IndieRock Deathmatch: Georgie James vs. Statehood

Georgie James with Aqueduct and Roofwalkers 11/16/07 @ The Black Cat $10

Yeah, I know this review is late, and now my tardiness is compounded by a slew of nonsense posted this week which will likely bury this review well under the fold. Some RC members have nothing better to do than to post incessantly for a few days at a time. It's either that or they have exceptional time management skills. Whatever the case may be, I'm weighing in our recent venture out to see local junior rock stars Georgie James perform another local show at our favorite local Black Cat. They are 2007's answer to 2006's Statehood. We've seen them a bunch.

Step into the way-back machine, Simon. It was an interesting Friday the 16th for me personally. I worked from home that day as I was having leaky pipes in my bathroom ceiling repaired. Yup, exciting stuff - I know. This is the life of a single 30-something home owner. So I was stuck home for the day, and without an operable bathroom all day long, no less (for those like myself who don't read much, this is called foreshadowing). Repairs were completed and water stopped dripping from my ceiling and all was well. Time to rock.

RC headed for the Black Cat and found ourselves happily in the mix of the young hipster crowd in the Red Room. I was last to the bar as I was chatting up cool hippy chick Lauren at the door. She has a nose ring. She is good to talk to and easy on the eyes. She works at the Black Cat. I wonder if she can cook. Anyway, by the time I got to the bar, I could tell something was amiss.

I walked in to find Jimbromski and Jumboslice cozied up at the bar with beers in front of them and the bar tender asking me what I wanted. Not too bizarre a scene, I know, but usually one person orders a round for all. So when faced with the barmaid's question, "what can I get you," I froze. "A beer," I answered weakly - obviously confused. It was a busy night and she didn't have time for these shenanigans. Understandably so. What's with the single beer order, fellas? Do I owe someone money? I quickly asked for a Red Room Ale, the "Mr. Pibb" of beers on tap. Or as Jumboslice likes to call them, "Black Cats." I began enjoying my Red Room Ale (RRA), paying no mind to our recent discussion about how there is something about this beer that unsettles the stomach.

We went upstairs to check out the second band, Aqueduct (sorry Roofwalkers, I didn't see you, so I've got nothing to say about you). I had no idea what song these Aqueduct musicians were playing, but it was a catchy little hip-hop jingle, and it had me all fired up. I soon learned that this was Warren G and Nate Dog's Regulate, and not Aqueduct's normal shtick.

After that, they turned to play something less interesting that I assume they wrote themselves. This was about the time that I felt like Jimbromski at the Mozzer concert (see his post). So I left and headed to the cleanest WC in the neighborhood. Sorry Bar Pilar. Everything was fine until someone started knocking on the door, and it was time to move on. I headed back to the show in plenty of time to catch the opening of Georgie James.

Unlike some of my rockmates, I am deaf and blind to this band's imperfections. I'm like a teenage girl at a NKOTB concert circa 1991 when I see Laura Burhenn. The screaming, the crying. It's embarrassing. I was quickly into this show. RC readers will remember that Georgie James has already been featured on our site for their August Fort Reno performance, and before that in May for their performance at the Onion's kick-off. I also had a lovely conversation with Ms. Burhenn at the bar at the RnRH after Jimbromski and I conducted the interview with 1990s. Here's a recap of the aforementioned:



As I said, I was quickly into this show. But after song number 3, the RRA started to cause some trouble and I was soon wishing I was back at Bar Pilar. I have to think the RRA and my day without an operable loo conspired to scuttle my dreamy evening with Laura. The rest of RC knows that I had to step out (again) to take care of unfinished business at this point in the night, but what they don't know is that I actually went all the way back to the rockclubhouse. I didn't think returning to Bar Pilar was really an option.

Anyway, I hustled my way back from home to catch the last three songs of Georgie James and found that the rest of RC had headed downstairs before the show ended. They weren't impressed. I thought the beginning and the end of the show were great. I also noticed that the guitarist was sporting a Ted Leo shirt. I mention this only because Jumboslice had been lobbying for us to check out Ted and his druggists for an upcoming RC show. I took this photo for you Jumboslice.

You like Ted Leo too, Jumboslice? Yay!

I have yet to mention the high volume of young hot chicks at this show. I think I was actually accused of picking this show precisely because of that, even though I had originally suggested we check out VHS or Beta for the week's show. But no one could commit to it earlier in the week. Anyhow, I only mention the higher than normal chick-quotient as it relates to my RC review scale. Georgie James is certainly a band that can get you laid. Especially if you're a 16 year old dude from the burbs with a car. I think there were lots of young'uns there.