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Danse Macabre

Years ago, my friend Steve thought a great live pairing would be [daryl] and the Faint. At the time, the Faint had just put out their second album, Blank-Wave Arcade and [daryl] was just getting started (I think their first EP was out). The sole link between the two bands was that they used vintage keyboards circa the '70s and '80s. I never thought the pairing would work but I think I saw something like this last night at the Double Wide.

Sparklepussy Barbie is not a Faint knock-off, but they could be compared to them. Featuring members of the Deathray Davies (including one who used to be in [daryl] years ago), the band fuses live instrumentation with loops, keyboards and electronic drums. They don't sound doomy, but they aren't really richly melodic either. All throughout their set, I kept thinking about my conversation about the Faint with Steve all those years ago.

With [daryl], after six years of seeing them play with various line-ups, I have yet to tire of them. I speculate I've seen them at least thirty times and I've rarely been let down. Last night was no different, but like previous sets I've seen at the Double Wide and Sons of Hermann Hall, this was more like a wild party. Longtime friend and fan of the band DB was up in front with me the whole time. I didn't really mind all the beer he spilled on me and all the sweat he flung onto me and others. At this point, I'm used to it.

My memory might be escaping me, but I think last night's show was the first time I saw a show at the Double Wide since they closed and then promptly reopened. Yeah, the trailer trash design is still kitschy, but the layout of the place is still one of the best I've ever seen. With two bars and a patio, there's plenty of space for those that want to see the bands and those that don't. I'm thankful that the place is back.

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