Rock 'em Sock 'em

Last night, November 16, at the Duke Coffeehouse was a once in a lifetime chance to see a Rock Off between two legendary bands- Cantwell Gomez and Jordan vs. Aimee from Des Ark. Armed with a four string guitar and banjo Aimee took on the entire band of Cantwell Gomez and Jordan. There was lots of trash talking and below the belt punches, but in the end I can't tell you who won. Each musician brought such incredible force and talent, that I think it was a draw. It was definitely a unique event to see.

Also playing that night was Veronique Diabolique and Polynya. As alway V.D. was true to their French Gothic-ness. When I arrived at the Coffeehouse, the staff was playing Siouxsie and the Banshees which was the right tone to set with Veronique Diabolique in the house. They took me right back to the 80's with their sound.

Not to be missed is Polynya. A solid indie band from Chapel Hill. I was most impressed by Amelia Schull, formerly of Roxotica and a teacher at the NC Rock n' Roll Camp for Girls. She played drums and sang lead throughout their set.

It was definitely a small intimate show and I was glad to be there.

One Word, Enthralling

Last night's Des Ark performance at the Cat's Cradle was nothing short of enthralling. This was the first time I had seen the band in over a year. Although I have seen Aimee perform solo, the full band adds a whole other dimension to the music.

Honestly, when she performs solo and acoustic, I often have to walk out of the room due to the heart-rending subject matter. The lyrics in her songs are so intense, that when she performs alone I feel the anguish within those songs so much more accutely. My instinct is to run.

Last night, I was transfixed and I wasn't going anywhere. The music and electrified energy of the performance was spellbinding. All I can say is the undulating guitars, the lasciviousness of the lyrics, and the dorky stories between songs are some good shit.

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