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] |
The
Walkmen
09.17.2005 / Mr. Smalls Theatre / Millvale, PA
Three Bands, Three Zip
codes, Two hours.
Running
late, I opted for the combustible engine to try to get me to Garfield
Artworks in time for Built Like Alaska. Throwing the bike in the back
of the wagon (in case the drinking got out of hand) I got to Penn Ave.
at 10:30 only to find out the band had already finished their set. These
were Hugh’s
boys and he was putting them up at his buddy’s house but said they
were sticking around for the last band, Replicas.
Knowing that The Walkmen were
playing down in Millvale I jumped in the wagon and in five minutes was
crossing the Allegheny and walking into the old church that’s Mr.
Smalls Theatre. I was told the band had been on for only ten minutes and
ponnied up the $13. The crowd tonight was about 5 times larger than when
these guys played at The Rex last year, a show that could possibly rate
as my most disappointing of ’04. Considering how good their album
Bows and Arrows was that show lacked any shred of intensity as their whole
set was an exercise of going thought the motions only to wake up for a
fiery “The Rat.”
The benefits of the larger
crowd were in full effect as the intensity was kept to a high level for
the remaining 40 minutes. Singer Hamilton Leithauser sang with an urgency
reminiscent of their fine album. I’m guessing the reason that there
were so many ladies in attendance had something to do with this guy’s
looks and it was a refreshing change from the usually dudefest that is
the modern rock show. Standouts included “Little House of Savages”
and of course “The Rat,” which contains the sad truth for
every aging scenester, “When I used to go out / I knew everyone
I saw / Now I go out alone, if I go out at all.”
As soon as the show was over
I headed back to Garfield Artworks in time for Replicas,
who Manny described as a Gary Numan tribute band. Right before they started
he mentions that these are theater guys and shortly after, a guy in a
white lab coat starts loudly describing this latest robot creation as
he paced the Artworks hall very mad-scientist like. Then up from the basement
emerged four silver-masked and suited band members.
They went on to perform a wildly
entertaining set of New Wave tunes while remaining in character. The “scientist,”
interjecting comments between songs, was manning a laptop and projector
that was displaying lyrics and photos. I got a kick out of the singer’s
penchant for stylistically reinterpreting his lyrics as they ran overhead.
I love this band and hope to see them again soon. Great song here.
After this I headed straight
to Gooski’s, got a Straub in record time, and was standing in the
back listening to the Telefonics.
Only catching their last four songs, I was impressed with the infectious
fun this band was projecting. At one point there were like eight people
up on stage and the crowd seemed really into it. Unfortunately a battery
malfunction prevented any photos. [looks like I wasn't the only one]
I didn’t feel like waiting around for the next band so I called
it a night and was home at 12:30.
|