When you're old like me, when you have to take a nap before an evening show because you know you're coming home after midnight, you sometimes, sometimes, err on the lazy side.
So, of course, this time I was left wanting.
I thought I'd be safe since I took such stellar pictures of the last Baltimore Mean Jeans show. As a curmudgeon, I expect so little from shows these days, I wasn't anticipating a darn-tootin' fun time. But I got it. And you, dear reader, are just going to have to rely on my memory and pithy wordsmithing to properly share it with you.
The Wind Up Space
April 17th, Wednesday(!!)
Baltimore, MD
Adam Lempel and the Heartbeats
The Tough Shits
Hollywood (Record Release Show)
The Mean Jeans
9pm (more like 10:30)
If you haven't already heard, the Mean Jeans don't wait for the weekend, and this was certainly true for this goddamned Wednesday night show. And night is right; this wasn't like a civilized evening affair. This is: Hey, got an evening shift you gotta work? No problem, you can def still make it! In fact, we'll wait for you! Come around 11; you might miss the part of the first band, but you'll be good, bro!
And it was. Art students strolled in after their night classes. Bros from other bars moseyed on in. Members of Trashkanistan and crew appeared (granted they could have been hanging out front a while. As I am old, I don't like to move around so much. You know, conserve energy via lethargy.)
So around, oh, I don't know somewhere before 11pm, Adam Lempel and company go on. The Opening Act. A Baltimore rock/indie group with about eight members, complete with matching backup lady singers, Lempel was a lot of fun! They were pretty tight; they knew their stuff, which is always nice to see. They were upbeat and catchy/dancy in a non-electro pop way. I wanted to get their cd, which I eventually did around 1:45am when the singer was behind the merch table (you'd think that out of eight band members someone would be willing to hang out on the receiving end of the merch at some point in the evening, or you know, trade off tag-team style with the other bands! I want to give you money for your wares!). I think the singer smiled at me tiredly and said, "It's good." I'm not sure why he thought he had to sell it; I already bought it, or why he felt he needed to validate it; I was there, guy. Front row, nearly center. But it was/is good! You can download it for your named price here.
(caption for nonexistent photo would read, for the guitarist: "Totally loved this guy's Outfield shirt!" and "When I looked down I laughed out loud when I saw this guy wearing thong sandals.")
And then The Tough Shits went on. A little wary of their name (what can I say, maybe I'm defensive? Tough Shit to you, man!), I wasn't sure what to think of ol' TS. But we were there to stick out the show. What a hunk o' fun, those Tough Shits were! What a pile of joyous merriment! Sounds like I'm joking, but I'm not, these guys were totally a blast to see. I definitely had a dumb grin on my face listening to them (again, front and semi-center). The girls next to me seemed to be fans and they were down with the Tough Shit sound, waving their drinks steadily in the air as they swayed to their beloved Shits. The singer had a great sense of humor. He was rail thin with greasy hair underneath a Phillies ballcap. And, when I looked down, I see he was wearing a pair of unfortunate, glittery, ironic, skin tight blue jeans a la' Delia's catalog 1998. Plus a Simpsons tshirt. I wouldn't have been surprised had he lifted his shirt to unveil the identical graphic of the Simpsons portrait to scale on his torso. Alas, no such luck.
Hollywood followed, this being their record release show. And finally, finally, the Mean Jeans. They were tipsy, no, trashed, and admitted so on stage. "You'd be twisted, too, if you had to wait this long to play." I hear you, brother. So sloshy the night went, promo
All good and up Bel Air Road home. Another show notch in the belt for a little old lady. Good night!
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