We're with the Band

That's a phrase I never thought I would get to say. And technically, I guess I didn't : I just tagged behind the girl (Ana) who did. She and Triss and I went down the street to a bar with live music to hear the band of one of Ana's high school friends. Of course, this made me want to whip out the CD from my college friend's band and share.

(Side note: I realized tonight that a huge part of the appeal of said friend's band is their nerdiness. Let's face it : I like nerds best.)

The Usual was opening for a big-name St. L artist, whose name escapes me because we snuck out after The Usual finished. One of the band members described their music to us as "kind of rock, with a little blues, and some light pop." (Not Diet Coke.) They played mostly their own stuff and one Beatles cover.

Live bands captivate me, though as I listen to more and more music, I am acquiring a better ear for what I do and do not actually like. Tonight, in addition to hearing music that I actually did enjoy, I spent most of the time watching the bassist's feet. The other band members stood, feet and bodies a combination of relaxed and rhythmical. The bassist's feet however were constant motion.

For almost all of the 45 minute set, he was on his toes or the balls of his feet. His feet pounded and twisted with the music, not the loose motion of little dances coming from the audience or the frenzies of jumping you sometimes see on stage or the carefully metronomed tappings which the other members sometimes demonstrated. Instead, they snapped up and down, moving his whole body in an intense and focused choreography above them. I have never seen feet move with such musical purpose, even when watching other dancing. I had the feeling of watching a poem being written.

After the show, we chatted with Ana's friend for a bit, got some free music to download and sweaty hugs from the band, and hit the road. We made it home by 10:30, a good time for a school day.