On Saturday JV came into town and we saw Harry and the Potters at the Polish and Slavic Center Our Lady of Consolation Church basement in Williamsburg. I got very excited when I heard it announced that the opening band was Puttin' On The Ritz. I had heard them denounced violently on ILM, which to me is almost as enticing as an enthusiastic endorsement. Also, Kevin Shea plays drums in this band. He plays in, by my friend Matt's estimate, about 20 bands. And yet, he's not so much a drummer as a percussion wraith, as one of my favorite books would put it. He smashes the drums, he stands up and then falls onto the drums, he scratches the cymbals. His best-known band is probably Coptic Light. I had read on ILM of Puttin' on the Ritz setting up in front of the exit of a club during a show which they may or may not have been scheduled to play, and then starting to play when the show ended, preventing people from leaving, with the band members getting into fights with one another and diving onto pool tables. Sadly they didn't do that at this show, though they did play a set at the end of the show as well as the beginning. Their thing is to play old-fashioned songs by the likes of Sinatra with nothing but atonal, shouted vocals and primitive drumming, with frequent Shea signature drum freakouts. I thought it was pretty awesome.

Of the second band, Uncle Monsterface, all that can really be said is that if their goal is to be the most obnoxious band ever, in every way, offending every sense, but not in a good way, they have succeeded admirably.

Harry and the Potters are one of the most entertaining live acts around, despite the fact that it's two guys playing and singing along to drum tracks recorded on an iPod. For those that didn't click the link, they do exactly what you'd expect, sing songs inspired by the Potter books, recounting the stories and characters and spinning off their own fan-fic lyrics. Their live show is very rough and raw, with lots of rock and roll poses and elaborate audience participation, including allowing a novice from the crowd to mash the buttons on their drum machine. I didn't get most of the references, but it didn't much matter.

I found out later that the show was put on by this guy. He does good work. I'd like to subscribe to his newsletter.