The run of excellent early shows at Siberia continued on Thursday with a visit from the Dirty Ghosts. The San Francisco based pop/punk ensemble took the stage before a small but enthusiastic crowd at about eight in the evening. Certainly early by New Orleans standards, but just in time for an excellent Polish dinner and some tunes. Allyson Baker, the lead singer and guitarist for the Dirty Ghosts is a force on any stage. Her styling ranges from new wave to indie punk effortlessly. There is something infectious about this music. It rattles around in your head for weeks after hearing it. The hooks are carefully crafted and create a perfect platform for Baker’s vocals. Keep an eye for these early indie pop shows at Siberia, they are a great way to see excellent small bands before they make it big. The next big opportunity will be Babes on November 10.
On Sunday night, Andy Gill brought the most recent incarnation of the legendary Gang of Four to Tipitina’s. While the band has been through several iterations over the years, it has retained the central sense of Situationist anarchy that was always at the core of their sound. Gill himself remains a virtuoso on the guitar and the anchor upon which the sound is built. There is a effortless calm that he exudes on stage, which belies the complexity of his style of playing. This time around Gill has added John Sterry on vocals to great effect. Sterry has managed to capture the essence of the Gang of Four style without simply doing an impersonation of Jon King’s seminal growl. While shows of this sort can very easily descend into mere nostalgia, the combination of the old and the new here works to give the impression of the band as a dynamic entity not specifically tied to the member but rather to the overall mission of the music itself. This is a message that has not run its course.
Voodoo Fest
It's once again time to pull out the costumes and head to Voodoo Fest in City Park. There are some hidden gems in the cubes this year. On Friday I recommend Hundred Waters, Flow Tribe, Metric and Florence and the Machine. On Saturday check out The Suffers, The Growlers, Django Django, Jane’s Addiction and of course Ozzy with Geezer Butler, Tom Morello and Slash. Finally on Sunday catch Here Come the Mummies, Fishbone and Chance the Rapper. On the whole a solid weekend of performances. Keep an eye on this space for reports from Saturday and Sunday.
To Do This Week
Tonight check out the Barb Wire Dolls at the Circle Bar. Voodoo starts on Friday and runs through the weekend. If you’re anywhere, you should be there. Be sure to check out Django Django, Florence and the Machine, Metric and The Growlers while you’re there. Also on Saturday Peaches will be at One Eyed Jacks. On Monday The Coathangers and The Strange Wilds will be at Siberia. Finally, on Tuesday check out Guts Club at the United Bakery Gallery.
To Listen This Week
- New track from PUJOL via Soundcloud.
- Stream the new record from Beach Slang over at NPR First Listen
- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart announce a new record and a cover over at CoS
