Comrades: Chris (navigator) and Will (sleeper). Our trip to Bloomington was troubled from the start, as our Mapquest directions (and my lagging memory) sucked. Going up there (to B-ton) was also trying due to excessive drizzly rains, which hindered our usual speedy driving. We eventually made it to IU country (Bloomington) and succeeded in hitting our prime source for pizza (best I've ever had): Mother Bear's. Apparently, this place is known around the country for it's creative and expert pizzas, and it's no wonder. Delicious! My Monet pizza (spiced chicken, white sauce, peppers, onions) was superb, though the peach iced tea was kinda average.
We had plenty of time still to find Uncle Fester's, which is located on the main strip of Kirkwood Avenue, only a few minutes away. Smallish club, nice balcony, well-done bars. We found some decent balcony seats and I enjoyed a Newcastle Brown Ale. The first openers were Kiss Kiss, and they were a fair mix of emo-ish vocals and heavier rock (and an unusual electric cello). Not bad, but not something I'd pursue, either. O'Death were next and really had a difficult time winning over the audience who were there to see hometown heroes MBD. O'Death played a mix country and thrash, with awful vocals and a tight rhythm section, although their set went on far too long. Suffice to say we all agreed that we hated them (and yes, Chris, you were right). MBD appeared at last (around midnight-ish at least), and to our surprise, their old keyboard/piano player (Vincent Edwards) was in tow! His addition made some of their classic songs that much deeper in sound, and it really helped make this perhaps one of the best MBD gigs I've seen (and I've seen several through the years). Murder By Death put on a powerful show, and certainly commanded the stage better than either of the openers. If you haven't heard these guys, it's a cool and individual melding of narrative songs (with a kinda dusty Western vibe) and indie rock with a cello (courtesy of the enigmatic and unforgettable Sarah Balliet, who plays like a madwoman). It was a good time, and though trip home was also a bit of a hassle with heavier rains and a very late hour, we had plenty of fun. Photo by Bill Adams from the MBD website.
No comments:
Post a Comment