Linda wants to see Jon Whitney spin new wave videos at Rivergods, so we do!
Linda wants to go see local art-trash-rock-combo Neptune at Great Scott’s, so we do!
The front end of the evening is lovely, Jon spins videos that are well remembered (“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” – Tears for Fears) and also terribly obscu
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But we do escape, run across town and in a matter of moments have entered Great Scott’s door hoping Neptune will play soon. But no, it is not to be. We have arrived during the set of Tristan Da Cunha who are apparently having a record release party tonight. They are math-rock or as a random fellow at the bar complains “too much like some jazzy Berklee band trying to impress us with their key and time signature changes”. Our eyes mutually roll, I buy Linda a drink. We wait. I figure next will be Neptune, it is nearly midnight on a Thursday, but then the same gent points out no, there are 6 bands on this bill. But why? But why?
Next up is Martin Gordon. “Who is Martin Gordon?” I find myself asking just in time to have my question answered by a 3-minute long PowerPoint presentation projected onto a large screen hanging from the stage ceiling. Come to find out, Martin Gordon has done a wide array of things, but for my money his biggest achievement has been being the bass player on Sparks’ “Kimono My House” album.
“This is his first gig in America!” the excited voice over tells us
“The first time anyone has heard his songs in the US!”
“Here he is!”
“Martin Gordon!”
And he is!
Terrible!
And he should be!
So much better!
Gordon’s band is a group of fellows I’d guess are in their mid-forties, and their music for some reason makes me think of The Yachts. I know that’s obscure, so please fill in your own early 80’s small time euro-guitar band that had maybe one hit here. Or alternately think very early XTC, but imagine them if they sucked. Because the thing that’s really annoying me about Martin Gordon’s set is I should love this music because it’s based on the kind of power pop I will always have a lasting affection for, but Martin Gordon and his band are terrible, terrible songwriters, and behave as if they have never heard of that verse chorus verse thing. It isn’t long before we I are on the pavement outside the nightclub along with about 75% of the other nightclub patrons not smoking, but merely waiting for the torture to be over.
It’s 1 AM now, we’re tired, but we’ve come to see Neptune and damn it we’re going to see them, and after a strangely overlong, awkward and otherwise inexplicable baton twirling performance by local twirler Laurel Sparks, we finally do.
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Happy birthday Linda, you got what you wanted.
1 comment:
What's that? I can't *hear* you.. My ears have been blown out by NEPTUNE!!! But it rocked. And I had a superfine birthday, all thanks to you. And Jon Whitney. And Jason's wonderfully welded instruments. And some top shelf vodka. Not necessarily in that order.
Hmmmmm, wonder if that baton twirler will be available on YOUR birthday...
All best,
Linda
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