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Former members of Idiot Flesh spent a year crafting the album they played in its entirety tonight. A netherworld rock opera with voices alternately vicious and sublime with electric violin, coughs, and alarm clock accompaniment. There would have been more dancing had their showmanship and hypnotic music not kept the crowd transfixed.

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New Orleans acid jazz/funk combo with guest Seattle sax virtuoso Skerik. As Jeff put it, "Music for your feet." The dual sax attack blew fire into the audience as the band went supernova for three hours, setting the whole floor in motion. The ghost of Thelonious Monk was seen in the slow smoke swirls of the humid air, his giant phantom fingers ranging over the stage.

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The backyard barbeque set opened with Carman of The Flying Winnebagos playing live for the first time in 2 years. "I'm terrified," he confessed. After two beautiful songs The Randy Pampers took to the 2-inch high stage assembled from pallets that day. Former Spent members Annie Hayden, John King, Joe Weston are now in cahoots with former Spent fan John Myers (on guitar and melodica) and new drummer Andy. As they played, Macleod on the fire escape projected slides onto a sheet hung on the brick wall of the adjacent townhouse. A more formal slideshow followed, the highlights being Macleod's mom's sweater designs being modeled by an up-and-coming Damon Wayons and Tamzan's disconcerting contortionist broom trick.

The Setlist: Epistle to Dippy - Donovan | I Don't Mind - Buzzcocks | bigger than the sky - john king | talk to me - apb | motor away - guided by voices | age of consent- new order | outdoor miner - wire

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The first notes put a smile on my face that stayed there the whole time they played--from new The Albemarle Sound tunes through Ladybug favorite "Rushes of Pure Spring" to their always haunting cover of the Bee Gees' "Massachusetts." The crowd hung back, forming a semicircular space between artist and audience in which the sounds unfurled like sail canvas on a summer day. No one stepped too close to the stage, as if to come too close would cause the mirage to fade, but more likely it was just the better to hear the music--relaxed, ethereal, poised, with mellow vocals and a number of subtle mid-song instrument switches (Gary from guitar to trumpet, Sasha from flute to keyboard...), all of which added up to the feeling that everything would be OK.

more photos from the archives coming soon
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