Fulfilling an obligation...

Awright. The ONLY reason I'm at this computer is, I made a promise to write from Mon. thru Fri., giving myself weekends off.
So I plan on just describing my evening. That way, I won't break my re-promise of the promise I made to myself to write every night. (I've been backsliding) About 2 weeks ago, a co-worker invited all her co-workers out to a concert. She then burned us all cd's to help us become acquainted with their sound. I must admit, I listened to one song on the disk, and was indifferent. So, I put it in a stack of cds that I don't really listen to. That weekend, she made mention of the band again at work. When I got home, I grabbed the cd again, and listened to the whole thing while checking emails, writing bills, and other kinds of crap. I thought it was o.k. I mean, it had nice melodies, and the guitars and bass were nice, but I wasn't sure what to make of the band. Oh, by the way, the bands name is Criteria. I will admit, that I didn't get the full effect of the band's music, because I listened to it with computer speakers which sound a bit like transistor radio speakers. So, needless to say, I had no clue as to what they really sounded like. There was also a band there called Smoking Popes. I have a song by them on a compilation tape made by Mr. Nick Action, (1/4 of the band The Rackets) so I felt being there was slightly predestined. My co-worker and her brother met me there, and were completely AMPED. They were ready to get started. When Criteria came on, I was blasted in the face by a wall of sound. The band had two guitars, a bass and drummer, and as per their request, the sound guy made sure that each of their amps were LOUD. So much so, that I had to back out of the pit in front of the stage. They played punchy, melodic, songs that were guitar driven, but each tune had a heavy rhythmic bass line. The musicians were on point, and I didn't hear any flubs as they played. Criteria had a beautiful layered guitar effect that rippled on some songs, and the two guitars smashed heads on others. The Bass and drum layered underneath the battling guitars, forcing you to nod slowly as they carried you through each tune. I did mention that my co-worker and her brother were amped, right? Well, the two of them rocked out, screaming
and thrashing their bodies, and singing along with Every song except for the new ones. They let themselves become immersed in the music, and had a Hell of a time. Their energy was palpable, and contagious, so I found myself rocking out with them-although only at about 3% of their energy level. The show they put on was great, and I am really happy for the invite to hear an exceptional band.
The smoking popes had a nice sound as well. I only knew one song of theirs, (Before I'm Gone) and it was an excellent rendition, complete with improvisation and witty banter. They did earnest, almost pleading songs about love-both lost, and found, rallying cries, and failure. The guitars seemed to be there to pick them up and dust them off, like good friends are supposed to. Each tune sounded weather-worn, and the audience seemed to relate to the lyrics. About 3/4ths of the crowd knew the songs and sang along, making the atmosphere kinda familiar. By that, I mean, I sang along with them, even though I knew none of the lyrics.
Criteria and Smoking Popes are two bands that I now have the pleasure of saying I got to see.
(Pay no attention to the posting time listed at the bottom of this post, it is now 1:13 a.m., and so I gotta go to bed now.)
Peace.