Loud Lovin’ (September 10, 2013)
The
Henrietta Red Roof Inn was my home for the night. After a long day skirting the
Lake Ontario coast from Old Fort Niagara to Sodus Point, I arrived at the
Rochester, NY suburb a little before 4:30PM. More than anything, I wanted to
take a shower. I really needed to wash the day off! Sunscreen, sweat and record
heat for Rochester (the Mini's gauge read 95° at one point) made the shower
feel like my entire soul was being cleansed.
Afterward
I settled on my king size bed to take a look at the local offerings for the
evening. The city paper was conveniently located right next to the ice machine
that I had stopped at before that cathartic shower. Options were typically
sparse for Tuesday night. One club featured a punk band I knew of but didn't
appreciate. The only other show this evening sounded a bit more intriguing, so
I investigated the venue. Not only was it a great sounding, funky pub, it was
only 10 minutes away – a real bonus given all the miles I already logged today.
I called to ask if I could still get a ticket, dressed, and set my trusty GPS
once again.
The "Lovin' Cup” was a very interesting
place, oddly located within an upscale mini mall and adjacent townhouse and
apartment development. It had an open layout with seemingly good acoustics. I
was offered a drink, opted for my usual Makers Mark, and began to peruse the
menu.
"DJ
Tanner," a heavily inked young woman with a Meg White look, was old school
all the way, from the vinyl on the turntables (Technics on the right, Genesis
on the left) to the mostly obscure rockabilly, blues, R&B, and punk numbers
she served up with a "Pulp Fiction" vibe. Later I told her that for
all the music I thought I knew, she stumped me way more often than not. She
guessed that she had somewhere between 1,400 to 1,500 records in her
collection. I have her beat on the basis of pure numbers, but I also have many
years of collecting on her.
The
mix worked perfectly for the main act and the crowd. Segues did not seem to be
a top priority, nor did they seem to be important. The jumping' jive of twists
and turns added anticipation to the feel. You never knew what was coming next,
but it was always dead on. In typical fashion, she ended her set with a song I
never heard, "Why
Can't I Touch It" by the Buzzcocks. Nice!
All
the while I took my time with the menu, lingering over the bourbon that was
lingering over ice. I finally settled on the "Me and the Bean"
appetizer and, after a while longer, "Bell bottom blues " burger. I
was hoping my table would also be my vantage point for the eight o'clock show.
I enjoyed the ample garlic hummus and sweet red pepper coulis snack, and the
wheat beer complemented the burger. On top of that, it turned out I got to keep
my seat, so it was all good!
The
headliner had a test pressing that he had autographed and was selling via
raffle ticket sales before the show – like he took a page from the Band:Smart
approach to real money made at concerts.
Barrence Whitfield and his band,
the Savages, impressed me from the moment they did their sound check two hours
before their show. Guitar, bass sax, drums, and a wailing Whitfield pounded
their audience with a full-blown,
no holds barred attack I was only vaguely prepared for. About three steps
beyond dirty, they were at once tight and ragged--the embodiment of what rock
'n roll is supposed to be. My only worry was that my stereo wouldn't be able to
support the energy level, or volume, displayed on this night.
As
it happened the show was part of a series of benefits for Rochester's local
music scene. The sponsoring organization, Bop
Arts, is led by the owner of a great record store called Bop Shop Records. Tom Kohn served as the
evening's MC. I admire his ilk. Like Cindy Barbers and her "Cleveland Rocks"
organization, these are genuine people who pour heart and soul into helping
local clubs and artists. I hope they are all successful, and I encourage all of
you to check out the special events they produce.
