While we’ve played the Auction House in Audubon before—they have tons of weird antique furniture, popcorn, and an actual stage—last night was our first time at the Loft, which is located directly above said furniture store. It’s a tiny spot, for sure, but the sound was great, and somehow the place manages to have a backstage area, unlike some of the more “proper” venues. I’m not slagging Arlene’s Grocery off—they are, in fact, one of my favorite venues in our limited three-state radius of effect—but their backstage is barely big enough to fit a full lineup’s gear.
Jay did a great job on sound, and it showed. We played with Red Orange Morning, who did the Ryan-and-Cyndi two-person special, and they sounded just as full and bombastic as our friends Sure Juror, who did us the great service of playing second at the show. SJ has always had a revolving-door lineup, and while the looseness works for the kind of musical tour de forces that Jonathan writes and orchestrates, it’s very hard for me to argue that the new lineup isn’t a tight, well-oiled machine. They didn’t play “Overreaction,” which is both one of their best songs and one of the best songs ever, but I was so happy to see they play after a year or so drought that I didn’t mind.
Tags: Action Set, auction house, live show, red orange morning, sure juror, the loft
