Two Shows Two Nights
The beauty of live shows is that you have no idea what you will encounter. That is really the wonder of them. And this past Thursday and Friday certainly supported that claim. Thursday night I wandered down to Uncle Mike’s downtown.on Murray Street. It turned out to be right next to New York Dolls strip club. If only I had cash.
The really big discovery upon arrival was not the strip bar next door but the lack of AC on what turned out to be the hottest day so far. I arrived sometime after 8:00 PM and it was still in the 90s. So it was not pretty inside. It felt like the guy was getting buckets of ice non-stop! Nice room but very very hot room.
So the bands. That is what brought me down to Tribecca. I will bascially travel anywhere around New York and beyond for the Karen Curious Band, aka the New Professionals. Thursday night was the same drill. The band playing before them was King Bee and the Stingers, which features some pretty impressive talent. This includes Buddy Bowzer, Sax player, rhythm guitarist and vocalist who has played with the likes of the New York Dolls-the band. The band also features David White on lead guitar whoxe credits include Stumblebunny and touring with the Hollies. In short, veterans of the music scene who still have some new tunes in them.
I had seen them over at the Ottos Shrunken Head a few months back and was quite impressed. Thursday night they were good but lacking their lead guitarist. The Bass Player did fill in for him and they had someone else covering the bass duties. It generally worked, esspecially for the first four or five songs but as they dug deeper into their set you saw noticed that something was missing. No doubt a good effort and the show did go on but I did miss Mr White. It was still nice to catch them again and still a good show.
Anyway, I had come to see what Ms Curious was up to. And I did find her outside the place when I arrived. Got introduced to her new guitarist, and bass player. Karen goes through musicians like no other. Most are competent if not good. It is just the case usually that I do not have a chance to really get a feel for them. Actually that is not true, I have gotten to know a few lineups. As a fan, I just wish there was a more continuity there. That has always been part of the equation. When I booked her at the Vintage, a long time ago, she was breaking in a drummer and I doubt he was the first new recruit.
Besides if you go to check out a Karen Curious show you are going to hear her songs and her voice. She was introduced as one of the best songwriters in New York and there is something to that. There was no disappointment on this front on Thursday night. I knew going in she had a few new songs and I did get some idea of what is developing. In short, I am looking forward to hearing them again. And then there is her voice. She just a certain unique tone that jut grabs you. She knows what she can do with it too, and that does play a role in her song writing.
In short, she has a new band. again and we got a mix of new and old material. I am sure she will keep refining them and they will only get better. She mentioned a date in August at the Bitter End. I think. I will be checking her Twitter and Facebook pages. Anyway, forget the AC, we survived and it was well worth it!
Enough writing. The Sex Slaves at the Trash Bar will have to wait.
