The Spot 06/28/09

For those of you who come to UD from out of state, you might be a bit skeptical of the music scene in the lil state of Delaware. It must come to you as a relief, then, when I say that Delaware ain't doing too bad. The hot spot right now is quite literally called The Spot, located on Market Street in Wilmington. It's a non-profit joint that also doubles as an art gallery, hangout and practice space for some bands, and even a bicycle repair/education co-op. The icing on the cake is that since it's not for profit, all of the shows at The Spot are free to enter - though donations are encouraged to keep the place running and help out touring bands. I went up there on Sunday to see a show that was definitely worth the trip up I-95.

The first band that I saw was One Short Fall from New Jersey. I don't know much about pop-punk, but I do know that they played fast, loud, and did a Rancid cover that everyone seemed to love. And their bass player was awesome.

Next was Caves, Caverns from Richmond, VA. They played some seriously avant stuff that I was a big fan of. Awesome things they did included: running a tape Walkman through effects pedals, playing a theremin, and using something that looked like a hubcap as part of their drum kit. However, one problem with experimental soundscapes like theirs is that they frequently run the risk of becoming too jammy. While Caves, Caverns didn't ever overstay their welcome, I think adding a little structure to things would be very becoming for them. Check them out if you like music that probably has sounds only dogs can hear.


Third was Newark's own Holy Dirt. I had heard about them a number of times before, but never had a chance to see them. I was fully expecting them to be loud, but I wasn't actually prepared for how LOUD they were. For only having two members (guitars and drums), H0ly Dirt sure knows how to make the dirtiest racket around. Highly recommended for people (like me) like Big Muff pedals, riffs, hitting drums really hard, and more riffs.


The last band to play was another act from Newark called Big Girl. Despite being another guitar/drums duo, they were about as far away from Holy Dirt as you could get without unplugging your guitar. Where Holy Dirt made simple motifs powerful with volume and repetition, Big Girl turned the volume down and let the chops speak for themselves. The fantastic guitar work was made even better by some fantastic loop pedal work, which always wins brownie points in my book. One thing: they don't have a singer, and I know that turns some people off. I'd encourage a listen, though, because my money says they'll hold your attention despite the lack of a pretty frontman (no offense to the two handsome gentlemen, er, big girls).

In short, The Spot is hot, and is definitely worth a visit if you're into new and interesting bands from around the area. I'd recommend the show on July 24, but that's only because my band is playing.

Now listening to: David Bowie - Young Americans (1975)