The Dirtbombs; Dennis Coffey @ The Bell House

The Dirtbombs; Dennis Coffey; the Step Kids
@ The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY - June 4, 2011

Remember when the Dirtbombs played New York every few months? Yes those were indeed the days. Certainly those were the days for this particular publication. But nowadays the Dirtbombs come around only ever so often. Here came that sound again, but affixed to a new record, a techno-covers LP called Party Store and a new bass player, Chris Sutton, thereby creating Line-Up Number 20.
The first half hour of the set was devoted to the new, and admittedly challenging, record. The conversion of digital music to analog instrumentation is an impressive feat to pull off but if this isn't your thing then it can wear on you. The second half of the show was, at Mick called it to the crowd, "the hits". A quick mix of songs from the other LP's and their treasure trove of singles - driven forcefully by both the change-up from playing Party Store and the long time since the last time playing live - felt very, very right.


Mick smiling about something as the Dirtbombs return to Brooklyn (maybe it was being subject of the first Sonic Parthenon-taken photo at a concert in several years).

Motor City session man Dennis Coffey played some very cruising funk, soul, and jam Jazz with his large band. Made for driving a big car down a big avenue and cool all the way. This is not a style of music I hear live very often but it's certainly something to love each time.

The Step Kids out of Connecticut play some tripped-out psych soul and funk, aided by visual effects. The more sludgey stuff wasn't for me but the faster and more pop stuff reminded me of a good night on the old Soul Train with Don Cornelius.