John Ralston's "Gone, Gone, Gone"
OK, so I broke the No. 1 rule of CMJ Marathon-ing Wednesday night. I ditched the plan. On my way to Bowery Ballroom to check out What Made Milwaukee Famous, I noticed Brakes were playing Ace of Clubs. Well, I liked “All Night Disco Party” and the British band’s second album is out next week, right before they head out on tour with The Killers, so I figured I would go there instead. Yeah, I thought it was weird they were playing at 7 p.m., but with CMJ showcases, you never know.
Turns out the band playing Ace of Clubs was THE Brakes, a blues-tinged, roots rock band from Philadelphia, not the Britpop band Brakes. Oh.
7:01 p.m. THE BRAKES. Ace of Clubs. Luckily, The Brakes were a likable enough band, especially singer/guitarist Zach Djanikian, who rolls out a peaceful, easy feeling that sets off guitarist Derek Feinberg’s fiery guitarwork even more.
8:00 p.m. JOHN RALSTON, Irving Plaza. The singer-songwriter from Lake Worth, Fla., is far more upbeat than his Indigo Girlish dashboard confessional “Gone, Gone, Gone” would suggest. The revved-up rocker “Fragile,” with its buzzing guitar, and the demonic waltz “Hang a Sign” from his new album “Needle Bed” (Vagrant), show why he’s well on his way to bigger things.
Now, some schedules had the great Ben Lee following Ralston at Irving Plaza. Others had the, um, not-so-great Rooney in the 9 p.m. slot. Would my luck hold out?
(At this break, I’d like to send a shout-out to Irving Plaza’s Mike Connors, the city’s best doorman. In a week where so many of the guys working the door at the city’s clubs get stressed – often understandably – by long lines of attitude-filled badgeholders, Mike and the rest of his crew always manage to keep their cool.)
Um, no.
9:00 p.m. ROONEY, Irving Plaza. Yeah, I decided to see if the “sh-sh-shakin’” band had improved since the last two times I saw them. They hadn’t. Still cl-cl-cloying and b-b-boring power pop, made worse by a too-loud mix.
9:14 p.m. In a cab. Heading to Bowery Ballroom, thinking I’ll have an easier time of getting to see Cold War Kids at 11:20 p.m. if I get there early.
9:25 p.m. Turned away from the Bowery because the club’s “badgeholder quota” has already been filled. Several badgeholders, some who paid up to $495 for that badge, very unhappy.
I jump quickly into the evening’s Plan B.
9:45 p.m. LAURA CANTRELL. Southpaw. I’ve been trying to catch the folk singer for what seems like years and her live show does not disappoint. She was in lovely voice as she sang her own “California Rose” and Elvis Costello’s “Indoor Fireworks.”
10:30 p.m. ALLISON MOORER. Southpaw. It was nice to see Moorer’s husband Steve Earle sit on the stage in the back and watch his wife’s set. And who can blame him? Her latest album “Getting Somewhere” (Sugar Hill) may be her strongest ever and she delivered it well, showcasing the catchy, rock-leaning “Fairweather,” the anthem of the working woman “How She Does It” and the subtle protest song “Getting Somewhere.” Then she brought the house down with a stunning version of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
11:25 p.m. STEVE EARLE. Southpaw. For his first-ever show in Brooklyn, Earle mixed roaring protests (“F the CC”) with his tender side, telling engaging, off-the-cuff stories along the way. “I’m not young or hip enough to live in Brooklyn,” he joked early on. “I’m gonna stick to the Upper West Side with all the old Communists.” Later, after dazzling the crowd with a passionate version of “Someday,” he rolled into “Now, She’s Gone” and the wrenching “Goodbye,” tieing the two songs together by saying, “Same girl. Different harmonica.”
Allison Moorer's "Fairweather"