Red Room Cinema /
Unwed Sailor /
Sybris -
Friday, June 13th, 2008
The Orpheum
Tampa, FL

In true Friday the 13th form, something had to go wrong. Red Room Cinema was supposed to be the local support act, but, sadly, never made the stage. Chalk it up to some sort of miscommunication or scheduling conflict, which is a shame really. They put on a respectable live set, and their 2007 self-released s/t debut is a great listen. You snooze, you lose, I guess.

Several beers and an hour and a half later, it was time for Unwed Sailor.

With all due respect to headlining act Sybris, it was Unwed Sailor that I was there to see. Let me start by saying that Jonathan Ford is a total class act. He respectfully and sincerely thanked the dozen or so us that bothered to show up and then led the way in a truly inspired set despite the earlier snafu and despicable turnout. Playing for the 14th consecutive day on a month long tour that began on the other side of the country catches up with you eventually. It was clear that while nobody was at 100%, they gave all they had to give. The highlight was an absolutely amazing new rendition of the, dare I say, “classic” song Firecracker. To steal a shouted quote from Sybris drummer Eric Mahle, “That was like a whole pack of firecrackers.” Indeed it was. The version of this song, along with other re-worked Unwed Sailor songs will be present, I’m told, on the forthcoming 2009 release History. If Firecracker was any indication, it promises to be an album worth waiting for.

Now, with all due respect to Unwed Sailor, it was Sybris that stole the show. Admittedly not being especially fluent in their music, I brushed up on what I could prior to the show. Recorded Sybris is a little like an edgier, rockier version of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs spiced with a 90’s Sonic Youth vibe. Live Sybris is a different beast altogether. The soft is still soft, but the loud is way louder. Eric, Phil, Shawn, and Angela collectively craft a wall of sound that will both agitate your body into movement and lull you into submission. Musically, it would be tough to hammer down a favorite song – every one was tight – but Burnout Babies gets the vote simply because I got to clap along to it with Unwed Sailor. Angela Mullenhour’s voice, for those that haven’t had the pleasure of hearing it, is almost a song in and of it self and is what I can only describe as the perfect blend of salty and sweet. If Sybris ever make their way back down to Tampa, it’s safe to say that I’ll be there.

Music aside, this was one of the most personally enjoyable shows I’ve been to in a long time. The complete absence of a crowd, which I initially found somewhat embarrassing, definitely played out to my advantage in the end. I was able to talk with each member of both bands, which was a rare treat. Between songs, Angela asked if she could share my cigarette with me, to which I willingly obliged. How rockstar is that? The night was fittingly capped off with hugs, handshakes, and shots for all. As a parting gift, I received a brown paper bag packaged CD-R copy of Sybris’ new album Into The Trees that has been playing all afternoon.

Tampa, you truly missed out.

Links:
www.sybrismusic.com
www.unwedsailor.net