BigYawn

The Red and the Black is a fine venue. It is obviously small, and the sound system has its limits, but generally speaking the bands that play there are not bringing their own sound people or have anything complicated going on. But did I mention it was small?

In an odd occurrence, three bands were scheduled on this night that all had a minimum of six band members each. Not only does this stretch the limits of the sound system — as many of these people were multiple instrumentalists — but it more than exceeded what the stage itself could handle. Way too many people, way too many things plugged in. How I made it out alive without a Great White style fire I’ll never know. Thank God there weren’t any pyrotechnics.

The Torches(321) are a DC band that seem to have come out of the ashes of the Cassettes. They were a bit twangy and incorporated a number of instruments, just like their previous incarnation. I did appreciate the enthusiasm out of this group. They have a fairly simple sound given all their moving parts, but I kinda liked it. And even better, considering their numbers, they got off the stage in record time.

Which would have been a good thing, if, the Young Republic(322) and the sound girl could have gotten there shit together. Even after playing their opening song twice — it wasn’t that great of a song — they continued to have sound issues throughout the set. I did like most of what I heard however, and they were pretty cool about it all things considered. A great example though, as to why a six piece band does not belong at the Red and the Black.

By the time A Sunny Day in Glasgow(323) took the stage, much of the audience was in one of the bands, which is too bad as they were the best band of the bunch. Again, six folks and a number of instruments strewn amongst the stage, the good thing was they didn’t face the same sound issues the previous bands had. The band plays a fuzzy/dreamy pop with multiple parts harmony, a sound that ends up much different from their recordings. But I think I might actually like it better.

A Sunny Day in Glasgow are playing DC9 in the Spring, and it is worth checking them out there. Even though that stage is not without its size and sound issues, it is still light-years ahead of the Red and the Black.