Wait Long by the River... or Head Over to the East Bay if You Didn't Catch that VD Shit Yesterday

Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Japanther
818 Pine St., Oakland, CA 94607
$?

I went to the show last night and I can’t remember the last time I danced so hard in a pit when I wasn’t wasted. There was less violence on-stage than I would of liked, and I didn’t know a single song they played, but it didn’t matter. I rocked hard for the whole set, with plenty of bruises, a headache and a sore jaw to show for it. For those that missed the show last night, fear not: There is another show in the East Bay tonight. All I’ve got is an address, but that’s enough to have me seriously enticed after the previous evening’s show. House party? Warehouse party? Who cares. It’ll be a party.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006
The Drones
Café Du Nord
$10

Thursday, February 16, 2006
Supersuckers and The Drones
Café Du Nord
$15

Part of the reason I can’t totally commit to the East Bay Japanther show tonight is my desire to go see some great Australian garage-blues rock. I’m running out of time to get this post up to you, but this band makes some dark rock ’n’ roll (see most recent album title: Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By). It sounds like it belongs in a place with more “character” than Du Nord, but que sera sera. Singer Gareth Liddiard growls, stammers, yells, and howls all over the place. Without having read any live reviews, I imagine he’s worth seeing live. The opening track on Wait Long…, “Shark Fin Blues,” is, for what its worth, one of my favorite recently discovered tracks.