Rock Shows of Note LIII
Around 10 last night, and with a last-minute invitation to Hiromi, I went to the Middle East Upstairs to see Choo Choo La Rouge. I arrived just as they were finishing their set, unfortunately, but Hiromi and several friends were in the audience, so we stuck around to see the other bands.

Hailing from Providence, the Eyesores were amazing. Led by accordionist Alex K. Redfearn, the band featured an interesting mix of instruments: cello, upright bass, violin, accordion, and drum kit. Their set was a rollicking, high-energy assortment of Elephant Six by way of Slim Cessna's Auto Club-style pop. Not quite alt.country, but on the edge. I couldn't help bouncing on my heels and swaying back and forth. The violinist was a lot of fun to watch, and my only complaint was that Alex was sitting, so I couldn't really see him. Had to pick up a couple of their CD's.

Then Soltero played. The show was a CD release party for their new recording "Defrocked and Kicking the Habit," so they were in fine form. Hiromi and I left after several songs, so I didn't hear too much, but I've been listening to MP3's today, and they, too, have an impressive blend of alt.country and slightly off-kilter pop. Tim Howard's voice is a sleepy Sunday treat.

What a good show. One of those nights I probably shouldn't have gone out (sleepy today), but I'm glad I did.