Dim Locator

Dim Locator led off with a set of digital-age electrified country blues. Will plays a battered hollowbody electric and a set of drum pads programmed for kick drum and hi-hat sounds through a bank of F/X through a PA speaker and good ol' reliable Fender Twin. (When I walked in and saw four, count 'em, four vintage Fender amps onstage, I thought I might have died and gone to gear geek heaven. And Will's drum rig is a work of art in itself, a more industrial-looking version of the jumble sales used by the drummers in Restaurant and Bastardos de Sancho.)

Kapinos sings in a style that's part young Johnny Cash, part crazed hillbilly, and all Texas kid; no affected African-Americanismo or over-the-top vocal F/X a la Jon Spencer or Bob Log III for this boy, to his great credit. He can fingerpick the fire out of that big box, or flatpick it for an effect not unlike a less-flashy, early Johnny Winter. (For proof, hear the cover of R.L. Burnside's "Mattie" on his TXMF 7-inch, with spooky/swampy Clay Stinnett cover art.)

I first saw Dim Locator at the Tommy Atkins benefit at the Kessler Theater in Oak Cliff last year, when Will invited Daron Beck to sit in on "I Put A Spell On You." Since then, the music's become less John Lee Hooker-derivative and a more organic representation of its creator, even including a song from his old band Jetscreamer, whom I vaguely remember seeing at some long-gone venue in Deep Ellum a decade or so ago. He's up for a "Best Blues Act" award in the Dallas Observer, which I think he deserves if only to piss off the purists. I was happy to hear that he'll be opening for Roky Erickson at the Kessler on September 30th, since I've already got my tickets for thatun. - Ken Shimamoto