Most bands battle it out for chart and audience supremacy, but when the audience doesn’t show, it becomes a SHOW of SOLIDARITY. LAST NIGHT, courtesy of the newly married DOM SPIER, that’s exactly what happened.
12:00 PM, the manager gets in to work to see a barrage of texts from DOM. The flurry of excitement is because one of his favorite bands, CLEMENTINE, are in town. The bands OPENERS BAILED OUT, leaving room for FREELANCE SWEATPANTS and EXCELERATE to fill the void on their tour. While no void was filled with AUDIENCE MEMBERS, SONICALLY the venue was filled with MUSICIANS PLAYING MUSIC. The catch, the show is 7 PM that NIGHT!
The band up until this point have not been together since SEPTEMBER. Will they be able to pull off a set WITHOUT PRACTICING? How will it all unfold? Will there be audience turnout? How will Milwaukee and Philly based bands get along on a night the BUCKS PLAY THE 6ERS? WHY AM I ASKING YOU ALL THESE QUESTIONS? READ ON AND FIND OUT!
First up at 7 PM, my favorite band name of the bill, GOOFY AT NIGHT, a SKA BAND from Philly. While I missed their initial set due to my Uber, I caught the last song. My EARS caught the SIREN LIKE SCREAM from their FRONT WOMAN. The band WAS FANTASTIC!
Up next at 8 PM, the always great EXCELERATE. PUSHING NIRVANA on us that night as an acoustic trio, with LAZER SHARK bass player KEVIN LONGHITANO as a part of the band. DRUMMER PHIL DIRENZO was absent, though his presence was felt as on one song EXCELERATE said “Phil would be doing some great fills about now.” Excelerate got personal, reminiscing about his first CAR HE TOTALED on “DELORES”. FALL MAY be upon us with 50 degree days ahead, but that didn’t stop the band from making us wish for warmer weather with their set closer “AUSTRALIA”.
Then came the moment everyone was there for, CLEMENTINE, fresh off the tree and ready to rock, the MILWAUKEE BASED BAND blew the roof off the place. Playing their brand of freshly squeezed rock, special thanks to front man JOE ALTAMORE for allowing us to play with you. GUITAR HEROICS, GREAT DRUMMING ensued throughout the bands 45 MINUTE SET.
NOW IT’S MAIN EVENT TIME! FREELANCE SWEATPANTS closed the show with a replay of their LAST SET. It didn’t matter if you have seen them one time or ONE HUNDRED TIMES. The band had played with a ferocious intensity, trying to prove themselves worthy of being in the presence of DOMS HEROES. THEY EARNED IT! SO MUCH SO that AJ played his first show WITHOUT GLASSES! JUSTIN as per USUAL, WAS A MONSTER ON DRUMS! SEAN as a front man had GREATLY improved his game since DAY ONE. In the audience, I SANG ALONG TO “GOTTA GET OUT” with KEVIN AND EXCELERATE (HIS LEGAL NAME). The band ended their set with a one two punch of “HIGH ON A PLANE” and the COVER SONG FREELANCE IS MAKING THEIR OWN. I’m talking about “MY UNITED STATES OF WHATEVER.” While what little hearing I had was gone by that point, I caught SEAN shouting out EXCELERATE, CLEMENTINE and various others. All of whom, loved the love given to them. LAST NIGHT, WAS BETTER THAN ANY BAND PRACTICE WE COULD HAVE HAD! LET’S DO IT AGAIN SOMETIME!
SPECIAL SHOUT OUTS- DOM SPIER, EXCELERATE, KEVIN (KEVIIIN) CHRIS, CLEMENTINE, GOOFY AT NIGHT, JOE ALTAMORE, and THE RUSTY NAIL! Catch ya’ll in DECEMBER, I KNOW, YOU DON’T WHEN WERE PLAYING NEXT!