everloss - rpg punk

Venue Review: Billiard Club/Pub 161

The Billiard Club/Pub 161 is one of those places that could be awesome, but for a few annoying reasons, it isn’t. It is mostly a hard-rock club and has a Tuesday Night Acoustic Open Mic.

Good points: Lots of pool tables; both coin and hourly. Servers who take orders from the pool tables. Impressive beer selection compared to a lot of other places. The bartenders are not stuck-up bitches. Lots of tables in the bar section; several booths along two walls. Good P.A. system the last time I was there, but previous visits were not as impressive.

Bad Points: Lots of thugs and wannabe-thugs. This probably has a lot to do with the location. All of the booths are along the walls, which means you can’t see the stage (or get only a partial view) if you sit in a booth. The club charges about 2 bucks for both Coke AND water! Rarely is there a large audience, most people come to see their friends play and then leave.

Song Review: Vampire by the Black Canary

the Black Canary

“Vampire” is richly layered, but at the same time not all that complex musically. This isn’t an insult, as i think making the arrangements more complicated would have possibly ruined the song.
the vocals are somewhat interesting. Softly sung, but always complimenting the instrumentation.
Mood music, as the title would suggest, but it doesn’t sound cliche.

the Black Canary are masters of dark, layered music of varying complexity. Another song of theirs, Mansions, is one of my current favorites.

have at ye.

Concert Review: Verner Caliper

Billiard Club/Pub 161, Friday May 30

I need to take a little time for a small rant:
The Billiard Club charges $1.75 for an 8 ounce cup of pop that comes filled to the top with ice. So in reality, you are paying almost 2 bucks for about 3 ounces of pop. The bartender also said that on weekends, “we only sell bottled water. We have to make money somehow.” This was on a Friday night and the place was dead. Perhaps if they didn’t charge 2 bucks for a pop or water, more people who show up? Water should be free, and hell, pop should be free too. God, I wished I owned a bar.

My recommendation: If you are the designated driver, or simply don’t want to drink alcohol, walk over to Tim Horton’s and get a FREE water, or simply bring your own beverage.

On to the review:
I was going to review the entire show, but I had to leave early for various reasons. So I am only reviewing the opener, Verner Caliper.

As a friend from out of town who was at the show said, “they don’t sound like anyone!” Which is true. Try as I might, i could not, and can not, label this band. However, since people like to label everything in terms that are familiar to them, I will describe the band in generic genre-terms as “groovy hard rock.” This is one of those rare creatures in rock music… a band with an original sound. While their website lists influences ranging from “Radiohead to Rage Against the Machine,” you can’t really hear the influence of any other band.

Their first three songs were evidently so new that they haven’t been named yet, although all three were incredibly tight, groovy hard rock songs. The third song in the set had a couple awkward transitions, but was otherwise tightly played, tightly structured, and an all around great hard rock tune. Unlike the previous two songs, Andy Clark (singer/guitarist) turned his voice into a menacing growl and played a sick quitar solo mid-song.

That’s Why is a quick, groovy hard rock song that could be a single if they wanted it to be. It’s short enough for the kiddies to not get bored, heavy enough for the dudes and melodic enough for the chicks, and displays just enough technical precision for snobs to like it.

Our Flaws are Logical starts out as another groove induced hard rock song, however, it seemed to go on forever. I found myself zoning out several times and wondering if i was still listening to the same song. It’s good, but maybe shave off a minute or two?

The bass player, Andy W, is perhaps one of the most startlingly adept musicians to grace a 4-string that i’ve seen in the city. He constantly switches styles of play during songs. I just wanted to put this out there because bassists are often overlooked.

I didn’t catch the name of the next song, but it started out as a slow, quiet ballad and rapidly progressed into a full-bore hard rock jam. Towards the end was a crazy-fast guitar solo, which immediately dropped the song back down into slow tempo. Very nice, very interesting.

The song Background is on VC’s Myspace page, but the recording on Myspace does not do the song justice. Played live, the song is ridiculous. This, like most of their songs, is simply a technical marvel, but is not inaccessible to those without a critical mind.

