Night 3 of Blowout 2014 took place on Friday, May 2nd.
I started at Whiskey in the Jar again. The crowd level for the opening act was a little higher than last night's first act there, but not by much.
Walk next door to Mar's Bar to find empty and silent space. Twenty-five minutes after he was supposed to start, Julian Paaige must have still been waiting for people to show up. I was only willing to wait two minutes for some sign of impending action before bailing. These performers still didn't understand that unless people showed up with just the intention of seeing them personally, they'll go to another bar when you drag your ass.
I headed to the northern end of Joseph Campau, because the 7-Capo-Celina's trifecta allowed me to quickly sample things last night. Niqque Loverrhodes was doing a smooth jazz thing when I entered 7 Brothers. Not Kenny G levels of "smooth", but it was a low energy jazz improvisational. I go over to Celina's. There's no one manning the door, and no instruments to be seen anywhere. A large man with a cigarette and an accent sitting at the bar tells me "I sent the bands away. I didn't like the noise". I get the feeling that there's more to this story. Perhaps more details will be revealed later. I learned just before typing this review that the bands scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Celina's were rerouted over to the Garden Bowl. (
Post-script edit: Bryan Metro took the time to get the story from Celina's owner) After five minutes at Capo I go back to 7 Brothers, and now Niqque has a vocalist doing hip-hop, and the band is more up-tempo.
It's been several years since I've been to the Painted Lady. I've thought of it as The Pink Painted Ashtray that whole time, but now the stench isn't as bad. Reverend started nearly on time with their metal inspired noise music to a room that was maybe a third full. Listening to the frontman complain about the gentrification of the Capital Park neighborhood between songs was interesting and all, but I had to bolt after a few songs or else risk missing some of Mexican Knives.
New Dodge Lounge felt packed when I walked in the door. People had been telling me earlier in the night that the place had been packed the night before too, but I'm not in a position to verify that.
Mexican Knives also stayed pretty close to the schedule. If I had to describe their sound, I'd call it lo-fi noise rock. Although I'm probably just throwing in the word "noise" whenever I'm struggling to describe how something sounds. I remember at the last Dally in the Alley a dude standing next to me said "The pitch of her voice sounds off". I replied "I think it's supposed to", but of course I have no idea what I'm talking about. They sound includes fuzz and distortion, but you can always discern a driving melody in there, and the end result is worth it. The congestion of people near the stage ebbed and flowed as the claustrophobic types sought out refuge in the upper mezzanine, or in the far back where the pool tables were.
Illy Mack, New Dodge's follow-up to Mexican Knives wanted to warm up outside.
After a chilli fries interlude at Campau Tower I went over to Paycheck's for The Hentchmen. I thought that Paycheck's would be overflowing, but there was plenty of breathing room if you were willing to be near the bar, away from the stage.
If you're interested in some Blowout trivia, The Hentchmen were on the schedule for the very first Blowout.
The Hentchmen were everything the crowd expected them to be that night. The band didn't put on an encore exactly, but kept adding songs after already telling people "only one more".
Bands I saw that I'm putting in the "whatever" column: Desolation Angels, Go Tiger Go, Come Out Fighting, and 500 Club.
Saturday night (tonight) is the hardest choice I've had to make yet for this weekend, due to some boneheaded moves by the event's schedulers. It's as if the people booking the event have never attended a Blowout before themselves. The three top headliners, Death, Electric Six, and Motion City Soundtrack, are all scheduled for Saturday at midnight. Did the bookers prioritize bragging rights on the event poster over the audience experience? If attendees could see the full sets from all three of those bands, wouldn't that make Blowout 2014 legendary in some people's minds?
There's a good case in favor of spending Night 4 in Detroit. In addition to Death, the Magic Stick is also going to have The Witches and Lee Marvin Computer Arm. A solid line-up on most nights.
I'm not going to pretend as if I've known of Death for longer than two years, or that I know all their music. I've been a fan of Electric Six for much longer, so I'll be seeing them in Ferndale at Rustbelt market at midnight. Bolstering this choice will be Alexis at the same place at 10. Ferndale will only have five venues, but it will also have Motion City Soundtrack at the Loving Touch, which I can catch if Rustbelt is running late.
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With a face for radio, a voice for print, and the prose of a new immigrant, I'll stick to amateur blogging
