It's September ... "back-to-school" time for you scholars out there and time for your second edition of "The Veracity View." The last edition featured yours truly travelling across the United States in search of good music. "V2," as SkidMark and I like to call it, demonstrates a less-travelled Dani Veracity who is back to work and once again submersed in the depths of the Tucson, Arizona local music scene.

I now write concert reviews and take stageshots for tucsonscene.com, which means that I go to a lot more concerts than before. This was a busy month for me because, by Tucson standards, this last month was a biggie for the local music scene.

Shortly after writing the first edition of "The Veracity View", I covered a concert featuring The Plus Ones (from San Francisco), Tucson locals Bombs for the Bored and a Tucson newcomer named Serpe. Serpe started the show with a Little Wings-esque one-man-and-a-guitar-with-quirky-meaningful-lyrics type thing. Back in the day when I was infatuated with the whole Pacific Northwest scene (ahhh, Seattle), I was really into punk rock folk poets and even did some solo shows myself. For that reason, I totally empathized with what Serpe was doing but nevertheless became a little bored. Incidentally, Bombs for the Bored was up next, minus any genuine bombs. Vocalist and guitarist Noah Gabbard has been a friend of mine since my early days in Blue Remedy, back when his band The Tawdry opened up for us at Bookman's East. Even back then, Noah was one of the best guitarists I'd ever heard and he was, like, 16. Now, at 20, he's an even better guitarist with songwriting skills to match. In fact, he's won the Best Songwriter award in Tucson's own TAMMIE Awards. By the way, his songwriting skills really are top-notch: He knows when to rock out on guitar and when to just let the bass and drums carry the songs through a la Cobain’s songwriting at its best. On that note, bass player Justin Irwin lays down bass lines that drive the songs without muddying the mix, similar to (okay, another Nirvana comparison) the bass style that made Krist Novoselic famous. I was equally impressed by E. Shumeister’s drumming, especially since it reminded me of my favorite drummer, former-Smashing Pumpkin Jimmy Chamberlin -- lots of snare. Gabbard’s vocals top off the Bombs’ great sound with their raw and emotional quality and well-though lyrics. Don’t you just love the whole “tortured artist” thing? After their set, the band sold their CDs for $1, or in Gabbard’s words, “a lifetime of bad karma.” The last thing I need is bad karma, so I coughed up the dollar. The Plus Ones were up next and, as the only touring band, were the stars of the show. For you indie rock aficionados out there, the Bay Area band is like a supergroup: I mean, you've got Joel Reader from Mr. T Experience on bass and vocals, Luis Illades from Pansy Division on drums, the Roman god-like John Speranza on guitar and pop punker guitarist and vocalist Scott Hay. The Plus Ones had a great variety of merchandise for sale -- including, as Reader told the crowd, pieces of them like "jars of urine." I’m sure, okay I hope, he was joking. I’ll settle with just listening to their power-pop music, which reminded me of the early emo sounds of Sunny Day Real Estate (like Diary) -- you know, before Jeremy Enigk became "born again."

Joel Reader in deep thought about some throbbing bass lines.

My own band is doing really well. Our songs are sounding like a cross between Joy Division, X and The Smashing Pumpkins. We still don't have a name yet. Email me ideas please.

The next Veracity View should be really good, as I'm going to a Nine Inch Nails concert on the 17th. I'll try to sneak in a camera if James can't get me a press pass. Speaking of New Orleans (Trent Reznor's old haunt), I'm also helping put together a benefit concert and CD for the tragedy that happened in the lower Gulf States. As you've probably heard, Hurricane Katrina hit Mississippi and Louisiana the hardest and New Orleans is now under water. Some of the refugees are now staying at the Tucson Convention Center, where Nine Inch Nails will be playing (the concert won't be affected). I'll keep you updated.

So, there's the second edition of the Veracity View for you. If you have any comments/suggestions, please email me at: [email protected].