September 25, 2005

Everything Happens in New York

While on the subway reading the Onion, I noticed first that an obscure band from my college, We Are Scientists, was playing that night in the village. I then noticed that another obscure band, comprised of the high school friends of two of my college friends and called the Spinto Band, was also playing the same night.

Probably not that remarkable considering the volume of bands that rock through NYC everyday except that I had just been in LA visiting one of said friends who played a bunch of songs off the Spinto's latest release for me. He was also going to burn me the CD but forgot to, and then later when he offered to send it to me I demurred, saying I'd just support his friends' band and buy it myself here in New York. So ever since school started I've been looking for the Spinto Band's latest CD.

And then I find that they are playing, right in my area, that night, for only $10. It seemed like a remarkable coincidence, and I count myself very lucky to have been browsing the A.V. section of the Onion at that moment.

The Spintos played as part of the CMJ Music Marathon at the Pianos Bar in the East Village, and I was able to both name-drop our mutual acquaintances' names and purchase a CD directly from the band. Mission accomplished.

The show itself was quite good. Reviews for their latest CD on Amazon are splattered with commendations of the bandmembers' lackadaisical, none-too-serious stage presence. I agree—they seemed both humble and talented and unpretentious, which is rare. And sometimes they even seemed to be mocking themselves, which I'm not sure I like, but it's better than most of the alternatives.

The backup singer/guitarist had the most stage presence, although in his case it should probably be called strange presence: As he played, he would rock up and down, his guitar's head rising and falling like the prow of a ship in heavy seas, with a goofy, gape-mouthed grin and his eyes bug-eyed toward the sky, like someone in the throes of the rapture. I found it pretty disorienting, and he teetered from being annoying to just silly enough to be amusing.

On the CD that I purchased, there was a sticker comparing the Spinto Band to Pavement, the Flaming Lips and Yo La Tengo. I can hear it, yeah, but the lead singer so reminded me of Rivers Cuomo that I kept envisioning them as a fledgling Weezer.

I found out in talking to the band after their set that they're playing again this weekend at the Mercury Lounge. I'm going to go, and this time I'll figure out what's up with that backup singer.

Posted September 25, 2005 10:56 PM. Categories: New Experiences , Week 2 | Permalink