Damn, it was hard to pick just one place to be Friday night. There was Justin Jones and the Driving Rain with Junior League at the Rock and Roll Hotel, Benevento Russo Duo opening for Cornelius at the Nightclub 930, and Buffalo Tom with Revival at The Black Cat. I know, I know. Now’s the time to be pissed about not living in 4 dimensions. With all this on the plate, how could you possibly manage to stay at any one place? Alas, you gotta start somewhere, and after falling asleep in my car for an hour on the way to show central, I found myself in the Black Cat face-to-shoe with Revival.
Shame on me for never having been to the Cat before, at least mainstage. I’ll insult no one’s “cool” by describing the D.C. staple, something with which every District local but myself is quite familiar. Revival was playing after Drew O’Doherty (who I missed due to my inability to drive whilst both eyes are closed), and before headliners Buffalo Tom (who I didn’t stay for because 1) I don’t stay for headliners if I’ve never heard of them, on principle; 2) I never watched “My So Called Life,” since I’ve always had a penis, despite rumors). Alright, enough about me.
Revival came on with a full Gypsy Eyes Records posse, including solo artist John Bustine on the rhythm guitar to lead singer Josh Read’s rhythm-er guitar, and Brandon Butler next to Josh Wenk, both on drums. They generally played their songs from “Horses of War,” starting with a drunken stupor called “Anniversary,” which brashly harmonized the vocals of Read, Bustine and keyboardist Betsy Wright to a make a quaint, aching chorus. Duel drums made a swift segway to “Daysbreak,” a happier song that just feels right when heard in a bar, conversations distorting the sound just a bit. More than a concert, it had the feel of just a bunch of guys (and a gal) hanging out making music. No sense of urgency, just good music for a good sized crowd. It felt like home. Possibly the crowd was not ready for this laid-back approach, but overall, those unfamiliar with the band were converted to fans by the end of the set.
Read gave a snarl that would make Billy Idol blush through songs like “King of King’s,” which was the rock-out highlight of the evening. The band was allergic to smiling the entire night, except during the Kris Kristofferson cover “Don’t Cuss That Fiddle,” which set everyone, crowd included, into unabashed glee. Just to show a light attitude to all those patrons who were eyeing their time until Buffalo Tom, they finished off the song superimposing the lyrics with, “I know it sounds silly but I think we fucked up somebody else’s song.” The last song was an epic ballad, with sweat dripping from everyone’s face and Butler smashing the hell out of his cymbals, taking them off and giving them all hell. It was a hell of a way out.
With that, I up and left, hightailed it to Nightclub 930 to try to catch what was left of the Cornelius’ show. I got there with about 40 minutes left in the set, and just from that bit I could deduce it being the best show that has come to 930 club in recent history. People left asking if they could give more money to the band, that $15 was just not enough for what they saw. For those who’ve never heard of Cornelius and his Sensuous Synchronized Show, it is the result of perfect timing between a video projection and a live band. It hardly seems possible how perfectly everything timed up, given the disjunct songs. The Japanese take on rock was on-point, fun to listen to, but ultimately the show was what people came for. When things are impossible to describe, that’s probably when they’re best. DO NOT miss Cornelius the next time he comes around. Put this show above family, religion, everything. Oh, and apparently the Duo was good, too.
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