A church. I find myself outside in the parking lot of a church, also known as “The Paradox” around 8 PM on a Friday night. Time for a revival I ponder? Perhaps. Although not of the spiritual sort, no. This is usually the sort of under-ground rock revival where you find your sole (your shoe sole that is), a strewn on the dance floor after a crazy night of strangers becoming friends, friends becoming the frenzied, and the frenzied becoming that asshole in front of you who insists on blocking your view for their lame moshing attempts. Usually.

However, the concert taken as a whole made this reviewer wish it was twenty-four hours later and she were across town catching the hyped “The Thermals” and “The Divorce” show going at the Vera Project.

After a few awkward hugs exchanged between the boys of “Little Hand of the City” and I, the show started Seattle-style (which is of course to say ‘late’). The first act to appear on stage was a touring band that sprung from the depths of Los Angeles named “Darci Cash.” This group of friendly musicians took to the stage and wasted no time ceremoniously flattering the audience. They began their set with gusto and quickly rounded through songs. “Darci” cashed in with the flattering vocal harmonies of keyboardist/vocalist Ashley Powell, accompanied by the singing and intense bass playing from lead singer Benjamin Welch. However, the over all sound of “Darci Cash” comes out to be a little ill polished unrefined, rough - and not in the good-sense. The majority of the songs consisted of hard-to-swallow transitions, and left the poor audience inexplicably bopping along one moment, and uncomfortably motionless the next. I found them to have great potential, but definitely lacking in finesse.

“Little hand of the City” quickly remedied any lingering malady from the previous band as soon as they took the stage. The first thing these local guys asked with quirky smiles was: “How is everyone doing?” The crowd lacked any response and Guitarist/lead singer Aaron Mannino said, “See, I think we’re the smart ones, that’s why we’re on stage.” The audience laughed, gasped, and heckled back. One spectator even booed (I was just joking boys). While Aaron wondered how that had come out so wrong, and took a pledge to no longer speak. That was a brilliant decision however, as the fellas then did what they do best: they started rocking. Having a host of songs after just completing their soon-to-be released EP, the guys presented great melodies like “The Offering” and “Where We’re Going.” “Little Hand of the City” were well timed, funny, relaxed, and a largely entertaining band live. These guys made the first act redeemable. Don’t miss them live.

A surprising revelation that night was a bewildering performance from the green “Slender Means,” who also happened to be the next band. Having witnessed this band in action when they first debuted on the local club circuit, I noticed that they soon after became a main staple in live shows. These guys, however, can be credited with stealing the night, and in my opinion, should have headlined the show. It was quite a spectacle to see these boys proficiently rip through HARDCORE guitar parts, intense drumming, and songs that were so masterfully written that it made them look like old pros with years of experience. Having progressed in such a short amount of times makes “Slender Means” a can’t-miss opportunity. If you are looking for a band that knows how to execute and deliver a musically –rich atmosphere and carefully float all your worries away with their vivacious music, then certainly make sure to mark any and all of “Slender Means’” upcoming shows on your calendar.

In general I have a no regret rule addressing all aspects of life. Nonetheless, this reviewer must admit that she regrets seeing this next band. This headlining band settled on stage announcing themselves as “Mon Frere. ” Things seemed well in the beginning, but even from the start there was an underlying theme of something gone astray. Perhaps it was the lack of a bass player, making the stage feel vacant. Perhaps it was the novice aspect at work with such things as a few missed notes on the piano, or the only guitar descending off key mid-song. It could also have been the lead singer who became visibly shaken after being accompanied solely by a drummer due to the guitar malfunction, which made for this night to come to a crashing halt.

Despite that fact, every experience is a growth process, and I must credit Mon Frere for continuing through the tough spot, for having a singer who certainly has the vocal chops (with a certain refinement), and for pledging their services towards something so swell as a tsunami relief benefit. However, based on this one experience, I would not recommend seeing this band (I did, however vote for them in the “Big Shot” contest in “The Stranger” out of sheer empathy).

The show overall was held together by some classic moments, some refreshing surprises, and some serious empathy for the headliners. On the whole, this show sums up the music scene of Seattle: having all levels of skill in its diversity in music.
Now if you will excuse me, two aspirin and a glass of water have my name on them.

Reviewed by: Missy