Andre Ethier sits in with Steamboat (Sunday Dakota Tavern)

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Fuck it does not help having the Dakota a five minute walk from both my house and work. I'm seriously there like 3 or 4 nights a week it seems on the odd week. In any case I don't know if people have heard about Steamboat who's the new residency Sunday nights there but they are just completely off the hook. There is not a one-line description for this band they are so boldly original.

Essentially they are a six piece (tambourine/synth, drums, bass, guitar, keys, keys). The songwriter Matt McClaren clearly has a huge repertoire (they play 3 sets of staunchly original, rooted in history but bracingly new music) that an incredibly tight band has worked out insane arrangements - like 'The Band on Crack' type shit, Allain Toussaint by way of the Shit Creek Boys or some such thing. Well that's a good one liner but then that's why I'm the pro right boys?

In any case Ethier, who does more painting than playing lately and has at least 5 galleries worldwide selling his paintings for a pretty penny, sat in and the band became like Deadly Steamboat. Serious fucking conjuring voodoo hour shit boys. Like if someone had been taping this would be a legendary recording. It was a massive 'whoaaaaaa' moment and there's lots of those at the Dakota but it was something else. I'm piecing together the full 3 setlists and an attempt at a review for NorthernHeads but I mean seriously, they play almost all originals and were calling straight audibles by the end. I can't believe I survived The Mahones (and hardcore openers Continental (whch it turns out is Rick Barton from Dropkick Murphys band, and his son plays bass - they were actually better than the Mahones don't listen to any hardcore really but this was topnotch songwriting with a huge melodic sense and conceit, I think some of you if you dig on harder edged shit would really like these guys was hugely impressed.

Continental (Rick Barton, ex-Dropkick Murphy)-

But yeah not to get ahead of myself but Ethier with Steamboat... whoaaaaaaa.