Music seen Downtown Portland, December 28, 2007
By IAN PAIGE | January 2, 2008
Thank goodness that new club opened up on Congress Street, huh? We’ve been needing to fill the national-act void since the State Theatre closed. I can’t believe I got the chance to see M.I.A. in little ol’ Portland, Maine! And I’m so happy for Barry and Ben that Citadelle got so popular so quickly since their move to California. Scoring the opening slot on that tour as your first national gig is an impressive feat indeed.
The decor of the place is unbelievable, too! Whoever thought of those PBR fountains is a fucking genius.
But I think what made the night so good was being able to stop by those new downtown practice spaces and watch that impromptu jam between members of Purse, Conifer, and Cult Maze. Now that everyone can practice in town, it’s so much easier for everyone to get rehearsal in before they go out for the night.
Actually, I think the best part was that amazing house party after the M.I.A. show. Can you believe that the cops used to shut these things down? The last time I saw Diamond Sharp play like that, with the crowd out of their minds, was in some crazy basement on Exchange Street a couple years back on my birthday. Hey, my friend’s band from Boston are coming up next week and playing a show at my house with Visitations. You going to come out?
Just then my fever broke and I realized I had actually just watched all three seasons of Arrested Development in a row and eaten a bowl of chicken soup. It was all a dream...
