Another Night at Arlene's

Made it down to Arlene's Grocery located at 95 Stanton Street, New York, NY. The Statues of Liberty were playing there once more. I have seen the threesome multiple times at Arlenes and it is always a good time. Once again they put on a good show doing a mix of their newer material and then pulling out some of the classics from Banana Fish Zero (BFZ).

For those of you not familiar with the trio, there is John Law on vocals and guitar, Prince Hal on Bass, and Hitomi on the drums. Together they just have a special sound-part punk, part pop, even a bit of metal. John Law has got a good voice and just a cool delivery-both visually and vocally. Behind him through out is Hitomi, this little Japanese girl, with killer boots, amazing beats, and this ability to just hypnotize if you start watching her back there.Add to her drums Prince Hal's bass, which just filled the room. No need for keyboards or another guitarist to fill this sound. His bass has it covered.

So the trio can play and they have a bunch of material, from Crushing to Chocolate Cake, to their one rap tune-Jigglebum. And as I said they did bring out the Banana Fish Zero (BFZ) material doing one of my favorite tunes, Beautiful. Banana Fish Zero was John Law and Prince Hal's first band from a few years back. So it was nice to come back to all of this and hear these again. It had been a few months since my last fix.

Arlenes is one of those venues I am routinely wandering over to. I have seen too many acts in that room. They always have a good crowd and the bands are good too. You go and see the act you came for but you do want to get there early or stay late and check out the acts preceding or following your act. You don't know what you will see.

That was the case this time around. I got their while inFiction was working through their set. At first I was not overly impressed, maybe I was just numb from the cold. But as I warmed up and enjoyed my first rum and coke, I started to like the band's sound. It was a three piece. They rocked. They were kind of heavy. The guitar player covering the vocals, reminded me of Eddie Vedder or someone from that vintage. He enjoyed his leads and he could play too. So in coming out to to see my Statues caught another act with some promise.

After the Statues, Ellis Ashbrook, a four piece came on. They had a cute keyboard player, a guitar player who did some pretty neat stuff and a solid drummer and bass player keeping them going. The tunes were somewhere between jazz and funk and did have their moments instrumentally. Once again a pleasant surprise. Granted I was shuffling between Arlene's two rooms during their set, but still what I caught was nice and I will hopefully see them again. Hopefully, I will see both inFiction and Ellis Ashbrook again.

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Two Shows in One Week and a Third on Monday!

It might be the tail end of a grey drab February, but you can still rock out in NYC-regardless. Granted it snowed-finally last week, but still it is back to gray drab stuff now.

Saturday, February 23rd at Arlene's Grocery on Stanton Street down in the village, however, shined. It was the first time in a long long time that I was at ahow that the audience and the band were just wild. It was so good to be part of such a show. I am talking about the Statues of Liberty at their CD Release Party.

The energy for that show was great. the band was digging it and the audience in turn was there too. We had folks jumping up on the stage and people pushing thru the crowd o the front. Yes it was a crowd. It has been a long time since I stood in a crowd waiting for a show. It was nice to see such a scene. It was nice having to fight my way to the bar, knowing these folks came to see the Statues tear up the stage.

When the band did go on we did have a small delay, getting the technology working to premiere their first video, Run Motherfucker. It was worth the wait. And moments later they turned their amps on and got the show on the road. And for the next 40 minutes maybe an hour, they played. They did all their songs. I have seen them multiple times and they are always good. the music is good. the musicianship is there. they know how to have fun up there, and it all comes out and it came out that night.

Now the thing that was differentthat night was the crowd. It was just so nice to see a capacity crowd. we need more of that.

On a different front-tomorrow night, Thursday March 28th at Don Hills, Queen V is at it again with her "Take Back New York" shows. Once a month, now with band and amplified, Queen V takes back New York. She is on to something in that the city is missing someithing with all these clubs dissappearing lately. I caught the November show and that was pretty cool, again with a good crowd. We hope to wander down tomorrow and check her out again!

I am missing some good shows. I am not sure what I have been doing but I just have a craving for some kick ass shows. Maybe it is symptom of the winter drab that seems to be plaguing me lately. Spring is coming but in the interim, a few shows like these will get me going. I not perhaps I am simply dead.

Last point. . . one more kick ass show happening March 3, a Monday, is Antiproduct. You have seen these folks on Leno, You have heard them do dunkin donuts commercials, now you need to see them do an amazing version of Good Vibrations-the old beach Boys tune. You think I have lost it? You have not heard them do this song. you say that a band cannot live on one song-well hey have their own, songs such as Bungee Jumping People Die. Even if this song sucked, it would still deserve something for its title.

Come out to the Haunt in Yonkers to check them out. they are coming from the UK and claim to be the end result of a genetic diaster if one ws to take thegenes of Kiss Abba and Slayer, and mash them together. They are also on this tour campaigning for Britny for President. This will be another of those shows that will kick one in the groin and get you going again.

Bob Schaffer

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