So, if you don’t know already, Chief Ike’s is where I first became a diehard Grandsons groupie. Chief Ike’s has not changed much since I was there last. Funny to hear myself say, but it’s refreshing that it hasn’t. It’s always been a fairly unpretentious place- it’s really a testament they are still there. I guess it popped up around the same time as Dante’s, 15 Minutes and the Insect Club, and they are all gone. How old does a club have to be before you can start talking about it’s history and how old it is?

Let me warn you, I’ve written a book here, it’s been a while since I focused on a new band.

So on like Feb 6, I go to hear The Shooters, a band from Virginia via Texas, a band I thought would sound reminiscent of my beloved G-Sons. I guess The Shooters did remind me of The Grandsons a little, I wrote down after seeing the show “The Shooters sound like Mike Holden & His Band had a test tube/petri dish baby with The Grandsons” (I fully realize I am one of maybe only 2 people in the entire Metro Area that understands this analogy-The Grandsons and Mike Holden are two very divergent bands that seem have very different clienteles).

To explain, The Shooters song choices are very melodic with heavy hooks and vocal runs like The Grandsons, but The Shooters lead singer, “J.R.”, delivers the goods with what I perceive to be a solo/singer songwriter voice. Like Holden, powerful and competent, but ultimately not an Issak, Orbison or even a MacEwen. I really lust after those warble-y, complex, cowboyish voices - I was a teensy bit disappointed, “J.R.’s” voice is not that. There was plenty else to make me want to watch this band in the future, for instance the freakin’ song “Whisper” . (You can get it on Washington Post MP3. I’m getting addicted to it. Talk a about a song with hook, I think it's yummy)

Also, their lead electric guitar, “Scooter”. This guy is young and hands down is the cleanest most classically trained "looking" player I have ever seen outside of 1960’s documentary films featuring Segovia himself. Maybe I am making this up, I didn’t talk to him, but the shows I go to I just don’t see anyone with that kind of technical form, EVER. Everyone I listen to taught themselves to play or were virtuosos on air guitar before they ever took a lesson. Amp/PA problems did hamper hearing all Scooter’s ‘clean’ riffing that I am making a big deal of but honestly, just watching him play was pretty. I’m anxious to hear this “Scooter” guy run through a real sound man.

Typical, to talk about the rhythm section last. A few months ago, I was all into noticing real sparse drum kits-well, I’ll be cow kicked, not for this band. They’ve got a beefy kit, not quite “hair band” size, but I lost count at four. Two were toms, and Smack Daddy Dave used them all. The bass player was mic’d for back up and had a good voice from what I could tell. Let me tell you, this bass guy ”Stub” was one of the most energetic bass players I have ever seen live around here. His playing pretty much kept step with his antics too.

Truly, this whole band comes prepared with antics and chatter built in, I was kind of surprised. Going into this show, I knew about the band members over the top stage names but was not prepared for the comedy. Like a spoof on the Janet/Justin Super Bowl booby incident. Weird, but then again one person’s weird is another's gravy. Like what I thought was sincerely cool was the fact that “J.R.” wrote an original song for ukulele inspired by his mother. I am self-aware enough to realize most would find the second situation weird, I don't.

Putting how I subjectively define weird aside, Debbie really hit the nail on the head:

“The Shooters remembered the first rule of schmoozing: get to know the crowd -- they are potential fans. I appreciated that J.R. and Smack Daddy took the time to introduce themselves and sit and talk with us. Attention, rightly placed is always welcome. I don't like going to shows where the band seems more interested in your wallet size than in you as a person. Making people feel special and not neglected is the cardinal rule of REAL hospitality, which translates into fans wanting to see or hear you again.”

If the above isn’t in groupiegirldc’s top ten, it should be. It’s real important, being nice and engaged with everything that is going on at your show will never, ever hurt and The Shooter’s on first viewing seem to have this covered. They’ve got the instrumental skills, they have original material and they did some really interesting covers, tweaked just enough to their sound, U2-I mean who does U2 covers? David Frizzell's Wino, and Depeche Mode song too, I think-? There’s not many bands you could check out and hear all that in one night. I’m going to keep my eye on them and see what happens. You can see them at Grog&Tankard on the 27th.

Speaking of being nicey, nice, here's a transcript of
Mike Schreibman, President and Executive Director, Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) talking about the Wammies Live Online on February 11, 2004 It seems a lot of Mike's pictures found their way onto WP-MP3's Opsasnick's Capitol Rock review pages too. Just reading some of the questions & comments in this online chat makes me quiver with giddiness. I have to get to this Wammie show one day and meet this Mike guy.