From the North Brings the Rock
From the North, the resurrected form of grunge godfather Malfunkshun, played the High Dive Tuesday, their first show anywhere. For those of us obsessed with a certain era of local music history, the 60 minute blast of heavy rock was a beautiful thing.
Original axe man Kevin Wood (brother of the late Andy) and drummer Regan Hagar got back together late last year. They brought in bassist Cory Kane (Satchel) and chameleonic singer Shawn Smith to round out the band. And if one gig is any indication, Malfunkshun’s shortcomings—witness the sloppy riffs and love-y, loopy Andy meanderings on the demo-ish compilation Return to Olympus—will be From the North’s strengths.
Kevin handled his guitar more like a weapon than an instrument, twisting and swinging the thing around through ear-splitting, three minute solos. Regan was fierce on the drums. And Shawn nailed Andy’s flamboyant falsetto when need be, keeping it reined in where Andy’s wail wore out its welcome. Though this was a "warm up show," On songs like "I Wanna Be Yo’ Daddy," "Winter Bites," and "With Yo’ Heart (Not Yo’ Hands)," From the North sounded both tighter and heavier than Malfunkshun. To prove they’re not just a nostalgia outfit, they thundered through several new songs, too. (Hear two of them here).
If this was the band’s only show, the obsessive would be thrilled to have witnessed it and sad that, even though the Dive was packed, not many others did. But it sounds like the rocking has just begun—From the North says they’re looking for a record label and planning a tour. Sometimes when history repeats, it’s for the better.
