I’m usually solid at making decisions. I find what I want, and I set out to get it. I don’t look back at the other options any more, unless forced to do so. This weekend does present a dilemma for me; specifically speaking, Saturday night presents the problem.
Both Egan’s and the Green Bar have outstanding live, local music. I love Egan’s and its patrons. I love Green Bar and folks that frequent it. I’m going to have to make a decision or maybe try to slip in and see both shows, just like the old days. It’s really a shame that these shows aren’t happening on opposite weekend nights. Oh well.
Black Willis from Birmingham/Tuscaloosa, AL
At Egan’s, the gloriously dirty Black Willis headlines a night with The Golden Monica, fast becoming one of my favorite locals, despite their name. Check out Black Willis playing one of my favorites “Lie to Me” (at what seems to be The Nick, a Birmingham must-see if you’ve never been). That show will be crazy, smoky, and completely filthy.
Equally as great, if not a big more intriguing, is the pairing of Nowhere Squares and Mouse Teeth at Green Bar. I’ve covered the low-fi glory of Mouse Teeth a few times, but Nowhere Squares? Wow! I haven’t seen in them years!
The Nowhere Squares–once from Tuscaloosa, now from the Magic City
The Nowhere Squares actually got their start in Tuscaloosa, so discussing them here is fitting to theme of the column. They were one of that third (or fourth, or fifth) generation of original bands to come out of Tuscaloosa that produced the Dexateens, Pain!, and Chinese Dentist within a five year period, give or take. Since then, the Nowhere Squares landed just up the road in Birmingham.
What will be fascinating about their Green Bar show will be seeing and hearing exactly how much of their live show has changed. In the late Nineties, the Nowhere Squares were a herky, jerky proto punk band in the vein of Talking Heads with large dashes of Devo; this happening long after sound like such was remotely cool. The Nowhere Squares did it perfectly, though, and drew hell-raising, mosh-pitting crowds, most notably at the Chukker.
It’s great that both of these shows contrasts so much in styles: the hell-raising, beer-bottle-busting rock of Black Willis versus the zoinked-out, stiff-bodied, nerd-rock of Nowhere Squares. You cannot go wrong with either one.
The Mouse Teeth and Nowhere Squares event will be a superb show, the likes of Tuscaloosa seems to be getting more of. It’s so great that we have such music going on lately. Relish it, and take advantage: pick one of these shows and go. Better yet, hit them both up. You won’t be disappointed.