After yesterday

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti @ The RnRH 7/28/10 - $14

Honorary RC member, Tedwin, was all about seeing Ariel Marcus Rosenberg perform his odd brand of indie rock, and organized our outing last night.

Just as insightful as a full review, here's the back and forth between sacklunch and Tedwin sent around this morning via email:

sacklunch

Well...that show actually exceeded my low expectations. I thought the band was pretty tight and some of the songs kind of catchy. I left after the 1st song of the encore, so I don't know if things rapidly deteriorated afterwards. For some reason Ariel Pink reminded me of [Tedwin] (had he gone down the wrong path). Once again the H St. crowd was fairly douchey and I felt like an old sack.

Tedwin
I dug the show too -- and why wouldn't I? It was practically like looking into a mirror, as [sacklunch] noted. It was like the nearly full gamut of 60s/70s AM radio (Boz Scaggs, War, the Strawberry Alarm Clock) filtered through an '80s-vintage hipster's dreams. It made me feel like I was somewhere else. Someplace with a disgusting bathroom, Graffiti, sweat-melted mascara, big hollow cars with bench seats, sunshine, and The Rockford Files. I'm still a little drunk, so excuse the poetry.

Methinks Mr. Pink's read the reviews and has decided to tighten it up, to good effect. Now if we could just see that in a decent club.

I think Tedwin was hoping to see the video that opened the Toronto show (alas there is no room for a video screen at the RnRH).

sacklunch found alive and...well

Wondering what happened to DCRC's sacklunch? I found him...

The King is Dead. Long Live The King! (Part 1)

Jimbromski gets credit for the headline, though out of respect for MJ I decided not to use his alternate title "Wacko Jacko's Heart Go Smacko"

Of course, a mere 16 hours later, this is all old news. The King of Pop passed away yesterday at the age of 50. I am not going to bore you with a history of MJ's life. I am sure there are 5000 other stories, blog posts, etc.. that could do a much better job than I could even think of doing. However, I will share a few personal memories of perhaps the greatest pop star to ever have a pet chimp.

I remember back in 1983 when MTV released the "Thriller" video. It really was the heyday for MTV, and I distinctly remember staying up to catch the almost 14-minute long video, watching from the comfort of my parents bed (I was 12 years old). More a short film than an actual video, it was truly an unbelievable moment in music history. I remember everyone talking about it at school the next day and its release just before Christmas 1983 set off an even greater stream of Michael Jackson frenzy.

That next summer (1984) I got the privilege of seeing MJ live on the Victory tour, which I already posted about here. However, something else happened that same summer which few people (outside my immediate family and those who were there) know about. That summer, we rented a large beach house in VA Beach with a bunch of other families and their kids. At the end of the week, I spearheaded an operation to act out the entire "Thriller" video as entertainment for the adults. Of course, I was to play the lead as I already had a nice jew-fro going and my skin was a light cocoa color due to a whole week in the sun. It was a totally ridiculous attempt, but I think we pulled it off. I remember using 2 Q-Tips as "fangs" for the scene when MJ transforms into the Zombie. I also remember my then 6-year old brother getting smacked in the head when we were doing the zombie line dance. He went running off camera in tears.

Did I say camera? Well, yes, the entire performance was filmed by my pops on his fancy new VCR recorder (the thing was like the size of a small piece of luggage). The video still exists today at my folks house. If any of you techies out there know how to convert a VCR tape to digital, I promise (to my utter embarrassment) I will post the video here on the blog.

Luckily for us, we pre-purchased tix (thank you Potsy) to tonight's sold out Who's Bad tribute at the 930 Club [btw, they added a second show]. Of course, there will be a proper review of that show coming soon. The funny thing is, I picked this show days ago, kind of as a joke. I guess I am like the Grim Reaper of rock. So if I were a cheesy crooner named Neil , I would probably go to the doctor and get a physical. Next up for RC, Superdiamond!

