Here it is, over two weeks since the show.  The Wife has been asking me almost daily if I have written this review.  I told her "nearly",  making me feel totally guilty.  I hadn't in fact written a word.  My only plea, falling on her deaf ears, is a project I have been working on  for just over a year at my real job is about to go live.  Very soon my workplace will be running its web site on the same software I have made you'all the guinea pigs of for the past three years.  It has been an adventure.  I am glad it is almost over.

Its not uncommon for me to let some time go by after a show.  Lots of times I put off writing a review when I don't have anything good to say.  Sometimes I'll spend a whole week trying to figure out a way to twist the disaster I just saw, into something positive and redeeming.  However, I am happy this isn't the case with Yam Cannon.  

Yam Cannon was outstanding!  And I really feel kind of bad, because I feel like I owe them something better here.  It was a great show!  But by this point, …well, I quite honestly can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday.  So I am going to be sparse on details.  I will really want to see these guys again and will try to be a bit more timely with my review on the next show.  There is something about strings, when added to rock music, I never fail to like.  I don't know that its necessarily just because it isn't a common sound.  I really feel like the music needs it.  That tuned frequency hum of an electric violin.  Or, in this case, electric cello, I think is what many rock songs have been missing for years.   It surprises me a band with strings hasn't made it big.  Sure, there are one offs, like Hurricane by Bob Dylan.  But no bands where the strings play a major part.

And, Yam Cannon sounds great with Matthew Probst on Cello.  He was a great cello player.  Totally able to rock out, with his fingers flying up and down that long neck.  Greg Hirsch on vocals has lots of depth to his voice.  He has one of those voices you can't believe can make it through the night.  But, with Joe Thielen the group's guitar player spelling him a few times for a couple of short rests, he seemed to do just fine.

High point of the night?  The Jethro Tull song, Locomotive Breath with the cello performing that which you would normally hear the flute.  It was an outstanding cover.  And, something I have never heard covered before.  Which is a great experience too.  My video's really don't do them justice.  

My recommendation on Yam Cannon?  See them.  I will.

Warming up for Yam Cannon was Hallie Death March, a Ramones style punk band.  I wasn't a huge fan, but I never really understood the Ramones either.  If you are, you might like them.  They did have one song that I liked quite a bit.  Missed the name though, not that I would remember by now anyway.

I am not usually one to plug an upcoming show.  I really don't want to turn this whole web site into an advertisement for upcoming shows.  But, I think it is good to plug a new venue to the music scene.  Shooter's Showgirls is opening up the basement to live music starting with Excellent Adventure on April 24th.  Now I say, Outstanding!  The Wife is somewhat dubious of honorability of my intentions.   And, I confess, I have been stockpiling dollar bills for the past couple of weeks. I have every intention of supporting higher education, one dollar bill at a time.   To me, that makes band breaks worthwhile.  But, the music is in the basement so if you don't want to witness the garment challenged, you don't have to.

	Yam Cannon plays some blues (bad cropping, I know, I will remix it and upload a version without the lead singers head cut off)
	Yam Cannon and a little bit of Locomotive Breath

In other news, The Snout Saloon in Chippewa Falls has been sold.  Here is the unofficial line:
New owners are Dave and Cindy Welk! It will be an exciting new change for the Snout! Dave and Cindy are a great couple and we are all looking forward to the changes they will bring! But noooooo the rumor is not true that they will not be hosting music! For the most part things will pretty much remain as they have been with the entertainment other than just adding some different types of music to the mix! So Snout friends dont worry! The Snout Saloon will still be the place to go for great drinks great live music and lots of fun!!
Lets hope for the best, but new music means a new crowd.  A different set of fans.  And, hard to say if the bar will be able to change over or not.  It is too bad one of the first changes was to cancel Ross William Perry who would have been appearing this weekend.  It is possible Ross will be playing out at the Livewire, the new bar in town out past the roundabout.

Yam Cannon has a Myspace page at: http://www.myspace.com/yamcannon and you can also hear some of their music at the Volume One web site:  http://volumeone.org/audio.html/band_id/119

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