Zack Mexico’s theatrics pay off big at CAM

Photo & Review by Chris Cowperthwaite

You know that moment when you’re rocking so hard that you fall off your perch behind the drum kit? Wait, you don’t? Well, then you are obviously not Zack Mexico drummer Joey LaFountaine.

The Kill Devil Hills-based band opened night two of the Hopscotch Music Festival with a mix of psychedelic surf rock and punk at the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh.

Many of their songs start off with a laid back feel, guitars strumming familiar surf pop patterns; but they all eventually pivot to their own brand of up-tempo garage enthusiasm.

My personal highlight was “My Baby Has X-Ray Vision,” but really, the entire set was entertaining — from the random horse in the crowd to the parade of songs that had high-octane hints of the Pulp Fiction soundtrack.

Even the band’s outfits were worth mentioning — between LaFountain’s caveman motif and lead singer John Saturley’s shiny MC Hammer pants.

There were only two things to be disappointed with during their set. First, guitar player Matt Wentz was plagued with technical difficulties, spending much of the night fiddling with his pedals. Second, Saturley tried to throw his guitar into the CAM rafters several times during the last song (while LaFountaine was busy falling off his rock throne), but could never quite get it far enough.

I think we were all rooting for it to make it all the way across the beam and dangle from its cable, but alas, it kept falling just shy.

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