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My first indication it wasn't going to be a perfect evening for me happened when I first walked in the door to the Red Parrot. I surveyed the crowd and found it to be awash in grey hair. I pointed this out to The Wife, saying all these people seem much older than me. In fact, I tried for more than one "much" in that sentence, but got royal correction. The house was packed. Every table and barstool in the main floor were filled. About half of the tables in the overflow area were taken up with a birthday party. We got lucky enough to land ourselves at a table with a couple of other people who had a spare chair. Musically, I thought Crowdedheads did great. I thought the covers they played sounded exactly like the originals. Its just that I didn't ever want to hear the originals or the covers ever again.
I am sitting here in a dentist's office, writing this review. I hate dentists. Scared to death of them. But The Wife and kids have their appointments. I only have to harden up with a couple of Jamesons and go with them every other trip. But today, I am along to drive back home. My employee bennie package has some fine print, sure I get $27 copays, I just have to drive 40 miles for dental. I am supposed to be happy it isn't the 90 miles we drive for medical insurance. Can you tell I am all for universal healthcare? ...But, I digress. The long and the short of it is, we tend to combine trips. Today it was the dentist and The Wife's eye exam. She goes yearly. Drives herself back home. I had the second eye exam of my life this spring. I tried to drive myself home. HOLY SHIT, I couldn't see anything. About killed myself twice, so I slid into a bar for a couple of hours. Maybe the first time in my life where I have come out of a bar seeing better than when I went in. So when I heard she was going today, I volunteered to be the designated driver as I will be for all future spousal visits.
It didn't slip my notice that just two doors down from the dentist's office there is a pub. ...This is Wisconsin after all. I wouldn't be nervous and fidgeting down there. Certainly I would write a more favorable review. But, as parental figures go, leaving the kids behind and nipping on down for a quick pint seems poor form. So I stay and sweat it out. Thinking about the show.
I was a little surprised by the number of covers I didn't know, by bands I thought I knew all their music. Like the band Queen, for instance. Crowdedheads played a cover by the band, and I remember being quite a Queen fan. Newer music? Is Queen still together? Maybe I didn't know their music as well as I thought I did? I don't know. Interesting anyway.
Lead singer, Mona, sounded perfect on many of the songs. She did a great job of getting the crowd involved. They were in fact, very involved. Sound-wise, at times her vocals were a little weak. It could be she needed a touch more amplification on her mic. Maybe she was being overpowered by all the other instruments. Or, it could be she was hiding some vocal imperfections that would have left us cringing if she would have let us have it at full volume. In that case, I say Thank You Mona, better soft than wrong. Either way, it wasn't a huge problem. For the most part it was great.
Evergreen Grass Band at the Sheeley House October 2010
One other aspect of older bands is they have money to spend on gear. As far as equipment, everything about Crowdedheads was top notch. Guitars, speakers, lights, sound board with lots of blinking lights. Even a custom paint job on the band trailer parked out back. The sound was flawless thanks to a dedicated soundman on the board. No feedback. Other than maybe the issue previously mentioned, it was flawless.
So like I said, the only real trouble for me, was most of their songs reminded me of walking into the bowling ally in LeRoy Minnesota. And that just isn't something I like to remember very often. It wasn't about the band at all. They sounded just like the songs I remember, done live, and loud. If you are into that seventies/eighties thing, you will love this band!
Toward the end of the second set I felt I had enough. We headed back to Chippewa Falls where Volume One winner for Best Bluegrass, Evergreen Grass Band, was playing at the Sheeley House. We caught a great third set there and I went home much happier than I went out.
Saturday night we caught a couple of sets with The Pheromones at The Snout Saloon. The show started slow. It seemed like the band was dragging. But, then somewhere about mid second set, everything seemed to start to come together. The band and audience both started to have a better time and by third set it was a wild party. Dancing on the bar, wild. Very cool time, thanks Pheromones.
Crowdedheads web site is at: http://www.crowdedheads.com/crowdedheads/Welcome.html
Obviously I can't control the advertising Google places on my web site. I can't believe I am getting Michele Bachmann ads showing up here. Go ahead and click on them. At least it costs the crazy bitch money.
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