The Orion Online

Issue date: 4/4/07 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Bill Branch The Monotonix lead singer Ami Shalev lights himself on fire mid-performance while his band, West by Swan, were much more mellow. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Bill Branch he Monotonix's drummer, Ron Shimony, finishes the chaotic evening being raised up by the crowd on his bass drum. The band's earlier stage antics included throwing beer and singing headfirst in a garbage can. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Bill Branch Dan Greenfield of West by Swan was much more mellow than lead singer Ami Shalev. [Click to enlarge]

The Monotonix, from Tel Aviv, Israel, trashed Monstros Pizza in a schizophrenic performance for a full crowd last week.

The night began with West by Swan and the Americas. Both put up decent performances, but both bands proclaimed the night was all about the Monotonix.

Monstros' small quarters began to fill as people became anxious for the Monotonix, which made its first trip to Chico in 2006 for a show at the 1078 Gallery. Last year, singer Ami Shalev managed to hang from the rafters in what crowd members called an "insane performance and stunt." This show was no different.

While the other bands played, the Monotonix's three musicians - Shalev, drummer Ron Shimony and guitarist Yonatan Gat - sat outside Monstros eating spaghetti marinara and pizza next to their 1980s Chevy van, which was filled to the brim with equipment and luggage, and had a "powered by biodiesel" sticker smacked to the bumper. This wouldn't be the last time they'd stuff their faces with pizza.

As the Americas finished their melodramatic set, the Monotonix began to put its equipment in the small space cleared for the show. Gat plugged in his beat-up, white electric guitar, and Shimony placed his drum set in the back corner of Monstros standing up.

Just outside the bathroom, the three changed into their costumes within the audience's view. Shimony wore a cherry-red vest and bandanna, and the other two sported cherry-red, button-down dress shirts. The crowd hooted and hollered.

With a chug of beer, the band took the stage. Shalev laid on his back on the sawdust-covered floor, straddling the bass drum with his legs, as Gat sat on Shalev's crotch and Shimony stood on top of the bass drum with one foot on top of Gat's head.

The punk/indie band, which has been described as having such influences as Deep Purple, ABBA, the Sonics and Thin Lizzy, sprung into hard-rock riffs and simple drum beats with Ozzy-Osbourne-style vocals.

Shalev rolled in the sawdust through the first song, as Gat danced around the room. Shalev stood at the end of the song and spit a mouthful of sawdust at the crowd as he poured beer over his afro.

The band immediately went into the next song as Shalev bounced around the audience, taking every beer or drink he saw and showering himself with it.

Shalev climbed the tables, crawling from one to the next, like a hyper

2-year-old with not enough toys to play with. Then, it was on to the pizza, garlic bread and whatever he could stuff into his face.

An innocent bystander, who was eating pizza, caught Shalev's eye, and a battle over the slice of pizza ensued. It didn't last long, as Shalev jumped back in front of the audience, filled his shoe with beer and took a swig - singing his heart out the whole time.

Some of the people in the crowd seemed a bit disgusted with the whole act, but for the most part, the audience responded by dancing and moshing for the first time of the night.

Shalev continued his antics by lighting his shirt on fire, running into the wall and covering his head with a bag. He pulled paper towels out of the bathroom, streamed them in the air across the audience and wrapping some around Shimony's face, like Shredder from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

The instruments moved throughout the audience as the crowd participated by banging on the cymbals and hitting the drums.

The show culminated with the crowd lifting Shimony into the air while sitting on top of his bass drum. He played the last song floating on top of the crowd, as Shalev lay in the middle of the floor singing and Gat played the guitar as he held it angled from his crotch. The set finished, and the Monotonix exchanged hugs and high-fives with the crowd. The set by the next band, Gruk, was canceled because of the Monotonix's trashing and thrashing.

Maxwell Rowe can be reached at mrowe@theorion.com

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