In the Fur
Overlook, Carson’s Machine, Still Motion, Zodiac, Showin’ Tell
Philadelphia, PA • September 9, 2006
Brittany Sturges
So it’s approximately 11:15 and I just got in from the show at the Trocadero (or the Troc, as it’s known here in Philly), located in Chinatown. With a six-band lineup for $15, I was sold. Here’s a little taste of the night…
Saturday, 3:00 p.m. Doors were scheduled to open at 5 p.m., but my friends and I had to pick up our tickets from Overlook’s guitarist, Fran Camardella. After meeting up with Fran and a quick Chinese dinner (after all, we were in Chinatown), we made it back to the Troc at approximately 4:50. As we started the line, we noticed people behind us were a bit older. Nothing wrong with that. Doors opened at 5:05 and we stepped into the Troc.
One thing you should know is that the Trocadero is small, in comparison to the other venues here in Philly. Since it opened back in 1870, its seen various acts through the years and this night was no exception.
The first band to take the stage was Still Motion. Before this, I had only known there to be five acts on the bill, so a sixth was even better. Six bands for $15? That’s $2.50 for each band. So frankly, I wasn’t concerned that I’d only heard of one band on the bill.
Still Motion played a six-song set to a very personal audience. There couldn’t have been more than 30 people in the venue at the time, but the guys still gave a great performance, considering circumstances. Their style is good old classic rock, which got my feet tapping. Overall, good songs.
Next up was Zodiac. I had tried to find them on myspace.com (I like to listen to a song or two, figure out what to expect), but failed. The band consists of four guys and at first, sounded appealing. Yet, as their set droned on, I found myself standing at the barrier up front, thinking about the hydrology lab I had to finish for Monday. There was a serious lack of stage prescence. The only other point when the band was able to grab my attention was when the lead singer, Nick Fargo, decided to strip down to his leather pants and play the rest of the set shirtless. I’m not sure what the big fad is about stripping one’s attire on stage, but at every show I’ve been to since the summer began, I’ve seen some skin at one point or another. New fad? I hope not.
This is the point where I will mention technical problems. Yea, they happen, but when they happen to a good portion of the bands during the night– eek. Poor Zodiac, as well as several others, spent several minutes out of their set, pleading with their equipment to get them through the next song. I may not be a musician (and sadly, I never will be), but as a music lover, you feel bad to see the bands have to stop and restart songs because of equipment failure.
Okay, okay enough of that. Back to the bands.
Next up– Overlook, otherwise known as the reason I went to the show. I had previously interviewed these guys before and they are the four of the sweetest, most talented guys. I had heard a few songs on their myspace, but that was the extent of my knowledge.As they set up their equipment, I found myself front dead center, anxiously anticipating the start.
The songs on myspace are great, but did no justice for the band. Their live performance is something you must witness for yourself to fully experience Overlook. Despite some technical problems (that I was unaware of, but later informed about), the set went pretty damn well.
Showin’ Tell followed Overlook, a band comprised of two females (Jeska and Kate) on vocals, guitar and bass, respectively, and a male drummer, Nicolino. With a wardrobe that screamed Hot Topic, I watched the band play one song, before deciding to search for a corner of the venue where I could escape to. The music was a lot louder than the other bands and I found myself out in the lobby, amongst the merch buyers. As Showin’ Tell played in the background, I met up with some members of Overlook and got to chat with them. After a couple minutes of conversation, I wished them good luck for a show they were doing later that night and I wandered back in for the last two songs of Showin’ Tell’s set. By the time it was over, I found myself wishing for some aspirin.
After Showin’ Tell left, Carson’s Machine took the stage. Now up until this point, the audience had increased by a few people for every band. By the time Carson’s Machine wound up on stage, the floor was pretty decent, considering its size. With a bit of alternative rock and grunge, Carson’s Machine had the crowd on their feet.
Finally, after four hours of music (good and bad, depending on tastes), the headliners, In the Fur, took the stage. It was their CD/DVD release and there were fans of all ages there to help them celebrate. (Seriously, all ages. There were some that looked about 5 and some that looked about 55.) As the band played their set, I couldn’t help but notice the intensive energy they brought with them, as they got their fans dancing to the music.
After a quick encore, the audience dispersed, pleased that their musical thirst had been satisfied for the night. Despite technical problems, the bands played to their hearts’ content. As I told Zac Boden of Overlook, “Any band that can play despite whatever difficulties may arise, and play well – that’s the sign of a great band.”
