This weekend at Hell’s Kitchen, something that hasn’t happened in 14 months will return to Tacoma — something T-town could once count on like onion rings at Frisko Freeze and hookers on South Tacoma Way. Saturday, March 8, Post Stardom Depression will return to the stage, in a big way. The band will play an early all-ages show, and a signature late 21+ show for all their booze loving followers. Jeff Angell, Kyong Kim, Brent Saunders and Josh Fant — together once again. It’s a return most rock fans in the 253 have been begging for.



According to Angell, PSD’s iconic and sexed-up frontman, November ’06 was the last time the band’s full lineup played together. While PSD didn’t break up, they have been on an extended hiatus. Fourteen months is a long time, and some were left to wonder if PSD would ever return. Angell, for his part, has always reassured me the band wasn’t finished (I’ve spoken with him a few times during the break), but even I’ve had doubts.



Sometimes you need a catalyst to make something happen. When guitarist Kyong Kim’s daughter was born with a birth defect of her esophagus and began racking up enormous medical bills without health insurance, that was enough to inspire PSD’s return. Angell told me this week the band had been discussing a return before the situation with Kim’s daughter arose, but the desire to help part of the PSD family was enough to seal the deal. Both of Saturday’s shows at Hell’s Kitchen will be benefits for Kim’s family.



When I told Pappi Swarner (my boss) I’d be covering Post Stardom Depression this week, he was excited. Like many, he’s a fan of the band’s pure Tacoma rock. Like many (including myself) he loves PSD’s guitar driven anthems for the out of work, which teeter beautifully between sleazy and guilty pleasure. Post Stardom Depression epitomizes a certain part of Tacoma — the “gritty” part that seems to be all the rage to reference. If Tacoma is as “gritty” as everyone suggests, PSD should be our official band. Pappi Swarner was interested to read what they’d been up to. 



I told him I had my assumptions. I figured they’d probably been keeping fairly busy doing things like being sexy, showing off their hip bones, asking for the keys to people’s cars or looking for rides, getting loaded, and being sexy. (Did I mention that already?)

But those were just guesses based on the band’s body of work.



“Being in a rock band is a fun way to live. It’s good work if you can find it. But sometimes you’ve got to catch up,” says Angell of why PSD needed a break.



“None of us want to play with anyone else. No one has any hard feelings or animosity.  A lot of what was burning us out was playing too much. If you push it too hard it’ll break, you know? People have been offering us a bunch of dough for a while to do a show, but we just kept turning them down.



“When Kyong hits the lottery or wins big at the Emerald Queen, he can pay us back for this one.”



While the shows at Hell’s Kitchen this weekend definitely mark the return of PSD, don’t expect the band to quickly resume the playing schedule they maintained before the break. In addition to the fact Angell wants to avoid over saturating the market, there’s a new child in the future of bassist Brent Saunders that will probably make devoting much time to the band impossible. Chances are, we’re still way away from seeing any new PSD records or extended tours, though Angell does say the band has new songs ready to go when the time comes. To keep busy, Angell has been working on a solo record that will surface later this year.

“I’m kind of like the girlfriend who always wants more attention. If I’m not getting it at home, I’ll go find it somewhere else,” says Angell.



“It’s pretty heart warming to see people are still interested, checking in, and bugging us to play. I don’t want to have put all the effort into something to see it die. I think, in one way or another, we’ll always play music together.”



How does Angell expect the shows to go this weekend, after such an extended break?

“I’m just stoked. I’m hoping every one gets excited about it,” says Angell.



“A lot of it depends on squeezing those four big heads into one room. I’m hoping we do more rocking and less talking.”



While less talk and more rock sounds nice, I’ll take any Post Stardom Depression I can get these days. Having PSD back on stage at Hell’s Kitchen just feels so right. 



[Hell’s Kitchen, Saturday, March 8, 5 p.m. all-ages show: Post Stardom Depression, The Jet City Fix, The Jury, The Pete Moss Band; 9 p.m. 21 and older show: Post Stardom Depression, The Jet City Fix, Foray, Bumma Stoge, $7, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

All I ever needed is here via e-mail to mattd@weeklyvolcano.com.