I always love attending shows at the Tractor Tavern, an unassuming little venue in Ballard. Always a draw for an eclectic crowd, this night the Tractor did not disappoint. There were guys sporting their hip-hop wear, Baby Boomers with their glasses of Miller High Life, even a girl unnecessarily dressed in a sundress and red patent leather heels. This smash up of styles and the old western decor of the Tractor made for some amusing people watching and some good ol’ music.
Curtains for You hit the stage much later than anticipated, mostly due to the extended play time of two opening bands. I was only there to catch the second, a forgettable opener whose set up time was entirely too long. Once it was time for Curtains for You, the five guys quickly stepped onto the stage and hurriedly set up their equipment. After a brief mic check they jumped into their first number, a rousing Sgt. Pepper-esque song that included not only the guitar, keyboard, and drums, but also displayed the talents of Mikey Gervais and Nick Holman on the saxophone and euphonium. I was taken with the camaraderie of the group, which is considerable given that two of the band members are brothers and all five have been good friends for several years. In between tunes, the banter between the guys (and some audience members) sometimes went on and on, oftentimes leaving me feeling left out of some inside joke. But I found myself still smiling in enjoyment.
Curtains for You’s music has a nostalgia to it that I do not often find when attending music events. My favorite tunes, “Each and Everyone” and “Red Rose”, showcased the piano stylings of Peter Fedofsky, Matthew Gervais’ melodic voice, and Dave Lawrence’s excellent drumming. Standing there listening to them in the middle of the honky-tonk Tractor Tavern, I couldn’t help but feel I had been transported to a Wild West saloon.
Though the crowd had dwindled slightly due to the late hour, the people who stayed took on a whole new energy not felt earlier in the evening. People weren’t as firmly planted to the ground, some were happy to bob their heads to the beat, while others were more into twirling a partner around in a comical two-step fashion.
At the end of their last song, Matthew Gervais told the audience that they would be going right into the encore because they did not want to put the audience out by making them clap for it. What came about was a hilarious cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” after which the band thanked everyone for staying up for them (“No, thank YOU for staying with us,” yelled one fervent fan in the front). Though exceedingly corny, I thought it was an appropriate end to another great night at the Tractor.
Set List
1. Small Change
2. The Pugilist
3. Postcard
4. Road Trip
5. Heaven’s Waiting
6. Licorice
7. Each and Everyone
8. Dead World
9. Clanging
10. Red Rose
Encore
1. Without You (Harry Nilsson cover)
Curtains for You is:
Matthew Lee Patrick Gervais: Vocals, Guitar
Peter Fedofsky: Keyboard, Vocals
Nick Holman: Bass, Vocals, Euphonium
Mikey Gervais: Guitar, Sax, Vocals
Dave Lawrence: drums
Ugh. Paste’s profile of Free Energy made me kind of hate them. So does your review. It’s this unctuous defense of good-time rock-and-roll ("we’re just here to party, and we’re awesome!") that seems more self-serving than fun-loving.
by beth on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.41 pm from the entry: Foreign Born + Free Energy - The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn, NY; Mar. 12, 2010)
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
By the way, I really liked the mp3 posted. Thanks.
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “Picture yourself coasting your bike past space funk palm trees, homeless harpists, vintage video arcades, electronic drum circles, and 60s psychedelic singers who’re waiting for the bus. Cosmogramma is kinda like that if someone suddenly tripped you just as you’re starting to enjoy the ride. But in a good way.””
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
