The Khyber is the prototypical rock and roll bar. Flyers and posters adorn the walls; the bathroom has a thick layer of stickers and graffiti; an old (unusable) smoke eater hangs from the ceiling—the usual stuff. My preconceived notions of The Dig had them playing a much bigger venue with more attendees. Oh, and the crowd was a regular ol’ sausagefest, and, oddly enough, the place smelled like smoked meat.
The Dig took the stage and dove right into their set. The guys are much younger than I had imagined, but they are skilled well beyond their years. A sparkly golden curtain hung behind the stage and orange glowing lights shone upon them giving a dreamy bowling-alley, spiritual quality. I just kept thinking that they really deserved a better stage.
The sound was almost unnecessarily booming for the size of the venue. It made me wonder if they are more accustomed to playing larger rooms. Between songs, the bassist said that this was the best show of their tour thus far, but I’ll bet he says that at every show.
The guys are young, but they play their music eloquently and with sentiment. Their songs often build up to a steady pound of the bass drum and the four of them bob their heads in unison. Guitarist David Baldwin and Bassist Emile Mosseri look like they could be brothers, and they seemed to feed off of each other, almost competing for the spotlight in sibling rivalry.
Erick Eiser, the keyboardist, played his instrument with so much force that it teetered and at times looked like it might actually topple. His boards echoed with exquisite charm, reminiscent of the great power-pop rockers of the 70’s. He seemed like a pretty versatile guy as he switched between guitar and keys mid-song.
Toward the end of the set, more of the bar flies gathered in front of the stage to get a better look at the band they had been hearing. Some spontaneous dancing even arose among the thirty guys and three ladies. The band looked weathered and sweaty at that point, and Nick Brown, the drummer, opted to go shirtless for the final song
The set unquestionably went out with an explosion, with the Stevie Ray Vaughn/ZZ Top inspired “Look Inside.” Baldwin instigated some audience participation and got the crowd to clap along before going into a climactic guitar solo. The song ended with a Freebird-style jam session, which showcased their raw talent and intelligent maturity.
The Dig far exceeded my expectations, and they are a band to keep an eye on in the future. After their set, I caught up with some of the guys from the band to shower them with compliments. I was offered a nice little three-track CD sampler in exchange for signing their mailing list. The sampler hasn’t left my CD player since then—I definitely dig it.
Set List
1. You Terrorize Me
2. Invitation
3. He’s a Woman
4. Carry Me Home
5. She’s Going to Kill That Boy
6. Penitentiary
7. Love Will Take You Under
8. Cry, Cry, Cry
9. Look Inside
Get the Good Luck and Games EP!
DOWNLOAD: The Dig - She's Gonna Kill That Boy (MP3) or Follow us for more The Dig MP3s (Twitter)
Grass Widow + White Fang + Hornet Leg - 1/7
Artistery
The Moondoggies + Sera Cahoone - 1/8
Doug Fir Lounge
Steve Earle + Hayes Carll - 1/19
Aladdin Theatre
Asobi Seksu (Acoustic) - 1/19
Mississippi Studios
Steve Earle + Hayes Carll - 1/20
Aladdin Theatre
Steve Earle + Hayes Carll - 1/22
Aladdin Theatre
White Denim - 1/22
Doug Fir Lounge
Bono rocks
by kezman on Mon Jan 4, 2010 at 07.38 am from the entry: Glen Hansard & Bono busking for homeless charity on Christmas Eve
This was a good show, but yes, it was HOT. I wanted to focus on the music, but I was dying in there…
by Andrew on Sun Jan 3, 2010 at 01.08 pm from the entry: The Thermals - Jackpot Records (Portland, OR; Jul. 24, 2009)
wow haters your lips must cant move as fast as his. the other reason mayb your brain cant follow up the words he be saying.
by tasha hines on Sat Jan 2, 2010 at 04.01 pm from the entry: Lil Wayne is going to jail
k’naan is the best album."Trabadour"
by Mohammed on Sat Jan 2, 2010 at 03.26 am from the entry: Top 10 Best Hip-Hop Albums/Mixtapes of 2009
Courtney Love is a neurotic, drug addled, fame whore. She should focus on seeking professional help. Courtney - substantiate your allegations in court, or shut up.
Ryan Adams is a talented songwriter, and has an alert and inquisitive mind. He is also a gentleman.
by sickchip on Fri Jan 1, 2010 at 09.54 am from the entry: Ryan Adams Denies Courtney Love's Allegations
Damn man, this is a real dope list. 2009 was a great year for hip hop! we actually made a list of our own for the top 10 albums of the year which had a couple overlaps but also some new stuff too:
http://da-what.com/2009/12/31/end-of-year-top-10-albums-of-2009/
we also made one for the top mixtapes of 09:
http://da-what.com/2009/12/30/end-of-the-year-top-10-mixtapes-of-2009/
and a list for who we thought had the best year of 2009:
http://da-what.com/2009/12/29/end-of-year-who-had-the-best-2009/
we would appreciate it if you checked it out and left some comments. tell us what you think!
by ben on Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 05.52 pm from the entry: Top 10 Best Hip-Hop Albums/Mixtapes of 2009
oh noes, josh! I love this. what’s jumpy alterna-pop - like harvey danger?
by beth on Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 05.08 pm from the entry: Vampire Weekend rockin' down a deserted alley (vid)
wow, i like this alot..