... I got a bumper sticker. So we roll out to the Ottobar at, like, 10 p.m., we end up making it there at around 10:30-10:45 to find a sparse crowd. Amongst the unwashed I spot a couple Thrushi milling about, so we figure they are waiting till the joint fills up before their set. We make our way over to the bar and order our cocktails. By the by, don't order anything but beer at the Ottobar, they have a wall full of liquor they don't know how to operate.
Setting up base right up front, we get a good view of Tyvek setting up. We assumed they were the first act. Now, the only Internets-offerings Tyvek had for me were a few songs off their MySpace page which were none too impressive. But, I have to tell you folks, with their lead guitarist/vocalist — w/ his retro, 1970s glasses — and a stand-up drummer (literally, the guy stood the whole time), they were a pretty fun group. They need to lose their bassist. This girl doesn't add anything at all. W/ a drowned-out, occasional lyric here and there and her un-enthused head-bobbing, she's a drag on the band. Also, the only Tyvek merch I saw offered were some handmade mix tapes. I know tapes are kick-ass and retro, but WTF?
So at this point the place is starting to fill up and we're totally expecting the Thrushes to set up. Not so much. Super tiny Yuki Chikudate starts assembling keyboards and meticulously strings her microphone w/ what I guess to be a sound-sensitive string of red Xmas lights. While they're setting up I've taken the job of beer bitch, so I run through the crowd — which has grown exponentially since our arrival — toward the bar, and back to the front of the stage. At this point, it's sinking in that the Thrushes have already played their set. I'm slow. The lights dim and Asobi Seksu takes stage for one of the best shows I've seen in a while. Leading up to the show, I always like to look to the Internets to find band offerings. Asobi had four albums, including a live album, available for listen on their MySpace page, which was far better than the other bands' Internets offerings. James Hanna, Asobi's guitarist, rules every song. If you want to find out where the song was headed, just keep a close eye on James. Yuki's vocals are a little lost, which I blame on the sound set-up. Or maybe it was because we are right on top of a speaker that may or may not be directly attached to James Hanna's effects pedals. At any rate, Asobi Seksu is my new favorite! It'd be sweet to catch them in their hometown of NY. Some day, perhaps.
Thrushes, sorry we missed you, but we had a great time nonetheless. We'll catch up eventually.
Looking for something to do for twelve hours this Saturday? Head on down to the The Metro Gallery for Rufustival 2009. From noon to midnight you can massage your tender ear canals w/ the smooth sounds of the Thrushes, Wye Oak, Baby Aspirin, Eureka Birds and more!
The lineup: Chairlift, A Place to Bury Strangers, Dirty Projectors, Thrushes, Wye Oak, Ecstatic Sunshine, The Sky Drops, Eureka Birds, The Water, Baby Aspirin and pianoWIRE