The band broke the mood with a strange and delightful southern fried ditty called Scrambled Eggs on a Paper Plate. Hilarious, fun and quick, this was a great song to break the hard rock/metal tension built up from the previous songs. I think it should have come a little earlier in the set though.

Lacking a better place to bring it up, Jimmy the drummer, is simply fun to watch. He doesn’t just play his kit, he beats the shit out of it. It’s like he hates the drums and is trying to make his drum kit pay for that hatred.

Verner Caliper ended their set with a song called Sick In Sin. Simply put, this was fucking amazing and a brilliant song to end to. It’s a longer song (I didn’t time it, but i’m guessing 5-6 minutes) but it never gets boring or tired. Towards the end the tempo builds and builds until the song practically crashes. Beautiful.

There was only one sad point that I can make; the Billiard Club was practically empty. Not many people beyond the bands’ friends got to hear them. Verner Caliper would probably get a much better reception at a venue like the Ravari Room, opening up for a national or regional act than puttering around in a crappy dive, opening for jock-rock wannabe’s who will break up in 6 months.

Venue Review: Skully’s Music Diner

For those that care, Skully’s is consistently voted, year after year, Columbus’ Best Singles Scene. I have personally witnessed many a drunken hook-up at Skully’s so I can attest to this.

Good points: There is always at least one band worth listening to on any given night. They usually have at least one free concert per week too. They have 18+ shows all the time. Ladies 80’s is a HUGE draw. Coat check in winter. Decent food. Service Industry Night on Tuesdays (Service industry employees pay 1/2 price for drinks). Smoking patios in the front and back.

Bad Points: Only 1 pool table (however, it is located on the balcony, which is awesome), the bartenders can be dicks (or bitches as the case may be). The scenester kids can be either incredibly hilarious or ridiculously annoying. It is impossible to not be accosted by bums if you’re standing out front. I recommend using the back patio to smoke, as it is much larger and enclosed by a fence.

Concert Review: As Tall as Lions

Columbus, OH, The Basement, June 12, 2007

Originally posted at musicohio.com

Before the As Tall as Lions concert at the Basement started, I was sitting on the concrete outside the Lifestyles Pavilion. A tall lanky scene-kid walked past me and gave me a funny look. A few minutes later, he walked by me again, but this time he purposely veered towards me just to step over me. He was all but demanding to be noticed, as scene kids always are.

When the Lions got onstage, I realized the tall lanky scene kid was actually the bassist, who metamorphed from a “vintage” t-shirt and jeans into a pretentious vest/slacks combination. But for bands like this, pretentiousness is worn like a badge of honor. Everyone in the band was in a vest and slacks, except the singer who was in a suit. Even their roadies wore matching vests. It was kind of creepy in a very Killers-esque kind of way.

The crowd, which was unfortunately very small, was divided between young, hip scenester dorks and preppy coeds slumming it and pretending to be lesbians of the lipstick variety. There was much dancing of the “nod your head and shuffle your feet” variety, as well as the always hilarious “trying to walk in high heels while drunk” dance. That’s one of my favorites to watch.

Musically, the Lions aren’t bad. By that, I mean that they aren’t incredible musicians, but what they play works very well for what they want to do. And that is far better than what a lot of bands can say. What struck me the most about their performance is how clean and precise they sounded. You could tell that these guys not only practice their songs, but they love them as well. On almost every single song, any given band member could be seen singing along with the lyrics. Even their roadies sang along and played air guitar and air drums. It was like being witness to some sort of bizarre, trendy, indie-rock cult.

Although the crowd was very small, the band played to them like they were in a sold out club. The singer is an able frontman who kept the 30 or so audience members in thrall throughout the concert. He even suggested getting the “lesbians” some more drinks to loosen them up.
The aforementioned bassist was very animated; quite possibly the most lively and energetic bass player I’ve ever seen live. His face was constantly contorting into odd grimaces while he jumped aound the stage like a man possessed.

The tunes ranged from cookie-cutter “indie style” (believe me, I hate using that term) soft rock, some fast hard rock, and some sappy ballads. They only played one cover, Gnarls Barkley’s Transformer, which they turned into a slowed down R & B song.

