Images: Spindrift, Leather Lungs, Moon Blood March 24, 2016 at The Bunkhouse Saloon

Local realtor and music fan Brian Moy celebrated his birthday by hosting a show at the Bunkhouse Saloon last Thursday night. By coincidence, that day happened to fall on one of my many unbirthdays – how did Brian know live music topped my wishlist?

If I could get away with reviewing the show with just one word, it would be “eclectic.” But I know you readers expect a little more than that, so it’s time to pull out the ol’ dictionary.

passion

[pash–uh n]

noun

The night kicked off with Minor Threat-inspired hardcore band Moon Blood, who though fairly new, have quickly gained notoriety outside of the house show scene that birthed them thanks to an excellent demo. However, The Bunkhouse was still painfully empty when the band took the stage and blasted through their discography in the same amount of time it took the band to set up (ten minutes). Derek’s guitar tone and Sinead’s fiery vocals were absolutely captivating, and the passion on display masked the nervousness that comes with the band appearing somewhat out of their element.

raucous

[raw-kuh s]

Adjective

You know that scene in Back to the Future when Huey Lewis exclaims to Marty McFly and the rest of the Pinheads that they’re just too darn loud? That’s basically how I felt watching garage punks Leather Lungs, expect I mean it as a compliment and would definitely pick them to play the school dance. The crowd certainly seemed to back up that statement when the riffs inspired by Stooges and the MC5 came into play, banging heads like Beavis and Butthead when a Metallica video gave them sweet reprieve from MTV pop.

psychedelic

[sahy-ki-del-ik]

adjective

If there was a common thread between the night’s support acts, it was a minimalist approach to rock, with just two bands living up to the Paul Westerberg’s adage that “real rock and roll is not complicated.” Sprindrift bucked that trend, coming out amidst a thick layer of fog that seemed to be ripped straight from an 1980s rock video (or based on the music – a hot boxed car). The band had a glowing buffalo skull placed front and center and Chekov’s double-necked guitar waiting in the wings.

The psychedelic rock band specializes in instrumentals, with songs reminiscent of Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti western scores, the Twilight Zone theme and something I’d expect to hear during a chase scene in a 70s cop show. While I’m definitely a bit too straight edge to appreciate the whole of what they’re doing, even I couldn’t help throwing up a devil horn when that aforementioned double neck finally came into play.

-Emily Matview

Photos by Anthony Constantine | https://www.facebook.com/anthonycphotography