The band called The Billy Nayer Show played here last night.

[swag]

Cory McAbee, the guy behind the strange outer space musical The American Astronaut, which featured music by The Billy Nayer Show, is also the auto-harpist and singer in The Billy Nayer Show. Some of you may know about this stuff. If not, I'd say The American Astronaut is worth renting.

The band was terrific, the bassist and drummer setting up groovinacious, precise, and soulful structures for McAbee's distorted and soaring autoharp (didn't think I'd see anybody take the autoharp beyond what Nash the Slash did, but here you go), over which McAbee's singsong melodies tell tales simultaneously banal and creepy.

A great, packed little show in the Lynchesque venue known as the Towne Lounge (and since I never pass up an opportunity to drop the name StopTheMorans, I'll mention that the joint is in his neighborhood). Aitch and I were lucky enough to score a booth with a clear eyeline ten feet from the stage, and after the fourth or fifth encore, did manage to finally buy a copy of The American Astronaut from the man himself, after some exchange of pleasantries.

The opening band was the peculiar and worthwhile Portland ensemble Professor Gall, whose own narratives were more overtly creepy, and whose instrumentation featured baritone and tenor sax, bass, drums, banjo, and lap steel.

Given that I also saw The Dirtbombs Friday night, I am feeling spoiled and blissed out this morning, barely able to rise from bed to go purchase required washing powders from the local market. If there is any message in all of this, I guess it is that one should see some good live music when possible if that is one's thing or one of one's things. You will feel good, particularly if you don't drink too much.

(Sorry, I haven't written any rock criticism since I came to despise rock criticism, and I probably didn't do any better at it when I was still writing it).

[swag]

1. Anyway, go rent "The American Astronaut," or Netflix it.

[swag]

2. .

Have been humming "Ceres Walk" for a few weeks now.

[enigmatic]

3. Thanks for this

I'm going to E these guys and see if they'll let me play some stuff on my show; they sound great..