Sure, the weather outside is about to get awfully inconsiderate, but still, pre-New Year has to be considered the most wonderful time of year. Why? Even if you're anti-Christmas (which, if you are, you're an idiot from any religio-socio perspective), there is still plenty to love about this season. Whether it is the free vacation time, the fact that everyone become as lazy about work as I am, or the rapid rise in the consumption of booze, there is something for everybody! Maybe with the exception of recovering alcoholics... Sorry.
But the real reason why I love this time of year is due to the retrospective window that opens as the year crawls to an end. And this year is even better, because not only do we get to compile a Best of 2009, but we also get to make our Best of the 2000's, drawn up in the most self-serving of fashions to legitimize our own tastes and cast dispersions upon those foolish enough to have differing opinions.
And those will be on the way shortly, I promise.
But before then, here is my activities list from the passed week...No big deal:
In lieu on the nightmare that began the week down in New Orleans, the fates spared me by offering up a folk'splosion thanks to the combined efforts of the Bowerbirds and Elvis Perkins in Dearland. During the Bowerbirds set, the crowd could not have been more captivated. No side chatter. No yawning. Just pure infatuation, and it was beautiful.
Elvis "Kendrick" Perkins (a beast) brings a uniquely delivered brand of American folk to the fore once the Bowerbirds disappear behind the curtain. Dearland enters from above, in a New Orleans-inspired (oh, such horrible memories) procession of sorts, blaring horned instruments and pounding bass drums. And I'm immediately sold.
Later in the week, Canadian power pop studs, Sloan were to take stage across the river. But before they were able to do so, three fine, YOUNG ladies from the North got the audience warmed up... or all hot and bothered, I should say. What they sounded like isn't really all that important, because they could have just as easily just farted into their microphones for 45 minutes, and I would have been just as lovestruck. But if you do care to get an idea of their sounds, then here you go:
Turns out there actually pretty good, too.
Sloan was merely an afterthought since the whole set I was simply wondering to where the drummer from Magneta Lane ran off. But they played a good, fun set, albeit with an heir of Canuck superiority that really made the whole performance less covincing.
All in all, these other acts were a mere antecedent, a collection of tapas, if you will, for the main course that was Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Originally, a punk band, and still one at heart, TLP has now transcended any notion of genre-restrictions, combining hard rock structures, with pop hooks, and a heady political slant, so insightful but without ever burdening the true tone, and thus the enjoyment of the music. Ted's the man.
Oh, and how I could forget the essential event from the weekend?
That's better... Any arguments?
I heard the chick drummer grabbed your cock post performance....and you still didn't buy a CD from her....queer.
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