CASS McCOMBS / SCHWERVON! / THOMAS TRUAX / MY HAIRDRESSER FOR PRESIDENT Live At The Social Posted by AlMachine on Thursday, November 20, 2003 Sometimes it’s about the headliner, sometimes it’s about one of the supports but sometimes someone serves up a whole night of eclectic fun and these are often the best gigs you can go to. Nottingham’s contribution to an American show is ‘My Hairdresser for President’, which is basically Steve from local indie champions ‘The Chemistry Experiment’. Nottingham gives a great account of itself and the simple guitar picking melts in with Steves deep soft growls that are more convincing than the Tindersticks if covering similar territory. Then Thomas Trauax takes the stage. We can already see what appears to be a hamster wheel surrounded by small drums and tambourines but it’s a mechanical turning frame called Sister Spinster, with metal beaters that provide a visually entertaining and sonically charming drum beat that keeps time while Thomas plays the HORNICATOR, a horn section, string section and percussion section self-made contraption with a large horn that dangles a reverberating spring. This is more than just novelty though, the songs are classics, if lyrically funny and the skinny guy in his Jailhouse Rock outfit gives a truly entertaining performance, dampening the little symbol on Sister Spinster while soloing before removing the dampening clamp and getting the audience to sing into the mic on the Hornulator at the end. Schwervon are entertaining in a different way, they sail close to College Rock territory but their songs and the banter between couple Major Matt Mason(guitar and vocals) and Nan Turner (Drums and vocals) make it more than a po-faced indie indulgence. The between song banter consists of them discussing their day and they complement each other in terms of their vocals and instruments perfectly. So after a couple of hours of smiling, Cass McCombs have to be the straight man. Cass looks like a young Billy Mckenzie from the Associates and the band look respectfully anti-rock star, comfortable clothes like real people. The show is a surprise because the melancholy EP I have wouldn’t indicate that they’d rock as hard as they did (we’re not talking about Metallica but the Velvets maybe). Cass pushes his impressive voice, often following the beat dead-on like Pavement sometimes used to which I must admit isn’t my cup of tea but it works well. The songs are varied, well crafted and intense and the band lock together well with a variety of keyboard sounds from soul organ to eighties keyboard floating over driving, precise drums and guitars. They respond well to the good will in the room and it’s reflected back by the audience. This is how a show should be. Not three bands that sound the same fighting it out but bands that complement each other. I think Cass McCombs are on the rise (4AD like them) but I know this was a one-off chance to see some other very talented people tonight. Top Notch TC