Dissimilars at the Zombie and Larry Genetic talks shop

I don't know what the fuck is up with The Sess playing early at shows at which they are billed to play last or late, and then playing really short sets. It's happened several times now. And not only that, they don't seem to stick around after their own set to see anyone else's. Once was at their own record release show. Pretty fucked, but they do play out a lot, so I guess somehow, that makes up for it in part. They are pretty badass, so it just saddens me each time I go to see them making it to the venue as early as I can, only to find out they've already played. They are playing a shitload more in January, so word to the wise, get there advisedly early. You don't want to miss this band as many times as I have.

Anyway, on Thursday Dec 6th, I walked down to the Zombie Lounge after I got out of practice to see them and the Dissimilars. The Cobra Skulls were setting up as I got there. Incidentally, all of their songs have the word "Cobra" in them. They play punkabilly and a little reggae downbeat stuff. They do it well if that's your cup of tea.

The Dissimilars were next. I saw Chandra, the Scolari's weekend bartender there. Hilariously, the first thing singer Jimmy did when the set started was push his way through the crowd and start thrusting his junk, backing the startled bartender up almost into the next room. Jimmy did his temper tamtrum vocals thing in his tightey-whitey's. I took pictures, but I've been having issues getting the photos from the camera... long story. After the Dissimilars set (which was over by 12:30, pretty early for a bar show), I asked Nathan and Larry from the Dissimilars why the Sess hadn't played, at which point they informed me that the Sess were already set up on stage when The Dissimilars showed up to load in, waiting to play first. "That sucks," I said. They were mostly complacent. "Roll with the punches..." I got into a lengthy discussion with Larry Harmon, long-time author/publisher of Genetic Disorder Zine, about the record industry and local music. He's a contributor to the local music column in the San Diego Reader called Blurt. He recently wrote an article about GSL Records calling it quits. Gsl was spending 4 times as much on press than they were on manufacturing records, and it just got too expensive. Larry commented on just how ridiculous the availability of digital music has gotten. Recently he decided that it would have taken more time and effort to get out of his seat and find a cd from his collection and play it, than it would have been to find it on the internet and download it. So he downloaded it. Larry and I, like many music collectors, have almost entirely excluded our music purchases to vinyl. Cds, and mp3's are just so disposable, the industry is really starting to feel it. Larry said he recently spoke to a friend that works pressing vinyl records, who said that business has been better than ever for vinyl production. "It's like collecting baseball cards," I told him. He then charged me with the responsibility of breaking the news to his younger brother Todd, that upon Larry's death, Todd will not recieve any of his extensive collection of rare out of print records. Larry wants to be buried with them. He doesn't just want them to go in the ground with him, he wants them all to be melted down forming a sarcophagus in which to put his body, like a big goofy marblized King Tut. We went on to talk about hometown crap, and how he hurt his finger shooting with his brothers (both of which regularly carry guns) over Thanksgiving vacation. Anyway, it was good to see Genetic Disorder Larry Harmon writing. Read his stuff in Blurt, and buy Genetic Disorder. You'll thank me later.


Here's the Genetic Disorder bio from Zinewiki.