Steady As She Goes

It was a busy weekend:

Electric Eel Shock - I got an email freebie for this show, so I decided to run down to the Bluebird and give this Tokyo band a try on Friday. I have actually seen them once before, during the tail end of my time in Seattle, but I honestly hadn't been that impressed - they were a bit too metal for my tastes. Well, they're still a metal band, but I found them much more enjoyable than last time. Part of the reason was that they seemed to have slowed things down a bit; I remembered them being kind of speed-metal before, but they don't sound like that now. Also, their stage presence has greatly improved - like most Japanese bands, they appear to be having a blast onstage. The bass player was particularly fun to watch, with a few enthusiastic jumps from the amps that resulted in him tumbling to the stage. And the drummer was clad in little more than a strategically placed sock. Lots of funny stage banter as well from the singer/guitarist: "Do you rike punk rock? (The crowd cheers in response.) I don't care for punk rock...I rike HEAVY METAL!!!" Not exactly the kind of music I'd throw on at home too often, but this was a pretty fun show.

Thank God For Astronauts - After getting an earful of Japanese heavy metal, I zipped over to the Larimer Lounge. There was no cover that night, and I arrived just in time to catch this D-town act who were headlining. I've seen these guys a few times before, and I've always been impressed - they are definitely one of the best local bands I've seen since moving back. I get a real Television-vibe from these guys. I hear they have a new album recorded, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to check that out.

The Briefs - I received another email freebie, and made another trip to the Bluebird. No real surprises, just the usual fun set from these Seattle pogo-punks. Judging from the last couple of shows I've seen this band play, they're finally starting to catch on with the kids. It used to be, whenever I caught the Briefs, that the bar would be packed and the all-ages section would be empty. That's more or less turned around - the 21+ balcony was a lonely place, indeed, this past Saturday. Then again, the gig was pretty sparsely attended overall - I think everyone who could scrounge the money was catching Social Distortion at Red Rocks! At least that's what one of the warm-up bands thought. Oh, and it's funny to see the ridiculously tall Mohican haircut making a comeback with the young 'uns. Damn, these kids are hardcore!

The Raconteurs - Sunday evening found me at the Fillmore, surrounded by annoying people downing $7 beers, eager to catch this garage rock "supergroup." If you haven't heard about these guys yet (i.e. unlike me, you actually have a life), this band is a collaboration between Jack White and Brendan Benson, joined by the rhythm section of The Greenhornes. I have their album, Broken Boy Soldiers, and it's one of my favorite releases of the year so far. They don't sound like the White Stripes (outside of the occasional Jack White vocal tic), and the songs are much less pop than Brendan Benson's releases. I get an early 70's feel from the album - at times, it reminds me a bit of Zeppelin and the Faces. Onstage these guys turn it up loud and play it loose and ragged, stretching some of the songs out. I thought they were really good. Not a very long set, maybe 70 minutes, which isn't too bad for a band with only one 35 minute release out. In addition to all of the songs from the album, they also played a few cool covers - It Ain't Easy, popularized by David Bowie on his Ziggy Stardust album, and Nancy Sinatra's Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down). This was a really good show - I hope these guys stick around long enough to put out another CD. And I even got home early!

Overheard leaving The Raconteurs show: "Wow, it was really wild seeing Jack Black (??!!??) playing with a real drummer."