Show Review & Photos: Brent Amaker and the Rodeo @ the Crocodile

I love Brent Amaker and the Rodeo so much it borders on the unspeakable. Unspeakable – well, kind of. I am still going to talk about it. They bring true country to music and I utterly respect that. In October the band celebrated the release of Please Stand By at the Crocodile, a CD I recommend you get now and listen to on repeat. The CD release show was a major party, complete with the B.A.R. Brigade (who lit sparklers – I believe this did not please the Crocodile), guest Rodeo member Graig Markel, singer Tilson, dancer Bunny Monroe, and of course the Rodeo themselves. Their set included many of my older favorites and my newer favorites; “Sissy New Age Cowboy,” “Reno,” “Country Hits,” “Break My Broken Heart,” “Doomed,” “Man in Charge” . . . wait, I kid no one. I loved them all. I also loved their version of Kraftwerk’s “Pocket Calculator” – a cover that worked so well it was quite shocking. All elements of the band’s sound are so rich and velvety that I wish I could see them every night. Here are some of my photos from the evening, including my pre-show visit with the band as they fortified themselves with spicy noodles:

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Brent Amaker and the Rodeo – all photos by Dagmar

Gallery of Brent Amaker and the Rodeo @ the Crocodile

Photos: Reykjavik Calling @ The Crocodile 11-5-10

Sister cities – Reykjavik and Seattle – came together at the Croc on Friday for an evening of music. Nathan Wade, Petur Ben, Jason Dodson, Lay Low, Rachael Flotard, Rusty Willoughby, Sindri Mar Sigfusson, John John Roderick and Mugison played four sets with everyone back on stage for the encore.

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Photos: The Henry Clay People @ the Crocodile

The Crocodile had the Henry Clay People as headliners on October 25th. The Los Angeles band’s MySpace profile announced their first national headlining tour – congratulations to the Henry Clay People for now completing this first tour. Alex Crick has brought back some mighty fine photos of the band from their Seattle date:

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the Henry Clay People

Show Preview: Two Door Cinema Club & Funeral Party @ Neumos, Sat. 11/6

Back in May of this year I saw Two Door Cinema Club play a show at Nectar in Fremont. I write that and it sounds so usual, yet I assure you there was nothing usual about it. The Northern Irish band blew my music mind. They got on that stage and proceeded to play a glamorous, feisty, perfectly tasty set of pop rock. I will admit that I am wired to give a Celtic nations band more of a chance than anything, but this band needed no additional lures to get me into their music. Go check them out tonight, Saturday, November 6th at Neumos – and buy their wonderful debut CD, Tourist History – you’d need to be made of stone not to like these guys.

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Two Door Cinema Club

Also definitely worth catching is openers, Los Angeles’ Funeral Party, whose roaring opening performance for New Politics I caught at El Corazon. A larger stage such as Neumos’ will let this young band, and the young Two Door Cinema Club, fly. Get there early, get there early.

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Funeral Party – photo by Dagmar

Get tix here – show is all ages.