Elliot Randall and the Swillers
Molly Malone’s
Jan. 10, 2008
By Victoria Joyce
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)
Pix by Dave Arnspiger / Traumantic Studios
SugarBuzz Magazine
Sweet-faced San Francisco singer-songwriter, Elliot Randall gave his backup band a new name while on stage at Molly’s on Fairfax Saturday night; The Swillers. Drink up, everybody.
Thirty year-old Molly Malone’s is two clubs in one. First, it’s an Irish bar, dark and thick with atmosphere. Used as background in several films, remember Nick Cage getting drunk in “Leaving Las Vegas?” Patrons walk through a quintessential pub, walled with guilted Guinness mirrors and portraits of writers and poets of the Old Sod. In the back, you connect to an intimate music room next door.
This long, rectangle room with brick walls and amber-lit, broken ceiling fans is home to the best of LA’s Alt-Country, Folk, Jazz, Punk and Rock, maybe just a touch dialed down, softer and smarter.
Perfect example: Eliott Randall. From the opening twang of Randall’s 9 o’clock set you knew this was going to be good. Guitar man, James Deprato resembles a young Charlie Sexton. And plays like him too. Picking up a bottle of Bud as a slide was a nice touch to his soaring psychedelic solos and his jangling riffs.
Randall’s strong bass player, Danilo Lopez, is the fashion plate of the band with his Motorhead tee, leopard guitar strap and Hittite ringlets under his curled cowboy hat. His eyes were hidden but not his smile. Drummer, Kyle Caprista banged his drums like he was playing Shea Stadium and provided back up vocals Randall described as “girly.” We’d call them pretty.
“Our keyboard player (Danny Blau) doesn’t drink. He’s the designated driver,” Randall let the gathered fans and friends know. He’s also a first class honky-tonk piano player that fills out the classic Blues-Rock stadium sound of the newly christened Swillers.
Elliot Randall has created some industry buzz with his stand out songwriting. Lyrics are peppered with gothic romantic references of searching, longing and traveling on a permanent American Pilgrimage. “Second Time Around” is a song title used by Sammy Cahn when he wrote for Frank Sinatra. E’s version is about a woman in a green dress with all the answers.
Seriously Southern, song “Red Velvet Curtains” is Scarlett O’Hara meets Tennessee Williams spinning a tale of sleeze, struggle, cracks in the wall and domestic makeover’s with those amazing guitar solos and big time drums.
E announced a Johnny Cash cover that brought hoots and hollers. “Folsom Prison Blues” was done with the ferocity of the Ramones. Faster than Cash’s signature, it was a song trying to catch up with itself.
Closing with a Tom Petty cover “Mary Jane's Last Dance”, Elliot made it his own. Randall’s voice is similar to Petty’s but his tempo was faster, more frantic. Again giving the impression of a song trying to catch up with itself.
He got there.
January Tour Dates for Elliot Randall:
1/15/09 KRCB Radio Live, Santa Rosa
1/16/09 Ukiah Brewing Company, Ukiah
1/23/09 Cafe DuNord, San Francisco