DC ROCK CLUB
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Friday, May 25, 2007

FLOWER POWER- The Rosebuds-RNR Hotel-5/22/07



After many hours of debating on which show to attend for my week of RC, we all decided to head out to the RNR Hotel for The Rosebuds. I thought this would be a much better choice than the alternative at the Black Cat backstage (see preview by Jumboslice) , and I am pretty sure we made the right choice (sorry, Jet Age).

We arrived in time to catch some of the opening act Le Loup, yet we all quickly scurried upstairs to the lounge and have a beer. There was a pretty decent crowd for Le Loup and they seem to be "on the radar" in regards to up and coming local bands, I couldnt tell you what they sound like because we heard like 1/2 a song. (sorry, Le Loup). We also skipped the 2nd band on the bill as we were extremely busy playing Sopranos pinball. Finally, we descended downstairs when The Rosebuds came on.

I wasnt really sure what to expect from this band having only really heard one track, "Get Up, Get Out" which gets heavy rotation on Sirius radio. I will admit that I didnt really enjoy the first few songs they played. There seemed to be some technical difficulties and I couldnt really hear the Debbie Harry look-a-like singing. The show seemed to pick up pace in the middle and it ended extremely well. I enjoyed the fact that all the tunes didnt sound the same and moved from 80's synth-pop to garagey rock. I thought they were at their best with that garage rock sound, as I am not a huge fan of the synth. If they only had a keytar. There was one point, I think it was the 2nd to last song (before the encore, which was very good) that sounded a lot like early U2 (Boy/War era). Jumboslice thought they had a bit of The Killers in them which I guess relates back to that 80's revival thing. In any case, I enjoyed the show more towards the end and it was a nice change of pace from the stereotypical indie rock formula (sorry again, Jet Age).

I will also add that I have become quite enamored with the RNR Hotel, and it is quickly becoming my favorite place to see a show. The sound is always pretty good and it has a certain intimacy that isnt found at the Black Cat or 930 club. They are booking more and more decent bands, thus giving the Black Cat a run for my RC $$$$. The upstairs lounge area is very inviting and never too crowded, and they have Sopranos pinball (note, bring more quarters next time) and some sort of shooting/hunting video game that I am going to try out next time.

All in all, a very enjoyable Tuesday night and a better show than I expected. RC Rating 7.0

3 comments:

Jumbo Slice said...

Definitely a fun night. I have to credit Jimbromski with the Killers reference though. I thought they sounded like Big Country on a few songs.

Jimbromski said...

Synth rules, you're a doosh

Potsy said...

The band you all missed while playing Sopranos pinball was actually very good. "Bowerbirds" from North Carolina had a simple soothing sound that some membership might not appreciate, but I really enjoyed them. I also liked the accordion player/female vocalist. She was adorable and talented at the same time. Not a hot rockstress, but a natural beauty. Their music would be good listening whilst sweeping the wooden floor of your Austin one-level home as it gently rained outdoors.

I've been listening to their stuff through their myspace page. Sacklunch, you might like this band. JS, you might too. No doubt Jimbromski will call me a wuss for having even suggested it.