I have to first thank my good friend Adam Rice for inviting me to the St. Patrick's Day event at the Lafayette Brewing Company. Adam is a djembe player extraordinaire and brand-new first grade teacher to a lucky bunch of Lafayette kids. Speaking of a bunch of Lafayette kids, the event was organized as a benefit for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Wabash Valley. Check out this interview where Pam Brettnacher talks about Big Brothers Big Sisters and how she and Jason Gick came together.
The night started off with traditional Irish bagpipes at the Lafayette Brewing Company. I don't know about you, but bagpipes give me goosebumps; I can't help feeling like I should put on a man-skirt. The Brewing Company has an amazing second floor which is huge and has several tables (dinner and pool) and a very expansive and springy hardwood dance floor. Take a tour of the LBC while enjoying some bagpipes.
The music showcase was kicked off by Ben Hagood. Mr. Hagood, you win the St. Patrick's Day Spirit Award! Ben was assigned “Hype Man,” duties by Bailout leader and Lafayette sound legend Jason Gick and he did his job with tremendous Irish Pride. Ben, dressed in suspenders and a driver's cap, looked like an extra from “The Departed.” He led the bar in celebration and Irish song, including a few of his own Irish-themed originals. Here's a highlight from Ben's set. It's a cover of The Police “Synchronicity II.” Of course, The Police is English, but on St. Patrick's day everyone is Irish, including Sting.
Next on the stage were the hosts of the party: The Bailout Revival. They were awesome. While I watched them and heard Jason say that he had been working the sound at the LBC for many years, it occurred to me that they definitely had a home court advantage (I have March Madness). My friend Tim Flagg called them, “the best band of the night.” If you watch only one video, check out this little music video starring The Bailout with interviews from the participants and scenes from the night.
Snorb! took the stage after The Bailout. The guitar/bass trio played a great set of psychedelic rock tunes. The following clip is their take on a Leonard Cohen song entitled “The Future.”
Chemcoma came on next, and what can I say about these entertaining bunch of young men and women... They did a ton of different things on stage including a few things I had never seen or heard before. All four members of the band take turns singing, which isn't all that unique, their female drummer is a little more unique, but their use of a large painted “A” certainly is very unique. They used this prop to gather around and scream “A!” A small mosh pit broke out during their performance which could have been one of the few times this has happened at the LBC (if not the first time). My favorite moment of the night came when Jason Gick joined Chemcoma and sang Cinderella's “Coming Home."
The night concluded with a reunion jam session by Lafayette legends PMG who where joined by an all-star lineup of participants from the Showcase. The best moment of the night came when PMG was joined by Adam Rice and Snorb! for a rendition of U2's “Bullet the Blue Sky,” complete with an Orson Welles-ian reading of the poem, which is in the song. It was excellent, and while it would have been nice to have video of the performance, I did not record it, but got to enjoy it as a fan. If you were there, you know how lucky you are, but if you missed it, here's another colaboration between The Bailout and Pat McClimans. Now go TakeINLafayette!
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