When Goat Radio played the Last Band Standing a month ago they certainly didn’t sound like a band that hadn’t played out in months. Seeing them tonight I wasn’t sure they’d gotten together since then. Usually a tight group, they seemed just a little bit off. Not that it really matters; I always adore them and have missed them during their extended absence. Sloppy Goat Radio is always better than no Goat Radio.
Some of that has to do with the boys themselves. Their always smiling force-of-nature drummer Tony Kanale and their charmingly gregarious bassist Jack Rice are two of the most genuine people I know, I can’t help but smile when I’m around them. The rest of it has to do with the infectious straight up rock and roll they play. Songs like “Nadine,” not about a girl, but instead about the former St Louis band of the same name, and “Gary, Indiana” come off like classic rock songs that somehow you’ve just never heard before. It isn’t hard to imagine a John Mellencamp song coming on next, though it would probably be from the days when he still went by Cougar.
It had probably been more than a year since lead singer John Wiedenhoeft had written “Barmaid,” about a case of mistaken (gender) identity, the only new song to become part of their set since the batch that became their debut record. Or will, if they ever get the cover art done and officially release it. But recently he’s apparently written a whole batch of new songs… and according to him they all sound like Bob Dylan. While I think that is a decidedly good thing, Wied seems less sure, and the most recent tune he’s penned is called “Killing Dylan,” about “Bob Dylan as a zombie” according to his post-song explanation. It came off a little rough in its public debut, but it definitely has potential.
This was my second happy hour show with opener Linda, and as far as I know it was just their second show ever. Featuring ridiculously talented guitarist Peter Fatka, who plays pedal steel with Goat Radio, Linda is sort of a one trick pony, luckily it is a good trick. Their lead singer doesn’t quite sing as much as she recites, which leads to a hypnotic sing-songy and admittedly samey quality to many of their tunes, reminding me of a slightly awkward Morphine in a higher register and without the honking saxophone. As she gets more comfortable with the songs and on stage, she may be ready to move out from behind the keyboard which is plunked occasionally. I couldn’t listen to them all night (like I could Goat Radio), but they certainly didn’t wear out their welcome tonight.
No comments:
Post a Comment