RIGHT TO THE CHIN

El Toro de Blanco, Jairus, and The Quiet Ones

Went to this free triple-bill last night @ Rhythm & Brews. Great show. It was a voter registration benefit or, as Jairus bassist Jim Tate explained, also a chance to change your address on your voter registration. Funny.

All three bands were great, all vastly different, and it was the first REALLY good show at Rhythm & Brews I've seen in a while. Up With The Joneses opening for (the legendary) King's X was the last great show I'd seen there.

I know that a lot of you in the Chattablogs community are very familiar with these three bands, so I figured I'd give my impressions so you can tell me if I'm on the money or not:

El Toro de Blanco was probably the most straight-ahead rock band on the bill. Great songs, great playing. Missed some of their set (I was late) but really dug it. Their keyboard player, Paul, was actually in a piece on our "Faces" TV show back in 2000.

Jairus was the tightest band of the evening. Great musicians, unique compositions, and funny stage banter. Chris gave me a copy of their CD, which I'd heard, but, upon listening to on the way home, I've become addicted to. Chris' voice can best be described as what Lou Reed would sound like if he'd just joined Orchestral Manuevers In The Dark. The whole band was tight, though I could see where it might take a little while for the mass populus to get "into" Jairus. They are not the most accessible band around, but most of the truly great bands take a couple listens to latch onto. At least most of the stuff I listen to does.

Of course, I love The Quiet Ones. Very poppy, very loud and they break a lot of strings. Totten said the cover they played of Built to Spill's "Big Dipper" was for me, and I almost cried. Well, not really, but it was great. I have been digging The Quiet Ones' unreleased album for a few weeks now, and hope more people get to hear it. Some of the songs are available at their site, and "I Need Something I Can Listen To" is just killer, and was especially good live. Also, twins are usually bad for a rock band, but not here...