3-12-03review

Wednesday March 12, 2003 at Club Bart
Ferndale, MI
with
the Doornails

the Doornails

When the Gold Dollar closed it's doors, there was a big question mark as to where to go to see good local music in an intimate atmosphere. There has to be a hole-in-the-wall somewhere that would pick up the slack. The Lager House stepped up to the plate to deliver, and so did Club Bart, but not in the same way. Where the Lager House on Michigan Ave in Detroit gives you the raw rock and roll drinking hole atmosphere, Club Bart on Woodward in Ferndale deals a loose and relaxed homey atmosphere with a friendly waitress and bartender serving drinks and good food alike. Club Bart's tiny stage perched above and behind the bar is no slouch either,

hosting recent acts like Larval, A Thousand Times Yes, Terror at the Opera, Outrageous Cherry, the Go, and the list goes on. This place is like an oasis.

It came for us as a bittersweet full circle conclusion to the three years that Cris and I have played with Bill, as he announced to us previously that this would be his last show with the Blue Sunrays, with the intent of spending more time with his family. We couldn't have picked a nicer place to complete our cycle though.

The Doornails immediately got our attention serenading us us with a captivating rendition of Kermit's "Rainbow Connection", then ripping through a set of hillbilly punk reminiscent of the Hellbillys.

We had a small group of friends and family turn out along with the Doornails group and the bar regulars, and the blizzard that blew outside gave a nice feeling of a winter fireside chat (with loud guitars and drums and lots of effects!).
-CM