Opening bands: Jotto, Gildon Works



East Hundred | Photo Gallery

I gotta say, Philly really represented tonight. On the bill were 3 local bands; however, none of them were of the flimsy throw away variety. From the openers (Jotto) to the headliners (East Hundred), it was a solid night all around with no half-ass performances. Tonight was also the first time I was able to test out my new faster fisheye lens... I'm likin' it a lot. My buddy Eric also shot the show and put up a very groovy East Hundred photo montage here. Another cool photog, Joe Longo, was also at the show. Shouts to Chris from Pattern Is Movement and Amanda from GANG of whom both I was able to meet/catch up with. It turned out that this evening was a departure from my usual anti-social show-going experience. Go figure.

I'd first heard about East Hundred last year when they competed in (and won) the Philly Sound Clash at World Cafe Live. Tonight, they were playing to a sold out crowd at Johnny Brenda's and celebrating the release of their debut LP "Passenger". With its moody and dramatic lighting and more intimate feel, Johnny Brenda's is the perfect venue for East Hundred to play. Beril Guceri's crooning vocals were backed by a perfect blend of soaring and atmospheric instrumentation. Despite the underlying theme of heartbreak in their songs, you can tell that they're still having fun on stage and they put on a truly tremendous show. The only criticism I would potentially have of this band is that their model good looks are distracting and make me feel self-conscious... as far as I'm concerned, they might as well be the Cullens (my apologies for the gratuitous Twilight reference). However, if their video for Slow Burning Crimes (see below) is any indication, they look like a fun and friendly bunch. Beril seems like she's that girl we all knew in high school... you know, pretty and popular and yet she still hung out with you anyway and even let you take her to homecoming that one year even though you were the biggest dork. That's not just me, though, right? Anyway, this band is gonna be HUGE... just watch.

Video: East Hundred - Slow Burning Crimes

If you're in the NYC area, you can catch East Hundred when they play The Trash Bar in Brooklyn on 3/14. Stay tuned for a CD review and interview with the band.

Gildon Works | Photo Gallery

Opening up were 2 other excellent Philly bands, Jotto and Gildon Works. No exaggeration, these bands were great! Check out their MySpace pages for some tunes and don't forget to visit the photo galleries. William did a particularly kick ass job on the lighting tonight! Gotta love the new hanging beads left over from a Bollywood shoot too.

Jotto | Photo Gallery

If you head over to jottomusic.com, you can download Jotto's new EP for free. If you're in Philly, you can catch a free Jotto show this Friday night (1/16) at the North Star Bar (21+).

DOWNLOAD:

East Hundred - Slow Burning Crimes | mp3

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