A Night At The ‘Mocambo with some Gentlemen and a Lady

July 29, 2010 — Three great bands, at a very special price; i.e., free: the North, the Bad Ideas, and Gentlemen Husbands entertained awesomely, on a great night for music.

The North were first, twangin’ it hard. They were filled with spank, and up for a fight. Bernadette and the band confidently powered out a string of country-tinged rock and roll. If there was any unspoken competition between the three bands tonight, they were doing everything they could to channel that into their performances. There was a sense that they were claiming territory fast, planting the flag, and representing true North, lest they be overshadowed. The North’s live show is definitely more ballsy than their recorded sound would lead you to believe. Instrumental prowess is also far more finessed now; lead guitarist Kirt Godwin flays tasty solos from his guitar like a man inspired. They really rocked it, is what I’m trying to say.

The Bad Ideas came next. Unfazed. They stormed the stage with their classic punk energy, bouncing off walls. Take heed, any armchair guitar heroes: three capable vocalists in one band are a devastating 1-2-3 punch. They were in a chatty mood too, filled with quips and stage banter. Not all of it was coherent, nor free from drunken blubber, but it was fun.  As the one band that had no country influence whatsoever among the three acts, they were a nicely accented change in the evening’s festivities. The passionately rocking group brought loads of charisma, and got heads in the crowd grooving.

Finally, Gentlemen Husbands broke out their groovin’ stompin’ boppin’ rock and roll and claimed possible champion-status for the night. Irresistibly stampeding tunes, with a monstrous bass and drum sound accentuating the danceability, they really tore it up. Special kudos to the fantastic bassist, Jed Atkinson, who never once stopped shuffling his feet across the right-hand side of the stage, in some kind of two-step dance that finally convinced me that it was an indispensable part of actually playing the bass for him.Bands that prove their mettle like Gentlemen Husbands did deserve a chance at bigger things. Their sound and live presence is immediately physical and tuneful. The Husbands are outrageously talented. Catch them (and the North) at Lee’s Palace on August 19th. Please.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GENEVIEVE LUI