Young guitarist Michael Gossard, leader of the local band ACIDIC, has been through more than one “acid test” in the past year, ever since All Access Magazine first had the chance to check out his chops in September, 2007, at Harper’s Bar in Northridge. At that time he was backed by brothers Kyle and Christopher Lynch on drums and bass, when Acidic competed for a possible performance at the All Access Magazine Music Awards Show last fall. Although the slot ended up going to Benevolent Tomorrow, Michael nevertheless attracted such favorable attention from one judge in particular – Peter Lust (“The Elder”) of The Feisty Piranhas – that he was invited to join that band as second guitarist. With the Piranhas, he enjoyed the thrill of opening up for such notable acts as The Misfits and Blue Öyster Cult. But Michael states that although he’s still good friends with the Piranhas, his tenure in that band has come to an end. He says, “It was a good experience … but things were just getting too hectic.” That’s understandable, considering not only that Michael has continued to attend school at Crespi High, but also that he never really wanted to close the door on Acidic, the band he started. So Acidic has continued as a viable outlet for Michael’s considerable creativity, even though his supporting players have changed since last year. The 16-year-old frontman is now partnered with a pair of mature 18-year-olds: Ted Dubrawski on bass, and Matt Whitaker on drums (heck, Matt is already in college, over at Loyala). So when Acidic had the opportunity to play on the main stage at Hollywood’s Knitting Factory on Friday, October 3rd, all three musicians were delighted and excited for what they called their “club debut.”
Acidic got things racing from the gate with a driving ditty called “Without at Trace.” Propelled by Michael’s fast right hand, the song elicited enthusiastic hopping and bopping from friends and fans in front of the stage – not to mention a few shout-outs to the guitarist from young ladies in the crowd. Fueled by the music’s youthful energy, a couple of guys broke into a mini-mosh kind of dance, that seemed partly free-form and yet also partly choreographed, perhaps, so that things didn’t get perilously crazy on the floor. Next came “Black Box,” which started with a slow, chunky churn, as Michael delivered the thoughtful lyrics with his distinctive voice, which seemed simultaneously tinged with both British and So-Cal punk inflections.
The trio moved on to “Lost the Will” which featured high-impact punkish momentum, accented by nimble bass fills from Ted. The bassist then displayed more of his own fretboard versatility during “The Addict,” beginning with a jazzy bass interlude that turned ominous as rolling drums kicked in. The song was full of heat and passion, which was well-received by the throng of fans at the foot of the stage. Michael then slung on a fresh guitar for a newer composition, “Goodbye,” which featured tight drumming to accompany the guitarist’s shifts from 
strumming to picking and back again. The crowd was then treated to “Her Walls Are Coming Down,” which is the tasty opening track on a seven-song disk called “Hazardous Rock,” which is the band’s first release in this new configuration.
When Acidic got ready to wind up with a closing number called “Take Me Down,” there were some yells for a drum solo (and some others who yelled “No!”), and one joker even called out “More cowbell!” – which was laughingly echoed by others in the crowd. Fans clapped and sang along during that final number, after which Michael, wearing his Crespi school sweatshirt, offered up heartfelt goodnight thanks to everyone. At the tender age of 16, Michael Gossard is already proving himself to be a capable trouper, with a clutch of excellent songs to his credit, and a solid rhythm section to help belt them out. When Michael bade farewell, saying “We’re Acidic, from Santa Monica,” it was plain that he and his band had melted any possible doubts about their ability to rock a house of hipsters in Hollywood. To savor more of this promising young band, check them out at www.ACIDICsounds.com, or over at www.myspace.com/acidicband.
