Collective Soul (Extra Beardy Edition),The Federal Reserve Collective-IOTA 3/3/08

There had been some talk about all four members of Rock Club attending this show, however, 3/4 of them bailed out. Excuses included; "I'm tired", "I have laundry to do.", and "I am tired, even though I live like 4 blocks away from IOTA..." So, after a 14 hour work day I, Sacklunch, pressed forward and arrived at the venue around 10 PM.

The Federal Reserve is a collective of like-minded musicians that gather on the 1st Monday of each month to kick out the jams. Tonight just happened to be the CD release show for These United States (TUS), yet the event still had a feel good, experimental vibe to it. Each member(s) of the Federal Reserve would get up and play a few songs. Here's what I got for my hard earned $10:

Laura Burhenn- I only caught her final song as she was playing (solo) when I walked in. She sounded good and I enjoyed a delicious catfish wrap and fries at the bar while she played.

Josh Read from Revival- We saw Revival open for Buffalo Tom, and we all collectively dug this band. He played one original, I think it was "Hollywood" but I can't remember. He also did an alt-country version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" which was pretty damn good.

Rose and Vandaveer- Both very good, although I didn't love the song in Spanish.

John Bustine- Probably my favorite of the evening, besides TUS. Very good folk rock. There was a bit too much chatter during his set, I would very much like to see this guy again in a quieter setting.

Roofwalkers- I only caught one of their songs as I went out back for some fresh air (it was pretty hot in there last night). I think Jumboslice saw them at Galaxy Hut, so maybe he can add more about them in the comments section.

These United States- They finally came on around 11:30 PM, but the wait was well worth it. They played most of the songs off their new CD and there were some misses, but mainly hits. This being the "collective", all of the before mentioned artists played with the band at one point or another. Highlights for me included "Jenni Anne" with members of the band Kittyhawk. I also enjoyed "Kings and Aces" and "Slow Crows Over" (which I am pretty sure they played, yet my tired brain may be wrong...). The entire set had a happy-go-lucky quality to it and I think TUS are definitely one of the better (if not best) bands on the local scene.

The whole event had a bohemian "jam" quality and sincereness to it that made it quite different than other shows we have seen in the past. It was kind of like watching a bunch of good friends play in your friends basement. I wouldn't have been surprised if someone had passed around a doobie for all to enjoy. I wish TUS the best of luck on their upcoming tour and at SXSW. Be sure to see them when they return to DC in April (sorry, Jumboslice..). All in all, and enjoyable Monday night (for me at least). Potsy, I hope your clothes smell nice and fresh.