San Diego's B-Side Players aren't named after the flip side of a single, as most people assume. Ha, just kidding. Sycophant's live shows are invariably good, and very often great. The songs are smart and catchy, tinged with melancholy but unashamed of cutting loose every once in a while with a momentarily naive grin. Or maybe it's a smirk.
Inspirations are, by nature, dated, but witty deliveries never go out of style.
Their short set last October at the Rendevouz's intimate Jewelbox Theater left me craving for more jerky melodicisms from their soaring, dervish-like female singer. With two promising local bands also on hand, this is an unusually strong Sunday night bill, so arrive early and stay late. But the test for them is whether they will continue to rely on the novelty of young players playing old music, or whether they will use their substantial talent to actually make the unique jazz hybrids that would truly set them apart. Combining brutal metal riffs with preternatural sexuality, Peter Steele and company made a big splash with 1994's Bloody Kisses , but some- where along the way the band's fierce anger and sinister proclamations smothered under the weight of their own disdain. These guys feel the Apocalypse approaching and are content to suffer every excruciating moment.