There's a Hotel in Bushwick?!

Well, probably somewhere. But I'm talking about The Market Hotel: the home of several young folks off the Myrtle stop of the M train that also serves as an informal concert space. The frenetic, all-ages show on March 28th featured Vampire Hands, These are Powers and headlined WaVVes.

The setting was kind of perfect for all the bands, each one defining the word "loud" in their own dialect. Vampire Hands, a group of seemingly nice boys from Minnesota, began their set with a frenzy of energy and limbs that one only finds among the most passionate musicians (or, perhaps, the most coked up). In their case, I like to think it was the former. For my part, I most enjoyed Colin Johnson's (vocals/percussion) performance. He really gave it his all, beating the crap out of a tom, shaking a tambourine with great vigor, dancing his butt off, and doing a bang-up job as lead singer for the band's cover of a Stooges tune, their final song. I couldn't stop shaking it (bootay, I mean) myself, leaving the floor sweaty and craving another ice-cold $3 Busch.

These Are Powers have a big sound. Much too big and energetic for the narrow space of The Market Hotel. I don't know what their sound - ghost punk - means, nor will I attempt to deconstruct their invented genre. It's just big and FULL of power. The lead singer's (Anna Barie's) voice both drowned out and was drowned out by the heavy treble of the guitarist (sharing a striking resemblance to Bonnie Prince Billy) and the various electronic instruments played by the third, baseball-cap-wearing member of the band. It was a pretty confusing set, all in all. I had a hard time getting a grasp of their tunes, because of the sheer noise of the set. Having listened to their synthy, tribal-infused music, though, I can understand all the hype - the album, Terrific Seasons (Hoss, 2007) is pretty solid! I'd love to see them in a bigger space.

Finally, WaVVes, a project headed by 22 year-old San Diegan (Diegoan... sp?), Nathan Williams, featured fuzzy, ecstatic, guitar-and-drum-laden pop that nearly caused a riot among the frenzied, moshing, all-ages crowd. My friend had to act as a human shield to me at one point, I was so in danger of either being trampled by rabid 15 year olds or thrown into a pile of Vampire Hands' drums laid hastily against the wall. It was so exciting!

After a day or two of being able to digest the events, I realize that WaVVes, These Are Powers and Vampire Hands all together was one of the more powerful shows I've ever seen. It felt like "real" rock 'n roll. The grime, the narrow space, the sweat, the raw energy of the entire crowd - it was pretty awe-inspiring. Especially for someone just beginning to sink her teeth into the grungy, blurry, frenetic feast of this new/old rock 'n roll that is emerging from the ironic (thanks for the idea about that, C) ashes of the mid-2000s indie scene.

I can't wait to go back to The Market Hotel! A note to the ladies: wear your crappiest shoes.