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The New Lou Reeds, Miranda’s Moon, and
The Lou Reeds (plus Heavy Metal Karaoke)
The Hi-Fi Club
07-14-04
This turned out to be an extremely fun evening. I’ve
been wanting to check out Miranda’s Moon for awhile, but when the band’s
vocalist Johnny Takeaway told me they’d be playing on a Wednesday at The Hi-Fi,
I was confused. You see, Wednesdays at the Hi-Fi are heavy metal karaoke
(with live band) nights.
Anyway, I went to the club and found out that not only
were the bands playing on the main stage, but the karaoke would be going on
at the front of the club between sets. It doesn’t get much cooler than
that, friends. So about 9:30 or so, The New Lou Reeds took the stage to
deliver a set of heartfelt, ragged rock n roll that, at times, did indeed
show the influence of their namesake. I liked the singer, but I can see how
he might be an acquired taste for some. The guys rocked, though, and seemed
to get a pretty good response from the audience.
After the New Lou Reeds set, Billy Morris and his band
started up the karaoke. The band got through about 3 numbers, assisted by
members of the audience in various stages of inebriation, before things were
turned over to the main stage.
I really enjoyed the CD by Miranda’s Moon, and despite
the fact that they didn’t play many songs from that release, their live set
was by no means a disappointment. If anything, the band is getting better,
and more adventurous. In addition to their own material, MM also did a Ween
cover. Miranda’s Moon had a sizable contingent turn out for their set, and
attracted the interest of a few curious karaoke fans, as well.
After some more karaoke, The Lou Reeds got their turn
on stage. They had sort of a modern post punk/borderline emo sound. I
thought the band was good, but the crowd had thinned considerably by the
time they went on. The patrons who were still there seemed more anxious to
get back to the karaoke. Well, that’s Cleveland on a weeknight for you.
Hope these guys get a chance to come through again and play to a bigger
crowd.
By the way, even if you’re not a complete metal head,
you can still have fun at heavy metal karaoke. The band’s catalog of songs
included tunes by Nirvana and Weezer alongside the Motley Crue and Ozzy
numbers. I highly recommend showing up, downing a few beers, and taking
your turn on the mic. (Bob Ignizio)
For pictures click
here.
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