CBGB's Music Festival Free Time Square Concert, Sunday, October 12th, 2014, Reviewed
Midtown Rock Show
Struggling through a cold as badass as John Belushi joining the Dead Boys on drums 35 years ago at the Johnny Blitz benefit, I pulled myself together and made it to Time Square for the first half, meaning I blew off Devo and Jane’s Addiction, of the last day of the CBGB’s Festival and am a better man for it.
Closing down Broadway from 47th Street to 53rd Street, the CBGB Fest put a stage at each side, and gave nyc free music, really really good music, from 11am to 2pm and then again from 430p to 8p. I got there on time but Ex-Cop didn’t so I travelled the six blocks to the North Stage. The participants and stalls were very family friendly folks like the Fort Lauderdale chamber Of commerce handing out “We Are Sunny” sunglasses, free popcorn, free make your own cup cakes, two mini stages so there was absolutely no down time. A skateboard ramp added to the multi-age event.
Midnight Mob In The Noon day Sun
On 53rd street I found the first band up Midnight Mob, a terrific buncha rockers with a bluesy lead singer and a classic rock metal punk cum mentally sound which matched their through the roof energy. Lauren the lead singer is their calling card, a pure blast of TNT while most people are struggling through the coffee. In leather jacket and spandex Lauren (actually, Blackey, though she introduced herself as Lauren…) through 30 minutes of riffarama. An outstanding original “My Undead Darling (You Still Haunt Me)” zombied out the very appreciative audience, and it was topped only by a cover of Clutch’s “Electric Worry” which sounded like a blues classic, and then Lauren topped that by jumping into the photographer’s pit. Midnight Mob did themselves nothing but favors.
Upstate Rubdown Takes You Higher
On the way to the 47th I caught an “Inbetweener” on one of the smaller stages, Upside Rubdown, nailing a terrific “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher” featuring an electric mandolin, a terrific sax solo and two girl back up singers who couldn’t stand still.
Ex Cops Not retiring
But it is onwards to Ex-Cops, whose new “White Noise” was just made Consequence Of Sounds song of the week. Brian Harding and Amalie Bruun are considered dream pop but on stage, though static, they are a little livelier though not exactly the embodiment of punk rock, they have a cool distancing sound and an attitude of calm and brood surrounding nice licks, a cool smart band.
Face The King
Face The King are the definition of a modern classic rock band, more like Kings Of Leon than Tom Petty, they are atmospheric but lively rockers with a good lead singer and songs which on first listen didn’t hook me, though the mood did often enough. The band has the roil, the movement of the riffs like waves, of an ace band and “The Sea” is an excellent soundscape.
The Morning Sea
Next, inbetweeners The Morning Sea performed pretty good folk rock with an excellent acoustic guitarist and a good line in patter: “you’re a dangerous girl so I stay around”. There is a coolness about the band and a fanbase surrounding them.
Cheeky Parade from Japan not Korea
Next, Cheeky Parade, a K-pop manifestation (though from Japan) of high pitched nursery rhyme vocals by nine young girls, which the children in the audience must eat up and I found it catchy myself though to be quite blunt it isn’t my idea of K (or rather J) Pop. What price G. Dragon, who hasn’t cracked the States but might well be the single smartest guy in EDM pop, whose “Crayon” from is the standard bearer. This is good stuff but it isn’t Big Bang -it isn’t the heart of the matter.
They Are in fact scientists
The first longer set, 45 minutes, belong to We Are scientists, a band I never rated… before now. These guys are very strong indie rockers who remind me of Spoon with a soundscape. They’ve mentioned Berlin era Bowie as an influence but I don’t hear it. Probably that’s a matter of date, maybe in the here and now they are more their own band. Guitar oriented indie is the taste of the day and they perform it with a deep, operatic intensity and a great pick up lines, especially the awesome “Nobody Hurts, Nobody Gets Hurt” and the big big ending “After Hour” pleading “say that you’ll stay”.
A Fender Jazzmaster
Finally, Surfer Blood. I remember when they got signed to Warner Brothers, I couldn’t quite hear why. There is something both generic and unique about their indie guitar popdreams. Live they are better, and live the guitars mesh and mesh and the sweetness of their tone is quite different and effective. A college band by definition, at least I now get why they were signed!!
And so I left back to my sick bed, cursing myself for the life I’ve lead while everybody else got Devo and Jane’s Addiction.
Grade: B+ (docked a notch because I was sick as a dog)
