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A familiar feature as I strolled into the room; Frosted windows, chandileiers, red velvet walls, exotically dressed staff waiters behind the full bar and the band loading in their equiptment. I arrived early so that I could pick up a few tickets to the sold out show that I knew nothing about. However, I trusted Bubs opinion and with an incentive like “They sound like a more Indy version of The Slip” there was no reason for me not to like this show; I was interested, I was in.

When I got to The Crepe Place at about 5:30pm, it was rather empty. On Tuesdays this venue, which is really the front of a resturant offers up Absinthe as it’s new fad as it’s take on a forbidden lure; So the place smelled like black licorice. I was fresh off work and decided not to go home to change into my dancing clothes or grab another jacket, or even socks, and it was getting cold. The more important priority here was getting tickets. I requested 3 tickets and was immediately denied. “What? Really” A band I’ve never heard of that I want to see is sold out. Well, where there is a will, there is a way. After a half hour, I apparently asked the right person and he sold me the tickets I needed. I called the amigos and then proceeded to sit at the bar for dinner and a drink. Slowly but steadily, people started to arrive. Bubs and Nate showed up shortly to join me. Bubs was wearing burgendy blouse and Nate sported a fancy new Fedora and they were both ready to rock. We were there to see the band called ‘ The Akron Family’. A goup of 4 guys who liked to play interesting music. That’s all I knew. And as far as the rest of the fans of this band, I was curious, I didn’t know what to expect and that’s always exciting.

More people were arriving, the band was setting out their merch. With the door wide open I was getting a bit cold so I walked out to my car to see what warmth I could find. I was stoked to find a pair of socks cuz I was wearing open toe sandals. Well, I came back into the bar and realized that to my mistake, I only had 1 sock. I stated my confusion to my friends and was overheard by a a guy in the band who then approached me and said that he had one single straggler sock in the van that he could give me in excange for a clean pair of underwear. This was strange. I probably backed up a few steps but then entertained the conversation. I said i’d look to see if I have a pair in my car and if I did, I would make the exchange. We shook hands on the deal and both went to our cars. When I came back, I had found no underwear but did find my other sock and a necktie that I offered up to him instead. It was a cool tie, from Bacchus a while ago and I was going to give it to Trevor but it’s destiny came here. Laughing, the bassist then took the tie and then took the stage.

Now on to the show. The band started things off with a harmonizing sound of drunk hound dogs and then they tightened it up and synchronized spot on. Their harmonies were together though in dueling keys, it was a soothing dichotomy and they sounded good. The style of their music went from slow and steady beats that immediately trailed into hard ripping guitar strumming like they were playing for the sole purpose of trying to tear their guitar strings off quickly. The bass was sic. He held it together with thick grooves the whole night that layered above the confusion that the rest were trying to accomplish. This was their sound.

They sounded like what The Young Dubliners (Irish Band) would sound like if they lived in America; Loud and rhythmic like clapping. The venue was packed, people were partying and it seemed like the band had an idea of how they wanted the show to go, kinda like a rollercoaster. They started things off slow but bouncy to start and then went off full punk style where the whole place was jumping and almost hitting their heads on the cieling. (Noted: the cutie in the beanie that actually hit his head) At one point in the show as the place was going off, I definately thought to myself that this was the craziest show i’ve been to in a while, but not like dance party crazy but like where the hell am I crazy. Hahaha, I just have to laugh here at this point. It was a unique night of music for me, mixed my usual repitiore up a bit. It was a beer spilling, absinthe scented, hip angry indy kind of night. And you know it was still a good show when you want to leave with the album…but never play it for your mother.

Up next: BTS rocks my favorite coastal venue in La Honda on Friday.

Filed under: General by phoreal