The Compound bringin' it old school: Tacocat, 90s Television, and Glowing Heads

The Compound, Provo's hidden venue, played the host to some fine rock/roll last night. The house was packed and my ears are still ringing.

Glowing Heads, photo by Alex Pow

Glowing Heads kicked off the show, playing some mini-indie-alt-rock (minimalist independent alternative rock and roll). My first thoughts veered towards Beat Happening. Everything was completely stripped down. The guitar was slightly overdriven and delayed. The vocals were quiet and muffled. The bass followed the guitar lines. The drum kit was nothing but a snare and floor tom. Influences of surf, punk, and the Velvet Underground were aplenty. When I think about being in a band, this is exactly it. Getting together with friends and making music together because it's just a really fun thing to do.

90s Television, photo by Alex Pow

90s Television picked up where Glowing Heads left off. I knew I would like them just from their setup - a Fender Jazzmaster AND a Roland Juno-60 synthesizer? I thought I was the only person in Provo who owned one of those. 90sTV have a very spacey sound. The crunch of the Jazzmaster is contrasted by the twangy funk of a wah-driven SG. The vocals run through a very heavy delay, and my position right in front of the singer made the PA impossible to hear. This also made the synth inaudible for me, so I will have to hear the band another time to form an educated opinion. I loved what I heard though. Distorted guitars and Clayton Godby's drums are really all I need to have fun at a concert.

Tacocat, photo by Alex Pow

But the Compound exists to give touring bands somewhere to play (and sleep) in Provo. Last night's headliner were Seattle surf punk band Tacocat. Three parts girl and one part dude, Tacocat knows how to write a catchy, fun song then crank up the speed and volume. Singer Emily Nokes is a tiny, feisty little girl who constantly dances and shakes the tambourine during the performance. The whole band is fantastic though, having written some great music and playing it great together. Shows every single night help them to solidify their sound too. Provo would be very lucky to have them come through town again, and I really hope you can be there to see.

Photographer Trevor Christensen took some great pictures of the night and created this very cool slideshow to one of their songs (you can see me awkwardly standing in the right of many of the photos!):


This free advertisement for your work is a special thank you to Trevor for all the exposure he is giving my blog.


If you have yet to come to the show at the Compound, then you're missing out on a fundamental Provo experience. Their next show is Friday, April 8. I hope to see you there!

mlewisbarker