Stew Review
 by Leeming

Well, this is my first review in a long time, so I'll try to keep it brief.

I arrived at the Aardvark at 10:30pm to catch what I could of the triple billing of Frolic, Dollybraid, and Jibe.  Unfortunately, I only caught the last two songs from Frolic, one of which was a tricked up cover of the Cars' "Just What I Needed" (pretty cool).  I really liked their sound, so I was disappointed that I missed their set.  I did, however, buy their CD so that I could review it for penance.  Look for that soon.

Denton-based Dollybraid was next, and their sound was clearly geared toward the party-happy North Texas crowd.  It didn't play as well in the TCU area, but that doesn't mean it was without merit.  I only had two complaints about Dollybraid:  the mic level was too low and enough with the smoke machine already.  Hell, I'm a smoker, but the smoke coming from this cheesy special effect burns my eyes unmercifully.  Let the music rule the evening, not the smoke.  It doesn't impress anyone.

Anyway, Dollybraid is a four piece band that is driven by grinding guitar riffs, although the bass player is clearly the backbone of the band.  Their sound roughly resembles the Red Hot Chili Peppers with snippets of Pearl Jam/Creed-like vocals scattered throughout.  Dollybraid's last two songs were covers.  One was "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" by the Beastie Boys and the other was "Suck My Kiss" by the aforementioned Peppers (although the word "kiss" was replaced by a part of the male anatomy - lending further credence to the fact that this band is used to playing to the UNT frat scene). All in all, it was a nice performance.  Dollybraid's lead singer did have a commanding stage presence and they had the audience into the music. That's really all anyone can ask, isn't it?

Jibe finished the evening with an out of control set.  The singer (and the hordes of Jibe groupies) seemed to think that stage diving was the main event. Music?  What music?  I felt like I was at a circus.  I was impressed that the lead singer was able to continue with the lyrics while being periously passed along the drunken crowd with his bare feet hugging the ceiling, but at what expense? I know my objective is to review the music, but Jibe's stageshow seriously overshadowed anything the musicians did.  Hell, even my girlfriend's brother (Chuck) ended up on stage at the end of the set getting ready for his second dive.

So, while Jibe's music didn't leave a lasting impression, their scene sure did. And if it's a scene you're after, I highly recommend them.  Just don't break any bones.  Please.

That's all I have for now.  So everyone stay hard, keep jammin', and we'll see ya'.

Leeming