Originally, I'd considered passing on this show. No offense meant to Junior Rocket Scientist; I'd just written about them a few times already and had a bunch of work to do. When I heard that this would be Joey Jeter's last gig before he moved to San Francisco, however, I decided that I should check this out.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one. I counted about twenty-five people when I got down to Neurolux. When Junior Rocket Scientist played, there were almost ninety. A big chunk of that number opted to hang out on the patio, but that still left fifty people watching the band.
Heart Hunter, a new local act, opened the show. She titled one song "Lullaby," but between her sweet murmur, her church-like organ and her pretty, hymn-like tunes, the name would've fit most any of them. Her simple, suggestive lyrics had some bite, however ("You're breaking my heart... You're shaking my belief in myself."). Also, I can't think of many local artists who could bust out a George Gershwin cover and not come off as unbearably priggish (played a pretty good solo on that one too). A little raw--she didn't quite sing into the mic while playing a number on accordion--but still promising.
Ugly Hussy played next. I've always liked this guy's work, but this was something else. This set featured mainly new numbers (they were new to me, anyway) and a more confident, aggressive sound--harsher noises, a more intricate layering of licks and riffs. Even the numbers I recognized sounded darker and heavier than I remembered. There were times where, if I'd closed my eyes, I could've almost sworn that I was listening to Red Hands Black Feet. Very well done.
Junior Rocket Scientist closed out the night. It's a shame that Joey Jeter won't be around to follow up on this gig, but at least he got to go out on a high note. Their angular grooves sounded more limber, their vocals more confident and their guitar noise fiercer than I've ever heard them. These rendered their tart melodies even more agreeable. The crowd gave this performance some suitably loud applause. Here's hoping that this group can find a good replacement or that Jeter comes back to visit regularly.
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