Here Comes The Summer...

Just as my Friday afternoon at work couldn't come to more of a crawl as I'm trying to will the clock to spin faster toward 5 o'clock, I decided to check Maxwell's calendar to see if they had any shows scheduled that I'd not heard about.

As I scrolled through the shows, I'd just about given up on finding anything new (though I hope to make the Guitar Wolf and The Kills shows), when at the tail end of the listings I find this gem:


Undertones
at Maxwell's

Friday, April 15 9:30 PM (9:00 PM doors)
U.S.$15.00

I love The Undertones with a love only surpassed by the love I have for my wife, family, and the Beef Bowl at Yoshinoya on 42nd Street.

I first saw The Undertones in June 1980, opening for Joe Jackson at an amazing outdoor show at the otherwise ridiculous Great Adventure amusement park. I had loved their first album, "The Undertones", which was chock full of great short pop punk tunes, and featured the still amazing anthem "Teenage Kicks", and had recently picked up their second effort, "Hypnotized", which they were touring in support of. Joe Jackson was still angry and great on this, his "I'm The Man" tour, and The Undertones' set was a great compliment to the bill. It was a beautiful night of rock.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see them again until last March, when they played The Knitting Factory as the headliner for the annual Guinness Irish Festival there. Their original singer, Feargal Sharkey, had long left the band, but the new guy they replaced him with, Paul McLoone, was somehow both convincing and endearing as the frontman for the otherwise intact band. Although chronologically older, these guys rocked a 70 minute set as if they were still in their teens, tearing up a Belfast club. Of all the amazing shows I saw last year, I think I enjoyed that one best. Afterwords, I remember fawning about the show to my wife, and telling her the show was so good and perfect that I don't think I'd go see them again unless they happened back to play a smaller room, like Maxwell's.

Natch, I bought a pair pronto. One for me, and one as a birthday gift for my brother. Thankfully, Maxwell's serves Guinness, so that night oughta be righteous.

Tickets can be had here, while they last.