I showed up at RED 7 just in time to know I was about to be in big trouble. David Letterman comedian {Andy Kindler} tried out his brand of cheesy Jewish humor on the audience, who were not having it, but I've got my own personal reasons for thinking the guy is kind of awesome, so I fought the boos with about 15 other people.
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- {The Hard Lessons}
The Hard Lessons are from Detroit, MI, a kickass husband-and-wife team made up of guitarist/vocalist Gin and keyboardist/vocalist Koko Louise. They also might have the hardest-working drummer in the business, because The Hard Lessons' freight train of solid rock ‘n’ roll doesn't allow for a single breather. Ripping through a 30-minute set, the electricity between Gin and Koko was palpable, as the room swelled to capacity. Gin ended the set hanging from the rafters, playing his guitar with the cord looped over a metal rod. The crowd lost it, because who doesn't love some good rock show theatrics?
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- {Lucero}
The room's demographic slowly changed from neon-clad hipstahs with geometric haircuts to slightly older folks with kids, who had obviously come to check out Lucero, from Memphis, TN. Ben Nichols' raspy croon manages to bring an element of sweetness to their hard-drinking sound, most notably stirring up the room with live favorite “I Kissed the Bottle” from Dreaming in America. For a band on the brink of its first major-label release (Universal), Lucero give the most down-to-earth, grin-worthy set I've seen thus far, delivering with a beery gusto and certain joy that even country music haters can't dismiss.
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- {The Hold Steady}
The Hold Steady's live shows have grown to epic proportions, and it's definitely a mixed bag, as their crowds have grown much larger (awesome) but for some reason decided that circle pits are a good idea (not awesome). After getting punched in the face, I retreated backstage to watch from a safer vantage point and marveled at the effortlessly tight powerhouse the Hold Steady's set has become. Craig Finn spits out his nasty little novels over guitarist Tad Kubler's measured mayhem, backed by sweet harmonies and keys from Franz Nicolay and the rock-solid rhythm section of bassist Galen Polivka and drummer Bobby Drake. Giving the sweaty, exuberant crowd an even sampling of old and new tunes, they closed out with the arresting “Slapped Actress” from 2008's Stay Positive.
