Straylight Run, Lovedrug, Good Old War, Fly Upright Kite
The Middle East in Cambridge, MA
May 19, 2009

The Middle East had the faint odor of raw, melting sewage, which had me paranoid that I unknowingly crapped my pants or the smell was just following me like that spirit in "The Evil Dead." I don't know if the rest of the crowd smelled it, and I wasn't about to ask in fear of the wrong answer.

Local band Fly Upright Kite opened the show to a front line of girls and a modest crowd behind them. They sounded like probable Berkley musicians, complete with tight, interesting and somewhat experimental playng. While I really liked the music, which was a slower but more thoughtful indie rock with the violin being its main attraction, it took a bit before the vocals grew on me. The singer sort of sounded like Jonah, but a higher pitch. He also didn't wear shoes or socks, which creeped me out, especially with the lurking smell of the room and the God knows what has made contact with the floor of that stage. I hope he doesn't get foot herpes.

I was expecting to be impressed by Good Old War's set. Instead, my jaw was left nailed to the floor and my skin was clinging to my face from being so blown away. They sounded just like their album, layered vocals and everything, and they had such a great aura to them. I was especially taken by their use of a 12 string guitar and ?'s body bouncing to the music like he was tied to a metronome. A verbal description of their performance would not and does not do them justice. This is a band that needs to be seen live.

I hadn't heard much of Lovedrug before, and they didn't impress me all that much, so I ended up getting some work done during their set, which is probably one of the more pathetic things I've done in life. But, with camp less than six weeks away and I talent for overreacting and letting my fears and imagination run wild on me, I jumped at the advantage of getting stuff in place. I will say that Lovedrug provided a good and calming background music that helped me concentrate for a time, but I think I would have been really bored watching them.

I pondered skipping Straylight Run for a good night's sleep to help combat the long day I had ahead of me. I opted to stay, which I was regretting while stuck in nearly an hour of traffic on the way home (I should have remembered this from two nights ago).

I was glad that I stayed, as they played a tight and spirited set. I didn't miss the lack of the female vocals as much as I thought I would, and the crowd was graced with a special guest appearance from Michelle DeRosa for a couples songs, including "Existentialism on Prom Night." They played a good mix of songs from their albums, and I was happy to hear them play some of the songs from their Myspace page, which I have been enjoying as of late.

Written by: RF
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