Live: OnPoint and Metal John at The Delancey 12.27.8

It's been a whirlwind couple of days. JS-NYC is skipping town to Istanbul for a week or so and I've been running around trying to get my shit together. I'm glad the last show I saw before I skipped town was OnPoint. It's been months since they played, juggling a new singer and new tunes with all the other ridiculousness that life throws at you, but it was good to see them treading the boards again. This show was part of the regular Dirty Bomb NYC nights that go on at the Delancey, so we also got dancing go-go girls to sweeten the pot. I'm not sure they were there for the early part of Metal John's set, but I caught the end and as mighty be expected, it was kind of a sausage party. I would think the avenues would be somewhat limited for a guy who plays solo shred guitar, but in these days of Ron Thal and Buckethead getting shine from the big guys, you never know what might happen. MJ can play and he attracts a pretty big crowd, but it's not exactly what I'm looking for these days. My issues aside, he's a solid guy and great player.

OnPoint has been breaking in a new singer for the last six months or so. They had a bear of a Latina fronting the franchise in their early days and I feared for the worst when the she left the fold, but the new woman, who may be named Olga, kicks a whole lot of ass. At the early shows at Otto's, she seemed a little tentative, but the last couple of months in the practice space really seem to have worked wonders for OnPoint as a band. Two Flying V's and a drum machine provide the backing. Hold on to your ass, as the beats are relentless and the guitar is in your face. I'm not crazy about the NiN cover, but OnPoint is a solid band that I see making big moves in 2009.

Keep tabs on the OnPoint team here. I'm off to Turkey.

R