The Criticals, Lombardy and Bad Bad Luck at Skinny Dennis was a legendary Monday!

Curated by Grace Bowers, the three bands played a free show that was epic

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Monday evening was elevated to a whole new level thanks to RockNite.Nash and Skinny Dennis in Nashville.  Along with curator, and guitar Goddess, Grace Bowers, they put on a banger of a FREE show, and it was exactly what we needed on a school night. Three stupefying bands raged the stage with a bewildering showcase that had the crowd moving in both chaos and tandem. There was crowd surfing, moshing and a meshing of community that found the perfect home for folks to let off some steam. Thank you to everyone that made this show happen. What a joyous occasion. Thirsty Thursdays have their place. Taco Tuesday can be pretty great. However, Mosh Pit Monday was exactly what I needed before the work week officially got hectic. The Criticals, Lombardy and Bad Bad Luck put on a stupendous show at Skinny Dennis and I was right up front to soak it all in and I feel great for saying YES! to a weekday show. 

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I felt like I might get mistaken for somebody’s dad, but I have felt that way for a long time.  I got to the venue nice and early (as old people do) and set up shop right in front of the stage.  Skinny Dennis was first opened in Brooklyn, NY in 2013 and since then they have opened several locations across the United States. It has become a destination for people looking for a down-home dive bar aesthetic, affordable prices, and a well-coordinated music program. It has since become a stop off for national touring acts in the Americana, Country Music, and roots world. On this night,however, they were sliding away from their regularly scheduled two-step nights and adding a more raucous line-up of some of Nashville’s more rock-oriented acts.   

There was a buzz in the room about a few industry folks being in attendance and maybe looking to sign and/or fund a new act, and upon seeing Grace Bowers hanging out by the billiard table and putting her name on the bill (as curator), there was a sense that this show was going to be a big deal.  The Criticals were ready for the assignment, as they always are.  I saw them at Exit/In a few months ago and was immediately taken by both their capabilities and showmanship.  Their self-titled, debut, full length record is outstanding and full of unforgettable hooks and memorable music that moves their audience to sing and dance along with every number.  

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It was this and so much more on this night as the band played many of their popular hits plus five new tracks during an 11-song setlist that included a brilliant cover of Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Closer’.The band that primarily features Parker Forbes (lead vocals, multi-instrumentalist) and Cole Shugart (lead guitar, backing vocals), adds Henry Henson (keys, guitar, vocals), Augustus Carroll (rhythm guitar, vocals), Michael Meadows (bass, vocals), and Chrystian Kaplan (drums) to its ensemble sound. The group has a presence that is quite mesmerizing, and I can’t wait to be the guy who gets to say I saw them way back when.  It sounds like they have a plethora of new tracks and are formulating yet another new album that I highly anticipate.  This show was incredible and if they are ever in your city be sure to add them to your list of must-see bands. 

Lombardy was a band that I had wanted to see for a bit. I ran into guitar player and group member Johnathan Plevyak at a killer showcase called Jukebox Jam back in November. Although I never officially got to meet him, he was both hosting the soul/doo-wop style gig and performing with several acts throughout the night.  On this bill he was playing a more intense and much harder style of music with his mates including Mike Scott (Vocals / Lead Guitar), Seth Rentfrow (Bass), and Steve Mascarello (Drums). Lombardy pulls influence from several different genres of music and sonically they bend traditional sounds to create a resonance of their very own.  The band can be described as rock and roll with a dash of punk and some sprinkles of metal that create an amalgamation of great sound that get people off their feet.  It can be described that way because I just did. 

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Getting off their feet was literally what people did at this gig when the band punched in. A fluid wave of moshing and aforementioned crowd surfing culminated during the punchy guitar riffs and bombastic bass lines.  Big explosive rhythms from behind the kit with fantastic plucking of strings from the front lines forced the audience to bounce and move with the tonality of it all.  A big highlight of their set was a cover of ‘Bulls on Parade’ (Rage Against the Machine) that featured Cam Gallagher & The Tasty Soul bringing extra funk.  If you’ve read anything else from me, you have certainly seen Cam’s name pop up.  I keep running into this dude (I swear I am not stalking you- wait… are you stalking me?). At one point, Mike climbed the rafters of the club Eddie Vedder style (Google it).  Catch a show with these guys and you will be astounded by their high energy show and kick ass songwriting. 

Bad Bad Luck more recently slid into my social media algorithm, and when I saw them on the poster with these two other acts, I couldn’t believe my luck (pun not intended…probably).  This is why you go out on a Monday night.  You only get one shot at this life, go live it! Their Facebook bio simply reads “slutty gay garage rock” and I am here for all of it.  With tracks titled ‘Delusion of Negation’, ‘Dragged By Desire’ and ‘Murder Me First’ I knew that I was in the right place.  I am such a fan now.  The lineup is normally Christina Lee Allbright (vox/guitar), Bear Beggs (guitar), Colin Schaeffer (drums) and Paul Davis (bass), but for this show we were dazzled by Nicole Yraguen on bass. The vibe felt as if I was sitting on an amp, in a garage, in high school or those early college years (I had like 8 of them).  Their sound is so inviting and authentic that it is hard not to be gripped and pulled in by the dark vibrance and the lyricism.  

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At one point, Christina mentioned that you “won’t find our songs on Spotify, because fuck Spotify.  Go to our BandCamp page to find our stuff.” Their stuff has an element of Outlaw Country that is packed full of messages of defiance that is laced in optimism. I was engulfed by the words and swaddled by the sound. The music is grungy in all the right ways, and it is a soundtrack that describes everyday struggles that listeners can relate to. Please look them up, and please make sure that you are buying merch and supporting these artists that give us so much. Their new album, what’s wrong with being sexy, is out now and features 13 tracks that crush. Friday, June 5^th, they are playing a show with The Sheaps, The Psyches, and El Siren at The Basement that you will probably see me at. Until then, go support local musicians, independent venues, small record stores, family-owned businesses and the like.