The Veils@ DC9, June 12, 2007

Since this was an extra credit show I will be brief. Potsy an I decided on an impromptu night out last Monday for the Veils show at DC9.

Things I liked:

1.The opening song by The Veils (even with the technical difficulties). good, bluesy number with a bit of energy. Lead singer Finn Andrews even knocked over the mic stand with his flailing guitar. The band was at its best playing the blues rock. Andrews has a gravelly voice reminiscent of Nick Cave, with the appearance and emotion of Jeff Buckley. The show had its flashes of brilliance.

2. I came up with an excellent idea for a documentary about those kids in the beauty pageants ala Little Miss Sunshine. I thought it would be interesting to see how they turn out, like 20 years later. My guess is that they are all fucked up in the head. There was alot more to this idea, but I digress...

3. The bass player was good looking.

Things I did not like:

1. When The Veils played the slow jams ala Coldplay. It bored me to tears. Stick with the rock.

2. The doofus who talked the entire show. What is it lately with the loud talking during a bands set. This happened at BRMC as well. The dude at DC9 was a fucking drunk tool with a goofy t-shirt. So, Mr. Talker, if you are reading this, you're a toolbag.

3. I am not a huge fan of DC9. Its like one small step above Velvet Lounge.

It was a decent night out. I was expecting a bit more, but it was better than sitting at home watching Monday night TV. I give the show an 82 (B-).

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

(S)POON T(W)ANG

The members of RC (+1) set out for Charm City for the Spoon show last Saturday. I have to say it was nice to get out of DC for a show, even though I elected myself to drive. We arrived at SONAR just in time to catch the 2nd half of opening act Oranges Band. I will admit, Potsy and I only stayed for a song or two and went to explore the "lounge" room of Sonar. This was a nice space that was conducive to intellectual conversation and beer drinking. After hearing Jimbromski's shining endorsement of The Oranges Band I wished I had stuck around for their set. However, I knew I would be seeing them open for the Dismemberment Plan this weekend so there was no great loss.
Having never been to SONAR before, I had a bit of a hard time getting a good position for the Spoon set. I ended up sort of in the middle and had to crane my neck to see. I was also stuck next to these 2 guys, who were very enthusiastic about every song the band played. As soon as each tune would begin, the one dude would proclaim "DUDE, this song is fucking awesome". This happened like 10 times. Also, about halfway during the set, the guy standing next to me farted. It was not heard, but an odor definitely lingered and was noticed by the couple in front of me., but I digress.

I will wholly admit that I am not a huge Spoon fan. I think they have some good, catchy songs and play very good indie pop. I like most of the songs from Gimme Fiction, and have listened to the other albums a few times. I thought they played and inspired show and the crowd was definitely into it. Everything sounded good, and I really have no complaints about their showmanship. Potsy mentioned he thought they goofed up a couple of times, but nothing too noticeable. I did recognize most of the songs, and it seemed like they played a few songs from their yet to be released LP "Ga-Ga-Ga" . I dont know what to add, it was a very good show, yet I wasnt blown away. Maybe it is the type of music they play, which is just upbeat enough to get you to tap your feet or bob your head, but nothing more, nothing less. I am sure if Jimbromski wrote this review, his opinion would be entirely different. I enjoyed myself for the most part, as did the capacity crowd. A very good night out. RC Rating 7.2.

Btw, I am curious as to why this show wasnt in DC. It seems as though they could have sold out the 930 club. I did like the blue collar nature of the Baltimore crowd. ah, Baltimore, its a hell of a town.....

Addendum: I do not have Jumboslices new rating chart at the ready, so I went off the cuff with my rating. Having just gone back and looking at previous scores I realize that 7.2 is probably a bit too low. I raise the rating to a 7.6 for more consistancy. This has nothing to do with Jimbromkis comments, but rather based on further research at 2 AM (see what you have to look forward to Jimbromski, babies are great.....)