Concert Review: Kings of Leon, 2007

Kings of Leon, Columbus, OH, Newport Music Hall, June 13, 2007

Originally published at musicohio.com

For one night, the Kings of Leon were the kings of the Newport. They rocked, they rolled, and they played their hearts out. And the sold out crowd loved every single second of it; singing along with every song, clapping with the beat, smiling and laughing throughout the show.

The Kings seem somewhat shy onstage. Very little banter between songs, no excessive showboating by any of the members of the band. The most that Caleb Followill said to the crowd was that this was their last show for this tour, before a two-week break. The rest of their roughly hour and 45 minute set was devoted to the music, and the fans appreciated it greatly.

While the Kings are more famous on the other side of the Atlantic, often hailed by the British music press as “the best band from America in years,” there was no sign at the Newport to make one think they aren’t just as loved here. More than 1200 people packed the venerable concert hall, mostly young, stylish, college folk. Many of the young women wore heels, many of the young men wore girl pants. But all showed their love for the Kings music in the same ways. Singing along with On Call, Molly’s Chambers, California Waiting, The Bucket, among many others.
The outstanding moment of the night happened at the end of the first set, before the encore. Caleb was playing his guitar so fast that his strumming hand was a complete blur. His guitar pick flew out of his hand into the front row of the crowd, however, he never even paused; continuing to play with his thumb for another full minute before the song ended when he smashed the microphone stand down to the stage floor. I couldn’t tell if his hand was bleeding, but i have to imagine it was.
If you don’t understand the hubbub surrounding the Kings of Leon; see them live, before they start playing arena’s and stadiums. You’ll come away with a much more profound appreciation of the band. I went to this concert with no sympathy for the band or their music at all, but came away wishing the show hadn’t ended.

Venue Review: Ravari Room

To see a metal show, the Ravari Room is the place to do it.

Good Points: Small enough and discriminating enough to bring in real metal and punk acts. Servers with Hounddog’s Pizza menu’s until Happy Hour is over. The best Happy Hour in town. 3 pool tables. Friendly (with 1 exception) bar staff. Awesome jukebox. Pinball.

Bad Points: Parking can be a pain. One of the bartenders (squirrelly looking dork with glasses) is a complete asshole. But there are several others who are very nice. Restrooms are always nasty. That’s about it.

Song Review: Idiot Thesis by Parishioners

“Idiot Thesis” is a pretty good tune if you’re into ’60s flashback psychedelics. Excellent music for a summer’s day.

Musically, it is straight-forward psychedelic pop music. Poppy guitar work backed by drums and piano. While the song meanders in parts, it never loses direction.

check out Parishioners on Myspace

Venue Review: Newport Music Hall

The Newport is the oldest continuously running concert venue in the United States. Virtually every big name has played the Newport at one time or another, which is sad because of the state of disrepair the venerable building is in right now.

Promowest doesn’t seem to know what to do with the place. On the one hand, they seem to recognize that Columbus needs a venue with 1200 person capacity to attract mid-sized bands and that they can make money out of that need.

On the other hand, Promowest doesn’t seem to give a shit about upkeep or their customers. They removed the only drinking fountain, the restrooms haven’t been cleaned in years, and they vastly overcharge for water and beer.

the water thing is what really pisses me off though. when i was a teenager, that water fountain was the only thing that kept me alive through many a nights’ mosh pit. and those pig-fuckers at Promowest took out the water fountain and force dkids to pay… what is it now? 3 bucks for a bottle of water?!?!

fuck promowest. someone needs to buy out the Newport before those shitheels run it completely into the ground.

Venue Review: Bernie’s Bagels and Distillery

Bernie’s is the best place in the city to see a punk band. It is truly an underground marvel set about 20 feet below street level. the stage is only 2 inches high to give the bands headroom from the pipes and electrical conduits in the ceiling.

Surprisingly large beer selection, an outdoor patio, cheap cover charges even for national acts.

Bernie’s is currently, and has been for quite some time, my favorite place to see a show.