Last night I went to see brother Dan and his traveling band play at a little dive on South Street known as Abilene. My experience with South Street venues was slightly misleading, considering that I've been to Fat Tuesdays and TLA in the past week or so and both places can hold a decent amount of people. That being said, Abilene can only handle about 50 strong on the first floor which is where the band plays. And when you have a 4 band line up like they did last night, the place gets kind of packed, kind of quick. Daniel Kalai and the Response, the moniker de jour of my brother's band, was starting off the evening at 9:30 PM helping all those who took the time to come watch him play avoid the South St. crowd that would no doubt be on it's way into this little dump come 11 PM. And considering I am currently at work at 7:30 AM, this was a good thing for me as well as I was able to enjoy the set and make it home at a decent hour.
Here's my deal with South Street. It used to be a special place to me when I was in high school and college, a place the fostered a sense of alternative to the mall. Now it's just become an outdoor mall. Recently there was an announcement that Zipperhead, which is an institution and almost synonymous with South Street, was being forced to move off of South St. due to rent constraints. It's been quite a while since that street was fun to me and last night was no exception. The pursuit of parking is beyond ridiculous. I spent 1 hour looking last night only to settle on a lot that cost me $14 for 2 hours. Last week when I went to see the Supersuckers, same story. And don't get me started on the people that cruise/walk this street just looking for trouble.
Despite all the bullshit leading up to the event, I'm happy to report that actually seeing the band was top notch. Dan has recently added another fine musician to his band in the form of a saxophone player who varies between I'm guessing an alto sax and a bass sax if there is such an instrutment. Although the flavor of the music is a tad Dave Matthews for me, you can't argue that the song writing and musical ability is extrememly strong. I'm happy to see my brother really mature as a musician and performer, but I still want to see him get a better sense of style (the John Belushi look is getting played out) and a more reserved stage presence. As usual, Dan did manage to get just the right amount of supporters out to stack the audience which is a necessary evil in the bar scene. Especially on South Street. I'm hoping I get another chance to see him play before I split the scene because dare I say it, his songs are starting to grow on me and I always feel proud when I watch him perform.
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Thanks for always being there for me. I wouldn't be playing if I wasn't so inspired by you. I am trying to get away from the Dave Matthews pigeonhold. I need to evolve. But we have a good foundation. I had a blast playing. The bartione sax is phat. I need to write more. I am glad you are digging it. It means alot because I always value your opinion so much. I do need to find some style. And maybe get to the gym 7 days a week. Thanks for your support and always keeping it real with me. I will be down Georiga more often then you'd prefer. Baby Brother Dan
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