Live: Iron Chic with Dead Dog @ Lulu's 4.14.11

This ended up being quite the evening. Ran into Col on the ride home and ended up meeting her at an opening on Bond St, then rode out to Brooklyn for a couple hours at Eric's birthday get-together before this show.

Was pretty full when I rolled. I caught all of the Dead Dog set, who had some sound issues and were all and all pretty meh when you get right down to it. There was a decent crowd, and as you couldn't beat the price, I guess it makes sense. Pretty decent set from the Chic ones. Lots of beer being thrown and a fair amount of stupid poseur stage diving/crowd riding. Iron Chic have songs, and good ones at that. It's great that they are getting bigger, but the douche factor does seem to be rising amongst the crowds. Either that or I'm too old. One or the other. While I'm being cranky, headliners going on past midnight on a school night seems a little silly. I guess it was free, and it's not like it wasn't packed, so maybe I should just clam up. And use the bathroom before I leave, as the awesome ticket I got was not really what I was dying to get for my birthday. Kudos to Iron Chic for being pretty great. It's nice that its getting warm just as NYC is finally getting some good local bands. May looks like it is going to be merry, indeed. Stay tuned to JS-NYC for details.

R

Live: RVIVR with Bridge and Tunnel and Matthew Berry and The New Sound @ Lulu's 10/16/10

This show was the first of an old school 'out for the week' rock series. One might lend credence for my having stood in the room at 10:45 the evening previously while various Measure members and merch people milled around at CoCo 66 waiting for a five band fucking bill to start before riding back home in disgust.

Really?

How this makes sense, especially with touring bands, on a Tuesday night confounds me.

But I digress. I made it from my art opening/pig roast to Lulu's in time to catch Matthew Berry and The New Sound. Not that I wanted to, but whatever. They were ok, with points for ok banter, but definitely seemed to capitalize on some scene cred, as they were decent, but nothing to write home about. While I hate, hate, hate unannounced lineup changes, by this point in the evening I was willing to let it slide. It's a bummer, as I've missed out on Bridge And Tunnel a couple times now owing to the ridiculous start times in this burg. RVIVR flew out West for a couple shows before flying off to Europe for a month of dates. Borrowed gear and early tour dates aren't always the best combo. Add yourself a short set into the kitty and you've got kind of a bummer situation. It was a good time, but they have definitely been better. Questionable haircuts aside, RVIVR are still better than most, and when it's free and all, I can't hate too much. Matt mentioned an EP coming around the end of the year, so look out here for signs of that dropping. Euro friends can find tour dates here.

R

Live: The Dopamines with House Boat, The Challenged, Grabass Charlestons @ Lost & Found 8.16.10

It is always a cause for much rejoicing when the Dopamines make it to town. I was bummed that they weren't playing with Grabass Charlestons, as they had been for the previous week or so, but it was free and I had preemptively taken the next day off, so all seemed to poised to put a check in the W column. This was probably going to be one of the last shows I'd be seeing for a bit and I wanted to make the most of it.

My plan was to arrive to see part of House Boat and The Dopamines set, then go home and eat mass quantities. I posted up about 10:30 to the strains of a curiously Gainesville-sounding band. A quick glance to the merch table confirmed that Grabass were in fact in the house, added unannounced as the first band on the bill. Well played, promoters! It was free and all, but come on! Does no one think it's a good idea to actually announce touring bands are playing? Seems to me it would make it a lot easier to put gas in the van at the end of the night, but hey I'm old. Grabass are great, and I would have liked to have seen more than the four songs I caught, although the Mikey Erg guest spot for the closer was fun to see.

The Challenged were up next. The trio are locals playing the Green Day card who have been increasingly larger players on the scene of late. They have played a bunch of dates recently with the recently de-mothballed Screeching Weasel and dropped their a new full-length called Loaded Language that think I'm going to have to check out. I would have been much more into them if I hadn't missed Grabass beforehand. House Boat were up in fairly short order, sporting their NYC (read: non Zack Rivethead) incarnation. Grath was as drunk and unemployed as he has been of late, and chatty as a result, but when they actually played songs HB were quite good. I can't say I'm that crazy about them that I wanted to catch their whole set, but they are a fun time.

Dopamines were up next, in their double Jon/double Mikey recent incarnation. Spirits, as well as blood alcohol levels were high, helped in no small part by Sib bartending and a five-liter bottle of Jameson the band had picked up a few shows previously. The show was heavy on the awesome new record Expect The Worst, along with a smattering of older chestnuts, all jammed into their now-obligatory half-hour set. A stage invasion by the aforementioned bartender with Jameson bottle in tow stretched things out somewhat, but I was sweaty and sated headed South by ten after one. I'd like to see them longer and earlier, but there are few thing more enjoyable than The Dopamines live in this day and age. Here's hoping we get a tour with Cheap Girls in town real soon.

R