Legendary cult figure Roy Loney played a fired up, good old-fashioned rock and roll show at Seattle’s Sunset Tavern. San Franciscan Roy Loney has been around a long time — since 1965 — when he started the Flamin’ Groovies. Now he has the Longshots which include two Seattle legends, Jim Sangster on lead guitar and Joey Kline also on guitar.
The show began with Ernest Anyway & the Mighty Squirrels. I hate bringing up the word legend again, but that’s what this show was — a gathering of legendary musicians. The Squirrels were Seattle fixtures for more than two decades, but with various different members through the years. This was the original line-up that to the best of my knowledge only really played together once. I remember seeing their debut show in a parking lot in Bellevue, WA in the summer of 1984. It was basically Rob Morgan, formerly of the Pamona Boners, formerly from the Pudz, playing with the Young Fresh Fellows. This is who played last night. As Morgan stated, “It’s the first time Ernest Anyway & the Mighty Squirrels have played in 28 years.”
Rob Morgan informed everyone right from the beginning how distraught he was over Davy Jones dying. How it messed him up for a good week (it did me too). With that, they performed the Monkees’ “She Hangs Out.”
On stage with Morgan were Young Fresh Fellows alumns, Chuck Carroll, who played keyboard and electric guitar, Scott McCaughey on guitar, Tad Hutchison on drums and the aforementioned Jim Sangster on lead guitar and bass. They all came out wearing goofy illustration, except Hutchison who wore a pink shirt and polka-dot tie. Morgan kept referring to Hutchison by his original stage name, Bolt Upright until he slipped once and called him Tad. When called on it, Morgan recovered quickly, claiming it really was Tad. He just looked like a musician in another band called Bolt Upright. This kind of joking went on throughout their set. They played many songs off their 1986 album “Ernest Anyway & the Mighty Squirrels Sing Johnny Kidd and the Pirates.” At the end of the show, Morgan took out a camera and began snapping pictures of the band members. He gave a shout out for Marty Frasu, front man from now defunct Seattle band, The Frazz. It was Frasu who sent them the shirts from California. Although Morgan added that only he could be crazy enough to make the band wear them.
After about a half hour set, Morgan left the stage and former Squirrel member Joey Kline came out (dressed head to toe in red) along with the infamous Roy Loney. The poppy covers of various bubblegum songs were now replaced by good ol- fashioned R&B rock and roll. Loney is a very animated performer, with quirky facial expressions and jerky body movements that round out a voice that’s gutsy and powerful and sounds like he’s gargling gravel. They played a few songs before handing the stage over to the Young Fresh Fellows. Everyone’s either completely grey now or graying. We’re all getting older. But looks are deceiving because the YFF had as much on-stage energy as they ever did.
Fastback founding member Kurt Bloch has been lead guitarist with the YFF for several years ever since he replaced Chuck Carroll. He still performs his familiar stage hops I’ve watched him do for the last thirty years. Scott McCaughey and Chuck Carroll swapped guitars back and forth so at any given moment McCaughey would be on acoustic while Carroll would be on electric or vice-versa. All three of them were not showing their age as they leaped all over the stage. They performed many of their earlier songs — songs I hadn’t heard in years, but that were so good to hear again. They included “My Friend Ringo,” “Everything Seems To Be Up In the Air At This Time,” and my favorite, “Rock n Roll Pest Control” from their illustrious 1984 debut album, “The Fabulous Sounds of the Pacific Northwest.”
Loney continued with his dancing gyrations and facial tics while belting out song after song. Joining him on stage were Joey Kline (still dressed head to toe in red) on guitar, Tad Hutchison on drums and Jim Sangster on guitar. Jim’s brother Johnny played bass.
At one point Sangster crashed to his knees and rubbed his guitar back and forth across an amp, before leaping to his feet and running it against the mic stand.
Loney continued his animated antics when he dropped to the floor and screamed out songs while lying on his back. After awhile, lying in one spot must have gotten boring, for soon began writhing around on the stage floor while still belting out screams. This show never got boring. It was non-stop, lunatic crazy, fun! After a four-song encore, they finally ended the show. As the mass exit of concert patrons opened the door to the outside, I swore I could see steam pouring from the club. What a night!
All photos property of Holly Homan, all rights reserved.
Thanks to Wendi Dunlap for this video:
