| Otis
@
Red Eyed Fly, November 17th
I
got to the ‘Fly around 10:30 last Monday, got a PBR
and was instantly engaged in a one sided conversation with
local celebrity Jack, a man who knows “too many people”
to not get served another beer even though he was flat out
wasted. I should not complain, I mean W.T. Special had cancelled
and I had to pass the time somehow. Anyhow, two PBRs later
I went across the street to Room 710 and hung out with Stern,
Kev Stack, and Woody, waiting for signs of Otis playing on
the inner velvet draped stage at the Fly.
Much
musical musings later, I saw that the bass player was on stage
at the Fly. I walked across and got another PBR and sat down
to listen to the laid back country music supplied by Otis.
Consisting of vocal writer Brett Humphrey on acoustic guitar,
Jonathan “Humphrey” on electric guitar, Ben Howard
on upright bass, Blake Oswald on drums and the lovely Jen
Obert on fiddle, Otis played a solid set of country flavored
tunes. Using a lot of established old-fashioned subjects such
as suicide, whiskey drinkin’ and shotgun weddings, Brett
Humphrey’s songs paint real pictures of the sometimes-surreal
world we live in. Brett and Jonathan’s vocal harmonies
blended well as they sang choruses together, and Jonathan’s
finger picked guitar leads danced the two step with Oswald
and Howard’s traditional country rhythms. Oberts fiddle
playing occasionally broke through the mix adding another
down home spice to the country flavor. Catch Otis Saturday
Dec 27th at The Saxon Pub.
-James
Marquardt
|
|
The
Applicators/Eastside Suicides/Pink Swords
Red Eyed Fly
November 22nd
Punk rock at the Red Eyed Fly was a norm during the club’s
early days of existence, but of late the “Lucy’s
brigade” of pop/rock radio-friendly bands has had tendency
to take over the Red River venue. As a result, an all-out
punk attack on Saturday, November 22nd was a welcome return
and relief.
The Pink Swords burst through their two minute musical blasts
with a much needed emphasis on the rock anthem. Up next, the
Eastside Suicides showcased their catalogue of sleazy glam-punk-rock-pop-metal
tunes. The singer seemed to borrow from Mick Jagger’s
stage antics, but the combination of glam and metal infused
with punk definitely appeased the attendees. The all-girl
barrage that is the Applicators kicked off around midnight
with a flurry of bangs and blasts that actually invited the
crowd closer. An hour or so of pop-punk followed with persistent
drum beats, speedy tempos, and the vocalist’s pure charm
sparkling in the highlights.
The night as a whole marked a welcome return of trashy punk
rock that almost seems too raw for this venue recently, and
although Beerland and Room 710 might remain the new kings
of that genre, the Red Eyed Fly’s appeal as a solid
venue with reasonable acts from time to time will remain with
shows like these.
–Adi
Anand |
