A weird night at the Caledonia Lounge

It had all the makings of a memorable show. Saturday night at the Caledonia Lounge boasted a trio of bands that, while not of the same musical genre, brought some intrigue and excitement along with them.

It should be noted that for reasons unsure to this writer, Caledonia was a dry venue on this damp and dreary Saturday night. The sign said the liquor license was on its way, but on this night only a lone Red Bull sat where a vast array of beer and spirits usually reside.

Abandon the Earth Mission

Opening up the festivities was Abandon the Earth Mission, a band which plays not quite ambient music or electronica, but sort of in a computer-generated kind of way (I know, makes no sense). They also have a guy named Sam Fogarino on drums, who when not playing “sort of computer-generated kind of way” music sits in for another band named Interpol (they’re popular with the kids). Of course on this night, the drummer was not to be found, as Josh McKay, Winston Parker, Lawson Grice and Mason Brown went along their merry way with a varied set of beats and moody sounds. Cara Beth Satalino added her voice to the proceedings for a solid 40-minute set.

Yes I wanted to see Sam play too, but in Athens you learn musically you don’t always get what you expect. And ATEM was quite good. I half wonder what a drummer would do with them.

Up next was Nate Nelson, a well established musician in town who’s worked with everyone, a singer/songwriter who is a bit Americana, a little country, a little soul, a little honky-tonk. He spun through a handful of new tunes, some solo and some with an assist from A.Armada’s Matt Nelson and Jeremy “Catfish” Harbin. Quiet yet powerful, Nate understands where he stands musically and appreciated the crowd for keeping the din down.

The din, of course, was then up for the final act, A. Armada.

I love A. Armada, this is no surprise. I’ve seen them half a dozen times, and each time I left dazed. Saturday, after not playing together for months, A. Armada was set for another shattering performance.

Catfish

But somehow they were, well, just a bit off. It didn’t help Jeremy busted a pedal through the bass drum after the first song (the man hits the drums with power). Josh McCauley and Matt entertained the crowd with quips while Catfish tried to quickly repair the hole with duct tape. Once fixed, the band went on another tear that was solid, but not great.

Bassists Bryant Williamson sat low in the back. He didn’t look too happy.

After another bass drum was brought in, the band waited another couple of minutes before playing one last song for the night. Four songs, a bit of lost focus. It was all a bit underwhelming, and this I’ve never said for an A. Armada show.

So yeah, weird night in Caledonia.

Bryant, A. Armada