Index of Shows | Homepage | Upcoming Shows | Write to me
To my delight, they have gone ahead and started the show despite it being game 7 of the ALCS. This means that I miss the beginning of ShortFilm's set, but I still approve on principal. I am even more pleased to see that people are actually gathered around the stage, paying attention to the music. But then, it's good music and it demands attention. Most of the songs are somewhat challenging, angular rock with squealing guitars and frequent changes of rhythm and mood. One singer plays keyboard on some of the songs, and it's very well deployed, adding harmonic depth to the overall sound. And on these songs, the rhythm section are powerful, interesting, and solid. A couple songs have a completely different feel, dirge-y and a bit boring, and the drummer doesn't seem to be able to stay completely steady when he's playing slow and doesn't have anything hard to do. I would stick to the harder stuff, if it were up to me.
Anyone But Joey are completely different. They are a sunny pop-rock band from somewhere in the midwest. I just wanna pinch their cheeks. The music doesn't do much for me; it's all pretty obvious, without quite hitting that sweet transcendence of genre that can make the best rocking sugary pop a grand experience, but it comes close at times. The singer's voice reminds me a lot of Too Much Joy. The PA cuts out completely near the end of the first song. After some feverish work by Ben, the ace sound guy here, to get it going, it cuts out again near the end of the second song. And again near the end of the third song! The band get major props here for dealing with the problem calmly and in good humor, even while two thirds of the people in the room are clustered around televisions watching baseball. They seem like very nice kids.
Jupiter Sunrise are just about ready to go when the PA cuts out yet again. However, they were in no real hurry to play to people who are primarily concerned with the baseball game anyway, so they sort of dick around and play occasional random jazzy bits until Ben isolates the root of the problems and swaps it out. Then they get started in earnest, and not long after that the Red Sox win their game and their series and their pennant, and the crowd goes wild. (I'm not happy about this, but I'm a little afraid to say so out loud.) Jupiter Sunrise incorporate various "Hurray for the Red Sox" stuff into their set, even though they're from Los Angeles, which goes over well with pretty much everyone here but me. Fortunately, incorporating random goofy lyrical bits into their songs works pretty well with their overall aesthetic. The band they most remind me of is Apollo Sunshine; they have a very similar combination of sweet, happy melodies and harmonies with an overwhelming quirkiness that mostly keeps it interesting. Late in the set, I start to find them a bit self indulgent. One singer/guitarist starts to solo a bit excessively, and throws in some vocal gymnastics that he's not actually a good enough singer to pull off. But it's hard to fault them for being ambitious, and the basic talent is there.
As Harris set up, things are apparently getting really interesting outside, and there are a lot of flashing lights on the back wall while they play. I am not tempted to check out the scene outside, though, because I have been looking forward to this set for weeks. Great Scott has such a great sound system and such a great sound person to work it that I can't wait to hear how Harris' gorgeous, complicated, hooky rock songs sound through it. I am not disappointed. Mike is a wild man on the vocals tonight--Tom finds him a bit erratic, and I do notice a sour note or two myself, but mostly he's fearless and raw, and plays extensively with phrasing and line while staying comfortably within these well-written songs. There are new ones, and they are also very good; the keyboard player sings lead on one, and his vocal is not loud enough, but in the middle he goes into this weird screamed rant that seems to focus on Fruit Snacks, and it's captivating. The balance of the keyboard and the two guitars is perfect, which enables me to experience for the first time how great the interplay between the guitars is.
