Possible explanations for the enormous crowd at Wednesday’s Mates of State show at Gravity Lounge:
1. There’s nothing more invigorating than a good queue!
2. Any band that plays soothing transition music for NPR is bound to get fuh-reaky onstage.
3. This guy booked it. Notice a pattern?
Mates of State: Now with more mates!
When doors opened, there was a line of several hundred folks that ran from the entrance of Gravity Lounge out onto the Downtown Mall, then snaked around by Caspari. After about 10 minutes of shuffling closer to the doors, Starr Hill Presents’ Danny Shea made the announcement that the show was sold out, and anyone who didn’t buy tickets in advance was out of luck. If someone would explain to me how a husband-and-wife piano duo—with a certain amount of buzz, I know—managed what a ton of great acts at Gravity have failed to do, I’d be much obliged.
Anyways, the show delivered in a big way, due as much to the efforts of a few opening acts.
Staunton’s The Cinnamon Band: It’s the time of the season…ings.
It was my first time seeing The Cinnamon Band live, and the experience was enough to make me wonder what those darned Staunton kids pour over their Wheaties. Just the sort of huge, kit-wrecking drum thumps and wind-chime guitar noise that U2 kicked out at its best (that is, more than 10 years ago).
The next act, Brother Reade, kicked out a two-drummer overture to a set of the sort of hip-hop that steeps itself in DIY music culture, and also performed one of the oddest, most strangely endearing songs about sex I’ve heard recently. Listen to "Life Ain’t Easy For Y’all," which rides a groove a bit like A Tribe Called Quest’s take on Lou Reed in "Can I Kick It?"
People didn’t necessarily lose their minds when Mates of State took the stage, but seeing as Gravity was packed tighter than a Spam container, there’s a good chance people simply couldn’t move enough to express their enthusiasm. I have a few Mates records and felt like the band was a stellar live act, but I’m still a bit shocked by the turnout.
So tell me, Mates fans—what’d you think of the show? And, seriously, where the heck are you people hiding?
And don’t forget, there are a pair of shows tonight that might be every bit as crowded: Beetnix at Gravity Lounge for a plugged-in rock gig, and Jim Waive & The Young Divorcees, Sarah White and Justin Jones at Fry’s Spring Beach Club. I’m going to try to do both, but will end the night at the latter. How about you?
