Hat Band Harvest Show!
Nature vs. Nature - full band shot, originally uploaded by artnoose.
Last night's hat band show was amazing! The second floor living room was packed. Also, since there were a few parents with kids in attendance, the nook became quite the childcare corner. It's a perfect space for people with babies and shorties to hang out someplace soft & comfy and still be high up enough to see the bands.
The Week Long Lovers went first, named so because by the time they were all able to practice together, they only had a week before the show. Their mandated requirement was a full octave vocal jump, which they did in their song about dragons.
M's band went next, with a scandalous song about Pittsburgh collective houses--- written by M. with his trademark folk punk style--- and another song about partying. Their requirement was slap bass. (In case you don't know what I'm talking about, after the bands were chosen via hat, each band had to choose a requirement out of a different hat.)
Sirius B went third, and they had some great songwriting, plus three string instruments and drums. The drummer was someone who was only in town for the exact time of the hat band cycle, and the mandolin player was someone that none of us had ever met before.Their requirement was to have their clothes spell something out.
Then came my band (see photo up top), and our requirement was to incorporate descriptions of nature. Our first song was about the vampire squid and our second song was about homosexuality in the animal kingdom, culminating with a call and response section and a Stevie Wonder quote.
Last but definitely not least was the band with the requirement of costume change. After an accordion number--- 80% of the bands featured some kind of accordion--- they changed into hip hop clothes and did a couple rap songs. It was a really great set.
After staying up till 2 am, I woke up at 5 am to take M. to the airport, where he's off on another adventure of unknown duration. After returning home from that, I napped in the nook for a while and then went with S. to meet some folks from Philly at Zenith Cafe for vegetarian brunch buffet, somewhere I have been meaning to go for a year. It was pretty amazing. Start with all-you-can-eat vegan cakes & pies and then add breakfast into the mix.