One Trick Pony- The Ponys w/ The Black Lips-Black Cat 3/24

This reminds me of Jimbromski.

Since I have been working on another RC related project, I will keep my review of last weeks show brief. I have to admit, I had high hopes for this show after listening to a few of The Ponys discs. I like the garage sound of their music and with an opener like The Black Lips (who we also saw open for Be Your Own Pet) it had the makings of an execellent Rock Club outing. We set off from Potsy's place as usual and arrived just in time to catch the Lips. It seems like there were some technical difficulties from the get go, as I could barely hear the lead guitar. They sounded pretty good nonetheless and put on a good show for about a 2/3 full Black Cat mainstage. I really like that tune "Boomerang", which they played about midway through their set. This is when I think the Lips are at their best, with that southern tinged, 60"s style garage rock, with all 3 guitarists bouncing in unison. Sometimes though, it is almost as if they are trying a bit too hard to be "punkish". My main beef was with the lead guitarist and his constant spitting of a large "loogie" up in the air and then catching it. This is fine and entertaining if you do it ONCE, but not like a dozen times. Somehow the move loses its edge. Its kind of like if Pete Townsend did the windmill on every song. You have to know when to pull out the party tricks and use them sparingly.

I think we missed The Ponys first few songs as we were downstairs/outside between sets. It seems like they had fixed the tecnical difficulties from the opener and The Ponys were really belting it out. I have to say they sounded a bit different live. Much louder and more feedback driven R and R. The lead singer was like 7 feet tall and reminded me a lot of Thurston Moore (played the axe like him too...). I was a bit underwhelmed by The Ponys set, I guess i was just expecting more. They played a short set, w/o an encore. The show reminded be a bit of the Tapes n Tapes show from last October. A good CD which led to an unispired live performance. It wasnt bad, but wasnt great. RC Rating: Black Lips 6.6, The Ponys 6.0

Thermal Energy (The Thermals-Black Cat-3/2/07)

I will start out by saying that I was pretty hyped up for this show so my opinions may be somewaht biased. It was good to have RC at full strength as it had been sometime since all 4 members were present for a show. Good work by Potsy for getting the tickets in advance as the show was sold out by Friday evening. I had the luxury of a designated driver, so after a short, yet productive visit to Potsys apartment (sorry CO-OP) we all headed over to the BC. My apologies to our friends in Statehood, but I was downstairs during their set, still taking advantage of my designated driver situation. Jumbo went up for a few songs and proclaimed that "they sounded good" and "seemed to be getting better with each show". I will trust his opinion seeing how he has seen every Statehood show to date.

The rest of RC ventured upstairs to see the next opening band, The Big Sleep. This 3-piece out of Brooklyn plays an interesting blend of guitar rock. Definitely better without the vocals. They rocked the house and the capacity crowd enjoyed their musical stylings. At one point I thought they sounded a bit like prog-rock veterans Rush, with the Lifeson/Lee sonic assault in full effect. The only thing that dampered my experience was the two alternative lifestyle dudes dancing next to me. Guys, this isnt Tracks, lets simmer down a bit.

The Thermals took the stage and proceeded to rock the house. It was a nice change of pace from the other shows we had been to lately (I am talking to you Midlake). Quick, uptempo anthems really got the crowd into it. The lead singer (I dont know his name and am too lazy to look it up...) seemed almost surprised by the enthusiasm of the crowd. Does DC have a repuation for lame crowds? This was not the case on Friday night as the crowd was worked into a frenzy with "Pillar of Salt", a single off their latest album. They played for about an hour and concluded with an encore of a few songs.

