the other side was playing the music from the Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which, given the fact I was at the time overflowing with chemicals, seemed sort of poignant. I stood there listening, and for a minute or so I was 14 again, sitting on the carpet of my bedroom with a Genesis controller clutched in my hands. Then the band played something from Street Fighter II and my head exploded.
About a month later, I saw a flier advertising a nerdcore show, headlined by a gamer-centric rapper from Pennsylvania called Mega Ran. The lineup also featured Droidekka, the band that I later learned was responsible for the head-exploding, nostalgia-trip-inducing post-rehearsal tuneage. Sadly, the date of the gig fell on one for which I’d already made plans, and when I didn’t hear Droidekka practicing again, I soon forgot about them.
Imagine my excitement then, when I saw a Facebook invite for another five-act nerdcore show happening this Friday at Lola’s Saloon. Both Mega Ran and Droidekka are playing, plus Doug Funnie, another madly skilled geek-rap MC who’s been steadily building a legion of fans, a lot of whom haven’t played a video game since the Contra Code was a secret. It sucks that this bill is happening the same time as the best night of 35 Denton, but if you’re not driving up the freeway to Stinky Beardtown, you should head over to Lola’s. Given the subject matter these artists toss around (video games, things that are like video games), it’s bound to be entertaining, even though the nerdcore genre is still pretty much a niche. And think about it: If you didn’t get a wristband for 35 Denton, you’re probably not gonna get to see Sleep anyway. You might as well power-up on Friday night and spin-dash over to Lola’s. It’s all ages, so you can bring Tails too. –– Steve Steward
Lola’s Saloon
2736 W 6th St, FW. 817-877-0666.
Contact Last Call at lastcall@fwweekly.com.
