Flogging Molly

Just wanted to write up a quick jaunt before hitting the hay. Went and saw Flogging Molly for the first time in so many years downtown tonight, and it was awesome as expected.

What was unexpectedly awesome were the opening bands. Normally, it's been my experience at smaller venue shows for awesome bands that aren't quite 'main stream' that the bands opening before them tend to peel the paint off the walls of the venue. Tonight was a different story altogether.

We arrived at the venue before as the first opener was going on, and as I waited in line at the merch table to get my Flogging Molly t-shirt, we heard some of their set. It sounded alright, nothing spectacular just yet, that is until I got my shirt and we went to go check them out. From the sound I could hear it was another Irish sounding folk/punk-rock band similar to Flogging Molly. What I didn't know was that it was a band from Japan. That's right, it was six or so Japanese guys on guitars/drums/tinwhistle/banjo, and a chick playing something else, think she had the accordion. I'm pretty sure their lyrics were in Japanese as well as what I could make out I couldn't quite understand, and his English between songs didn't sound very good, so I'm assuming the lyrics are Japanese. Yep, a Japanese punk band playing Irish folk punk rock songs in Japanese, something I'd have to say I never really expected to see. Their name was the Cherry Cokes, so check 'em out.

Following the Cherry Cokes was a smaller band by the name of the Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, adequately named for its three members. They had a sound that was a mix of punk rock/blues/and folk music. One member on the drums, with the Rev's wife Breezy on the washboard/cymbal, and the Reverend on guitar/harmonica. The Reverend has a style of playing the guitar that reminds me of the movie Crossroads (no, not the Britney Spears movie, the good one), which if you haven't seen it you should go rent it right now. It was probably the best movie about the blues I'd seen till Black Snake Moan came along. To quote the Reverend "Our band don't have no bass player, cause my thumb plays bass." Coupling his thumb playing bass is the Reverend's deft use of a metal slide to make the neck of his guitar sing along with the rest of the band. I was quite impressed with their performance, enough so to break my cardinal rule of one t-shirt per show and made my way to their merch table for a t-shirt and a signed CD. I suggest checking them out immediately.

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