Friday the 13th indeed…
With three concerts to choose from, Bajah at Highline, Screaming Females at Maxwells and Miniature Trees at Mercury Lounge, I had my sights set on SF -not least because Joe was bringing my “For Science” tee with him.
But
1. It was a 9pm start and I didn’t fancy a midnight trip from Hoboken to Astoria
2. SF are local talent I have seen several times
and
3. Miniature Trees aren’t local talent and I haven’t seen em before
so
4. Although I love both Castle Talk and Fortress I figured I’ll get another SF but wherefore MT?
5. As for Bajah. I’d already got myself guest listed to the other two.
So I went to Mercury Lounge at 8pm only to discover the first band didn’t go on stage till 9pm. Fuck. Could be as late as 1230 in the morning before MT go on stage.
I wander off to Ludlow in search of a set and end up on at Arlene’s Grocery on Stanton, just off Ludlow, and I spend the next three hours texting Helen and going between Arlene’s and Mercury Lounge. I catch 5 sets of up and comers while managing to miss everybody I had planned to see. Alyson is gonna review Miniature Trees when they get to L.A., Woody has already reviewed Bajah and I’ll get to Screaming Trees another day.
8pm – Perrosky – Arlene’s Grocery
The best set of the night (of the past two nights) was a duo from Chile playing old time rock and roll 50s style. One guy singing, electric guitar, sometimes finger picked, harmonica, and vocals. The other guy on drums. And they were fantastic. Great on ballads, great on rockers, they rip “Shake Rattle And Roll” on a Spanish language keeper, extol the audience to get closer, and nail riff based rock like a son of a Carl Perkins. The last song takes a full fledged train rhythm roaring through the audience and extends the end to the breaking point. Seated all the way through the set, maybe the singer shoulda stood for “American Amigos” though he got the entire audience singing along. An excellent set. Grade: A-
Akudama – Mercury Lounge – 9pm
“I’m a vacuous man made of marzipan…” Hmm, a naff lyric can catch up with you, and when, like Akudama, you tap into a prog-rock, well arranged but a touch too busy psychedelic modern rock thing, you better watch out for pretentiousness. The songs, featuring Blake Charleston’s falsetto, are a little arch for my taste although they sound better recorded. “Emit” is really good. Here is their website with free mp3s : www.akudama.bandcamp.com. “I’m a crocodile with a wide smile” Blake sings. Got it, next. Grade: B
Sons Of Jove – Arlene Grocery – 930p
The shirtless lead singer of Sons Of Jove looks like he should be a hardcore asshole but he is something of a softie, turning Arlene’s into his basement and shmoozing with his friends. It frees him up to revel in performance and Sons Of Jove play an ultimate bar band set. The highlight should be a terrific cover of “Billionaire” but it isn’t, they get better with songs about drugstore cowgirls, and bromances. They end with a misplaced “Boots Of Stone” and an excellent singalong to Bon Jovi’s (? -my memory is going) replete with false end. Sons Of Jove are a good band with a great lead singer and center in Dylan Mancini who respect their audience and their music it and give it everything they’ve got. Grade: B+
Pretty And Nice – Mercury Lounge – 10pm
Smart, angular arty and supposedly funny, they’re like the new wave band of the 70s Advertising Jingles (remember: “Ich Libe Diche” and ” Lipstick) plus Talking Heads in white collar rock mode plus Cheap trick. But their melodies need massaging and the second guitarists mugging could be a major annoyance. Still, when they catch a groove they manage to maintain the archest groove imaginable and the “Japanese Sing Tora Tora Tora” is a major pleasure . Also, two new songs to close out Pretty And Nice’s set are really really good, “You’re So Sexual” is full of promises. Grade: B
Blue Food – Arlene’s Grocery – 1030p
This is a pretty good soul band with 7 band members including three on horns. They play an invigorated soul more black than blue nailing down original after original, but I am pretty exhausted by now and head out after ten minutes. Grade: Incomplete.
Back to Mercury Lounge where there is a long line of hipsters waiting to get in for The Spinto Band and Miniature Trees. If MT were on at 11p and not a probable 1230am Idda waited but fuck it… I’m going home.
From East Houston to Stanton S
treet and back on Ludlow street…
treet and back on Ludlow street…