So much cool stuff went down this past weekend in the music scene that rather than stay in one place and focus on one show for formal review, I flitted hither and thither like a fattened fly, taking in as much shit as I could, laying the eggs of approbation 'pon the city's hide.
FRIDAY
First Stop: Black Clover Christmas at the Riot Room
People packed in to the Riot Room for Mac Lethal and co's annual Christmas show. Admission was $15, with the option of buying a $10 Schlafly beer glass that could be refilled until you couldn't hold yourself up any longer. Given BC's past partnership with Olathe's Flying Monkey, I found the deal a bit strange.
By the time I got there (my actual first stop was a Christmas party in Western Shawnee), Soulcrate Music had already performed and Grieves was on stage. Lethal, meanwhile, was floating around the bar area, looking distinctly dazed from eight weeks on the road. I caught him catching up with Toon (above).
Here, Grieves reaches for the rafters while his partner, Budo, holds down the instrumental end. I was only able to watch a few songs, but I saw Budo play solos on trumpet and electric guitar, plus whatever he was doing with/to/on the bank of synthesizers and beat machines at his disposal. Damn MCs, takin' all the glory.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to see what kibbles of glory Mac swept into his palm before this hometown crowd; a farewell show was happening that minute at Davey's. By the way, fucks to everyone for playing at the same time. So inconsiderate.
That reminds me, I should thank my friend There Stands the Bill for carting me between the two shows. I actually started at Davey's, thinking the Riot Room was out of the picture, but he kindly gave me a ride down and back. Drop by his fabulous blog for a clever comparison of the physical appearances of two of the night's entertainers. (I've already weighed in on one; the other, I think, is a larval Jake Busey.)
Second Stop: Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club
Mighty Pendergast's last hurrah was already well under way, with a few dozen loyal fans raising their plastic cups and singing along with the rootsy rocker's woulda-been hits. With Mike Meyers beating the skins and Rich Burgess (bass) and Mike Rooney (guitar) flanking him and his black guitar at his waist and his flannel shirt on his back and his pant cuffs rolled up and his glasses and beard both newly polished, frontman Tony Ladesich led his lads through selections from the two albums they managed to record over the years. They played good and hard and slightly drunk, and the mood was positive. They'd all mostly moved on from Pendergast, I think. It was just the goodness of the songs that was keeping them attached, so they gave these songs one fun final sounding and called it a night. (Highlight: original Pendergast guitarist Chris Meck getting up on stage and playing a few licks. That's him hugging Tony in the bottom shot, under Rich's skulls.)
-- Jason Harper
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