Didn't do much yesterday, we just kind of hung around and ran a few errands. For your reading pleasure, here is my review of Friday night's show. First off the show was at the University of Richmond. This institution of higher learning is generally associated more with white baseball hats and J Crew clothing than with the indie rock, but their radio station assembled this show. We got there at a little after 7 and Naht was already playing. The first thing we noticed was that the room was indeed an old gymnasium with brick walls and a thirty-foot high ceiling. The sound was absolutely horrible. The second thing we noticed is that there was not a stage. The band was set up on the floor. I am not the tallest drink of water so that meant I was going to spend the evening struggling to see anything. The third thing we noticed is that multiple members of the crowd seemed as though they would fit in better at a frat party than at a rock show. We're talking every girl there was wearing skintight pants, they all seemed to have long blond hair and an attitude. Now on to the bands: Naht was OK. They were "emo" I guess. They are apparently from Japan which at least makes them really stick out as the first Japanese Emo band I have ever seen. As opening bands go on a six-band bill they were pretty damn good. I wouldn't buy any of their stuff but they were at least good at what they do. In a surprise change of line-up Burning Airlines went on next. I love J. Robbins' production and I loved Jawbox, but I just do not like this band. Every time I see them I just want to listen to Jawbox and spend their set praying for a Jawbox reunion. They are really tight and all are excellent musicians but I still just don't like the music. I watched and clapped out of respect for Mr. Robbins but I would rather have been sitting in the rear corner of the gym where I came from. Not to bash on the band too much but it also seems like the energy level has dropped quite a bit. Last time I saw them it seemed like they got into it a whole lot more. Regretfully I have very little to say regarding The Prom who played next. I ran into an old friend and spent their set talking to him. I know I always bitch about people who pay no attention to the bands and talk to their friends, but on this large a bill it is impossible to watch every band and not get burnt out. Thomas watched their whole set and said they were pretty damn good though. Lots of piano in the music. What I heard kind of sounded like Brad to me. Yes,I just compared a band to a Stone Gossard (of Pearl Jam fame) side project.

As New End Original was about to take the stage I decided to stroll up front and begin my struggle to actually see the band. They are kind of an indie-rock super-group. Think Humble Pie without any of the actual fame or fortune. The drummer was in Chamberlin, the singer from Far, and the bass player and guitarist used to be in a little band called Texas is the Reason. These guys were great. They are kind of standard "emo" but still really good at what they do. My comparisons would lean towards The Gloria Record in terms of the slower songs and perhaps the first Mineral record for the faster stuff. Of course similarities to all of the member's previous bands can also easily be drawn. A great band who I am sure will break up soon, I only say this because it always seems to happen that when a good new band comes along they are doomed to put out a full-length and an EP and then break-up. Check these guys out if you get a chance. All the set changes went quickly throughout the evening and after about 20 minutes Hey Mercedes took the stage. They were great. All the energy of Braid with slightly different song structure. Their set featured tracks mostly off the new record with a couple of songs from the EP thrown in. Great show, the band was super tight with lots of stage presence. Closing the show was Death Cab for Cutie. These guys were excellent. I won't go as far as to say that anything they are doing is "fresh", but they are all excellent musicians who wrote really great songs. Their music is melodic while intense. I don't mean intense because they have distortion pedals either, the music is intense without being loud. Kind of cool.

Anyway that's about it. The show was really well run all in all—Thomas and I were pleasantly surprised. $.50 cans of soda, they ordered pizza and then sold it by the slice, and most importantly a show that began at 7 was over by 12:30--normally this is to be expected but when there are 6 bands playing (especially in Richmond) I was expecting more along the lines of 2 AM. Old men like me need to get to get to bed.