No Cover No Problem
The Repercussions/Roots Rock Rebel/The Franchise/Dayglow
Continental//8/28/05
So here I am, one year after the big lockout. It was after the Indymedia benefit at Southie. The Voice said those in attendance didn't look old enough to vote. Thanks, Village Voice! Right back atcha! Yeah, the show did kinda have that "give the kids in town for the big protest something to do" vibe and when I got home I somehow managed to lock myself out of the apartment. I tried to get myself to look on the bright side--this is the first time I've ever done that in all the years of being on my own--but it was 3:30 in the morning, on a weekend, and I did have the cat with me. I was bailed out to the tune of $200 + tip by a lecherous locksmith who kept hugging me, told me my place is a mess (thanx, but I didn't notice), and then invited himself for coffee later in the morning. (But I thought you said my place was a mess.)
^^^The Syndicate @ Southpaw, Indymedia benefit, 8/28/04 and Aa, belowvvv
(the pix look better in real life, seriously. I'll try to reupload w/another program.)
I assumed that that experience was me hitting rockbottom, but I guess not since I haven't changed my ways. Instead I went to Continental on a Sunday to check out some bands that sound like they might be cool only because there was no cover. I went to the websites linked and even the 7:30 band looked interesting but then that would be another all-nighter. (If I had a way to put a sound bite on this site it would be from that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry & Elaine are trying to lay down ground rules for their relationship and Elaine says, "Spending the night is optional!"--like the thought never occured to her before. I feel like every so often I need a reminder of this fact when I head out to shows.) At Astor Place is a banner from New York Company on the lightpost, you know the ones I'm talking about, right, that announce city events? Well, at the Astor Place lamppost right next to the Starbucks is one for CMJ. I laughed out loud. Not sure if there was a banner up for CMJ last year; maybe they're just making a big deal out of it since it's the 25th CMJ. Still, I laffed.
Anyhoo, Continental was exactly what you'd expect of a no cover lineup at Continental on a Sunday nite--nobody there and all the tables out and the few that were there all sitting down or at the bar. This is what I used to think Continental was like all the time and for the longest, I never went to Continental. The Repercussions are 5 guys in ties with a college-rock (what used to be called college rock) sound, before "college rock" came to mean hipsters, our thing is that we don't care, iPods, and attitudes. Their album is called "Modern Sounds" but they have such a vintage feel to them. The lyrics are angsty and about breakups and bad relationships and I thought of the Violent Femmes, especially with lyrics like "Everything is gonna work out/and everything will be just fine/the only thing that's meant to be/is that we're all gonna die" and extended song titles like "Running (barefoot) Through The Snow (in nothing but my underwear and a Modern Lovers t-shirt)" and "If Being Alone Was An Artform (I'd be the world's greatest fuckin' artist)." Even their name is simple and classic. Matt, their singer, has a habit of sitting on the stage and jumping off, taking the mic stand with him and standing in the audience and singing. At their last song he introduced the band and jumped off, letting everyone solo, and then came running from behind, sliding on his knees.....and crashed into the stage and fell over. Well, I was pretty much a goner after that.
So far so good, but this is Continental with no cover on a Sunday night. I checked out all the bands' websites and was figuring Roots Rock Rebel to be a ^. First off, Roots Rock Rebel? Huh? Roots Rock Rebels makes more sense. The bandmembers look like bikers with their leather caps and vests, skull and crossbones flag, killer sideburns, and a handlebar moustache. They were the only band on the lineup who had fliers posted all over the club and baby fliers on the shelf. What are they doing in between The Repercussions and The Franchise? Their first song, "50 Miles To Baghdad" is all instro and I was prepared to be pleasantly surprised by an instrumental band but no; they do have lyrics and all songs were political. "Two Amercias Roar" and "Bullets and Ballots." Gaaah.
