Dewey Beach Music Con

On Saturday September 30, my wife and I drove down to Delaware and went to that evening's showcases for the Dewey Beach Music Conference. The showcases were free, so we wandered around quite a bit. I picked up several cds that I still need to go through, but there were a few live highlights that I would like to mention.

A band that I stumbled upon, was NYC's The Primms. They are actually a British band that relocated to the states. While I may not be crazy about their sound on cd, they are a great live band. There is a high octane energy to them that never quits. The lead singer was all over the stage and at one point he said that they were going to slow it down, before he died. He also said that slow doesn't mean soft and he was right. They rocked from the first note to the last and had quite a crowd by the end. Their music may be a throwback to the 90's, but they translate quite well to the stage.

The Primms - The Dead Pretender

My wife pretty much hates the indie rock that I cover. So it may be surprising that the band of the night, was her find. Actually, it really isn't surprising at all. West Chester, PA's Hoots & Hellmouth hit the stage and I pretty much wanted nothing to do with them. It was three guys with acoustic guitars and a mandolin... totally not my scene. She wanted to see them, so I stayed. I have to admit, that I am glad that I did. While they may be entirely acoustic, they have the energy of a punk band. The word organic gets thrown around way too much, but their music is a prime example of it. Their acoustic sound was filled out by stomping, clapping and playing a tambourine with their feet. They also had the best invention of all time. A wood block down the front of their pants, played with a drumstick. It was perfectly named the cockblock! By the end of the show, they were pretty much out of guitar strings. They said screw it and took the final number to the people. They came out in to the middle of the audience and sang with little more than clamps, stomps and a cock block as support. It was one of the best live performances that I have ever seen. Their sound is best described as acoustic country folk punk with almost gospel like vocals and their cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah was killer. They are absolutely a band to be seen.

Hoots & Hellmouth - It's Close, I'm Undone.


Mellowdrone headlined the event and they put on a solid rock show. They were definitely more seasoned than most of the bands there, and it showed. There was nothing spectacular, they were just solid and there really isn't anything wrong with that.

Mellowdrone - Fashionably Uninvited

On a final note, we made some observations while we were there. I noticed that there were drunk ass baby boomers everywhere. I think they docked their yachts and were trying to have affairs. I base that on the age of the girls that they were hitting on and the general way that they were acting. Cara wants to know what the hell is up with ultra skinny rock guys wearing super tight girl's jeans? We noticed this on more than one occasion.