By: Pat O'Brien
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The Chambermaids - Photo by Greg Schaal
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When a band is almost willfully messy on stage, it usually immediately turns me off. Which is why I was surprised to find myself really getting into Landspeeder about halfway into their first song. They were drinking shots of whiskey right there on stage and it looked like it might get worse but I found, firstly, their music endearing (a frothy mix of '90s underdogs Superchunk and '70s underdogs Television being played in the filthiest of garages) and secondly, I found a band I want to root for over the long haul. Their goofy antics (laughing through the lyrics, missing which song is about to be played next) seemed somehow perfect and did nothing to diminish my opinion of them.
They aren’t quite where they need to be, but given time they, hopefully, will iron out the kinks and become a force to be reckoned with.
Somehow, Rank Strangers ended up second on this bill. There were certainly high expectations from my immediate vicinity. I had not seen them live before, but had heard stories about their live shows. They didn’t disappoint. They took the howling, coarse grind of Gang Of Four and, I hesitate to use the word “refine” here, but they twisted that sound a little, slipping in bits of The Kinks and (I swear) CCR. It made for a great, fun, funky set. They said little to the crowd but their music spoke quite enough. I was mostly struck by one thing that rolled around in my head for their entire set: Why are these guys not huge? I was at a loss Friday night and still have no good answer, they certainly should be. They have been kicking around this scene for years and deserve their due. Here's hoping.
The Chambermaids hit the stage very quickly after Rank Strangers exited and they exploded. Their mix of (it’s an absolutely unavoidable comparison here) Gang Of Four with the funk turned down just a hair and the Pixies with the caustic, roiling guitars turned way up. Their set started to take on the feel of a “squall of sound,” if you will, and in truth more than a few people hit the exit to give their ears a rest. Plenty of people stayed, however and many started slowly creeping toward the stage, their songs did have a bit of an entrancing quality. To be fully honest here, they sound better on record than they did Friday, but The Entry for all its uniqueness and (ahem) amenities, does not lend itself to noisy raucousness like The Chambermaids, and I want to be the first in line to give them the benefit of the doubt.
And then there was Superhopper. If a party threw a party (yes, you read that right) Superhopper would be the house band. I spoke to lead singer/guitarist (and newly engaged man) Kermit Carter before their set and he told me they like their shows to have that party feel and this show was no exception. After some wisecracks about relationships (Carter's in particular) the band was off and running with their brash, Mudhoney-ish guitar pop. They culled most of their set from their new album, Party Killers, and had full command of the room – all eyes were on them. They drink beer, have smart mouths, irreverent lyrics and a youthful cockiness – in short, they are everything a great rock band should be. They threw a raging party and for once, staying until they very end wasn't a faux pas.
Location Info:
7th Street Entry
Artist Info: Landspeeder, Rank Strangers, Superhopper, The Chambermaids
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