Shoulda' Picked Me Up A CD...

So Greta called a couple of weeks ago, practically shrieking that she and Chris had seen The Wrens play at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco (I heart Bottom of the Hill by the way) and that they were coming to Seattle and we needed to see them. Needed to!

The radio station that I listen to here in Seattle, KEXP (I also heart KEXP by the way), was doing their Christmas concert thing and The Wrens were playing along with Okkerville River, Harvey Danger and a couple of other bands. I didn't know anything about any of these bands, I was going in blind, so my expectations were not high.

I do want to say though that I have found some of my favorite bands without knowing a damn thing about them. I first came across Califone as an opening band, same with Dieselhed (a San Francisco band that hands down put on some of the funnest shows I've ever seen). I first saw the Mountain Goats (at Bottom of the Hill, by the by), a band that would go on to beautifully break my heart again and again, without having heard song one.

So I had heard that "Flagpole" song by Harvey Danger a few years back. It's a fun song, but it had relegated the band to one hit wonder status in my mind. I was surprised by the band, by the lead singer, by how much I enjoyed what they did. Okkerville River came out and blew the doors off. Even with the lead singer being sick, these guys rocked it. Turns out I had heard one of their songs before without knowing it, but it didn't come till towards the end of the set and I was already sold.

But The Wrens... Holy Fuck! Those were the only words that would come to me for days to describe my experience with The Wrens. These guys came out and finished me off like a violent, talented hooker. Man, oh man!

I knew a little bit about some label woes with these guys, how they were forced to be out of circulation for some years, and when the two guitarists came out to start the show they were a little older than the rest of the bands on the stage that night. The song started with some echo heavy guitar and light, almost wispy singing, but I was completely unprepared for what would happen when the rhythm section came out.

The Wrens are rock stars, pure and simple! This will be one of those shows that I measure all other shows by (and they will probably not measure up). It was one of those shows that hurt me the next day from doing the classic rockin' out head bob. I cannot recommend enough seeing The Wrens live. Seriously, holy fuck!