9/5/07 - Parata, Glen Farris, Dust Congress

Went to another free night at Rubber Gloves:

Dust Congress - i've seen him before - one-man band (guitar/banjo, kick-drum, high-hat, etc.). amazing how much sound one man can generate on his own. this time, he added a 4-mallet marimba player and a trumpet player. nice additions, but more instruments means more things to keep in tune and together, and that was a problem here and there with the trumpet player. nice songs, definite leonard cohen/loudon wainwright vibe. voice a bit thin and strained (he even apologized for it).

Glen Farris - really looked forward to this, after hearing the haunting, chill-inducing stuff on his myspace page. wondered how he would duplicate that live, and alas, he did not. Just him and his guitar (and harmonica). definitely a talented musician and songwriter, but in the end, it was just another dude with his acoustic (although a very talented dude).

Parata - these guys were fantastic. two guitars, bass, keyboard and drums. fairly complex songs - lots of tempo and mood shifts. everyone in the band had to keep on their toes, and they did. great songwriting. lead vocals a bit reedy, but good enough. really enjoyed the set - will be watching their page for their next gig.

Old Canes - cancelled "a couple days ago". rant to follow.


decent crowd once again. two stumbling drunks. way too much smoke. AC blower a real distraction during the quieter acts.

9/3/07 - RTB2, Hardin..., Childlike Fear, Florene

Went to the first night of Rubber Gloves' Free Week. godblessem, they must know how broke I am right now (long story).

Florene - totally cool. two guys, four keyboards, one guitar, and a mac. no vocals, per se. sort of a panda bear/mogwai vibe, really nice songs, would love to see them again.
A Childlike Fear - OK. guitar, bass, drum. Liked some of the music, but didn't care for the croaky, strained vocals
Hardin Sweaty... - entertaining as usual. not really my thing, musically - it's a bit harsher than i normally like, but the sense of humor and energy make up for it
RTB2 - one guitar, drums and tracks. great pipes on lead. some real heart-felt bluesy tunes

decent crowd for a monday night. froze my arse off in there - will bring parka next time.