I think one reason I enjoyed this show so much was not only the quality of the music and excitement of the crowd, but the length of the songs. There is something to be said about songs that run 2:30-3:00 minutes in length. There is no chance to get bored and you know the next tune is right around the corner. I believe Rock Club needs to attend more shows like this, as opposed to the Midlakes/Gob Irons of the rock world. That type of music is fine on CD whilst making sweet love to your wife (sorry Potsy) or as background music when working. So far, it appears that the RC shows that have gotten the highest ratings are the ones with energy and noise. It was good to have the R back in Rock Club. Rating 7.9.

Note: I would have given the show an 8.1 or 8.2 but Jimbromski set the numerical bar kind of low with his review of Sleatter-Kinney (and you all know how I feel about that show).

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go...(Gob Iron Review)

I have to say I wasnt expecting much from Gob Iron as we descended on the Black Cat last Friday night. In fact, I even gave Potsy and Jimbromski the option of of just going out to the Red Room and skipping the $15 show altogether. However, since Potsy hadnt been to a show in like 3 weeks, I think he was going through RC withdrawal. We all decided to pony up the dough and check out Gob Iron upstairs. The bad is a duo, consisting of Jay Farrar (ex-Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt) and some other dude from Varnaline (which I have never heard) who looked a bit tlike Mr . Bentley from the wonderful 70's sitcom The Jeffersons.
We arrived after they had already begun and Potsy and Jimbromski stayed for all of 2 songs. I managed to stay for 4. Needless to say this was not the type of show I was looking for on a Friday night at the Black Cat. I needed more rock. Farrar has a nice alt-country voice and the mellow guitar playing was soothing to my soul, but it really wasnt in the mood for such a laid back evening. I think I will give Gob Iron another try on the iPod, perhaps just prior to bedtime. During one of the tunes, I glanced to my right and saw this guy (obviously having been dragged to the show by his girlfriend) dozing off in the corner. Maybe he was just "feeling the music", but to me it looked like REM sleep. Anyway, I proceeded bakc downstairs where we had a nice evening listening to my excellent jukebox selections.
Since I stayed upstairs for another song or 2, I missed the altercation downstairs. Apparently some patrons were being to loud, or screaming and the bartender had to turn the music down and yell at them to "SHUT THE FUCK UP". Humiliating if you ask me. Anyway, I dont have much more to add. RC rating 5.4.

