Sometimes I Wonder Can I Really Call This Place... Or Should I Find Another Name

So by a certain amount of luck (I guess) Sartaj and I got to go to the sardine-packed Titus Andronicus show at Swarthmore last night. First, wow, were the guys running the show douchebags. We didn't get let in until 9:25 and they spent the 50 minutes they kept us waiting make fun of all the people that couldn't get into the show. Thankfully, this was the only low point of the night. For one, the Olde Club is an amazing place to see a show, holy shit. It's a small, stone building that on the inside is kinda like a cabin; all hardwood floors and low-lights. There's a balcony, basement (complete with the free beer you expect at a tri-co show) and the main floor with a decent size stage and great sound for an underground venue. And it's cramped. Like, impossible to go two steps without stepping on someone's foot or bumping into a shoulder. Titus went on eventually and opened with "Joset of Nazareth Blues" and "My Time Outside The Womb" which had Sartaj and I jumping up and down... alone. Thankfully, this didn't keep up and by the end of "Womb" there was a mess of familiar faces from past TA shows falling all over each other and stage diving. In the middle of their set, they started playing some new stuff for their new record which, get this, is apparently a concept album about the Civil War. You know what, though? It worked really really well. The first tune was just Patrick and Andrew and had a countryish/Dylan feel and that segued into three progressively more rocking numbers. The intensity is still there, for sure... Can't wait to hear the lyrics. Their set, fucking unfortunately, was truncated so as to allow the increasingly more and more ridiclous Los Campesinos! time to set up and play before midnight but I could have cared less, really, no matter how much I love their records. Their, admittedly fucking AWESOME, t-shirts were TWENTY DOLLARS. I'll just wait to catch them at the TLA at the end of March. Sartaj and I left after I snagged four (or five? or six?) more beers and a little chat with Ian, Titus' bassist. They can't play the Philly show with Lucero but they're trying to come out for a one-off headlining show shortly thereafter. Basement, Please???? "This band is going to play basements and shows like this until it's all over." Good to know.

Andrew Cedermark is the nicest guy in the fucking universe. Titus took the stage and he noticed me up front, shook my hand. He has some great solo material. His voice almost reminds me of Richard Thompson... and some other stuff that's on the tip of my tongue but it just slips my mind! CHECK IT OUT HERE.
I woke up at 7 for my 8:40 and threw this on... so good.

Busy weekend: home tonight for Gabby's party (or do I want to see Everyone Everywhere? Got free tix. Or Breakfast and Dessert House? Saw those dudes at the show, so fun. HM...,), Ben Folds tomorrow night with D. (YEAH VALENTINE'S DAY WHATEVER WHY DON'T YOU JUST GET OVER IT,) and I'm really excited for that because as long as I've loved Ben Folds/Ben Folds Five and as many times as he's come through here I haven't been able to see him, then Failures Sunday at Kung Fu Necktie. I've only heard like, four Charles Bronson songs but they were fucking awesome and Orchid used to be one of my favorites eighth grade/freshman year when I was a straight Screamo snob. Should be a solid weekend.

Off to J and H... I think I'm addicted to their lemonade.