So... since I apparently have no common sense, I went out to the Seahorse last night. It was initially a mistake on my part--I mean, not the part where I ended up at the Seahorse, I went there on purpose all right--but last Sunday, Gloryhound was supposed to be playing a show there with the Chucky Danger Band but it was cancelled due to the storm and rescheduled for Tuesday. The Facebook event for the show was edited to reflect the new date, and the singer from Silvergun added a post to say that Silvergun had been added to the bill. Nowhere on the event did it mention that they were in fact replacing Gloryhound. I did see a status update from someone that made me wonder, but on the principle of better safe than sorry, off I went.

So, Silvergun. Still not exactly my thing, but I liked them a lot more on second hearing than on first--I'm often like that, the difference between indifference and fandom for me is a often a few more listens--and I think I would like them very much on a recording with a good mix. The vocals got a little buried last night but they have an EP out so after Christmas I should check that out. As I mentioned before, they sound like every instrument is playing rhythm and while I usually like a little more firepower out of individual instruments, I enjoyed them.

Partway through Silvergun's set a couple of Gloryhound's friends sat at the table next to where I was sitting and then waved me over, which was nice. I have no objection to going out by myself, obviously, but given how things went in the latter part of the evening I was grateful to have someone to stammer "Holy smokes!" at.

So, Chucky Danger (from Prince Edward Island, and composed of two MacPhees, a MacDonald, and a Buchanan. Definitely Maritimers.) The band has just been nominated for four East Coast Music Awards. They wandered around during Silvergun's set all snazzy in skinny trousers and ties, and as to their onstage presence, well, suffice it to say that I have never seen such a bunch of unmitigated little extroverted showoffs.

And I can hear you saying, "Oh, coneycat, you say that like it's a bad thing!"

To which I reply, "No, I don't! If you could see the expression on my face as I type this, you would know I mean it in the nicest way possible!"

Put it this way: remember this video?



The show began with the lead guitarist alone onstage, wandering around demonstrating how anything from a mic stand to a cymbal could be used to coax strange feedback from his instrument... then the rest of the band erratically joined him onstage... and then after they'd played for a bit everyone but the drummer bolted, leaving him to play a solo that began with his hands and then incorporated drumsticks tossed to him by the lead guitarist, so he ended up playing with four by the end of it...

And that was just about when it hit me:

If Siberian huskies formed a band, this is the band they would form!

And I hope they win six ECMAs!

Highlights included the acoustic ode to Prince Edward Island, which took place in the middle of the dance floor, which the door to the men's room opens onto so some befuddled guy ambled right into the middle of the performance and ambled away clapping on the off-beat (he may have been the same guy who, in the singalong portion of that tune, joined the "la la"s on the off-beat as well.) They incorporated moments of sounding like "Subdivisions" by Rush and Boy-era U2 with frank insertions of stuff like "Who Are You?" (particularly delightful given their drummer looks a bit like Keith Moon), "Bohemian Rhapsody," and a long shaggy-dog-story involving a long-ago plane trip from the USSR (which has not existed in the singer's lifetime, I would reckon) to Miami and naturally turned into an uncredited cover of "Back in the USSR," which was hilarious. And also well-executed. (The fact they played all the funny stuff with totally straight faces made it even funnier. And the fact they played everything well, including their strong original material, meant that they didn't come off as a novelty act. Just a really good live band. But I'm totally getting the CD, too.) There was one percussion-based segment that incorporated a wooden salad bowl, as well as a story that began, "So we were heading up to the North Pole, to play a show for Santa..."

Long about the time they were playing the tune about the Sheriff of Nottingham I decided that my initial plan, to leave after the first set, was not going to work since there was apparently no set break planned. In my experience, once a Siberian husky starts running he just keeps on going until either someone stops him or he falls over. I began to see that this quality was shared by Chucky Danger, so I decided discretion was in fact the better part of valour--since I'm hitting Tribeca tonight and tomorrow as well--and said goodnight.

And walked off leaving my notebook on the table and one of the guys had to chase me out onto the sidewalk (in the cold--and it was cold, the type of cold that makes Siberian huskies feel their friskiest, which may or may not have had something to do with the evening so far) to get it back to me. (No, it wasn't the notebook, but I would have been awfully mad at myself if I'd lost the record of last night's entertainment. Thanks, man!)

YouTube doesn't begin to illustrate the fun that was had, but here are a few videos:

( Live and canned videos. )

I think you need to actually be in the room to get the full effect, and I heartily encourage everyone to take advantage of any opportunity. I am really, really glad I didn't know in advance that the band I knew I liked wasn't on the bill, because I might have done a very stupid thing and stayed home last night. Which would have been tragic.

I hope they win nine ECMAs!

(I'm on a public library computer, so no time to look up a lyrical post title.)

I think I owe an apology to the Attic. As I have mentioned more than once, I found it a little uncomfortable the last time I was there, but apparently I like it a lot better when I am not the only patron I can see. (Last time, owing to the odd shape of the place, I was generally the only customer I could see and it felt like just me and a lot of security guys who looked bent on throwing someone out before the evening was over. It made me nervous!)

Last night was much better--still had my bag checked at the door (I left my pearl-handled .45 at home) but the guy who checked my ID just looked at it, he didn't scan it to see whether I had any wants or warrants or whatever. And the bar staff is friendly, so hey.

I met my brother down there, or rather hung out with him part of the time between him going off to check in with some friends of his who are Silvergun fans. There were four bands on the bill and I think they each brought a complement of friends and fans, so there were always quite a few people sround and, from the area where I was sitting close to the stage, the sound was good.

First up: the Josh Parkinson Project, which consisted of five people including a sax/flute player (not at the same time, obviously.) The focus was definitely on the front man, the band was sort of a layer of heavy jazzy-pop sound backing up what I would describe as Jeremy-spoke-in-class-today vocals. They were good at what they do, I just tend to prefer bands where the individual instruments get to speak up more. Worth checking out to find out for yourself, though.

Harbourfire was up next and played eight or nine songs, I think. One was brand-new, as in last night, and when I spoke to Matt the singer at the end of the night he told me they'd gotten the tune down but he was pretty much making up lyrics as he went along, which is awesome and perhaps explains why the band looked so highly entertained. They always do look like they're having fun playing off each other, though.

I have seven minutes left, so this has to be quick.

Anyway, I hadn't seen Gloryhound up to this point but after Harbourfire cleared the gear they had to clear (it was one of those deals where bands were sharing the drum kit and in fact brought in bits and pieces to add and all the drummers used their own cymbals) Gloryhound appeared all together. Apparently they'd been at their buddy Ryan's birthday party and judging by the crowd who arrived and wound up in the same corner I was, they brought the party with them. Which was in fact as much fun as you think it is.

Set List

Standing Still

Free Of You

See You Round

Bright In the Dark

Long Arm (a particularly great version)

Before You Fall (for Matt S)

You Gotta Learn

What's Left (Ryan pointed out the Nirvana undertone on parts of this song which had totally escaped me but now that he mentioned it...)

Flee the Scene (for Ryan)

Midnight Bird

Final set of the night was by Silvergun, who as I mentioned I've heard of but not heard. They were good at what they do, and I can see why my brother's friends were into it, but it's not really my thing. In talking to a few other people as I was leaving I was able to articulate what I was thinking--the band (guitar, bass, keys, and drums) did that layer-of-sound with vocals thing and it's almost like it's all rhythm. I prefer when you can listen with your eyes closed and still imagine people playing the music.

However, they're another band worth checking out, because if you get what they do they are really good at it.

Time's up. Later.