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3.12.2008The Ghosts Inside Davey's Uptown
 There are very few people I listen to when it comes to music. I am a complete snob. What goes in my ears has to be something special, not your run-of-the-mill radio schlock. In my formative years, Twisted Sister (not the band, my sister) was my main musical influence. She is four years older and like most older siblings she would turn up her stereo so the whole family was forced to listen to her collection, Elvis Costello, The Police, Adam Ant, The English Beat, Cheap Trick, Queen and so on. Then, I started playing guitar and immediately Twisted Sister was out and other musicians were in. I listened to anything and everything that anyone who ever picked up an instrument recommended. Didn't matter if you played oboe in the elementary school orchestra, I would listen to your favorite album. In college, I worked at the local rock club and had 24/7 access to live music. If it wasn't new or the best show I'd ever seen, I didn't mention it around my co-workers because they would give me the musical beat down if I was listening to something unworthy of their critical acclaim. This is where the snobbery began. Now, there are only a handful of people who can recommend a band that I might listen to. Twisted Wife, Scott, Dave, Tyson, Mark, Andy Bob, Porch and David Fricke of Rolling Stone. So, I was surprised when I took the advice of Steve from The Sneeze and started listening to Cloud Cult. Turns out, I can confidently add Steve to my list. However, I'm a bit jealous that Cloud Cult did Steve's theme song. (Yes, that is a hint to my musical friends.)Cloud Cult: Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club The shitty thing about Monday night shows is that Mondays generally suck. I just came off a good weekend and spent a whole day trying not to be pissed that I had to go to work all day. Then, I come home to Twisted Wife at wit's end because the Twisted Kids had decided to play Let's Scream at the Top of Our Lungs and Run in Circles all day. It's a great game and Twisted Son was in the lead when TW'd started to lose it. Needless to say, I wasn't really in the mood for a rock show. But Twisted Mother In-Law had agreed to take the kids for the night and I wasn't about to pass on that opportunity. So, TW and I packed them up and took them to their grandmother... as fast as possible. As some of you know, TW and I have a track record of going to dinner and missing shows. After an exhilarating culinary experience at Willie Nelson's Texas Roadhouse (aka The IRS Steakhouse), we headed to Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club. It is exactly as it sounds... a crappy little brick building with a couple of beer coolers and an ample stock of well liquors. It's a typical rock club, and I am a sucker for typical rock clubs. It's a place where you either become a career alcoholic or you leave when the lights come on. We arrived way too early for the show. TW and I have discussed this at length and have come to the firm realization that this fact alone is what makes us officially old. Fortunately, we only had to wait a half hour or so for the first band to take the stage. Enter The Belated. This is the band of a local radio personality. They weren't the worst band I'd ever seen, but they were close. The music was a bad rip off of early Live. Yes, he should stick to being a radio personality because that's the closest he will get to rock star. The second band actually woke TW and I up. Distance to Empty was an interesting mix of soul and disco. They pulled out all the stops and had a great set that included an amazing interpretive dance number accompanying their song 14 Hours. If you get the chance and are in Kansas City, I highly recommend seeing them when they open for Blind Melon on March 25th. Again, age reared its ugly head and TW and I struggled to stay awake. By this time, I was making deals ("Once they play Million Things, we can go") and she was making threats ("This band better be good"). With seven members, instruments and two large canvases for the paintings they create during the set and sell afterward, it took Cloud Cult a while to get set up and ready to play. Finally, we were off. They quickly thanked the crowd for coming and started into an up-and-down set that made everyone in the room stay until the ride was over. Their music runs the gambit of emotions, at times hitting you like a train and at others hugging you like your grandmother. It is utterly brilliant. The highlight of this show was knowing that I was seeing the next Arcade Fire or Polyphonic Spree play their hearts out in a small venue with 40 other people. It's one of those shows that I will talk about with my fellow music snobs as "if you aren't listening to this band, you're musically retarded." I also made a believer out of TW, and I got to buy their new CD before it is officially released. And although I lost sleep, it was worth every lost second. 
posted by Jim at 11:25 PM
2 Comments: said...
Not such a bad playlist for 1981-1983. You could have had a lot worse influences. Also, which one of us owned the entire Journey back catalog?  Jim said...
Ha, just wait for the next post. |
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