Apostrophe S

Mental picture of bands are often based on impressions from their music. Other times, like this one, it’s based on the art from the album. I’m learning this can not alway be relied on. Of course, should I have expected Sune Rose Wagner to be decked out in motorcycle gang attire? I suppose not, but I should at least have been able to point him out in the crowd. More on that in a minute…

The opening opening act, Elkland, I missed because I was eating. Sorry. The other opening act, the the Rogers Sisters, pleasantly surprised me. They have this sort of hard rock/White Stripes/Von Bondies sound, and they all contribute vocals, which is always a bonus. Another bonus was the female drummer. Maybe it’s just because I don’t see them often, but I love female drummers. They had a female guitarist, but you see that all the time. But a drummer, well, let’s just say I hope I see more of them. So all in all the band filled the room with sound and head-bobbing. I don’t know why good opening acts make my heart glad. They just do. A word of warning, though: their Web site sucks.

When the Raveonettes finally did take the stage, I recognized Sharin Foo. Her hair and face are unmistakable. But the other guy, Wagner, could have been anybody. I wasn’t even sure it was him until they started playing. Apparently the whole tour, Elkland, the Rogers Sisters, and the Raveonettes had just played Nashville, Tenn., the night before. Foo sported some cowboy boots. Wagner, an Ernest Tubbs Record Shop trucker hat, which held down a mess of curly black hair. He wore a Brian Jonestown Massacre t-shirt, Dickies slacks and bowling shoes. I should have taken a camera. He also had a gold cross pinned to his t-shirt over his heart. Foo had a fold cross on a chain around her neck.

Wagner’s guitar is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen’s famed instrument, in that it was beat to shit, all chipped and dilapidated looking. Sounded great, though.

The band played all of the songs of theirs that I knew, which could have been every song they’ve released. Foo was nice to the crowd and seemed grateful to be playing in front of people. Wagner acted kind of indifferent, but was possessed on the guitar. The backup band, another guitarist and a percussionist who also played the Powerbook, played along but didn’t exactly seem to fit. The backup guitarist was crazy jumping all over the place all the time. Wagner and Foo were relatively stationary, with Wagner bending his knees and turning around for feedback on his solos. The only time he really went nuts was when he held held all the strings down past the final fret and strummed them like he was trying to sand the finish off of his guitar.

They sounded great. The acoustics at the Patio are excellent for a small venue, and the crowds never seem to overwhelm. The only thing about the Raveonettes is that sometimes the songs seem to blend together. When they returned for an encore and started playing, I nearly swore they’d played the song already. Especially in a show setting, where vocals often get lost in the noise, it was difficult to tell the songs apart unless you knew them by heart. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Bands like the Raveonettes, B.R.M.C., and the Jesus and Mary Chain rely on creating an atmosphere with their music, a mood, a state of mind, if you will. And they succeed at doing just that. It’s part of the reason why they have a more difficult time breaking into the mainstream. You just have the damndest time pulling singles from their albums.