“Poles Were Made for Dancing, Justin.” (Kool Kids Do Tree Saving, Part Three, Show Four)

Who knew that Boomerangs, one of the many Philadelphia Street bars in Indiana, PA, had a basement where bands could perform? I certainly didn’t. Boomerangs was a bar I always avoided for foggy political reasons; so, when I heard that the final episode in the Rough Space Saves White’s Woods saga was going to happen at this bar, I had some reservations. However, for several weeks prior (and currently), I’d been addicted to Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations,” like I was smoking crack… Boomerangs?, I thought, Bring it on!

Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008. Time: sometime after 9 PM. Performers: Leni, the Lung Rip, Satin Gum, and Endless Mike and the Beagle Club.

Boomerangs’ basement immediately reminded me of a few venues/clubs in New York that Soundrive was fortunate enough to be able to play at, like the Trash Bar or The Delancey. This thought was intensified when Leni, an electronic house/experimental musician from Philadelphia, started doing his thing: Soundrive’s show at The Delancey featured DJ Mojo, who played samples of New York indie artists, none of which I recognized, except Interpol; granted, DJ Mojo and Leni are worlds apart as far as the actual sound goes, but to see a DJ-like figure at a local show brought back memories. The other thing that reminded me of a New York show was the fact that alcohol was being served (there was actually a bar in the basement), yet none of the bands played the typical bar covers commonplace to Western Pennsylvania. Anyway, while a few folks decided to get their groove on to Leni, I let the groove compliment my Jack and Coke.

Jason came with me to the show, and there were a few people there who we consider good friends, like Jon R., Justin G., Brianna D., and Jeff W. The only real drawbacks to the place: they were serving beer on tap upstairs for a cheaper price (they only had bottles at the basement bar), the bathroom was also located upstairs, and, if you happen to be a non-smoker like myself, bar environments are always problematic. Basically, I’m saying that I’m lazy, and I don’t enjoy smelling like an ashtray.

As Leni was finishing his first set (he would do another later), Lung Rip began setting up, and Jacob K. (vocals, bass) played some bass riffs over the electronica. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before somewhere, but Lung Rip is one of my favorite local bands (they’re based in Johnstown). There’s something about loud, messy music that I connect with. Even though it seemed like they didn’t have a set-list, their banter between songs added to the experience for me, and I also felt that Jacob handled announcing the cause for the event rather well.

Satin Gum, an indie/alternative act from Pittsburgh, was next to perform. I think they were probably my favorite band of the night; it’s always good to experience a band I’ve never heard, and, even though they said that it was only their second show, I thought they were extremely tight. Their music seemed to have an alt-country or Americana edge to it, which is a sound I’ve always enjoyed. Another bonus was the fact that they were giving away two-song sample CDs and band pins for free. They had very nice equipment, too, and they were Halloween-color coordinated: the guitarist and bassist wore bright orange, while the drummer wore black.

Leni came back for another round of bass tones and trippy drones, and while I probably could’ve made an ass of myself (or could’ve become the coolest dude there, depending upon your point of view) by shakin’ it, I wasn’t drunk enough to. Instead, I stood by a pole near the bar; however, according to my logic at the time, because “Poles were made for dancing,” I actually was dancing because of the mere act of touching the pole (I might have also been stripping, but let’s not go that far with this nonsense). And, even if someone could disprove my theory (don’t waste your time), I was dancing on the inside, and that counts for everything.

Endless Mike and the Beagle Club finished out the night, and, like usual, it was a fun time. Folks who had been hesitant to move to Leni began to move to EMBC, including Leni himself. Mike M. revealed several new songs during the course of the night. I’ve always enjoyed the way that his lyrics can be personal or include the names of people close to him, and, yet, bring up larger, societal/political concerns; I also enjoy the fact that the audience is included in their performances by supplying audience members with tambourines, shakers, and other percussive instruments. Though I’m not sure about the title of the song they played that was my favorite, it involved Matt M. using a hammer to strike a metal bowl.

All in all, I had a fun time, and I’m sure Jason would agree. I hope Rough Space was able to raise a decent amount of money from these events, and I also hope that it raised some awareness about local art. When I get some more details about RS’s production of Antigone, I plan to advertise for them here, so look for it.

-b


Pictures:








LUNG RIP










SATIN GUM








ENDLESS MIKE AND THE BEAGLE CLUB




JUSTIN G.