OBN III’s

Live in San Francisco (Castle Face Records)

These 12 inches of vinyl revolving at 45 RPM arrived one month after Austin’s OBN III’s dropped a studio bid to become garage-punk’s Blue Öyster Cult, Third Time to Harm. Installment in a series curated by label boss John Dwyer from Thee Oh Sees (with whom the locals were touring at the time), this eight-song barrage captures all of Orville Neeley’s loud, raw, concert fury over two days last October in the titular West Coast hub. Between classics “If the Shit Fits” and “Off the Grid,” Stooges-esque hits from Third Time get a live preview, like “Uncle Powderbag” and “No Time for the Blues.” Meantime, some prime Neeley audience abuse gets documented: “This one’s for cologne-y smelling/V-neck white T-shirt/sunglasses guy. Don’t worry about losing your shirt – you can always find another one cheap.” Live in San Francisco spins a real gut-smasher, their Metallic K.O., a last punk rock gasp before their hard rock metamorphosis.

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This article appears in August 29 • 2014.

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Tim Stegall contributed to The Austin Chronicle 1991-1995, and was a staff writer 1995-1997. He returned as a contributor in 2013. He has also freelanced for publications ranging from Flipside to Alternative Press to Guitar World. He plays punk rock guitar and sings in the Hormones.