And So Forth…
Thursday’s Rum Diary/Two Gallants/Faux Pseudo Fake Fake show at the Tradewinds was one of the funnest things I’ve done in a while. I had dinner at Rafa’s with Michelle first, then we strolled over to the Tradewinds, met up with Erin and Emily (and Morgan, later on) and hung out with for a bit before the show started.
(Side note: my new favorite summer drink is the Mojito. A refreshing Cuban concoction, as follows: stir some sugar and rum over low heat until the sugar is liquefied. Mix sugar with squeezed fresh lime juice. Add some fresh mint sprigs, bash them a little with a wooden implement. Add lots of white rum. Add mineral water/soda water. Add ice cubes. Stir. Drop in some lime husks. Enjoy.)
Faux Pseudo Fake Fake got things started int heir own inimitable way. The less said the better. Two Gallants, however, pretty much stole the evening. They’re a guitar/drums duo (an increasingly popular format), and they played bluegrass-inspired music filtered through an indie rock mindset. Very loud, very creative style that blended down-home picking styles with very versatile drumming, and volume volume volume. The Rum Diary came on last and did their thing, as per usual. They’re such a focused, comfortable band at this point that it’s pretty inspiring to watch. They make music look effortless and sound thick and textured.
Saturday’s show at the Last Record Store however, was a little disappointing. It was the last Left of the Dial festival show, featuring Archeopteryx, Esperanto, Ashtray, and Polar Bears. The only band that I was really excited about was Polar Bears…Archeopteryx is usually fun, but more for the sheer spectacle then for the musical content. Although I will admit to having their split CD with Get Get Go on my iPod. Anyways….Archeopteryx did play a pretty creative set this time, even though this wasn’t the ideal sounding venue for them. But Esperanto was pretty bland. They’re really just a (usually) competent garage-rock band, with somewhat catchy material, but nothing performance-wise to back it up, and a few shortcomings in the skill department that were occasionally grating. I didn’t stay for most of their set, but came back just to stand outside during Ashtray’s set. I’d seen Ashtray before, so I knew what to expect (not much).
Polar Bears saved the evening though, despite shitty sound. They were very bassy and one of the singers was almost inaudible. Ah well, they still brought the rock, and the clapping, and the dancing, and the singing along that I’ve come to expect from their shows. It’s nice to see a band that can get people to remember which parts to clap at from show to show, especially since the clapping isn’t tied to some pop-based catchiness or gimmick. It feels very natural somehow, that the audience has almost become part of their performance.
More later…
