House Show!

...which is pretty much just what it sounds like (the photo, however, is not of a house show). We showed up at "The Pink House" at 8:00 to what would have been a run-of-the-mill North Portland twenty-something hipster party, which it was, I suppose, until the music started in the basement shortly after 9:00.

The first band to play were called Swim Swam Swum. Sort of a cross between Weezer and Pond (for those of you non-Portlanders who aren't familiar with Pond, well, google 'em), they're Portland's best-conjugated band, and able performers as well. Their rhythm section is VERY tight, though their singer/guitarist should stick to guitar (I must stress that he really is an impressive guitar player, but he does need to hand off the vocal duties to someone who can actually sing. If that ever happens, these guys may have something).

The next band, Deer or the Doe, I'm sorry to report, I pretty much missed. I did catch a couple of their songs, but for most of their set, I was hangin' out upstairs on the front porch, so I can't really offer any kind of description of their performance, other than to say that the two songs I heard were pretty good. A catchy, indie-pop sort of sound.

And finally, there was Point Juncture, Washington. It's definitely a treat to see this band in such an informal setting. They could well be the next band to "make it out of Portland" (they've got it all over the Decemberists, but don't tell anybody). They're just that good. I managed to schmooze them a little before they went on (my friend John knows Amanda, the singer/drummer), which is always cool, but the real fun was watching them play cheek-by-jowl in a basement which was itself about the size of an average stage. At one point Amanda remarked between songs that it was the most fun show they'd ever played, and I wouldn't doubt she was telling the truth. They looked like they were enjoying themselves.

So there you have it. Good bands, fifty-some-odd spectators, suprisingly good acoustics for a basement, and tasty IPA flowing upstairs in the kitchen. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday evening.