Big Top Vertigo, Rosie and The Jason Colonies Band 01.18.03 @ The Blackstone
The Blackstone is probably my new favorite club. Its not in Providence, but 3 miles to the north. And what a difference 3 miles can make! Parking is easy, and coming and going does not involve cops or drunken idiots from Metropolis or The Complex, which is always a bonus.
Big Top Vertigo hit the stage first, and they definitely live up to their reputation. They are tight, professonial, and the lead singer looks like Brian Setzer like Treat Williams looks like Oliver North, if you know what I mean. Attendance wasn't great, but it was bitchin cold out... 10 degrees,i think. (And when you get that low, every degree counts, if you ask me.)
Big Top Vertigo completely rocked out, everyone should see them when they get a chance. They aren't a heavy band, they're just right for a date -- good music without the "fear factor". Plus, the lead singer is quite possibly insane, and those of you that know me, know that I'm a big supporter of the insane. And the bassist plays a 7 string bass which is usually 3 more than most bassists needs.
The budweiser promo girl --Tara -- was definitely funny, and the lack of people didn't dampen her spirits in the least. Or maybe it did... the budweiser crew promptly vanished after distributing a slew of free Three Doors Down tickets.
Rosie is actually Rosie Huntress from the band the Baby Reds, out of boston. She did a cool solo acoustic thing between bands. I kept thinking she was a strange mix between Drew Barrymore and Aimee Mann. But now that I read that, it really doesn't make sense.
The Jason Colonies Band is harder to explain. At first they seem like a roots rock cover band that plays some Santana and sublime and... but they twist all the songs and make the evening flow nicely as they interweave their own stuff. Their originals are cool... they sound like a little bit of Bare Naked ladies, some and and and goddammit, some van morisson and steve miller.
Then they played Blister in the Sun by the VioIent Femmes, and some drunk couple got up and began to mosh. The perfect end to a perfect evening.
The City of Providence has once again shown their potential to be callous bastards. A lot of work goes into organizing a show such a Summerfest -- months of crap and red tape... to have some jerk off downtown pull a liquor permit mere hours before a show just 'cuz... is ludicrous. Ahhhh, but this a city of the arts!
This items don't fit neatly into any other category, so we put them here because we have to put them somewhere, right? And this is as good a place as any.
