The Virginmarys and the Blaqks @ Neurolux (5/15/13)

"The Virginmarys?"  I said as I perused the Neurolux concert calendar for May.  "That's an interesting name. Wonder what they're like."  So I looked them up on Spotify, listened to a handful of songs and liked what I heard very, very much.  Definitely worth paying $5, I thought, especially considering that they probably wouldn't be back around anytime soon (they're from the UK).

I counted a little over forty people at Neurolux when I arrived.  The crowd stayed at about that number over the course of the show.  Pretty good for a Wednesday.

The Blaqks kicked off the night.  The more I'm exposed to it, the more innocuous this group's sex-drugs-and-rock-&-roll schtick seems.  There's something a bit cartoonish about it; I want to liken it to, say, four guys from New York dressing in leather and writing lyrics about Nazis, sniffing glue and beating on brats with baseball bats.  Wishful thinking?  Maybe, but if so, it's because, like the Ramones, the Blaqks boast consistently catchy tunes.  Also, unlike the Ramones (well, early Ramones, anyway), they can really play--their slick, weaving interplay reminded me once again of the Soft White Sixties, and I guess that you could classify guitarist Tyger Blaqk as Mick Taylor to Danny and Jonny Blaqk's Jagger and Richards.  I'll definitely look forward to the EP that they said that they'll be working on.

The Virginmarys played next.  Maybe it's just me, but people seem to take hard rock for granted nowadays. You could maybe blame classic rock radio--I adore the Stones and the Who, but even I'll admit that "Brown Sugar" and "Baba O'Riley" lose something when you hear them fifty times a day.  The ascendancy of punk and metal are probably factors too.  The noxiousness of some of its adherents both "classical" (Ted Nugent, Motley Crue) and modern (Nickelback) doesn't help either.  In any case, every so often, a group will blast all the crap away and show me that there's still some validity to the genre.  These Macclesfield lads were one of those groups.  Matt Rose's booming bass and Danny Dolan's slamming drums propelled Ally Dickaty's melodious growl, thunderous riffs and terse, ripping solos onward.  Not only would their tunes sound great blasting out of your car stereo or the Knitting Factory's speakers, a review of their lyrics will reveal that Dickaty can use the head on his shoulders as well as the one in his pants (the Clash fan in me appreciates their stubborn streak of class-consciousness).  The crowd cheered wildly after the Virginmarys' first number and kept it up straight through to the end.  Can't fault 'em for that: this was some of the best old-school rock that I've heard in a good long while.

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The Blaqks, Super Water Sympathy, Hollow Wood and Glimpse Trio @ the Red Room (5/8/13)

This TO Entertain U show caught my interest because it featured the Blaqks, whom I'd wanted to see again for a while, and Super Water Sympathy, whose songs I'd liked quite a bit.  Also, I found the concept of Hollow Wood playing the Red Room intriguing.  Not only had their opening set for Hey Marseilles blown me away, I wondered if the band would actually fit onto that stage.

There were about twenty people at the Red Room when I arrived.  By the time that Super Water Sympathy played, the crowd had grown to about forty-five.  Very respectable for a Wednesday night.

Glimpse Trio opened the show (they really are a trio; for some reason, their bassist just wasn't there).  This Oakland group got added to the bill at the last minute.  Talk about happy accidents: between Mike Sopko's friendly bark and quick, dexterous fretwork and Hamir Atwal's fluid, rock-steady drumming, they made me think of what the Minutemen might sound like if they'd stretched out past the two/three-minute mark more often.  This applied as well to their playfully disorienting tempo shifts and touches of atonality.  A most pleasant surprise and a fine start to the evening.

Hollow Wood played next.  As it turned out, they did indeed fit on that stage and probably would've done so even if cellist Danika McClure and violinist Katelynne Jones had made the gig.  But leaving that aside, this group impressed me once again.  Their gorgeous harmonies, propulsive beats and natty arrangements showed considerable polish and assurance, but their music and stage presence still felt surprisingly fresh and free of self-consciousness.  Adam Jones's jokes and patter struck a similar balance of savvy and candor ("'Are you straight edge?'  And I said, 'I'm buying cigarettes!  What do you think?'").  Here's hoping that they can maintain that balance once they get old enough to stay in the bar after their set.  In any case, the group cast the same spell here that they did at the VaC last month; the audience stayed almost completely silent during each number and burst with applause afterwards.

Boy, you gotta love this Jimmy Valentine lighting.

Super Water Sympathy played next.  With their muscular vocals, anthemic pop-tunes and elaborate, well-honed stage show (smoke, lasers, flashing lights), I'll bet that this Shreveport group was dynamite when they played with Matt Hopper at the Knitting Factory.  By cramming everything into this more modest venue, this became one of those oh-man-you-shoulda-been-there sets.  Ansley Hughes's warm, massive voice soared above Clyde Hargrove's ringing guitar, Billy Hargrove's driving basslines, Jason Mills's airy keyboard and Ryan Robinson's smooth, intricate drumming.  At once tender and powerful.

The Blaqks closed out the night.  I still find their studiously decadent image disquieting, and part of me wonders whether their getting 86'd from the Knitting Factory as well as Jayne Black's departure might portend some ugly scenes down the road.  For the time being, however, there's simply no denying that this is a damn good band.  Danny Blaqk a.k.a. Cary Judd ably stepped into the role of frontperson while Jonny Blaqk a.k.a. Jeremy Coverdale served as the resident Keith Richards.  Their rough vocals put the smart lyrics and well-crafted tunes across winningly.  Meanwhile, the other Blaqks backed them up with snarling riffs, shrieking solos and sturdy, dance-worthy rhythms.  Their strong onstage rapport gave this performance a most welcome collegial if not familial feel.  This group may have some question marks attached to them, but they've got more than their share of exclamation points too.

You can find info on these groups and TO Entertain U on Facebook and elsewhere online.  Special thanks to Wes Malvini and the Red Room.  If you like what you've read and would like to help keep it going, click the yellow "Give" button and donate whatever you can.  Every little bit helps.