February 26, 2007

“Is that the hippest pop band you’ve ever seen in your life?,” a winterbearded friend asked me after the hour-long set at Lakeside Lounge on Saturday.

You know, it really was. Of course, that’s only if you’re willing concede the “pop” label to a band that’s roots lie somewhere in between ’70s Miles fusion and alternarock. To be sure, if one of them newfangled indieblogs with high traffic reviewed this weekend’s A BIG YES…and a small no show and linked to a couple tracks, Kevin Kendrick’s cellular telephone may never stop ringing.

Kendrick’s the impressive driving force behind the fluid band and a commanding figure front and center, an interesting diction choice on my part considering his physical stature aligns more closely with that of a halogen lamp. On this night, the classically trained vibraphonist’s 30th birthday, all six of his old bandmates from the tragically underrated Fat Mama joined him “on stage” for a show following a five-year layoff (as well as Big Yes/Small No vocalist Moira Meltzer-Cohen).

And just when you think you’re gonna go to a show and have a decent night, along comes a band that sneaks up and fucking floors you. Read on for more…

The recently reunited Rage Against the Machine has added three more dates to its touring schedule. Rage will join the Wu-Tang Clan at the top of the bill of the Rock The

John Mayer’s getting a lot of ink lately. Between the Rolling Stone “New Guitar Gods” cover and the recent Grammys appearance with John Legend and Corrine Bailey Rae, Mayer’s opened

Welcome back to another work week. As usual, we’ll kick it off with links to some interesting shit from around the information superhighway: Arcade Fire played great versions of Intervention