FYM ON THE LIST: MONDO DRAG ON THE ROAD

Over the weekend forYoungModerns was able to witness two enlightening dispatches of sonic prowess by Alive Records formidable psych-warriors: Mondo Drag.

FYM has been continually inspired by the creative handiwork distributed live when these guys play together. So this art director had no choice but to catch the last plane out of Seattle Saturday night to spend an evening with Mondo Drag in San Francisco.

Just a few blocks from SFMOMA, Mondo Drag started out the night taking in what fivepoints arthouse in San Francisco had to offer. MD guitar virtuoso Jake Sheley did not shy away from experiencing the latest gallery exhibit!

FYM also caught bassist Denny Hockaday cruising through space, waterlogged with artistic integrity. This evening Mondo Drag and FYM were introduced on several occasions to the kindness commonly found on the streets of San Francisco.

Winding down the gallery stairs, sustainably easing our way through a cloud of smokey atmosphere, Nolan Girard (co-vocalist/guitars) and crew ripped through a confident set of rockers from their now classic debut New Rituals. Mondo Drag also road-tested several tracks of new material (which are AMAZING) to a very receptive SF scene.

forYoungModerns publicist Nick 'I like to wear my 90's red parka while conducting business in the back of the tour van' Codling, gladly got on the horn to accommodate Mondo Drag's travel necessities.

(Fast forward) After playing some intense shows in Eureka California, and Portland Oregon, we caught up with the guys again in Seattle Washington.

(click image to expand) Mondo Drag seemingly have the perfect storm of well-crafted righteous tunes, that compound rhythmic tales through the valleys of 8-10 plus minute rockers. Their maturity can be found in those valleys of introspection as jams often crescendo into tremendous displays of true musicianship.

Their music is a contemporary stamp on a sonic landscape as vintage as their speakers. John Gamino (pictured above), articulates dramatic vigor while channeling his keys.

People say it takes a village to raise a child, and it might be just as true in music. What makes this band so special is that they house no weak links. The members of Mondo Drag have been fostering their musical talents over the past ten+ years playing in various bands together in a very tight-knit scene in the Midwest called the Quad Cities. Each member contributes an important roll in creating this unyielding sound.

Rolling out beats as dark as the Mississippi River, Johnnie Cluney's vocals echoed through the psychedelic fuzz taking us further down the rabbit hole that is Jake Sheley's guitar wizardry.

Completing the unbreakable dynamic with Dennis Hockaday (on bass) and Nolan Girard trading vocal duties with Cluney, the band took us on another unforgettable music journey in Seattle.

If you haven't listened to their full length New Rituals check it out HERE. But if you are super fans like FYM, we suggest checking out this footage we took...

Cheers,

FYM