It was another night of discovery for me right here in Bowling Green as three bands I had never seen before took over the room known as Café Vioni. What I saw was two bands of similar (as in hard rocking) yet unique (in material and stage presence) styles, as well as a third that was strikingly different in style (more controlled and melodic) yet still very interesting.   

The Instruction (the third band I just referred to) hail from Louisville, KY. They opened up the evening and faced some challenging conditions. The air conditioning was not working on this hot and humid night, so all costume props such as jackets and such were quickly discarded. Also, the room does not really have a stage, so setting up the PA and amps is a bit awkward. The Instruction never really got it figured out, and the sound suffered because of it. Depending on where you sat, lead singer Blake Sakal’s excellent vocals were muffled, and overall the balance of vocals and instrumentation were out of whack. Still, their music relies more on touch and feel than straight forward rock and as such was quite appealing. Lots of loud and then soft segments, controlled feedback, cute keyboards by Wes Hawthorne (who doubles on guitar) and interesting interaction between band members kept it interesting. I think there’s good potential here and would like to see them again under better conditions. Perhaps at Tidballs on September 10th. How about you? Their MySpace page is at /theinstructionmusic.

Up next was Mike’s Pawn Shop. What a pleasant surprise! This band is based in Nashville but I had never heard of them until tonight. A little research by fellow writer Franne J revealed that they have quite a following down there. A little further research of my own reveals they have already shared the stage with the likes of Snoopdog, Hoobastank, and Souljah Boy. You never know what you’re walking into when you see someone who’s new to you. When you find the gems it makes the job all worthwhile.

Mike does not refer to lead singer Mike Woods but rather to a pawn shop he frequented as a kid and apparently learned some guitar at. And quite the front man he is, moving about frequently, interacting with the crowd (especially the girls), getting up above the crowd on anything that would support him, and basically belting out the vocals from everywhere. He’s a lot of fun to watch. And the rest of the band just kicks it. In the right room I think the dance floor would have been hopping, although there was just a little of that going on at Vioni. Their music is a little bit teen dance, and a little bit pop/rock. It will be interesting to see if my hopping dance floor prediction will be fulfilled when they play Tidballs on 8/7/10 with the Black Shades. I told them they would like playing that room a whole lot better. They seemed to be looking forward to it. Check out their Facebook page at /mikespawnshop.

The last band to play was Bowling Green’s own The Black Shades. I had heard about these guys so expectations were high. All were dressed somewhat similarly (which is usually a sign of some sort of stage presence) in black and white, and it worked. As a matter of fact, the band costume thing is very reminiscent of early sixties rock and roll groups, and there are elements of that music in their material too. That always equals fun to me. Throw in some staccato chords here and there and you’re tapping your feet. It’s upbeat, danceable, and clever. So take that base style and throw in the mix some classic hard rock, some funk, some Jack White, and a little old fashioned keyboard and you’ve got something unique. “Turn Me On, Electricity” and “Tuff Luv” were standouts in their set. I’ll be sure to catch them again here in Bowling Green and you should too. Check the out on MySpace at /wearetheblackshades.

The Instruction, Mike’s Pawn Shop, and The Black Shades performed at Café Vioni in Bowling Green, KY on 7/24/2010.

New Venue Review: Café Vioni

It was my first visit to this place, which already has a pretty good following among the younger set. Located in front of the Great Escapes 12 movie theatre complex, it’s a cozy room with adequate table and chair seating and a lounge area to the right of the front door. Sandwiches and snack food are available as well as soft drinks and beer. Because it’s not a full bar, under 21 shows often are held there (part of the popularity with the younger folks). The lack of a stage makes setting up sound equipment difficult and the acoustics in general are not great, but I think if a band doesn’t try to blow out your ears a reasonably good time can be had here. On this hot and humid night (aren’t they all this summer?) the A/C wasn’t working, so I’ll have to take some points off for that. But it has potential. And hey, anyplace that’s trying to offer another outlet for indie bands playing original music is okay in my book. Go check out some unknown band here sometime. You may be pleasantly surprised.

About the author: Pennman bought his first 45 at age nine and has been hooked on rock ever since. He has spent much of his disposable income on music, especially live performances. He writes reviews of the shows he sees and keeps a keen lookout for upcoming shows in or near Bowling Green. He has a BA in Communications, specializing in journalism, and has dabbled in music himself, both as a player and instructor. Find more of Pennman’s work at www.associatedcontent.com/user/165511/pennman.html or visit him at www.myspace.com/pennman_bg or www.facebook.com/pennman