I first heard of the band Avenbury about a month ago.  They were playing, perhaps at the Acoustic, but I think it was someplace more like the Bottle & Barrel.  I had thought about going.  The Wife had her posse over to hang out in front of the fireplace that night.  I was really thinking I might be able to slip out for a few hours.  But then the mini-van got blocked in by the posse.   That gave my lazy-ass side the juicy rationalization it needed to sit at home and do nothing.  So I missed them and felt kind of bad about it.  I have looked forward to this night ever since.

Lukas Hoffland plays electric bass with the band Avenbury at the Acoustic Cafe March 2010

The second problem, I think is curable, but it is going to take a bit longer than buying a new amp.  I think Avenbury has the potential to be a great band, with its mix of irish tunes and modern covers.  But the trouble was life.  There was no spark in their performance.  They all played technically very well, but they lacked the real "take it to the edge, wildness", that I think is critical for a band like this.  Heather Mueller on violin played beautifully, but I feel like she was nowhere near the edge of her abilities.  I think she sounds incredibly talented, but I don't feel like she was pushing herself at all.  I think the rest of the band suffered the same problem to a lesser degree.   And the mix of all of them doing "good enough", well I think it showed.

Now, what I do wonder about greatly; is it quite a different story in a small packed bar room setting?  Everything I said above could be null and void in a more intimate venue where the band can more easily feed off the energy of the crowd.  --And assuming that's what it takes.  Granting benefit of the doubt, since I have only seen this band once, it could be I am only seeing the Acoustic Cafe version of Avenbury.  For this reason, I would like to see them again at a different venue.

So, I put Avenbury on my bands to watch list.  Given time, more shows, more experience, and maybe even a couple of drinks to loosen up the musicians, they could be a lot of fun.

	Avenbury sings the pop song, Overkill
	Avenbury gives us some Irish folk music
	It was a hard to please crowd on Saturday night...
	But it was also a tough night to be a videographer

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