Fun Friday at Transitions Art Gallery featuring Fake Problems, Ninja Gun, Glasgow, and John Gold on August 7th, 2009. There was a great crowd of enthusiastic music lovers who bravely fought the torrential Tampa rains for a full evening of fabulous music and a few freezer pops thrown in for good measure.
Fake Problems
Fake Problems is FUN. That might be the one thing the many positive reviewers of their new record, It's Great to Be Alive (Side One Dummy Records) agree on... otherwise there is a lot of debate about how to classify this Naples, FL based band. Are they more punk? or more twang? Who cares as long as they are splendid?
Fake Problems puts on an intense, innovative and fun live show that inspires group hugs, dancing and shenanigans... what more can you ask for? That they fly? Well, they do that too:
Fake Problems is Chris Farren (Vocals and Guitar), Derek Perry (Bass), Sean Stevenson (Drums) and Casey Lee (Guitar)
Ninja Gun
Ninja Gun from Valdosta, GA are well known in Florida music circles - in fact they are in Gainesville frequently enough that some people consider these guys a Gainesville band. Their new record, Restless Rubes (Suburban Home Records), is garnering praise from all sorts of reviewers incluing Alternative Press, Wonka Vision Magazine and Razorcake.
From my perspective, I can't help but like a band that inspires set long sing-alongs to their special mix of southern rock with a hearty dash of pop. Also, they cover The Kinks and have a song and have a song entitled, "Hey man, You want to see a Rainbow?" Seeing Ninja Gun live is fun enough to be worth leaving the house in a torrential downpour, maybe even a hurricane.
Ninja Gun is J. Coody (Vocals/Guitar), Thad Megow (Guitar), Jacob Sparks (Bass) and Jeffrey Haineault (Drums)
Glasgow
This is my second time seeing the newish Glasgow. These guys definitely have talent - take a listen of their song "Arizona" on their myspace page to get a sense of the type of straight up rock n' roll that these guys are about. Their first EP, entitled "the blue and the grey" is planned to be out this fall. They are starting to develop their own unique stage presence though they did seem a little surprised that they were on stage with this many kids watching.
John Gold
I love going to shows at Transitions because inevitably I catch at least one new and/or young act just starting out. John Gold is one of those acts and despite his age - someone told me he is 19 - he has great material that he wrote himself that is definitely worth a listen. Also interesting is that a young artist that I hadn't heard of previously already has more than 10,000 friends on myspace. Hmm. Disclaimer: I thought these guys were great even before they offered everyone at the show freezer pops they brought to share.
For more photos, please visit the following links:
- Elawgrrl's live music photography collection: Only Music Has The Answer.
