I decided not to mention that The Squares and Starving Goliath were coming from Columbus to play last weekend because they were performing with my band. I thought I would be stepping out of line to promote a show at which I was playing.
I made a mistake - these bands were fantastic, and more people should have seen them. Starving Goliath had a healthy crop of young folks to watch them absolutely rip apart The Front Room. These guys are still seniors in high school, but they already have been together for five years and have exceeded the powers of almost any college band.
But the poor Squares played to a mostly empty Union. Of course, we shouldn't cry too many tears for them, as they rapidly are gaining deserved acclaim and probably will be on MTV before you know it. Anybody who likes straight up rock 'n' roll should make it a priority to see both of these bands as soon as possible.
One more note before I get to this week's shows: Ghost Mice, the Bloomington, Ind. folk-punk group, was enthralling at The Wire last week - and they had a packed house, rare for shows at The Wire in my experience, so cheers to them.
Southeast Engine, Billy Methany; 9 p.m. Friday; Donkey Coffee and Espresso, 17 1/2 W. Washington St. - If you keep reading Athens Rock City, you'll be reading a lot about Southeast Engine. The core of this band, Adam Remnant and Leo DeLuca, has been together for six years, and in that time they have developed from an unfocused bunch of alt-country hopefuls into the most impressive band in town, letting country and folk seep into their meticulously crafted indie rock. These Donkey shows are a special diversion from their normally upbeat bar band antics. In the warm confines of Donkey's back room, Remnant, DeLuca and company have been known to venture into material rarely heard elsewhere, the kind of songs, old and new, that go perfectly with the company of a mocha latte and a significant other.
Dragline Brothers, DJ Mrs. C., Schweinhunden, Mutilitia; 10 p.m. Friday; The Union, 18 W. Union St. - This show is a benefit for The Wire, the community free space located at 21 Kern St. Sometimes these benefit shows (which are rampant around town) are stocked with a lineup of seemingly random bands that happened to be recruited by their friends in such-and-such organization to play for a cause. But after seeing members of Schweinhunden and the Dragline Brothers at The Wire last weekend, it's clear to me that these bands care about The Wire.
That said, this is another one of those loudest shows of the week
and as is often the case, it's at The Union. Garage rock kings the Dragline Brothers headline the night. Fronted by Seth Riddlebarger, the band has been causing heads to bob and hips to sway since years ago when they were known as The Redtails. Their album, which is set to finally come out this year on the local Non-Prophet Records, is one of my most anticipated releases of 2006.
Mutilitia also deserves mention. Like Starving Goliath, these metalheads are still in high school, but they are getting tighter and more dynamic by the day. (Dynamic is one of those words we music journalists have run into the ground, which is enough reason to stop using it. But now it reminds me of one of those Vision Ohio phrases such as strategic plan and living document so I promise to avoid it from now on.)
DJ Mrs. C., who is known to spin some highly danceable rock music, will be on between bands. I'd like to write about Schweinhunden, but I still haven't seen them, which is rather inexcusable at this point. Don't make my mistake.
Bob Dylan Tribute with The Black Labs, The Bygones, Southeast Engine, Chris Biester, Megan Palmer and more; 10 p.m. Saturday; Casa Cantina, 4 W. State St. - For once, a tribute show dedicated to someone worth remembering. Sure, Dylan isn't dead yet, but that's no reason not to get together for a night of his songs performed by some of Athens' finest. Dylan's influence is evident in any college town, and Athens is no exception. If I make it, I'm holding out for Sooner or Later (One of Us Must Know).
-Chris DeVille is a Post contributing editor. Send him an e-mail at cd252802@ohiou.edu.
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Chris Deville