I've put up with a lot from guys onstage, Lord knows I have, but before The Franchise even started I was having problems. Their singer was in a Napolean Dynamite shirt with the sleeves rolled under and mandals. True, they're from Washington, DC, so that may be why. Their site does say something like remember what college rock used to be and went on to compare them to REM and other luminaries but I was having a hard time feeling them. They are good pop rock, but the singer comes off like they type of guy who actually makes the yearbook as class clown and he tended to emote on some songs like he was in a high school play. Their song "Decoration Day" was written on a dare and it's about a relationship with an interior decorator--I'm the only thing that wasn't in her scheme and I'm the thing that didn't match the carpet. There was one about Rex, the punk rock dog, with choruses of "Punk rock dog/punk rock dog" that name-drops all the punk that the dog is into. "He's not fancy/His favorite movie is Sid & Nancy." Later on, Sid Vicious rhymes with "He thinks Alpo tastes delicious." And therein lies the problem. It's like they bypassed clever and are striving for cute and funny. If Jerry Seinfeld had a band, it would be The Franchise. "I want to be a superhero/and wear my underwear on the outside...Tell everybody that someone's coming to save the day." The singer did play guitar on some tracks and that did give their sound some meat, but they had one that went "My life is in flux...a flux capacitor." (Rhymes with "So I made a pass at her.") But they're young and energetic and brought a nice crowd with them and I felt bad that they had to sit through Roots Rock Rebel on a Sunday night when (if) they came up from DC.
Dayglow came onstage looking like they weren't even old enough to drink. Four girls, the lead singer in a pinstripe shirt and tie, V-neck sweater, glasses, streaky ponytail and calf-high combat boots. She holds the mic stand sassily, cocking her hip while she sings, bringing to mind prep school-Donnas. It's easy to assume they'd be another keybs-heavy 80s retread with a name like Dayglow, but they're a swirly pop band. They cover "Eleanor Rigby" and it's easy to imagine Stephanie, their singer, scrawling the lyrics in her journal.
I got back at midnite. Well, even if I didn't go out I would've gone to bed late anyway. I guess it's like Joe Hurley says/sings, "When you bottom out it's not the end of the world/it's just a bend in the road."
Continental//8/28/05
So here I am, one year after the big lockout. It was after the Indymedia benefit at Southie. The Voice said those in attendance didn't look old enough to vote. Thanks, Village Voice! Right back atcha! Yeah, the show did kinda have that "give the kids in town for the big protest something to do" vibe and when I got home I somehow managed to lock myself out of the apartment. I tried to get myself to look on the bright side--this is the first time I've ever done that in all the years of being on my own--but it was 3:30 in the morning, on a weekend, and I did have the cat with me. I was bailed out to the tune of $200 + tip by a lecherous locksmith who kept hugging me, told me my place is a mess (thanx, but I didn't notice), and then invited himself for coffee later in the morning. (But I thought you said my place was a mess.)
^^^The Syndicate @ Southpaw, Indymedia benefit, 8/28/04 and Aa, belowvvv
(the pix look better in real life, seriously. I'll try to reupload w/another program.)
I assumed that that experience was me hitting rockbottom, but I guess not since I haven't changed my ways. Instead I went to Continental on a Sunday to check out some bands that sound like they might be cool only because there was no cover. I went to the websites linked and even the 7:30 band looked interesting but then that would be another all-nighter. (If I had a way to put a sound bite on this site it would be from that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry & Elaine are trying to lay down ground rules for their relationship and Elaine says, "Spending the night is optional!"--like the thought never occured to her before. I feel like every so often I need a reminder of this fact when I head out to shows.) At Astor Place is a banner from New York Company on the lightpost, you know the ones I'm talking about, right, that announce city events? Well, at the Astor Place lamppost right next to the Starbucks is one for CMJ. I laughed out loud. Not sure if there was a banner up for CMJ last year; maybe they're just making a big deal out of it since it's the 25th CMJ. Still, I laffed.
