Rock Shows of Note XXXVIII
Ouch. As Scan said, "Last night was most rocknificent." The Handstand Command showcase at the Abbey Lounge in Somerville was quite a night. I showed up promptly at 7:30 p.m. to load in, and most everyone else -- except for Chris and Em, bless their hearts -- showed up around 9. For most of the waiting time, I hung out on the stage-side of the bar, read my Gilmore Girls book, and talked to the woman who was working the door. She used to play in Swizzle and the Decals and now plays with the Other Girls.

By the time the rest of the Anchormen showed up, much less the other bands -- Tunnel of Love and the In Out (insert your own joke here) -- I'd been hanging out in a bar for way too long. It was a relief when the show finally started, as well as when an audience began to form a little into the In Out's set.

While they weren't as raucous as they were at O'Brien's -- they didn't wear their wrestling shorts and striped leggings last night, either -- Tunnel of Love still surprised with their standing, full-on garage rock assault. Their choice of cover songs is thoughtful, and their energy is amazing. A band to see for sure. The drummer just wails on the drums, and the guitarist is a stomping, grimacing, mic-stand-knocking-over madman. Fun stuff.


Bash pop!

The In Out, while solid, were much less fun to watch, even if they're fun to listen to. "They're much less visually interesting," one friend commented. Because I'd been at the Abbey for so long -- and because I was distracted catching up with friends Kurt, Geraldine, and Hiromi -- I didn't pay a lot of attention to their set, but I liked what I heard. Coco and I look forward to their show Tuesday with the Pee Wee Fist at the Middle East. I'll definitely try to be more present.


Makin' whoopie.

Finally, the Anchormen. Jef's concern about this being a short show was unfounded, and I think we went on around 11 p.m. After debating whether we should wear our suits like we usually do, whether we should doll up in work shirts to express our solidarity with the striking service workers in Boston, or whether we should just wear, gasp, clothes, we decided that the suits had to stay. I finished donning my garb in the back room just before we took the stage. (And later, at the end of the show, I had trouble finding my pants. Sigh.)


Hair today...

The show, although people seemed to get a kick out of it, was a mess. My voice was scratchy. I forgot more words than I have in a long time. And I didn't feel like our banter was as manic or frantic as it usually is. Regardless, people appeared to enjoy watching us, our songs evoked some smiles, and people in front of the crowd danced up a storm. We even sold a CD or two.

Woohoo. This is probably the last Anchormen show before I head out on the CoF Roadshow near the end of the month. I'll miss it and look forward to the Anchormen karaoke show we're organizing for early November. Thanks to everyone who came out last night to see if we'd spin out of control or collapse under the weight of our own rock.

You can also read another review of the show. Photographs courtesy of Koshka Delgado.