By Angela Hail, Refrain Oklahoma Correspondent

 I had the fantastic luck of being able to catch a local performance of dUg Pinnick fronting Razr 13 here in Tulsa on February 20. I say luck because if I hadn’t happened to catch a mention of the show on one of the few radio ads that aired the week before, I never would have known they were even going to be here. The name Razr 13 meant nothing to me, but when the radio spot mentioned dUg Pinnick, that’s when my ears perked up. My husband is a HUGE King’s X fan, the band Pinnick is most known for. And the chance of getting to see the man perform live is something I knew he wouldn’t want to miss. Unfortunately, the radio ad was halfway over by the time I clued into what it was. I caught “dUg Pinnick” and “Saturday,” but that was all. No worries, though. There’s always the internet.

The internet proved, as usual, to be my salvation. But it took some digging. There was no mention of the show in the Urban Tulsa, typically my go-to source for live music in the area. Likewise, there was no mention of it on the website of the station that had aired the radio spot (Z104.5 The Edge). Frustrated, and beginning to wonder if I’d been having some kind of aural hallucination when I’d heard the blurb in the first place, I hit my favorite search engine. After several web sites and a brief trip down the halls of Myspace, I found what I was looking for – a list of tour dates. (Unfortunately for you, my Northern friends, it appears that Razr 13 is only hitting Texas and Oklahoma this time around.)  I then managed to confirm the venue, time and cover charge. My plans were set.

A few days later my husband and I found ourselves at a joint called The Backyard Bar. We arrived early, not wanting to take the chance that, despite the lack of marketing, the place would be packed. It was a small, home town bar; just what you’d expect from a place called The Backyard Bar. The bar itself was bedecked in strings of Christmas lights and purple and gold foil fringe. Black lights shown from the ceiling, and there were several neon beer signs illuminating the pool tables and the bar’s Jager Wall of Fame, which depicted patrons of days gone by in various stages of happy drunkenness. The stage area, which was tucked back to the left of the bar, was surprisingly nice, with a proper raised stage and a roped off standing area for the audience.

The opening act was local hero, Chuk Coolie and The Demon Hammers, who recently won Tulsa’s Battle of the Bands. I had never heard them before, but quickly found their reputation is well deserved. The vocals, provided by Chuk Coolie himself, are reminiscent of the lead singer from 7 Mary 3, and the band’s style ranges from classic rock to metal. The guitars and bass are all amplified acoustics, which provide a surprisingly big sound. Some interesting twists to this solid, reliable act were a belly dancer that joined them on stage for their third song, and the occasional addition of flute played by bassist Sondra C. They’re a fun band, sometimes melodic and almost uplifting, sometimes with a heavy bang-your-head drinking vibe. I can see why they are held in such high esteem within our local scene. These guys are definitely pro.

Finally, the act we were all there to see. The crowd was small, (especially considering that my husband knew of several King’s X fans that, if they had known about the show, surely would have been there) but the anticipation was palpable. The setting was so intimate that for the entirety of the opening act’s gig, dUg Pinnick sat at the bar, talking to a friend and being approached only occasionally by very low key and respectful fans. During this time, my husband asked him to sign some CDs, including the Razr 13 disc we picked up at the merch table. Pinnick was gracious and appreciative, the very picture of a modern rock gentleman. So by the time the show started, everyone was itching for an experience. The band, as they’d been all night, was still close enough to touch. And the moment they turned to greet us from the stage, we found ourselves spellbound.

Razr 13 is an animal all its own. This band has a depth of sound that gets into your core and rocks you from the inside out. dUg Pinnick’s vocals were impeccable, as always, ranging from a richness and density you could almost eat, like a dark English pudding, to that signature piercing scream that drills into your head, makes you feel the injustice, cries out for your abandon, and insists that you scream too. dUg and recent addition, rhythm guitarist Al Shire, kept the crowd connected and pumped throughout the entire show. Big Bald Mike (who is indeed very big and very bald) on guitar, Ryan 13 on bass, and Chris “JRAB” Thomas on drums completed the ensemble. The five members have unmistakable chemistry when they take the stage.

The sound of the band, collectively, has the grit of Alice in Chains with a melodic, resonant flow reminiscent of The Def Tones. They performed songs from their self-titled debut album, and I can tell you now, friends, that their live performance is every bit as energetic and honed as their studio recordings. The songs explore the dark side of the human psyche with lyrics like “My life is over now, contemplating suicide, as I stand here all alone, with my laces left untied” from the song, “Reflections,” but they also skim the edge of hope and the strength of the human spirit in songs like “Alive”: “I am alive, after four years in the rain, I will survive, never to feel pain.” There is a bluesy swamp song called “Quicksand” with a back porch acoustic sound that moves you like an old Robert Johnson tune. And then there’s the death metal scream of “Comatose” just begging for a mosh pit.

The crowd was intimately, riotously engaged, and the walls were nearly shaken down. This is a concert I will never forget. I’m sorry you couldn’t be there. But please, do buy their album. It is angst. It is moody. It is grinding, moving, and soul searching. It is worthy.

You can find out more about them here:  http://www.myspace.com/razr13 

Rock Army Records: http://rockarmyrecords.com/razr13

You can stream some of their songs here:  http://www.reverbnation.com/razr13

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 9:16 pm and is filed under Issues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.