"Too Loud For Greeley"

(That's a pic of Istanbul, the hookah bar. If you couldn't tell, I'm a big fan of just black and white pics. Maybe later I'll start doing color pics. All the following pics are in order of how the artists played: The Shaggy Ponies, Sean Prahinski, Milton Melvin Croissant III, and The Empty Pilot)

[mp3's of the show are at the bottom of the post]

So as you may or may not know I co-hosted a show up in Greeley (Karma Spares No One was the other co-host) in an attempt to get some sort of culture up here, and it went all right. The venue limited the kinds of acts we could host, because it was a chill environment they didn't really want anything to abrasive or challenging or loud, so we were kind of limited, but since it's a gather point for a lot of people, and some of the outdoor spots aren't available now because of the weather, it was the best we could do. We had a rather progressive act set up but they didn't feel comfortable performing in the way we had initially imagined it to go, so they didn't perform (no hard feelings at all though), but the next show JJ and I set up will most likely feature them doing their thing, which I'm very excited for. Aaaaanyway, we did set up this pretty nice show last Saturday and, while it wasn't the most progressive and innovative stuff ever, it was nice a fun and I had a blast, and it seems like everyone else had a good time.

Casey Banker, under the moniker The Shaggy Ponies, was the first act to play. I really like Casey's music, which is why I asked him to play the show. I've known him for a while now so that may mean there is a certain amount of bias there, which means that I'm not really going to be able to give you an unbiased opinion on whether or not her was good. I liked it, not only because I know he's a good guy, but because I honestly think he's a good musician. I think I'd like to hear less covers and more originals, but that's kind of my general feeling toward acoustic shows that I seem to find myself at. But that doesn't mean the guy can't cover songs well ... dawn well. I was super stoked to here him do a cover of Sadie by Joanna Newsom. Listen to the first song he plays though, it's pretty much amazing.

[again, mp3's of the show are at the bottom of the post]

Up second was another good friend of mine (so there's bound to be biased again) Sean Prahinski. Sean has a great voice, knows how to work some crowds, and is a damn good guitar player. I've heard him play his solo stuff a lot (that comes with living with the guy for a year or so), so I'm always happy to hear him play new stuff. His set was filled with a mix of old and new and covers and originals. I personally would have liked to hear more originals and newer material, but that's because I've heard his stuff so often. Either way, no one else seemed to feel the same way, and were fairly happy with his performance, as they should have been.

After a bit of a set up, Milton Melvin Croissant III played, which was honestly the highlight of my evening. I've described his stuff so many times that I have trouble finding new ways to say how astounding it is. He's a wizard. Period. I loved his set for many reasons. Punk rock. Loudness. His set is where we get this posting's title. (someone said it right after his set)

Last but hella not least was Chris Jones A.K.A. The Empty Pilot. Chris hasn't played a show in probably over a year, but that doesn't mean he's out of practice. Some say he sounds like Dashboard, other say Bright Eyes. Whatevs, that doesn't matter, all that matters is that this guy is not only a damn smart lyricist, but a sharp guitarist. Talent, my friends, is something I appreciate. I appreciate this fella.

Everyone played better than I could have hopped for, and everyone had more fun than I was counting on, so, all in all, I'd have to say, it was a fairly good evening. Now, enough of this lallygagging, here's the music:

Bands: The Shaggy Ponies, Sean Prahinski, Milton Melvin Croissant III, & The Empty Pilot
Date: 2008-02-9
Venue: Istanbul Hookah Bar, Garden City, CO

The Shaggy Ponies - Apologies and Underwear
The Shaggy Ponies - Boston (Vampire Weekend Cover)
The Shaggy Ponies - Okay That's Fine
The Shaggy Ponies - Sadie (Joanna Newsom Cover)
Sean Prahinski - Two Days
Sean Prahinski - Harrisburg (Josh Ritter Cover)
Sean Prahinski - Myth
Sean Prahinski - Space Flight
Sean Prahinski - Toxic (Brittany Spears Cover)
Sean Prahinski - Safety Net
Sean Prahinski - Untrue Dream
Milton Melvin Croissant III - The Snare Of Love
Milton Melvin Croissant III - (unknown title)
Milton Melvin Croissant III - (unknown title)
Milton Melvin Croissant III - (unknown title)
Milton Melvin Croissant III - (unknown title)
The Empty Pilot - Unsure Branches/Steady Tree
The Empty Pilot - Sailor Tattoos (Movielife Cover)
The Empty Pilot - For When You Forget
The Empty Pilot - Row Old Let
The Empty Pilot - Fear in the Past Tense
The Empty Pilot - Sailors