“It’s rock and roll Christmas!” cried Gally as she greeted friends in line at Railgarten for the 19th edition of Gonerfest.
She’s worked at every Gonerfest since number 4, but for opening night, she’s just here as a fan. “That’s why I’m wearing a dress tonight,” she says.
This is the second year the underground rock festival has been held at Railgarten, a COVID safety precaution that has also allowed the festival to expand ticket sales. This year, fans of the classic late-night sweat fests have plenty of options with afterparties at DKDC, the Hi-Tone, and B Side. And since noise ordinances mean the main shows have to wrap up by 11 p.m., those afterparties are getting started earlier — I heard a fellow Goner reminisce about the time she booked an afterparty that started at 3 a.m.
The hours may be slightly more civilized, but the music remains untamed. I arrived just in time to see the much-anticipated comeback set from Bennett Foster. As one of the Barbaras (and later the Magic Kids), Foster was the catalyst for some of the most gloriously chaotic sets in Gonerfest history. His new music, which he recorded under his first name after almost ten years of “retirement” when he devoted his time to political organizing, has the pop sensibilities and decadent atmosphere of early Roxy Music. Tall and lanky, with a keen sense of stage presence, Foster cut an imposing figure on the Railgarten stage.
Philadelphia-based Rosali, who just returned from a European tour, brought out the big guns for her first Gonerfest set. Her roaring guitar sound echoed off the metal walls of the stage, which is built from shipping containers.
Next up was another highly anticipated set, the return of The King Khan & BBQ Show. The duo of Mark Sultan and King Khan (aka Arish Amad Khan) were the core of the very first Gonerfest, which took place at the now-disappeared Buccaneer, and now have a huge Tik Tok hit with “Love You So.” Things didn’t exactly go as planned, though, when Sultan tested positive for COVID earlier in the day. But King Khan couldn’t have asked for a better backup plan, when two-thirds of the Oblivians joined him for a one-time-only performance as King Khan and the Bolivians.
Resplendent in gold sequined hot pants, raccoon cap, leather mask, and what appeared to this reporter to be a fox head covering his crotch, Khan received a hero’s welcome of hurled beer cans from the rowdy crowd. Out-of-towners from as far away as Seattle and Melbourne got a lesson in Memphis musical superiority, as Greg Cartwright and Jack O, never ones to stoop to such gauche measures as “learning songs” or “rehearsing,” picked up the tunes on the fly, and led the crowd in a stomping version of Rufus Thomas’ “Walking The Dog.”
This was the third Gonerfest appearance by Shannon and the Clams, and the first as a headliner. “I always think it’s a prank,” said bassist and vocalist Shannon Shaw. “I’m not cool enough to play Gonerfest!”
Yes, you are Shannon. After tackling some early sound issues, the band delivered the evening’s tightest and best-received set. Shaw’s voice, a mixture of sweet alto and gravel which brings to mind Memphis legend Wanda Jackson, was in top form. Many of the women in the crowd appeared to be there just to hear her, and the crowd surfers who appeared during the band’s encore were all female. Between harmonized lines with co-founder Cody Blanchard, Shaw admonished the frenzied crowd, “Don’t you drop her!”
[Read Alex Greene’s cover story about Gonerfest 2022 here. The Memphis Flyer will have daily updates as Gonerfest continues through the weekend.]
