Apples in Stereo
[02.12.2007]
Assembly of Dust
[02.04.2007]
The Hackensaw Boys
[01.27.2007]
Paul Luc
[01.20.2007]
Local Honey / Slim Cessna
[01.13.2007]
Bob Seger
[12.14.2006]
Skinks / Rahim / Transcontinental Booze Hounds
[11.25.2006]
The Big Sleep
[11.18.2006]
Local Honey / The Izzys
[11.10.2006]
Cloud Cult
[11.07.2006]
Grand Buffet / Magnolia Electric Co
[10.31.2006]
Norman Nardini
[10.28.2006]
Wilco
[10.20.2006]
Wilco
[10.18.2006]
Kid Congo Powers
[10.12.2006]
Dave Alvin
[09.23.2006]
Wolfmother
[09.22.2006]
Mountain Goats
[09.20.2006]
World Party
[08.27.2006]
Gil Mantera's Party Dream
[08.16.2006]
Whiskey Daredevils / Local Honey
[08.11.2006]
The Silver Jews
[07.28.2006]
The Bottle Rockets / Marah
[07.27.2006]
Slim Cessna's Auto Club
[07.15.2006]
Alejandro Escovedo
[07.10.2006]
Cat Power
[07.09.2006]
Life In Bed / The Transcontinental Booze Hounds
[07.07.2006]
Violent Femmes
[07.01.2006]
Guitar Zack Wiesinger / Pittsburgh Pirates Loss # 54
[06.30.2006]
The Black Crowes \ Robert Randolph \ The Drive-By Truckers
[06.25.2006]
Pearl Jam
[06.23.2006]
The Octopus Project \ Black Moth Super Rainbow \ Amoeba Knievel
[06.19.2006]
The Bottle Rockets
[06.14.2006]
Govt.
Mule / Local Honey / Wil E. Tri
[06.08.2006]
Tehran Iran
[06.03.2006]
Astronautalis
[05.25.2006]
Grand Buffet / Cobalt Black
[05.19.2006]
Phil
Boyd w/Manny Theiner & Weird Paul / The Codetalkers feat. Col. Bruce
Hampton
[05.15.2006]
The
Four Seasons Boys
[05.11.2006]
The
Supersuckers
[05.02.2006]
The Breakup Society
[04.28.2006]
The Four Seasons Boys / The
Gris Gris
[04.19.2006]
Rhett Miller & The Believers
[04.14.2006]
Good Brother Earl
[04.08.2006]
Slim Cessna's Auto Club
[04.03.2006]
"Guitar" Zack Wiesinger
[03.25.2006]
The Minus 5 / The Silos
[03.24.2006]
The Mendoza Line / Great Lake Swimmers
[03.12.2006]
Dave Alvin
[03.10.2006]
Apollo Sunshine
[03.07.2006]
Lyle Lovett / John Hiatt / Joe Ely
/ Guy Clark
[02.14.2006]
Marah
[02.12.2006]
Marah / Slim Cessna's Auto
Club
[11.12.2005]
Ted Leo + Pharmacists / Sharon
Jones and the Dap-Kings
[11.08.2005]
The National
[11.02.2005]
Modey Lemon
[10.07.2005]
Gang of Four
[10.04.2005]
Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers
[09.24.2005]
Thunderbirds Are Now!
[09.22.2005]
The Walkmen
[09.17.05]
Circle
[09.15.05]
Akron/Family, Great Lake Swimmers
[09.05.05]
Los Lobos
[08.21.05]
Grand Buffet, Magnolia Electric
Co.
[08.20.05]
Joe Ely
[08.19.05]
Solomon Burke
[08.14.05]
Billie Joe Shaver
[08.11.05]
Robert
Randolph & The Family Band
[08.07.05]
Oneida
[08.06.05]
Richard
Buckner
[07.13.05]
NYC Road Trip
[07.08.05]
Stars
[06.23.05]
Aimee
Mann
[06.19.05]
Bobbie
"Blue" Bland, Michael Penn, Erin McKeown, OPEK, The Mavens
[06.18.05]
The
Holmes Brothers
[06.15.05]
Drive-By
Truckers, Deep Purple
[06.11.05]
Los
Lonely Boys, Martin Sexton
[06.10.05]
Marah
[06.08.05]
Brant Bjork & The Bros.
