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The first Sharks and Minnows performance since last summer's Corndogorama was enough to drag us out on a Thursday night. Fortunately, they were the first band, going on at a timely 10:15. At first, the sound was poor for Sharks and Minnows. The guitar was mixed too loud, and the drumming sounded "off". However, the sound guy got that fixed within a song or two, and the rest of the set moved along rather nicely.
For a band that had not performed in about 8 months, Sharks and Minnows sounded really good. They started with an old rocker from earlier in their catalog and then concentrated on new numbers. The band sounded tight, which just goes to show that practice does indeed help. Their newer tunes, much like those on The Cost of Living, are catchy pop songs. There are big hooks everywhere, and the songs move along nicely. The drummer seems to be experimenting with some sparser rhythms, and i really enjoyed his work this night. Also, the keyboardist seems fully integrated into the band these days, instead of just being the newest member.
I was impressed with their performance. Sharks and Minnows continue to be an Atlanta band to look out for.
The next act was Iron Hero, a newish Athenian band with 6 members, including 2 drummers. The guitar sound was post-punkish in an early U2 sort of way, much like the work of eNTERTAINME.nt. At one point, one of the guitarists played keyboards, and that sound combined with the strong 2 drummer rhythms and the post-punkish guitars reminded me of very early INXS. Well, the vocals weren't as strong as the work of Michael Hutchence, but they weren't bad either. Other references that struck me are also of the early 80s: the bassist has listened to his Peter Hook, and the blonde guitarist has obviously heard a record by Gang of 4 in his lifetime.
As the latest edition to the local post-punk scene, i have to admit i am impressed. The put on a very solid performance, and i would love to see these guys on a bill with The Orphins.
The EARL was really moving things along tonight as headliners The Liverhearts went on at midnight. They have recently lost a guitarist to graduate school, so they are now a three piece. Still, they sounded good, and are clearly one of our better punkish rock acts. One new thought i had while listening to their trimmed down lineup is that the vocals are reminiscent of Rick Valentine from The Poster Children, and that's not a bad thing at all. Specifically i mean that the pronunciation is kind of clipped and precise, while the voice is slightly higher in pitch.
The Liverhearts sounded good, and since The EARL moved this show along, we Minions were able to be home at a reasonable hour. That's great on a work night. Overall, this was a pretty fun evening, and all three bands put on admirable performances.
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