On Weirdnsday September 25th, I worked. My wonderful Music Director and promoter of posi-vibes Alex hooked me up with 2 tix for the much-anticipated RVIVR/Little Big Bangs/Burrowss at The Firebird. I've written about attending a show there from purely a fan's perspective back in May. This time I will dig a little further back than just the show for framework of why RVIVR gave me just what I needed: A DOSE OF CHILL OUT, ITS NOT JUST GONNA BE OK, IT'S GONNA BE GREAT!!!
Breaking up is hard to do. The new wave of breaking up when you were never officially dating is fuckin stupid and I hate it. Anyway, a rough patch in my persy-life had me reelin, first that I couldn't just ask this girl I haven't been dating and then on Wednesday when my friend revealed she couldn't make the show. We were both getting off work around 10 and it was going to be an oh-so-swell time, but there I was with 2 tickets to a pop-punk show and no one to go with. Another friend forgot the show was that night and agreed to work later. I know, I know, Boo-frickin-Hoo, the spoiled radio host has first-world problems like not having a date to the punk show. Wah Wah
So, I go to work and cut potatoes and do dishes and prepare food and stuff, it becomes 9:30 very quickly because I listened to RVIVR the whole shift on full blast, and I still got no one to go with. Who would like this band the most? Who might change their plans for the night to see a ragin show?
My buddy who I also used to not date came through. She was grabbing a drink with and old friend, but would meet me there when that was done. I hopped in my 1995 Impreza, stalled at a few stop signs and rolled up on The Firebird just in time to see the start of Burrowss set. Little Big Bangs, probably my favorite local band, had unfortunately already played, but I have seen them 2 other times this month. When I arrived, they forgot to actually write my name on the actual list, so I had to wait a good 10 minutes on a text from a guy who knows things. Of course, I felt like a tool standing there with cash in my pocket waiting on some verification that I am who I say I am. After briefly doubting me, the staff was polite and let me in. I took in Burrowss live for the first time and really appreciated the band's command of their songs and business-like devotion to partypunk songs about Drinkin and Talkin. The bass tone and mix was perfect with driving live drums, excellent attitude on guitar and the keyboards/lead vocals of Riot Grrls past. And that's not to say Burrowss sounds like any one band, I just think that they know their strengths and flash those with brilliance live. One of the few St. Louis bands who fits in with the stage, that tall indicator of the artist/fan relationship that venues love so much, as well as they would in a basement. Check em out.
After discussing with Lucy from Little Big Bangs how their set went ("it was really fun, pretty sloppy"), I realized my buddy who I definitely never dated but maybe did hadn't yet showed. I figured she got hung up doing whatever, so I shifted my focus to the fact that I was finally gonna get to see one of my favorite bands live. That hadn't happened in awhile. Fuck girls, I always used to go check out great music by myself.
The band was set up, and nervously smiling, proactively working with the sound guy to find that killer sound. They started, much like they probably start most of their sets, with Change On Me. And they had the sound, the look even, of a band who belongs. Shredding, slowing down, setting the mood, going off-script when 2 strings broke, just killin it. The whole set (capped with the quickest encore turnaround in history for 2 extras) was on point. Some kids were screaming the words in the front row, others were screaming them in their heads. My friend showed up about a song in, poked me in the side and looked happy to be there. We talked later and she was stoked. A new awesome band with a timeless sound from our youth? FUCK YEAH!!!