The Readies/Magic Shop
Saturday, August 9th 2008
the Roche Bar
Port Huron, Michigan
-photos and text by Dale Merrill
Though the Roche is the only venue that supplies live and original music to this sleepy section of Michigan it's very, very rare that there's an actual legend in it's midst (the last time was when Bob Seger was hanging out but he wasn't there to play. Just stopped to have a drink a couple of days before he raced his yacht in the Port Huron to Mackinac regatta). This night was one of those rare occurrences.
Danny Kroha, one third of one of the top 5 greatest band's of all times, The Gories (not to forget to mention one third of one of the most fun bands all times too-the Demolition Dollrods) brought his new rock-n-roll trio, The Readies, up to our dirtroad village and ROCKED the place. Riding up from Detroit in a '66 Dodge wagon that only a rocker (or someone locating vehicles for an upcoming movie where Mad Max comes to Detroit) could love and who's motor you could smell for blocks, then came in, set up and laid down the SOUND. A marriage of Stooges biker rock, T. Rex bump & grind & balladry and souls songs that crackled out of transistors radio's in courtesy of CKLW many years ago was just the right kind of grease to get the place lubed up for a night that this town may not have deserved but most definitely needed. Check out their tunes over at their myspace page.
Judging from the songs I heard at Magic Shop's myspace page I was expecting earful's of dirty city twang and jangle packed into a bong where Irish Whiskey is used as water and getting torched up. Featuring total dude Steve Nawara, a name you may recognize from the Detroit Cobras, Rocket 455 and the Electric Six, on guitar and Marysville ex-pat Jake on bass (he of the porno mustache) it was a call close enough for horseshoes but live it was much more turned up and much more boozy (if that's possible). Saturday night theme music for stomping the floor, flirting with girls, getting kicked out of the bar, finally start to stumble home and a black cat follows you.
