BrightestYoungThings: Gay Blades

I'm not quite sure how I came across the Gay Blades myspace page, but only a few moments after hearing the rope-a-dope guitar hook of O Shot I was hooked.

I would guess it was the curiosity about their name (I mean, what kind of band calls themselves the Gay Blades? ). After a few more listens and I was checking out their schedule to see when they might be coming to DC, but no luck... In a few weeks they were to play in Philly so I put in on my calendar with the hopes that nothing else would come up and I might get a weekend out of town. My sister and a good friend had recently moved to Philadelphia so it was an easy enough excuse to pick up a bus ticket and head North.

That was last Friday and the Blades failed to disappoint the small crowd at the Fire with an animated and energetic set. As a solo drum break came from the room with the stage, a group of fans filed in to the small room of the Fire to see Puppy Mills pounding out a familiar beat, and after a moment Clark Westfield walked through the crowd to pick up his guitar and launch into that hooky guitar riff of O Shot. What seemed like more the persona of a Southern preacher than rock frontman, Westfield worked the crowd looking to convert everyone in the room to his own way. Backing vocals by Puppy Mills only helped to seal the deal, as Westfield's stage presence ( often off-stage and in the crowd ) engaged, asking the crowd to sing along and clap, and the
fans were eager to comply.

There's no listing booked for DC as of now, but when you finally get the chance, this is one you're not going to want to miss.