Built To Spill/Camper Van Beethoven Review

First and foremost, I must apologize for the tardiness of the review. Much like the many term papers in college that waited until the last minute, such is the same with my RC reviews. Anyway, I will try and remember the evening as best I can and put together an insightful review.
We arrived during the middle of the Camper Van Beethoven set and I promptly made my way to "the spot" at the 930 club. I must say that besides my bed (with my lovely wife at my side...), or perhaps eating a large bowl of Pho at Pho 75, leaning up against that rail at the 930 is possibly my favorite place to be in all of DC. There is something very comforting about leaning out over the masses like some sort of King of Rock. And with no one to hassle be about blocking their view because they got there first, yadda, yadda.....Anyway, I remember seeing CVB back at the old 930 and recall them being fresh and exciting, and new wave of alternative group that seemed to be a bit different from the rest. The yeven had a dude that played the fucking fiddle, how indie is that. Well, seeing them some 15 years later they seemed a bit dated. I dont think the fact that David Lowery had to don Homer Simpson style reading specs in between each song helped out too much. There want too much interaction with the crowd and they just seemed a bit flat. They also had 2 Apple laptops on the stage which added to the "un-rockness" of the set. They also spent too much time withthe whole DVD player bullshit, just play some music and get on with it. I now must pause my review and refresh my cocktail. I just purchased this top shelf gin and made an extremely tasty G and T with it. I shall return later.(to quote the legendary Snoopy Dog Dog, "Tanqueray and tonic, yeah I'm fucked up now...")
I have returned, albeit the next morning. After the cocktail I settled into to some episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" on the DVR, funny shit that Larry David. Although I did find the CVB set qa bit lacking, I did enjoy the extended 20 minute jam which they played as their last tune. It was helped along by the video that Jumboslice posted earlier in the blog, it was a good fusion of audio and video. RC rating 5.6
As we were waiting for BTS to come on, I noticed lead singer Doug Martsch onstage setting up his own equipment. At first, I thought, "I like this do-it-yourself attitude, who needs roadies anyway". However, this turned out to be a major downfall of the show. They finally set-up and played a few songs and it sounded tight and I thought the show had real potential at that point. However, this was not the case as there wasnt much interaction with the crowd, just a feeble "thanks" after each tune. There were also large gaps between the songs at which they proceeded to tune their instruments while the crowd chattered and waited. I am not saying that every band has to be like Art Brut and be thoroughly entertaining for the entire set, but a liitle reaction from the band is always nice. Maybe a "thanks for being here..", or a "Hello Washington DC, are you ready to rock..." would be nice. The whole show just seemed a bit flacid and I generally like their music. There was also a great deal of time spent noodling with the DVD player that projected videos on the screen behind them. Some of the songs were good, and the Built to Spillers definitely have talent. I just wish they had come a bit more prepared to play and had left the DVD player in the car. RC rating 6.2
On a side note, Potsy and I left a bit early and stopped in Ben's for a large plate of chili-cheese fries. This was the perfect antidote for the sour taste left in my mouth after the show. Also, I might add that Potsy sometimes has a habit of being a bit to energetic when something pisses him off. Case in point, as we left the 930 we were walking across 9th St on our way to Bens. A large SUV turned the corner and did not yield to the pedsetrians (us) and we had to stop and yield to the oncoming SUV. OF course, in true Potsy fashion, he yells something about obeying traffic rules to the drivers of the SUV. Now I am all for standing up for your rights as a pedestrian, but yelling to a car, on U St., late at night, may not be the best move. Just brush it off and move on. What do you gain by yelling at the drivers of the car. So now, the rest of the walk down U St. is tainted by the fact that I have to keep looking over my shoulder in case the SUV comes speeding back down the block and we promptly become a statistic in the ever increasing crime of DC. Or at the least, wait until I am not around to comment, I have a wife and kid for Christs sake.....

Band of Horses Review

Since I have very little creativity when it comes to writing, I will use Sprys template as a guide. First of all, I am glad we got tickets ahead of time, because by the time we arrived to the Black Cat on Wednesday night, the show was sold-out. Lucky for us our good friend Potsy, due to his proximity to 14th St., has become our ticket resource. We got there in time to only see 2 tunes from opening act Chad Vangerlingsomething....I wish we had arrived a bit earlier because his stuff sounded interesting, but I cant technically review his performance based on what I saw. The headliners came on after a very short break between bands. I think I was expecting a more "hippie" appearance from the band members, but they seemed to have the alternative, Seattle, semi-grunge thing going on. I was trying hard to figure out who the lead singer reminded me of and the only thing I could come up with was a thin Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, sans flute...

Except instead of playing "Aqualung" (WTF is that song about anyway...,please weigh in)or "Thick as a Brick" (we all know what that is about...) he played inspired indie tunes which sounds a bit like My Morning Jacket (mainly due to his voice) I cant really remember what the other band members looked like, except for the guitar player/keyboardist on the far stage right. He appeared strangly out of place, wearing a button down oxford shirt and a clean cut demeanor. Kind of like that guy you knew in college, who dressed preppy yet smoked more weed than Snoop Dogg at an IMAX movie.

The music was very good, not great, but definitely above average. They played their entire debut album and threw in a few new songs and some covers. The ELO cover was surprsingly good and included a heavy guitar solo. I was waiting for the lead singer to put hims arms around the lead guitarist a la metal bands of the 80's. Yes, Kevin DuBrow, I am talking to you...

All in all, a very good show. In fact, I even bought a poster to hang in my daughters room, she seems to like it. I am the coolest dad on my block (not saying much...) On the RC rating scale I would give BOH a 6.8, which seems to put them above the mean in the past 2 months worth of shows. I apologize for using the sterotypical template, but at least I got to use some pictures (thanks Jimbromski...)

