The first time I saw dollys, they were tacked on at the end of a show at The Saint. I think Chemtrail were the headliners. dollys went on super late and there were only a few of us still there.
"Hmmm," I said after their set. "Now that was interesting."
I saw them again as part of the release show for Dentist's self-titled debut and as part of a bill at The Court Tavern when I headed up there to see Smalltalk. Each time, they impressed me more; and dollys became one of those bands I'd make a special effort to go see.
dollys are a trio now, and drummer Natalie Newbold has taken over the bulk of the singing duties. It's made them even stronger. Jeff Lane writes some just classically great pop songs. He's also a pretty damn good guitar player. Newbold and bassist Erik Case Romero are a kinetic rhythm section, and Nat gets an amazing amount of badassery out of one of the most minimalist drum sets I've ever seen.
So I wasn't going to skip the band's tour kickoff show at Asbury Lanes on Tuesday.
I was pretty excited to catch Jersey City's Perennial Reel. They're in my weekly listings post almost without fail every Thursday, but I'd never seen them perform. The band combine electronic sounds with some rock and indie rock influences to get to something that's pretty hard to classify. That's a good thing, and it makes for a live set that takes some interesting twists and turns.
Next up were Austin, TX duo Armstrong Leigh. The combination of Michelle Armstrong's powerful voice and Cristopher Leigh's guitar created an impressive alt-pop sound -- dark yet accessible. The duo exuded personality on stage, and I wouldn't be surprised if big-time music industry types jumped on this band soon. I hope, when that happens, Armstrong Leigh stick to what makes them unique.
They did a great rendition of Bruce Springsteen's / Patti Smith's "Because the Night;" and I noticed a The River button on Leigh's guitar strap. After their set, Armstrong mentioned how excited her bandmate was to be in Asbury Park. I still find that cool.
This was the second time I'd seen The Cold Seas. The Asbury Park quartet play psychedelic-influenced indie rock. It's familiar and modern at the same time. Frontman Chad Sabo mentioned a forthcoming EP a few times, and I'm looking forward to that.
dollys closed things out with... ...well, I'd call it their "usually strong set;" but it gets stronger each time. Let's just say they impressed me yet again, and Phil from Speak Into My Good Eye confessed to me when they were done, "Yep. I'm hooked." They hook you with their hooks is what they do, those dollys.
Anyway, they've got a set of strong songs -- "Lilypad," "How Charming," "Cornerstones," and more -- that they deliver as part of a personable and energetic live show. They're definitely heading out on tour on a high note.
dollys will be on the road for about two weeks before hitting Wonder Bar for the free Happy Mondays on June 15th. At the end of that week, on June 19th, they'll be holding the release celebration for their long-awaited debut LP, Oh, Please, at Court Tavern.
Check out pics and the rest of dollys' tour dates below. There are a bunch more pics at Flickr.
dollys on tour:
JUN 3
Metropolitan Kitchen and Lounge
Perennial Reel, Phantom Lanterns, Bencoolen
Annapolis, MD
JUN 6
Carpet Palace
Freaky J & The Bears
Richmond, VA
JUN 7
Artful Dodger
Jaguardini, Western Star, K-Sean Long
Harrisonburg, VA
JUN 9
Jon and Peter's Bar
Perennial Reel
New Hope, PA
JUN 10
Deja Brew
Haymarket, VA
JUN 11
All Sounds
Fire is Motion, Del Paxton, The Cardboard Swords, NGHTCRWLRS
Montclair, NJ
JUN 13
Woodbury Music Shop
Budris, The Lively, Terraveer, Jelani Sei
Woodbury, CT
JUN 15
Happy Mondays
Asbury Park, NJ
JUN 19
dollys debut record 'oh, please' release show
Deal Casino, ROMP, Rocky Catanese and The Chapter, The Mellowells
New Brunswick, NJ
JUN 20
Mohawk House
Deal Casino
Sparta, NJ
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