Saturday, August 1, 2009

Abney Park Weighs Anchor in Dallas

There are few things finer (particularly for dancing or just general ambience) than world music and rock. Abney Park is a fine source of both, and one of the most personable themed groups around.
They are based in the Pacific Northwest, which makes this Philadelphian's chances of seeing them slim to none. The god (goddess? perhaps) of brass and steam smiled on me, as I discovered in late June that they would be playing at The Church in Dallas.
Fellow privateers, aeronauts, and men of science, it was awesome. There was a bit of a long wait (doors opened at 8pm and I was the second in line) for the band to arrive. At 9pm they started playing La Citee d'Enfants Perdus over the 'stylings' of DJ Virus...and various other mystifying videos. As the hours crept from 9am to 12, we caught glimpses and heard rumors.
"The band is taking pics out front. It'll be a few minutes."
"I heard they had trouble with the sound check. It might take a few more."
Regardless of the delay, they got out there. They opened with some new songs, which indicate (to my mind) a slightly more rag-time, music-hall sensibility which I'm assuming will be the informing idea of "Aether Shanties".

We eagerly await its arrival.

The crew seemed a bit drained, which I entirely put down to Dallas weather. Dallas is not a pleasant place, even in the sheltering arms of the classic Church venue and in the company of Dallas steampunk fans. The heat outside was only slightly better than the previous week. Regardless, AP showed much love to the Dallas crowd, performing encores and throwing enthusiasm into an admittely terrible attempt at "Black Day" requested by the crowd, over Captain Robert's protest.
See what happens when you don't listen to your Captain?
The other songs were excellent, and since the only album I own by AP is "Lost Horizons", I learned something. Something that will probably result in me slinging more cash towards CDs, as soon as moving is completed. And who knows? I haven't visited my married friends in Portland in quite a while and I see they're doing a show in September....