One of my favorite venues in the world in Mojo’s in Columbia, MO. It is a long and skinny bar. The stage, which is the size of a dorm room, resides at the far end. This set up has housed some of the most intimate performances I have ever experienced. The January 25th Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin show was just that: intimate. After watching the opening acts “warm the stage,” SSLYBY came on the stage. They were not what I was expecting. Will Knauer, the guitarist, appeared to be a Metallica fan/Kurt Cobain wannabe, yet he was a master of indie-rock guitar harmonies. The bassist, that is what he played first anyway, resembled a paler and more spaced-out Michael Cera. The other two were fairly normal, for an indie-rock outfit anyway.
The band had high energy the whole show, and therefore it is difficult to list any highlights. Being from Springfield, MO, the band were playing to a local audience, and knew several people in the crowd. In fact, the guitarist dedicated a song to his mom, because she was at the show. I applaud him, and his mother for that matter, for coming out to her son’s show in a dingy bar.
The band, like many others, switched instruments at various times. However, when SSLYBY changed it up, it didn’t seem contrived or hokey like I have experienced before. Going in to the show, I was not very familiar with their material, but since their high-energy, yet extremely pleasant act I have been listening to their 2005 album Broom quite a bit. And I am looking forward to their sophomore effort, Pershing, due out April 8 on Polyvinyl records. A definite impression has been made.
Oregon Girl – Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (Off Broom)
Glue Girls - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (Off Pershing)
Moustache Salad gives SSLYBY a Fu Manchu (4 out of 5).
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