The Awesome Few at Satellite Ballroom [photo credit  Tom Daly]

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CVSestival.  I didn’t come up with it.  To my knowledge Truman Sparks did.  But it sums it all up in many ways.  A music gathering that was part protest, but at its heart was still about the music.  And in the end, music will live longer than a big box retailer and it will live longer than whatever happens to come after that as well.  So as the crowd filed in to the Satellite Ballroom last night for one of the venue’s final shows, you couldn’t ignore the fact that soon a CVS will occupy the space where so many folks have seen so many great bands.  But you also couldn’t ignore the string of talented musicians that filled the stage and the Satellite Ballroom with three chords, the truth, and a raised fist for rock n roll.  A CVSestival indeed!

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I arrived at the Satellite Ballroom early (shortly after 8pm), mainly because I wanted to catch up with some folks that I’ve only begun to know through the crazy little website.  I mean I’ve known their names and to a degree their personalities, but it always nice to put that name with a face.  (It was nice to finally know you all and you all know who you are).  I was there for maybe an hour before the music began and it began with Adam Smith (of Truman Sparks/Invisible Hand) with only a guitar in hand.

Originally scheduled to open the show as part of the two piece Invisible Hand, Adam went it alone because when your drummer isn’t in the building you have to improvise.  And improvise he did with a short, beautifully ragged set of acoustic songs including a brief, created on-the-spot instrumental number and highlighted by a sweet T-Rex cover with Adam’s dad standing in the front row.  (Way to go dad for showing up and supporting your son’s music!  That’s big points in my book!)

Adam Smith’s short solo set was followed by a band that remains one of my favorite recent discoveries, The Cinnamon Band from over in the Shenandoah Valley.  I got a chance to catch up with the band’s guitarist John Harouff before their set and we talked about the music, the road, and the fact that they’re going to be doing some informal recording sessions this summer.  I’ll say this, if in the studio they can give the drums a big sound, get a nice clean edge on the guitar, and punctuate it with the duo’s harmonies, good things are in the future. 

While I would have loved to have heard a slightly longer set from John and drummer Neil Campbell (pictured right), The Cinnamon Band did not disappoint.  I’ve listened to their 3-song EP so many times since I first discovered them a little over a month ago, that it was nice to hear two of the recorded tracks (”Wider Than a Mile” and “To Cool You”) and be able to sing-a-long to nearly every word.

What followed The Cinnamon Band was probably my personal highlight of the evening as I was blown away by Marshall Costan and the Awesome Few from Richmond, Virginia.  The five-piece band, joined for much of their set by a horn section that featured trumpet, trombone, and saxophone, The Awesome Few at times reminded me of the band Cake but with much more funk and Motown soul, punk and a rock n roll.  Their original songs are really solid, in particular “Hardcore World”, “Hating on My Friends”, and the set closing “Modern Line”.  I would pay $10 in a heartbeat to see a full headlining set from these guys.  Check out The Awesome Few!

From here on is where things get a little fuzzy so I’ll apologize in advance to the bands that closed out the evening.  As Thursday night rolled into Friday morning, it was time for the local favorites to shut things down as The Nice Jenkins and Truman Sparks put the finishing touches on the evening.  (The two sets of music from the two bands were separated by the arrival of Adam Smith’s missing drummer as The Invisible Hand kicked out a brief ten minute set in between).

The Nice Jenkins (pictured left) brought a swagger to the Satellite stage as they fired through blasts of rock fueled by occasional brushes with the psychedelic.  Super tight changes, big drums, and healthy dose of playful attitude, The Nice Jenkins held little back and left it all on the stage (or at least that’s what the Red Stripe was telling me in those moments).  And if The Nice Jenkins sounded like a blend of cold beer and mild hallucinogens, then Truman Sparks, who followed, were the musical version of The Mad Cap Laughs if only Syd Barrett and been the front man for King Crimson and not early Pink Floyd.  I now can say without reservation that I understand the meaning of “melting your face”.  (Again fellas, I wish I could do it all more justice, but I was on my way out as you guys were making your way on.)  Admittingly I didn’t make it through their entire set (I caught their first three tunes, highlighted by “Dragon Mummy”) but it was well past one and eventually all good things must end.

And so to it will end for the Satellite Ballroom.  I’ve seen my last show inside its four walls.  But rock n roll is bigger than four walls and rock n roll isn’t ending anytime soon.

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[Neil Campbell Photo Credit by the author/The Nice Jenkins Photo Credit by Tom Daly]

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