Hey everyone,
What an awesome weekend! Played two great shows, both with Crooked Tree (www.crookedtreemusic.com)! Friday night was at Epicure in Fairfax, VA and Saturday night with some great bands at an awesome venue called Iota (www.iotaclubandcafe.com) in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, VA. Seriously, Iota is the best sounding room I have been in in a long time. Great sound and good people! It was a privilege and a stroke of luck to play there, no doubt.
Crooked Tree kicked off the night with a 45 minute set that went from rough to rockin as it progressed. Lesson learned: don't let your gear get ya down. First our acoustic/electric guitar decided not to be electric anymore, then after a decent first tune, the bass decided to stop making sound! Like I said in the intro "great sound and GOOD PEOPLE." Yes I just quoted myself. Iota's great sound tech remedied the guitar situation by throwing up and leveling a microphone super fast and easy, and the bass player from The Atomic Mosquitos, Sean Rush, saved the day by lending Wes (our bass player) his instrument for the rest of the set. We owe both of them a huge thanks! Post equipment difficulties the set rocked and we had a great time.
After Crooked Tree, The Atomic Mosquitos took the stage. These guys blew my mind! It was surf rock on steriods (in a good way, not the Barry Bonds way). They were so tight. These guys have been playing together a long time and you could definitely tell. The classic pulsing surf rock guitar sound riding over heavy drums, bass and rhythm guitars hitting starts and stops so precisely was an awesome site. And with the amazing sound system at Iota, a totally rich sound. Coupled with the vintage surf-flick clips projecting on the wall during the set, the Atomic Mosquitos are a must see. Check out their info here: www.atomicmosquitos.com
Then the headliners, The Latebirds, were on. Hailing from Finland on a two week US tour, it was an honor to share the bill with these guys. They had great songs and a complete sound. They took us from melodic rock to singer-songwriter folk to pop-punk during their set. And all of it was awesome! The band consists of frontman Markus Nordenstreng who sang and played guitar and piano, Janne Havisto on drums, Jussi Jaakonaho, Matti Pitsinski on organ, and Mikko Mäkelä playing bass. Each of these guys was a great musician. I loved Markus' voice and presence. He definitely kept my attention for the entire set. Jussi's guitar solos were melodic and technical at the same time, which is so rare. He played perfectly to compliment the songs. All of it backed up by solid bass and drum work from Mikko (who also sang harmonies) and Janne, with Matti chiming in on the organ at exactly the right moments. You could def tell the Late birds were seasoned. You have got to check out their website: www.latebirds.com Their resume is really impressive: recording, playing, and touring with groups like Wilco and Benton Trench from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The Latebirds are headed to Chicago and then out to LA for their next shows. If you have the chance to see them, GO! If you don't, get their record. What a great show and an awesome band!
Thanks for reading! And thanks again to Epicure and Iota for having us this weekend. To see a schedule for Iota go to their site: www.iotaclubandcafe.com They bring in some great bands and do not disappoint with the sound and experience.
