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| Beach Slang at Asbury Lanes. They played the Brooklyn Vegan CMJ Showcase on 10/25. |
Saturday Night's Alright
Ah the ghosts of CMJ past. Fitting memories during this Halloween season. I’ve been rocking the CMJ tradition for 20+ years; and, for the first time in many moons, I was only able to attend one day of craziness. Being the CoolDad is a tough biz, and Jim was double-booked. So as He and Allyson professed their love of Terminal 5 and Slowdive, I covered some tix for the Saturday night showcase from the kids at BrooklynVegan.
I managed to get to Baby’s Alright early and catch the end of Titus Andronicus tearing the back room down. "Werewolves of London!!!" Yes, they did, aaaah-oooh child!
As the day show switched on over and a sweaty herd of college kids exited, I caught up with my friend Stephanie. It was my first time at Baby’s Alright, so I took myself on the walking tour. It’s a great space, with a few rooms to hang in. Food and drinks up front, and the back room separated by what I can only describe as a limo privacy divider. Excellent lay out. I set up shop at the bar near the sound booth and proceeded to dig into a night of rock.
My man from WashedUpEmo.com, Tom Mullen, was the resident DJ for the night and dropped classic emo/punk/hc/whatevs tracks all night long. Check out his podcasts for some history lessons.
First up was Sport from France. Unfortunately, one of the members was under the weather after a week in NYC; so they pieced together their set. Being a man down didn’t slow these punks down. They tore through their set as the back room began to fill. 90s punk in all its glory has been a great influence on these kids.
Next up was Cayetana, a band I’ve been interested in seeing based on CoolDad’s excitement. Singer/guitarist Augusta commented, "We’re from Philly and so are Beach Slang. This is the first time we’re sharing a stage." I was stoked. Short, tight songs about longing and wearing your heart on your sleeve. The stand out “Serious Things Are Stupid” puts me back in my 20s. They have a new LP out called Nervous Like Me. I’ll be digging deeper.
The crowd was beginning to pack in tight for my new favorite obsession, Beach Slang. I get a real kick out of James Alex’s Angus Young-esque stage wear. It just reminds you that the rock is coming. Beach Slang ripped through songs from their first two 7-inches (which you should pick up) as the CMJ crowd shouted along, fingers pointed skyward. I can’t say enough about this band. So, all I will say is if I can make it out to their shows at Brooklyn Night Bazaar on November 8th and Trenton's Mill Hill Saloon on November 14th, I will. After their set, I caught up with bassist Ed McNulty and I may have gushed a bit. See them.
This is where my night of drunken college music directors and scenesters switched gears. Pity Sex was not the band I needed after the back to back punk rock of Cayetana and Beach Slang. As I exited Baby’s Alright, I ran into Augusta from Cayetana; and she told me they’ll be at the Lanes for a Home for Tte Holidays after party. Cool.
I stopped in at Norman’s Kil, an amazing whiskey bar on Grand St., to see my buddy Ben and for a Salona grilled cheese (Jalepeno Jack, hot sauce, diced tomatoes, cilantro on sourdough).
CMJ 2014 complete.
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