Here we have another lumped review, combining the last two Wednesdays of debauchery at The Republic. Back there on the 19th, Radio Rubber Room was balls deep at The Republic, presenting The Big Payback with The Kindling Kind for their Bad Santa Celebration.
This was quite the gala; Nectar Sunglasses had a booth set up, and each pair of shades purchased warranted a free glass of Crown Royal. On top of that, sales of Crown Royal were directed to aid the Ring Dog Rescue team, purposed to finding a home for as many pups as possible before Christmas. Yes, it was a fine display of humanity, kindness and kick ass music.
As I mentioned before, I hadn’t had the chance to see The Kindling Kind in a pretty long while. The combination of efforts between Miriam Martin and select members of Ghost Owls is working remarkably well for them, in almost every musical arena. Miriam’s songs were always a bit folky, certainly on the darker and more dramatic side of the continuum. With the instrumental supplement of Ghost Owls, The Kindling Kind has lightened up a bit. The chime of the mandolin and the steel guitar are a natural fit for the project.
Above all, I think the collective rhythm of The Kindling Kind is what’s having the most significant effect on the crowd. When each member of a band has inherent rhythm, a world of depth is added. And, I’d be remiss not to mention that their vocal harmonies were all spot-on. The Kindling Kind has come a long way, and obviously you should check them out next chance you get.
The sauce began simmering, then hit a rolling boil when The Big Payback took the stage. The Republic was so freaking packed I couldn’t even find a place to sit down and take a few notes. Front man Kelli Strawbridge took a seat on the drum throne, to wonderful effect. A James Brown tribute band’s front man casually deciding that he would play drums and sing at the same time – that is decidedly badass.
I was thrilled to have another chance to pull my drop-splits JB dance move on the open floor, but the floor was so jammed up that I only got one stab at it, over on the sidelines. If any one person saw me attempt it, it was Andrew Necci, and he didn’t mention it, so I don’t think it was very impressive [Hah, I only saw you getting up afterwards. It looked painful -ed]. At least I didn’t pull my groin.
Brittany O'Neil (Splendid Suns/Soundstorm) sang a song, DJ Williams and his mighty elite joined the stage intermittently, Neko Williams hopped on drums for a song – everyone was rocking out. Few times have I seen The Republic reach such a capacity, on a Wednesday night, no less.
Now I jump to this past Wednesday, the 26th. It was a bit quieter in the Christmas aftermath, but all the same it was celebratory, as it was Radio Rubber Room co-host Shaun Austin’s day of birth. At midnight we cheered to Northerner’s drummer George Gilliams’ big day as well.
Radio Rubber Room presented a fine little jam, comprised of select members from The Northerners and Proverbial. With nothing formally planned, other than to have a fun-loving evening of music, we all floated through the night with easy spirits. A fine conclusion to the Christmas era, indeed it was. Now we can all get back to what we were doing before it all started, thank God.
This Wednesday at The Republic, Radio Rubber Room presents The Mystery Ship and Splendid Suns. The Mystery Ship will bring the sound of the psychedelic 60s back to the Republic, while Splendid Suns will incorporate their many fine ingredients, including Andrew Elijah Bayne's dynamic songwriting, Brittany O'Neil's amazing soulful vocals, Dean Pollard's unique trumpet sound, and Neko Williams' powerful drumming, into a delightful rock n' roll stew. It all happens this Wednesday night at The Republic, starting at 10 PM.
Words by Dan Mulrooney
Images by Tyler M. Conta