Friday, January 22, 2010

1/21/10 - True Widow, Flashbulb Fires, River Mouth, Smoke and Feathers

...Thursday night at The Boiler Room.


First time ever at TBR. Really liked it. Great sound, great drink specials ($3 double wells?? Dear sweet baby jeezus, give me strength!).


First up was Smoke and Feathers (Austin). Totally blown away by these guys. 4-man band playing kick-yer-ass southern-style psychedelic rock. Not usually my thing, but they converted me. Thought the theremin was a nice touch. Enough hair on stage to outfit an entire cancer ward (whoa, that was kinda dark, wasn't it?). Anyways, really enjoyed the set, which was entirely too short (not sure what the sound guy was thinkin, only giving them 20 minutes. Just start earlier, for chrissakes. It ain't rocket science). Next up was The River Mouth (Denton). Very similar to Smoke and Feathers - dark, dingy, rockin', theremin-inclusive. Just a notch down from S&F, but I enjoyed them as well. Vocals not quite as strong as S&Fs either, but servicable.
Flashbulb Fires (Denver) was up next. Some very nice anthemic-style piano pop. Didn't really fit on this bill, though - their sensitive musings and laid-back style was a bit of a come-down after having your ass kicked for the previous two sets, and the crowd seemed to lose interest. As part of a more fitting line-up, though, i'm sure they would shine. I enjoyed it, anyways.
True Widow headlined. Saw these guys once before, and was nearly put into a coma. I listened to two songs Thursday night, felt my life force dwindling rapidly, and split before it was too late.

3 comments:

"The Ghost" said...

Although I was not at that particular show, I must STRONGLY disagree with you about True Widow. Granted, their music is slow in tempo, but I find it to have a quite hypnotic effect. Their set at the DOMA showcase at The Cavern last year was the best performance I saw all of 2009. They energize one's life force, not drain it.

Steve M said...

Well, each to his own, eh? :)

"The Ghost" said...

Very true. Besides, I'd still say I agree with your taste more often than not. Keep going to the shows, and I hope to see more posts coming from you.