26 Dec 09

Hey, blogspot readers, the very last of 2009 is winding down fast! What a year for this reviewer! SouthSide's squeezing in a few shows before saying "goodbye" to the year. Tonight, she's at the Double Door for a free after-Christmas concert featuring the retro band, The Dirty Blue.


This local band rocked the stage with its classic rock sound which brought back some of that 60s feeling to the venue. After opening with New Feelin', they had SouthSide jammin' to their ultra cool cover of Heaven on Their Minds (from Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical, Jesus Christ Superstar). Yes, it was very unusual (and unheard of) to hear such a song like that on any band's playlist. However The Dirty Blue gave Judas' opening song more of a psychedelic/hardcore guitar rock sound during the instrumental. Though performing more than one cover within a set was nice touch by this band, this reviewer perferred hearing their originals more.


Fans will enjoy the thunderous intros that instantly get you moving to the fast, rhythmic beat. SouthSide clearly heard their influences (The Beatles, Led Zeppelin) as part of the driving force in the music. Yet it wasn't the main focus. The Dirty Blue added a touch of themselves (more like their personality) into the songs as each member took on lead vocal duties. They were also big on thrilling the audience with its guitar rock. At times (especially during the instrumentals), there were moments to savor every wailing riff chord by chord. For example, listen to The Dirty Blue's Idle Hands (a song about self mastrubation) off their current self-titled CD. There was a lot of high pitched guitar rhythms to rock out your ears. Also check out, Check Your Head, in which SouthSide enjoyed hearing the frustration of society's stance of not giving a damn these days. It was a fitting anthem to sum up the current mood of 2009.


If you want to feel as well as hear that retro rock sound, SouthSide highly recommends checking out The Dirty Blue at their next performance. For more information, visit the band at www.thedirtyblue.com or www.myspace.com/thedirtyblue.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide