The last day...what a bummer. It all goes by so quick.
You get caught up in the moment and, before you know it,
it's all said and done. However, I knew this day was gonna
be a good one and I was gonna enjoy it as much as I could.
I spent some time on the trade floor before heading
out on the town. Had to go back to the hotel around
noon to meet with Strictly Heavy Management.
Had a small meeting with 'em to talk a little business.
Wasn't a good meeting though because I was trashed.
I went back to my room to sober up so I was in shape
for the last night of entertainment.
Saturday night was looking good. There were some new
experiences, so to speak. But, a lot of the people
I eventually hooked up with, I was already familiar
with in one way or another.
Scott's Grille was my first venue of choice.
I got there early enough to catch Sauerwine
from Downingtown, Pennsylvania. They put on a
pretty good show. Got some of their material,
which I haven't listened to yet. Don't worry though,
another article will be popping up here shortly.
So, keep an eye out for it. For those of you who are curious,
check out their website for more information.
The reason I went to Scott's Grille again was to see
Emily Zuzik from New York. Last year, I hosted an
acoustic performance in my living room and that
was my first experience with her music.
However, she was performing with a full band
this time around and that was something that
I wasn't familiar with. I already knew her music
was emotional with a lot of soul and, even with
a full band, it was clear that her music still had
those elements. What was different about her performance,
well, only two words are needed to describe this
experience...Emily rocks!
Also on hand to check out the show was Hannah Bingman,
who performed on Thursday night at The Marysville Tavern.
I was disappointed that I didn't get to her gig. But,
I've seen Hannah before though and she's really, really good.
In fact, she was one of the other performers at the living
room concert that I hosted and I believe that's how she hooked
up with Emily. Anyway, for those of you who aren't familiar
with her music, I suggest you check out her debut release,
"Truckload Of Philosophers," it's an amazing release on a
lot of levels. Some people work their whole lives to
create something this good and Hannah nailed it
the first time around. She's got talent and anyone
who would argue with that doesn't have a clue as
to what they're talking about.
Anyway, from there, I went back to Fisaga to see
Cherry Blossom Clinic from Texas. I've known guitarist
Dave Crow for years and I have a lot of his material,
including a hard to find solo album, his disc with Crabtree,
Orange Helicopter and, of course, Cherry Blossom Clinic.
They're kind of a pop, glam, punk, rock band.
Their music has all of those elements. On stage,
they were really loud, which was a good thing...and,
yeah, maybe I was a bit drunk and standing right in
front of the speakers. But, hell, it was well worth it.
I was really impressed with their drummer, April Samuels.
She had a lot of energy and, watching her, the only thought
that went through my mind was "rock 'n' roll!" She's a real
force behind the kit...she kind of brought Lisa Rav
(ex-Gunner drummer) to mind.
Had to walk back to the hotel to get the car
because I knew how I was gonna end the MMC experience this year.
There was no question about it. I was going to Remy's to see Spinebelt.
The last time I saw them live was with the original line up,
which I had a lot of respect for. I was curious to see if
the new line up would live up to what they've done in the past.
I expected nothing but the best and if that was something
they didn't/couldn't deliver, believe me, I would be the
first in line to tell 'em so. Once the show started, any
doubt I might have had was quickly laid to rest. New members
PJ Kissinger, Chris Evan and Don Belsh, as well as original
members John K. and Butch Lloyd, have taken Spinebelt to the
next level. The original vibe was still there, but, it seemed
to be a lot stronger. They're stronger, more aggressive and,
as far as the sound quality goes, whoever was behind the board
did one hell of a job. Much respect to you and anyone
who was working with you.
The MMC was over...it was all said and done. There was
nothing more to do except go back to the hotel, sleep
and head home the next day. It wasn't something I was
looking forward to. But, as I sat in McDonald's the
next morning, I thought to myself, "Well, there's always next year!"
Coming up next...other various MMC stuff. Yeah, it ain't over yet!!!