Art and the Resistance

Art Machuca and his band, Art & The Resistance, have been on a roll lately. The hirsute singer with the voice to match his imposing physique — imagine Chris Cornell in the body of a lumberjack — has been relentless in maintaining his band’s forward momentum. The culmination of it being both the CD release party for his band’s upcoming CD, “From the Shadows,” at 1933 Event Center and filming a video for its song “Letters,” directed by Paul Gervasi (who's worked with Lady Gaga and The Killers) set to be released soon.

I’m not sure how much of it has to do with it being mastered at the hallowed Abbey Road Studio in England — you might have heard of it — but the album sounds fantastic. The musicianship is tight, focused and the sound deep and crisp. Besides the stark “Letters,” some other album standouts include “The Desert,” with its explosive bridge and bonkers drum fills courtesy of drummer Jeremy Bridgman, ”Lost in Love,” “No Coming Back” (both of which can be found on YouTube) and the dramatic “Seasons,” with a lovely piano intro by John Calanchini setting the mood.

By the time the band gets to the album’s closing three-song suite — “Prelude,” “Solace” and “Postlude” — expect the 1933 crowd to be singing along with Machuca’s lyrics, “We are one, we are free, the rest is up to us.”

But the main underlying message I get from this album is a statement of purpose. There’s a lot of music packed into this release, now it's time to spread the word.

Also performing will be Stereo Citizen and Second 2 None, the rock band out of Wasco comprised of third-graders who blow the socks off of older, more seasoned bands. Led by their manager/visionary Eddie Crane, the group is really a sight to behold. They’re passionate and they’re hungry. For a lot of musicians, playing a show might be business as usual. To these kids, it’s everything. Listening to them belt out Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” reminds me that the kids are, indeed, all right.

Given Calanchini’s gig as a piano teacher and Bridgman’s own educational ventures — including his recently released children’s book, “Darci The Drummer Takes Drum Lessons” — supporting the next generation of rockers is a logical extension for Art and his Resistance. Doesn't matter if you're acting your age or your shoe size, as long as you're walking the walk. - Bakersfield Californian