IAmDynamite, Some guys, Some other guys - LBLB - 02/24/11

(okay technically: IAmDynamite, Rocket Surgeon and River City Ransom)

I am currently trudging through one of the busiest, best times in my life. Show after show scattered with practicing with my band (aka jay) for our first official show, working two jobs, keeping up with friends and family and feeling an overall sense of accomplishment, ecstasy and exhaustion. I realized last night on my way to the first of three nights in a row i will be at king's for shows i am anxiously thrilled to see that i am now 4 reviews behind. One could take this as a sign of faltering resolve or as i prefer to put it, "dang y'all. I'm tired." any chance I've gotten to write I have instead found myself comatose on the couch covered in fat cat and dozing off to HGTV. So here I am, catching up! Don't lose faith, my dears!

Roo sent me a link to one of the bands playing at LBLB, IAMDYNAMITE and said basically, "Hey I think you're gonna like these guys." Sounded decent and I had a feeling it was going to be one of those bands that was technically good on-album but once you see them live it'll sound 1000% better when you go back to cd (how does that happen? Theories, anyone?)

In true "Oh FFS WKNC, get your shit together" fashion, The band billed as headliners (or so we thought?) went first. Roo wasn't even there yet, and I had to send him the "the band we came to see is playing now" text which, since the double barrel debacle, I really never wanted to have to send again. He hauled ass over and we caught the last handful of songs together.

Oh poor little WKNC, quit effing up. You let a band that should've played to a capacity crowd play to the stragglers and a room of curious bystanders. As IAmDynamite played, more and more folks wandered over; like when someone starts yelling "FIGHT! FIGHT!" in a middle school cafeteria; albeit not at such a voracious speed, but there was a definite sense of "haaay sooo... what's all this excitement going on over here?" until the crowd was full(ish.) My thought process throughout their set will now be set to a chronological list:

- heh, this is pretty cool. i was right, the live set is going to make the cd pop later.
- DANG OK SRSLY THIS IS GOOD WHERE IS ROO
- *increased intensity of headbobbing activated*
- Roo, OMG, right??? RIGHT???
-"WOOOOOO!"....... "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
- OMFG is that sweet Lil Jenna of Jenna & The Jintlemen playing maracas to a blasting "Walk Like an Egyptian" cover? Sometimes life is so worth living.
- This is perhaps one of the most raging end of a set I've ever heard. top three. wish it would go one for another 10 minutes or so.
- I'll settle for 3. AHWOOOO!
-Suddenly reminded of being 5 or 6 years old listening to the new Purple Rain soundtrack in the car with my family and my dad saying how much he liked Prince (he bought the tape) but "man, he just can't end a song." sometimes that's just the way it should be. could you imagine if "Let's Go Crazy" just stopped? That would be just wrong.
- what am i talking about? I'm going for a smoke. good show.

After a smoke and hanging back while the band loaded out, I stopped by to get some scoop... Iamdynamite recently(?) underwent a rebirth; a major move from Detroit and a name change... Chris #1's wife got a job in RTP and Chris #2 followed. If I had a sound as successful as this, I think I would move as well; also, Detroit. (to ponder and possibly research, how much constant comparison do the guys get to the White Stripes, being a duo from Detroit? Or Eminem? I'm kidding. Eminem is terrible.) Then comes the major blow! The orginal name of the band was Mahoney... but after some kids in nevernever land took the name before anything super-official could happen, the name was changed. Here is my theory on what the Mahoney name comes from: Police academy? **OR** Natalie Portman's character in  "Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium" ....  I think it's the latter. That makes me giggle.

As we were speaking, a friend or two dropped by to ask about merch or CDs for sale, and this is how the whole name change story came out; all the swag still says Mahoney. (keke!) so in my own brazen assholish way, I asked Chris #1 to use a sharpie and just cross out the wrong name and write it in. So I am now in the possession of a fridge magnet and CD with one name scratched out and the right one written in. and then a just random ass Mahoney shot glass. My plan is to take shots and then rage about the fraudulence of the glass. (is - "THIS WHISKEY IS A LIE, MAHONEY DOES NOT EXIST... INCEPTION!!")



This was one of those rare and extremely enjoyable instances where I got to actually speak with and become friendly with a band i have discovered and really, truly liked. It was really cool/evident that both of the boys are music instructors. Also, on a personal note (aka all things are on a personal note) despite the fact both Chrises are married, no offense to the wives; but it's like, if you could somehow merge these guys into one Chris they would pretty much be the most physically perfect man in the world. As is, both are too cute for words. I'd very much like and very much plan on seeing them play again. I had every intention of seeing them the following weekend, but as the next review shall reveal: Birds of Avalon! sorry dynamite bros! play soon!

There is some pictures and snarky comments about the next bands.

Rocket Surgeon ...they were all cute in that "duke lacrosse rapist" sense but yet every song sounded like a 311 cover song, or variations on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" over and over. They technically knew what they were doing but good god, man. If i wanted to listen to Third Eye Blind or Vertical Horizon I'd go see my dentist.

This screencap is all I really have to say about River City Ransom:

In case you didn't know, oh dear god i love Roo.