Live: The Dopamines with Be My Doppleganger and The Homewreckers @ Tommy's Tavern 4.1.10

It's nice to see that Spring has pretty much sprung in NYC. It just makes it all around that much easier to get on the bike and see shows in Brooklyn without rain or snow to foster laziness. That said, I would walk to Brooklyn to see The Dopamines. They were one of the best bands at last year's Insubordination Fest, but I was looking forward to seeing them in a little smaller room, especially since I have been able to get all their stuff.

After a little jamming and a couple beers in the backyard with Drew and Jim we hit Tommy's. The Homewreckers were just starting, which presented a bit of a problem, as I figured them to be in the lower eschelon of the bill and it was late-ish already. Not that they weren't decent, but save for the fact that the drummer beat the hell out of the kit, I would have missed them if I could. There's some scene cred with the Cristy Road and Frank Unlovable in their ranks, so we'll see if they make their Little Lungs turn for me down the line. Next were Be My Doppelganger, who added a little Chixdiggit to the Midwest punk rock mix. They have been touring with The Dopamines for these dates and they are a good match. I have to track down their records, but they sure were fun to drink PBR to, even if some of the ladies up front couldn't hold their liquor

Drew bailed before The Dopamines, but Jim and I stuck it out to be rocked soundly. Man, are those Dopamines a good time, especially with Mikey Erg holding down the second guitar slot. It was kind of a short set, but we got a healthy smattering of non-hits and a Green Day cover for Larry Livermore's benefit. In checking in with Larry, it seems like that was a fairly epic set by Dopamines standards, and while I could have heard a couple more songs, it was a damn good time. Oddly enough, in checking out Livermore's web presence I assumed that I had missed House Boat, but they were actually the headliners, making the above flier absolutely 100% inaccurate in order. I really like House Boat and would have been all about seeing them, but left thinking I had missed them, begging the question: Is it that fucking hard to list the proper order and start times for a show? Even in punk rock, that doesn't seem to be too much to ask, especially as I'm pretty sure it was creeping 1am by the time Dopamines finished. That said, props to all the bands and to Tommy's (plus Drew and Jim) for a great $5 show.

R