Wayward Weekender: Son Venezuela, Popfreeradio, Russian rock
I’m posting this rather late today because, well, that’s what going out all three nights of the weekend does to a body. And because I saw so much music this weekend, I’m not even gonna try to make this a shapely piece of writing. Here’s what I saw, y’all.
FRIDAY
Son Venezuela at Power & Light: The district was by no means packed. It was a cold, sorta wet night, and Son Venezuela ain’t exactly Blues Traveler or the Bravery. We perched on one of the staircases and watched as the area’s hardest-gigging salsa bands kept a good 20 or so couples hot-stepping on the pavement in front of the stage non-stop. Seriously, those people could move. Ladies in tight dresses and high heels twisted and spun and popped their knees at the behests of graceful men in leather jackets and slacks. Talk about a following; it’s no wonder Son Venezuela always wins the Latin category in our Pitch Music Awards. On the big screen overhead, the New York Yankees beat The The Angels Angels in game one of the ALCS. Shout out to two-for-one Fridays at the Bulldog.
SATURDAY
Popfreeradio’s Third Birthday at the Riot Room: I don’t listen to Popfreeradio much at all, but I’m gonna start. Founded and largely operated by affable, walking-Kevin-Smith-movie-character Chronic the Hedgehog (aka Justin Bale), the online station attracts thousands of listeners a day. Maybe tens of thousands. I can’t remember the figure Chronic told me inside at the Riot Room bar, but it was surprising. Meanwhile, FM continues to become more and more sterile and obsolete.
Hidden Pictures was the first band I caught when I arrived around 9. They were outside on the unheated patio. Fronted by frequent Pitch contributor Richard Gintowt and his fair lady, Michelle Sanders, the band doesn’t get a lot of press – an unfortunate and direct result of Frer Gintowt’s affiliation with our paper. But it definitely deserves a lot more listeners. The group crafts tight, sweet compositions with a sense of melody so strong it comes off as effortless. The sound is mellow rock in the vein of Travis or the Long Winters, and the Pics are definitely a step up from most local bands in terms of songcraft. Remarkably solid.
Up next, Lawrence band the Dead Girls made a crack about the unused patio heaters and surged into power-rock guitar awesomeness. For its upcoming Halloween show, the band is playing the entire soundtrack to the movie Adventureland, a comp that includes “Modern Love” by David Bowie, “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco and “Just Like Heaven” by the Cure. It’s a coming-of-age ’80s soundtrack to match Dazed and Confused‘s Me Decade menu. It was during a cover of “Breakin’ the Law,” however, that the weekend’s Ultimate Rock Moment occurred: a police helicopter that had been hovering overhead zoned in and shined its spotlight on the patio. Everyone flipped ’em off.
