let's go somewhere sunny, let's go and waste some money.

It is hard for me to know where to start when I know that a night has been one of the most fun I've had in a while. Ringo Deathstarr are one of my favorite bands, and whenever they come to town it makes for a great show and a wild party. I knew to expect this when I headed to Black Cat on Monday night. The bill was stacked and I was in it for the long haul.

I was excited to see State Department open up for their first performance. I've been following Patrick Kigongo's groups since the formation of Ra Ra Rasputin and was curious to see how the new group would sound live. They pulled in a good crowd and got into their set as people danced. It was a little straight rock for my tastes, but I really enjoyed "The Way to a Man's Heart is Through His Chest" and "Columbia Road", which was dedicated to Exactly's Jesse Bishop. Those songs edged a bit more to the loud, post-punk end of the spectrum. State Department are off to a promising start, but I was left wanting a bit more. As much as I like simplicity in musical composition, I would like to hear more feedback or dimension with these songs. I look forward to seeing how they progress as a group.

Last Tide were next, and they are quickly rising to the top of my list of talented DC bands. The addition of Kigongo as a second guitarist adds a lot to the already polished repertoire. This show was their EP release, so they were giving away discs and buttons to the lucky audience. They went through the EP as well as some unreleased tracks. It was an intense and ethereal set that didn't fail to highlight each members mastery of their chosen instrument. Watching them almost makes me feel like I'm in the late 80's seeing the indie scene shaping itself. The Broken Places is definitely one to add to your music collection.

And then finally came time for Ringo Deathstarr. Because the band operates out of Austin, I don't get to see them as much as I'd like. This was the first time I got to hear many of the newer tracks live, and I was impressed. I love hearing the noise and waves of feedback reverberate at the Backstage. These guys have the shoegaze experience in full effect. I admire the ease at which they place a melody over carefully measured discord to create a masterpiece. "Starrsha" will probably always be my favorite, but "So High" really got everyone into it. In the end, Kigongo was involved in all three sets as Alex Gehring handed off her bass during the last song. Happy chaos ensued with bodies and equipment hitting the stage with full force. It was the perfect ending to probably the best show I've seen all year.

The night did not end there, but what happens in Bloomingdale stays in Bloomingdale...for the most part.

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