Friday Night Vampire Club/Pretty & Nice/eat Sugar/8-Bit Revival @ Canal Street Tavern 9.3.08

...while technology impeded the climate comfort of Canal Street Tavern on this unbearably balmy evening, the heat did little to dissuade either audiences or performers. From the start of their set, 8-Bit Revival unleashed a bevy of new material that left us eager for the release of their new album. Despite operating under sauna-like conditions, 8-Bit held nothing back on this night as their trademark howls and jarring dissonance perfectly framed their anthemic tunes...




...after a nearly year-long absence from the Gem City, Cincinnati's Eat Sugar made the jaunt up I-75 much to the delight of the crowd on this night. With vocalist Aidan Bogosian strutting and exuding a nearly untouchable cool and the rhythm section of bassist Jim Reynolds and drummer Greg Poneris laying down a brutally danceable backbeat, Eat Sugar quickly turned the horde into believers. As keyboardist Mike McBride's synths held down the pulsating melodies, the band drove through song after song and got the audience moving by the end of their set...




...with the attendees fully ready to let loose, Boston's Pretty & Nice hit the stage with such a electricity that within a matter of minutes the crowd was theirs. As the band's signature tazer rock buzzed through the crowd, the waves of disjointed dance rhythms, jarring dissonance, and singalong melodies whipped the crowd into such an blissful, sweaty frenzy. Propelled by guitarist Jeremy Mendicino's drum crashing and sudden outburst into the audience, Pretty & Nice elevated to an infectious level of energy that enveloped the entire room. By the end of their set, Pretty & Nice had earned a number of converts from the Gem City...




...closing out the evening, perennial Dayton faves Grizzzzy Bear officially christened their new moniker, Friday Night Vampire Club. Unfortunately on this night, the band had clearly celebrated a bit too much for leader Brian Baker's birthday throughout the night. By the time the band hit the stage, at least one member of the band was wholly unable to function and sadly inhibited the band's performance. Although the band tried to soldier on, the chorus of missed notes that landed largely off time simply could not be ignored. The band did their best to compensate, with bassist Christian Roerig prowling the stage, drummer Colin Croom doing his best to hold the ship together, and keyboardist Lucian Naragon delivering the hooks. By the time the band reached set closer "Mr. Bloodsuck", they finally started to find a bit of footing. We hope that this was merely a single misstep and not an emerging trend...




...all black and white photography by Marla Bremer. For more photos from the evening, go here.