Test Run Librarian

In the style of Indie Rock Librarian, I am going to give you, my nonexistent reader, a review of a couple of shows I saw this past week.

The Hives (November 24, 2004): Since when does a Swedish guy cop a Southern accent? Doesn't matter since The Hives put on the best show I've seen in a long time. Highlights: not one mess-up, wrong note, or mistake. This band has the show down. They came out wearing the white suits.....and took parts of the suits off at the same time (jackets, folks). The sound was full and loud and mixed well with the many malibu and pineapples. The lead singer insulted the audience and they booed -- ha ha! Apparently Floridians can't accept that they live in a retirement community...nor can they appreciate a healthy dose of cockiness. More cocky: lead guitarist habitually blew his strummin' fingers... the guitarists and the drummer threw picks and sticks at audience periodically. (They must carry bags of these on tour.) The best part, besides the fact that they played a healthy, balanced does of all their music: in mid-song, the whole band, including a roadie fixin' somethin', paused for about ten seconds. Or maybe a minute. Not one blinked an eye nor looked like they were breathing... the lead singer broke the pause by rolling his eyes back and forth maniacally... sang a lyric, and the band chimed in, on time and in tune, with his next line. Perfectly rehearsed. There's more to Sweden than Peter Forsberg, after all.

The Rogers Sisters (opened for the hives): did I like them? I'm not sure. I suppose one can describe them as art rock... a tiny bit b-52's... a tiny bit devo... when in doubt, I always concentrate on The Cute One, and in this case, the cute one happened to be the bassist. His bass was as wide as he was tall. He was rockin' and rollin' and stompin' all over the stage... and he was stummin' that thing loudly... very important. He was quite hot, and satisfied many of MJ's criteria: bass player, Asian ethnicity... and he just looked like he was having fun.

Die Stinkin' and Billy Boloby (Nov. 26): This one was at the Red Lion Pub. I really enjoy that venue since it is intimate and has an outdoor space where you can actually drink -- albeit in a fucking goddamn south florida parking lot... oh, the bands... die stinkin' was having fun, as they always do. Between DS and BB, there was a 3-person band (I'm into 3-person bands these days) comprised of DS and BB members. So I guess you could call it Die Billy. Or Stinkin' Billy. Or Die Boloby... anyway, I really did enjoy this trio and hope for more. Billy Boloby: what a great name and what a wacky bunch of fellows. I am really warming up to these guys. The lead singer, if you are too drunk to listen to the music, is fun to watch since he is always flappin' legs like a dying butterfly. The music is fun and lighthearted and not derivative: http://billyboloby.com/

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Today's Pet Peeves:
>>>Guys who try to date chicks more than ten years younger than themselves... and preferably have long hair, substantial teets, and a perpetual smile with no backtalk. There are lots of guys like this in South Florida... who want a kewpie doll to make them look and feel younger. Pathetic. >>>MySpace.
>>>application essays
>>>seein' exes out. Ugh. Recipe for drugs and alcohol deluxe.

Well, that's all for now. Please come back for more when you get a chance... and remember, new orleans readers who question why on earth I would move to such a vacuous place as SoFla...

MJ is comin' back when the God of Employment decides to take pity!!

posted by Amanda @ Monday, November 29, 2004