Strange Vibes

A lot of good bands at the UNCUT showcase last night, but the Vibe proved to be a wholly inadequate venue for such a showcase. The show got off to a late start that continued spiraling more and more out of sync as the evening progressed. Sound problems were endemic and the crew was overwhelmed (which is putting it much more politely than the bands would). When there are six bands on a bill with backlines going well beyond guitar, bass and drums, you really have to run a tight ship. That didn't happen.

It all came to a head when the American Music Club finally took to the stage just before 2am with the sound guy telling them they had no time. Mark Eitzel was pissed and in rare form. The band's set collapsed in Replacements-like shambles after just four or five songs. To his credit, he did apologize between kicking at and head-butting audience members. Between the sound problems, late starts and the fact that there was no place in the Vibe to escape the cold, it probably had to end on a middle finger note like that.