So it’s 5:30, I’m at work, killing the last hour of the week and get the following text:

“if i told you our car wont start would you drive us to the fridge tonight if we paid you in entertaining anecdotes?”

Oh, Foul Swoops, will you ever win? Pressed into action, I eventually pick up our young heroes, who have their equipment spread out between two houses and it takes them 15 minutes to get a guitar, snare drum and amp into the car. We drive to Eastern Market and of course get lost in a part of town we’d rather not get lost in. Pulled over in a gas station to steady ourselves, gave some homeless man 75 cents as long as he promised he wouldn’t haunt our dreams, eventually made it to the venue around 7:30. Only an hour and a half late, which is basically on time in Swoops land.

This was a duo performance (if yr last name ain’t Connell, don’t get too comfy in this band) featuring old favorites such as “French Inhale,” “Cross Process” and “Colossal-Sized Picassos” in addition to a whole bunch of covers. There was a Lee Hazelwood song that sounded pretty awesome. There was The Clean’s “Billy Two” (wait, doesn’t another band cover that??). There was a killer Go-Betweens medley of “Lee Remick” and “Karen.” There was “Pony People” by the Intelligence. And there was “New Orleans” by Silver Jews. It was all very delightful, although it could have maybe used some “Wicked Garden” or any Tom Petty song.

Doubtful you’ll ever hear them play those again. Sorry if you missed it. Alcina got some video; we’ll do a side-by-side Swoops vs. Cheniers “Billy Two” comparison soon.

Oh - and I don’t remember hearing one goddamn entertaining anecdote.