Its not just about the shows....

Even though i did not like the Peaches song that Erin suggested, it did give me an idea. Let the other members of RC know what you are listening to. Maybe you have found the proverbial 'diamond in the rough", or maybe it is a lost classic that we may have forgotten. Song, album, EP, video, whatever, it doesnt matter. It can be good or bad, soft or hard (no comments please). I will begin: Right now I am listening to Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth. I havent heard it in a while and I quite like it. Teeange Riot is a catchy tune. Before that I was listening to Awesomer by Blood on the Wall (which sounds a bit like Sonic youth with the chick singer and all), for those of you who dont have this CD, I think it is a must have. The CD I have been listening to repeatedly before going to bed is The Complete Guide to Insuffciency by David Thomas Broughton. It is kind of a folky, Nick Drake/Antony and the Johnsons type sound. Probably not for everyone, but I quite like it. Also been listening to a great deal of 1964-1967 era Bob Dylan. Excellent. What have you been listening to?

Time for some mediation

I think everyone needs to simmer down. I think the problem here arises from the fact that the S-K tickets were purchased before the inception of Rock Club proper. I do believe that if Rock Club was in existance prior to the S-K ticket pre-sale, then Erin would have purchased a ticket. Unfortunately, he did not purchase one and we decided that this would be the RC sponsored event. The question of James SO coming along is moot, as this only turned into a RC event after RC was formed. Therefore i think this week is an anomoly and will probably never happen again. Erin, I am sorry you were too lazy to get a ticket for this show, however, we do have 3/4 of the members present for S-K to qualify as an event. Can we put this issue to rest and move on to next week? Lets move forward, not back....In fact, in order to solve this issue I will offer to pay the difference you have to pay(over $20) for a Craigslist S-K ticket.

Konono #1

First and foremost, I apologize that my review is coming after the Bang, Bang, Bang review. I was on vacation last week and we only had the antiquated dial-up service. I also did'nt spend too much time on the computer as we were enjoying the sand and surf of the Outer Banks. So anyway, on with tthe review:

When I arrived at the Black Cat for the Konono #1 show I was greated by a small crowd in the Red Room and a nice pleasant room temperature. Met up with the other members of RC, minus Potsy and promptly enjoyed a frosty beverage. Gradually the room started to fill up and I must say I was expecting a lot of "world-music" types (i.e Tim Robbins character in High Fidelity, I think his name was Ian or Ray) , however, it was a genuinely mixed crowd of 40-something dudes, young punk rock girls, and of course married 30 something guys like us.

Dan went upstairs to check out the opening band and returned after only a few minutes complaining about the heat. Apperently the AC was out and there was even a warning posted as you went upstairs. When we went up for the headliner it was indeed quite hot. It felt like the Congo, without the river blindness...The band got underway and it was an interesting sound. Tribal, Congolese beats with singing. The band consisted of drummer (was there 2?) a keyboardist, a bongo player, and 3 dudes playing this strange electronic finger plucked instrument. It appeared to be handmade and produced a sound almost like a steel drum and a Jews harp, yet amplified . Anyway, we enjoyed a few tunes (although it sounded like one, long song) and I finally had to head back downstairs due to the heat. There wer many sweaty girating bodies enjoying the music and it was an interesting sound. However, the temperture got the best of me a I could only stay up in the front for about 20-30 minutes. Oh, did I mentioned the old Redd Foxx guy playing the homemade instrument. Fucking guy was wearing Dockers and a long sleeve shirt and I did nt see one drop of sweat. Meanwhile, my shirt needs to be wrung out and I smell like Dans running shoes. All in all, a good night out. Would I go see them again, probably not, but it was nice to see something a bit different from the alterna-pop that I am used too. This week Sleater-Kinney, time to rock.