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| From | wigout6@juno.com |
| Subject | IPO-Baltimore, Fri & Sat |
| Date | Mon, 3 Nov 2003 04:42:27 GMT |
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It's hard to believe that 5 years have passed since three Baltimore bands topped the Audities year-end poll. Way back in 1998, Splitsville (Repeater) and Love Nut (Baltimucho!) released albums on Big Deal (RIP), while Not Lame released the debut CD by Starbelly (Lemon Fresh). This weekend, for the first time since then, all three bands played on the same stage. I'm sorry I missed Starbelly's acoustic set on Thursday, but Kevin already filled us in. The other two groups certainly did not disappoint.
On Halloween, I arrived fairly late at the Mojo Room for night 2 of the IPO - East Coast, and promptly ran into David Bash in the doorway. It was great to finally meet the IPO chief after a few years of trading e-mails. I also met up with Sherman Boim, Chris Ruffner, Donna Sue, and Laura McArdle, and was soon ready for the music.
The first band I saw was Army of Me (from the D.C. area), and I was pretty impressed with these guys. Vocally, they reminded me somewhat of The Replacements, and I picked up their fine CD-EP. Would like to see them again some time.
Splitsville was up next, and I would be truly hard pressed to find a better band anywhere these days. Along with ace covers of "Under Pressure" and "Let's Go Crazy" (featuring guitarist Tony Waddy with a great Prince costume), they played nearly every song from their upcoming "Incorporated" CD. This promises to be a great album, though "Pet Soul 2" it ain't. "White Dwarf" is a powerful opening number, and "Heart Attack" is an amazing change of pace. Wait until you hear this one! My fave song was the groovy "I Wish I Never Met You," featuring wonderful lyrics by Matt Huseman.
Saturday night, I arrived a bit earlier for night # 3. I was disappointed by The Phobes (from D.C.), who I'd been looking forward to seeing. Their songs didn't grab me, the vocals were weak, and they didn't have much stage presence. On the other hand, I was impressed by The Frauds (from Maryland), especially their energetic lead guitarist. I bought their CD at the show, and it's a nicely produced album with several fine tracks that show promise.
By the time Love Nut took the stage, the crowd had grown tremendously and the club was packed. Andy Bopp noted that it had been "4 years and 10 months" since they last played, but you'd never know it from their performance. The band sounded as if they had been touring for months, playing most of Baltimucho!, plus two songs from Bastards of Melody (She Won't Do Me, I'm a Loser). Their final song was "Crop Duster," with Max Mueller playing the most amazing guitar solo I've ever seen. When the song ended, and the reunion was officially over, Andy Bopp slammed his guitar (the one in the Baltimucho! photo) to the floor in front of the stage, and invited everyone to take home a souvenir.
I only saw Love Nut a couple of times before they broke up, and I've really come to appreciate Baltimucho! as a great album in recent years. While I also like Myracle Brah, the band I saw last night was truly a FORCE and it's a shame they're not going to play together again. But what a fine way to end it all...
This was my first IPO experience, and it was just great. David does a superb job introducing the bands and putting together a solid line-up. This was the first Baltimore-based IPO, and I hope he'll return next year with even more bands and to larger crowds! The people in Philly, NY, and Boston have a lot to look forward to.
Be seeing you,
Bill
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