Archeology - Well, if you have an extra date on your tour, why not play a second DC club in two days? That is what Portland's Archeology did. And their reward was to get another audience of about 30 people where I am guessing I am the only one to have seen their Velvet Lounge set. And based on the response, this strategy was a success. The set was similar and went over extremely well with the crowd. I also found it solid and was quite comfortable with their sound now. I will stand by what I said and add that it did remind me of Low Anthem type songs played loudly in a steady rocking manner.
The Attic Ends - From Brooklyn comes this interesting four-piece. But of course being from Brooklyn means they have a diverse history which I recommend you read about at their website. They have drums, guitar, keyboards and a female singer. They come out strong with a thick shimmering rock sound that reminds me of early Banshees in a happy mood. Probably LA's Midnight Movies is the closest sound I have in my collection with a sound that is steeped in moody rocking psychedelics. The sound is a bit off early but seems righted by the second song when the vocals come through more clearly and the keyboards are better balanced. They walk a tricky tightrope just as the Doors did by having bass keyboards. I think perhaps using a real bass player may, like the Doors did, may be a way to go long term. But for now, that is a minor complaint as this set was very good. The singer can really wail away and has boundless energy. The three players lay down a thick steady interesting sound throughout their half hour set. The crowd is going nuts and the vibe is great. There are good things on the horizon for this band and I have a feeling they will be back.
Modern Man - It has been a while since I have seen this area band. They are a four-piece with two guitars and play a fantastic mix or rock styles. They blend old and new sounds together seamlessly which could cause a band like this to get lost in the shuffle. But the antidote to that is to write good songs and play them with vigor and purpose. And tonight Modern Man did just that. The smallish crowd grew to about 45 people finally, but sounded more like 450 people. Who are these people? They must have been imported from a Reykjavik metal festival or something as they sound like few DC nightclub crowds I have seen recently. Let's hope this enthusiasm continues and as long as we have good local bands like this that play with fine imports like we had tonight, then the club scene has a lot to offer. Modern Man can be a part of that as long as they want to. Rock on.
Quote of the night: Archeology bassist as tourist... "We went to your mall. It was good--browner than I thought, but not your fault."
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