Dumbek's Random Stuff

Have you ever bought something from someone at the merch booth, only to realize 10 minutes later that they're a member of the headlining band? I came to see her band. I have all of their cds, but not only do I not recognize her, I practically blow her off when she tries to make small-talk. What a dork I am. Sorry about that. ummm....I love your band. You rule.

The band in question is The Rosebuds - a super-fun power-pop-ish band from NC. I caught them last night at The Rock and Roll Hotel. The first time I ever heard/saw them was a few years ago at The Warehouse Next Door, opening for Metropolitan. They were touring for their cd The Rosebuds Make Out, a near-perfect pop record. It's one of those great records for driving around with the top down on a sunny day. Lots of "yeah-yeah-yeahs", "la la las" and "bum-ba-dums" that make it hard not to sing along. The show was just a big ol' rockin' dance party. I've been hooked ever since.

Since then they've grown up a bit. They've lost a tiny bit of the lightness in their songs. They still rock and get you moving, but everything has a slightly more serious tone to it. It's not that their records aren't fun - they definitely are. But Make Out is so over the top catchy, anything else is going to seem more serious.

The show was fun. A not quite sold-out crowd, so there was room to dance a little. A mix of old and new, but they didn't dig too deep into Make Out. That's a shame, because those songs seemed to get the biggest reaction of the night. The newer stuff rocked pretty hard, compared to the subtler sounds of the cd versions. The highlight of the night was probably "Get Up Get Out" from their latest cd Night Of The Furies. There's no denying it. This is a disco song. The vocals have a New Ordery feel to them, but the music is flat-out disco. The high-hat, the synthesized strings and the driving dance beat had the whole place dancing up a storm.

They finished the night with "Kicks in the Schoolyard" - one of the best tracks from Make Out. The singer ended up in the middle of the crowd and the opening band was also on stage on various percussive things. It turned into a big party afterall.

You can't go wrong with any of their cds, but go for Make Out for the pure pop goodness.