Anyhoo, Continental was exactly what you'd expect of a no cover lineup at Continental on a Sunday nite--nobody there and all the tables out and the few that were there all sitting down or at the bar. This is what I used to think Continental was like all the time and for the longest, I never went to Continental. The Repercussions are 5 guys in ties with a college-rock (what used to be called college rock) sound, before "college rock" came to mean hipsters, our thing is that we don't care, iPods, and attitudes. Their album is called "Modern Sounds" but they have such a vintage feel to them. The lyrics are angsty and about breakups and bad relationships and I thought of the Violent Femmes, especially with lyrics like "Everything is gonna work out/and everything will be just fine/the only thing that's meant to be/is that we're all gonna die" and extended song titles like "Running (barefoot) Through The Snow (in nothing but my underwear and a Modern Lovers t-shirt)" and "If Being Alone Was An Artform (I'd be the world's greatest fuckin' artist)." Even their name is simple and classic. Matt, their singer, has a habit of sitting on the stage and jumping off, taking the mic stand with him and standing in the audience and singing. At their last song he introduced the band and jumped off, letting everyone solo, and then came running from behind, sliding on his knees.....and crashed into the stage and fell over. Well, I was pretty much a goner after that.
So far so good, but this is Continental with no cover on a Sunday night. I checked out all the bands' websites and was figuring Roots Rock Rebel to be a ^. First off, Roots Rock Rebel? Huh? Roots Rock Rebels makes more sense. The bandmembers look like bikers with their leather caps and vests, skull and crossbones flag, killer sideburns, and a handlebar moustache. They were the only band on the lineup who had fliers posted all over the club and baby fliers on the shelf. What are they doing in between The Repercussions and The Franchise? Their first song, "50 Miles To Baghdad" is all instro and I was prepared to be pleasantly surprised by an instrumental band but no; they do have lyrics and all songs were political. "Two Amercias Roar" and "Bullets and Ballots." Gaaah.
I've put up with a lot from guys onstage, Lord knows I have, but before The Franchise even started I was having problems. Their singer was in a Napolean Dynamite shirt with the sleeves rolled under and mandals. True, they're from Washington, DC, so that may be why. Their site does say something like remember what college rock used to be and went on to compare them to REM and other luminaries but I was having a hard time feeling them. They are good pop rock, but the singer comes off like they type of guy who actually makes the yearbook as class clown and he tended to emote on some songs like he was in a high school play. Their song "Decoration Day" was written on a dare and it's about a relationship with an interior decorator--I'm the only thing that wasn't in her scheme and I'm the thing that didn't match the carpet. There was one about Rex, the punk rock dog, with choruses of "Punk rock dog/punk rock dog" that name-drops all the punk that the dog is into. "He's not fancy/His favorite movie is Sid & Nancy." Later on, Sid Vicious rhymes with "He thinks Alpo tastes delicious." And therein lies the problem. It's like they bypassed clever and are striving for cute and funny. If Jerry Seinfeld had a band, it would be The Franchise. "I want to be a superhero/and wear my underwear on the outside...Tell everybody that someone's coming to save the day." The singer did play guitar on some tracks and that did give their sound some meat, but they had one that went "My life is in flux...a flux capacitor." (Rhymes with "So I made a pass at her.") But they're young and energetic and brought a nice crowd with them and I felt bad that they had to sit through Roots Rock Rebel on a Sunday night when (if) they came up from DC.
Dayglow came onstage looking like they weren't even old enough to drink. Four girls, the lead singer in a pinstripe shirt and tie, V-neck sweater, glasses, streaky ponytail and calf-high combat boots. She holds the mic stand sassily, cocking her hip while she sings, bringing to mind prep school-Donnas. It's easy to assume they'd be another keybs-heavy 80s retread with a name like Dayglow, but they're a swirly pop band. They cover "Eleanor Rigby" and it's easy to imagine Stephanie, their singer, scrawling the lyrics in her journal.
I got back at midnite. Well, even if I didn't go out I would've gone to bed late anyway. I guess it's like Joe Hurley says/sings, "When you bottom out it's not the end of the world/it's just a bend in the road."
posted by heather @ 6:39 PM
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