AMC at the Make-Out
Aug. 24th, 2003 | 10:55 pm
So ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
slipkid and I went to see American Music Club at the Make-Out Room on Thursday. It was the first show they'd played since they broke up over 10 years ago. The Make-Out is pretty small and the place was beyond sold out. When we bought our tickets, the bartender told us that people were flying in from Europe just to see this show. That seemed a little ridiculous because I don't think of AMC as the kind of band that's worth flying across an ocean to see. They might be worth a 2-3 hour drive at most. If anyone did make the trip from overseas, they should have been a little disappointed. The band had obviously not rehearsed much (I think Mark Eitzel said they'd only practiced twice) and they were kind of sloppy, especially at the beginning of the set. Another negative was the lack of oxygen in the room. I didn't really mind that it was hotter than hell...I've done my share of sweating my ass off over the years in Texas, but towards the front of the stage it was nearly impossible to breathe. I'm glad I wasn't drunk because I might've passed out. During the last song, I started to feel lousy despite my sobriety. I thought I might pass out or puke or both. The minute they stopped playing, I motioned to slipkid that I was heading for the door. Man, that fresh air and the walk home felt good.
Other than the sloppiness of the band and the difficulty breathing, it was a decent show. There was a good mix of quiet songs and loud ones and they did play a lot of the classic stuff (“Johnny Mathis’ Feet,” “Why Won’t You Stay,” “I’ve Been A Mess”). They didn't play the two songs I wanted to hear most ("Sick of Food" and "Dead Part of You"), but the new and old songs I didn't recognize were good. Evidently, Eitzel is moving back to SF and the band's going to make a record and play more shows. It’ll be interesting to hear what they do after being inactive for so long.
Before the show (but after some pool at the Elbo Room and dinner), we had a beer at the Latin American Club. I’d never been to that bar even though it’s not far from where I live. It’s kind of a cool place, but I’m not overly enthusiastic about it. It’s small, has good beers and a decent feel to it, but there’s something about it that’ll prevent me from making it a regular place to drink. I can’t put my finger on what it is. It’s not the fact that there’s no light over the pool table so when the sun goes down you can’t shoot pool. That’s kind of annoying, but it does make pool seem more like a sport when the sun going down is an issue. I don’t think it’s the clientele either, even though there were a decent number of the dreaded mission hipsters on hand.slipkid might tell you it’s the bartender because of her chilly reception when he joked with her about why there weren’t any specials listed on the chalkboard marked “SPECIALS.” I dunno. I’m not sure why I didn’t take to the place. It’s just one of those gut feeling things.
slipkid and I went to see American Music Club at the Make-Out Room on Thursday. It was the first show they'd played since they broke up over 10 years ago. The Make-Out is pretty small and the place was beyond sold out. When we bought our tickets, the bartender told us that people were flying in from Europe just to see this show. That seemed a little ridiculous because I don't think of AMC as the kind of band that's worth flying across an ocean to see. They might be worth a 2-3 hour drive at most. If anyone did make the trip from overseas, they should have been a little disappointed. The band had obviously not rehearsed much (I think Mark Eitzel said they'd only practiced twice) and they were kind of sloppy, especially at the beginning of the set. Another negative was the lack of oxygen in the room. I didn't really mind that it was hotter than hell...I've done my share of sweating my ass off over the years in Texas, but towards the front of the stage it was nearly impossible to breathe. I'm glad I wasn't drunk because I might've passed out. During the last song, I started to feel lousy despite my sobriety. I thought I might pass out or puke or both. The minute they stopped playing, I motioned to slipkid that I was heading for the door. Man, that fresh air and the walk home felt good. Other than the sloppiness of the band and the difficulty breathing, it was a decent show. There was a good mix of quiet songs and loud ones and they did play a lot of the classic stuff (“Johnny Mathis’ Feet,” “Why Won’t You Stay,” “I’ve Been A Mess”). They didn't play the two songs I wanted to hear most ("Sick of Food" and "Dead Part of You"), but the new and old songs I didn't recognize were good. Evidently, Eitzel is moving back to SF and the band's going to make a record and play more shows. It’ll be interesting to hear what they do after being inactive for so long.
Before the show (but after some pool at the Elbo Room and dinner), we had a beer at the Latin American Club. I’d never been to that bar even though it’s not far from where I live. It’s kind of a cool place, but I’m not overly enthusiastic about it. It’s small, has good beers and a decent feel to it, but there’s something about it that’ll prevent me from making it a regular place to drink. I can’t put my finger on what it is. It’s not the fact that there’s no light over the pool table so when the sun goes down you can’t shoot pool. That’s kind of annoying, but it does make pool seem more like a sport when the sun going down is an issue. I don’t think it’s the clientele either, even though there were a decent number of the dreaded mission hipsters on hand.
slipkid might tell you it’s the bartender because of her chilly reception when he joked with her about why there weren’t any specials listed on the chalkboard marked “SPECIALS.” I dunno. I’m not sure why I didn’t take to the place. It’s just one of those gut feeling things.