[06.03.05]
Railroad
Earth
[05.20.05]
Andrew
Bird
[05.17.05]
Ryan
Adams & The Cardinals
[05.13.05]
Rosavelt
[05.12.05]
Green
Day
[04.23.05]
The
Shins
[04.15.05]
Bonnie
"Prince" Billy and Matt Sweeney
[04.14.05]
The
Beakup Society, Whiskey Daredevils
[03.25.05]
Apollo
Sunshine
[03.12.05]
From The Jayhawks: Gary Louris
and Mark Olson
[03.11.05]
Clem Snide, Archer Prewitt
[03.07.05]
Norman
Nardini
[03.04.05]
The SPUDS, Norman Nardini
[02.18.05]
The Comas
[02.15.05]
Tarbox Ramblers
[02.12.05]
Black Tie Revue
[01.28.05]
Elvismas, Shade
[01.08.2005]
Chalk Outline Party, Comrad
[12.18.2004]
One Star Hotel
[12.10.2004]
Ted Leo + Pharmacists
[12.03.2004]
Thanksgiving Eve / The Italian
Club / Blairsville, Pa
Sue Foley
[11.20.2004]
The Whiskey Daredevils
[11.19.2004]
The Arcade Fire, The Cynics
[11.15.2004]
Steelers v. Patriots
[10.31.2004]
Mike Watt
[10.21.2004]
Magnolia Electric
Co.
[10.14.2004]
The Mendoza
Line
[10.09.2004]
The Black Keys
[10.07.2004]
The Secret Machines
[10.06.2004]
The Fiery
Furnaces, Charles Bissell (The Wrens)
[09.23.2004] |
 Elvismas,
Shade / 1.08.2005 /
Rex Theatre, Gooski's / Pittsburgh, PA
So here I am attending my third Elvismas
in four years. Despite having moved from Oakland to Polish Hill to the
South Side anyone attending this has a pretty good idea what their $10
bucks is getting them: peanut butter and banana sandwiches and rockabilly
music. In addition to this you also get people dressed in their finest
50’s garb as well as swell door prizes. I’ll explain ahead
why we cut this one short, though.
Wifey was a bit down in the dumps, as we had just
returned from a trip to her hometown of St. Louis which consisted of most
nights going out with her friends and here we were tonight going solo
after having made numerous calls, the sole exception being Bob Smith,
who has also become an Elvismas regular. Wifey isn’t crazy about
the rockabilly but I figure it’s about the event as a whole and
the fact that Blair from Highway 13 has kept this going for 7 years.
I don’t know if you blame it on the lack of
drinking ahead because, despite a decent crowd and a somewhat festive
atmosphere, it just wasn’t clicking for us. And I even wore my western
shirt for this one. We arrived just as Highway 13 was finishing their
set and we just kinda stood around nursing our beers waiting for the next
band. The Stardevils, from Kentucky, took the stage and proved to be a
competent traditional-style rockabilly band. I took some picts and got
a pb and banana and Bob Smith never showed up and that was it. We left
early to head up to Polish Hill to see whatever bands were playing there.
Well Gooski’s was packed and we had to squeeze
our way through the bar just to find a breathing spot. It’s been
a while since I’ve seen so many people turn up here just to see
the band and I quickly discovered why. Before Shade’s set started
I was told that these guys are going to be the “story of the year.”
I haven’t seen many local bands lately but you’d have a hard
time telling me there are any better than this. Shade
not only kept the room at rapt attention, it turned it on its head with
their Radiohead-esque (sorry but I can’t think of any other comparison)
sonic assault. Combine that with some energetic stage chemistry between
band members, most sporting bedhead, and a slew of great songs and I think
we’ve got a winner here. Wifey and I even took turns getting beers
because neither of us wanted to miss anything.
After the show we hang out for a while and all of
a sudden a skirmish begins right in front of me. Even before I realize
that these two guys are punching each other Tim jumps from behind the
bar and breaks it up. In the aftermath I realize we’re standing
right next to Aaron, singer from The Chalk Outline Party. Actually this
whole bar is filled with people from other bands and their devotees. As
I’m explaining away my western shirt he mentions that he was once
in a rockabilly band himself, which, unless he was bullshitting me, seemed
quite out of character. He hooks me up with their new CD, we decide to
call it a night, and the two guys punching each other just 10 minutes
earlier are standing back to back talking to their respective parties
like nothing happened. How I do miss living on Brereton Street.
|
