I have to get to a lot of shows wicked early to get a spot to sit, so I get to see about a million opening bands. I enjoy opening bands, even the just-OK kind, but sometimes you go through a rough patch of way-sub-OK, as I did these last couple of months.
But without fail, just when you think you can’t sit through two more openers, you get a night like last Friday’s Fiery Furnaces show, where you get to see two really good bands you hadn’t heard yet.
My favorite was Dent May, a Mississippi boy who came out with a ukulele and a friend and immediately busted out with “26 Miles (Santa Catalina),” the Four Preps’ 1956 hit that hasn’t left my skull since I first heard it 25 years ago. But May’s originals were even more of a treat, and were truly original.
Bonus rock points for the merch-table price list:
- CDs/Shirts: $10
- Tote Bags: $5
- Chill Vibes: FREE
And maybe it’s just me, but I got excited when he said, “This next song’s about tennis.”
Dent May – God Loves You, Michael Chang from the highly-recommended The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele (Paw Tracks)
