Tom Vek @ Knitting Factory

If doors were really at 11:30, then the Knitting Factory was exceptionally packed by midnight. After the Mobius Band finished, we were able to position ourselves and eventually got up front. Sold out at the Knitting Factory usually means I’m stuck by the bar behind that column, so this was a nice change. Since Angela had been drinking since 7:00, I was just waiting for her to come off her buzz and start falling asleep. She did, right as Vek took the stage. So, Ang, how was the show? Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

In contrast, I was full of energy… except, that the show didn’t respond as much I had hoped. The highlight was the last song (no encore), I Aint Saying My Goodbyes, which did get me fired up. Familiar faces in the crowd were Kristen, Prav, Rachael, Wes, and Jay -who I ran into on the street and was already well on his way to a infamous Goodtimes weekend.

One thing that made Vek great also acted against them: they sounded just like the album. Usually this would be negative, except that Vek recorded his album alone in his basement –at least that’s the Romantic’s version of the story- and to recreate that with a live band so precisely is itself a great achievement.

Also, what hasn’t bothered my on We Have Sound, but did a little on Friday, was how similar Tom Vek’s voice is like that of Mike Doughty -when he was with Soul Coughing. Whenever I make comparisons like this, people think I’m crazy. Here’s a remix of the Soul Coughing's “Circles.” Make your own thoughts on it. I'm not saying that the similarity is bad, just a little distracting for me.

Soul Coughing - Circles (Remix)