Poor Dumb Bastards, Donkey Punch, High Diver
Sometimes I forget how
much I like a certain place and then I have the chance to revisit it
and it's like running across an old friend. Tonight I left the Meridian
early, blowing off the last two bands that were to play there. It was
a Red room show and I hate that room with a passion. It sounds like
absolute shit most of the time and lighting is inadequate at best. Tonight
lighting was even worse than usual and I'm not a big fan of the style
of music featured anyway. Besides Poor Dumb Bastards were playing over
at Rudz, and Donkey Punch. Ironically the best shots I've ever gotten
in the Red room was a night that these bands played there.
Luckily when I got to Rudz I recognized some of the band outside and
they made sure I got in on the "list". I went on upstairs
and the High Divers were already on. I shot a couple of frames to zero
in on what I'd need to set the camera, and that's about all the time
I had, having missed most of the set it seems. The High Divers were
much better than any of the bands I'd seen earlier at the "big
show" I was at. But that's part of my theory that there is not
justice in the world when it comes to music. What else could explain
why so many big name bands suck so bad and so many "local"
bands can outplay them on any given night.
Next up was Donkey Punch, I know the bass player for this band. He also
plays bass for Flaming Hellcats. I saw these guys a couple of weeks
before in the Red Room and it was ok, nothing special but what the hell
PDB would be on afterwards so I figured it wouldn't kill me to check
em out again. And this is where Rudz really shined. It's amazing how
much better I enjoyed Donkey Punch's set in a room where the sound was,
well good. Who knew these guys can actually play? Much better experience
the second time around, and it's gotta be the room, since I'm sure they
didn't suck the first time and somehow miracle of miracles they learned
to play in the two weeks since I saw em last.
Last up would be Poor Dumb Bastards, and damn I wished I'd been taping
this night. It's hard to imagine them killing Rock N Roll when they
sound and play this good. The audience was energetic and raucous as
usual but it stopped short of actually scaring me. In all honesty it
was the most reserved show I've seen of PDB yet. Well except for Byron
crowd surfing and all the beer being sprayed all over everyone. I said
it the most reserved I'd seen them, not that it was anywhere near mundane.
PDB starts out more outrageous than most bands can muster in a whole
career.
All in all I was glad I blew off the bands at Meridian tonight and caught
some of the better bands playing in one of the better venues around.
Satyr
11/11/2006
satyr at satyrgraphs.com
