Giuda @ Grand Victory

Giuda; Babyshakes; Brooklyn Bluebirds

@ Grand Victory

Brooklyn, NY - June 13, 2016

A city of millions of people in a world of billions leads one to think that any coincidences are of such randomly small probability that they stand out. But when you consider the possibly infinite size of everything then it is a little less surprising. One could wonder about the odds that a year after this hack discovered Cock Sparrer that 4 attendees of this gig wore t-shirts of that band as one did at the Avengers show when I was last here in April, but these can be traced to that band's appearance in Asbury Park over the weekend (but speaks to the power of that band, a discovery this hack made not long before discovering the headlining act tonight, both on the old website Brooklyn Vegan, to give credit where it is due). And one could wonder at the odds of seeing a musical idol in attendance while this hack stood awkwardly nearby wearing a t-shirt of said idol's own idol (Finn; 'Mats). But these are not so much cosmic coincidences as another universal truth:

Rock n roll is family. It's smaller than at any time since it's birth and that makes it a true family.

The family came together to see Rome's greatest triumph since the Pax Romana, or at least since the Bicycle Thief, the glam punk lads called Giuda. In a stunningly perfect set (these are not sloppy no-future punks but rather precise musical talents, professionals even), the band blasted through their still short discography, making stops at recent gem "Roll the Balls" as well as "Working Class Man", "Wild Tiger Woman", and "Get That Goal" (a fitting one for sure as the Azzurri handled Belgium well during the Euros earlier in the day) as well as doing immense service by Elton's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", marking perhaps the first time there was ever crowd surfing during one of Reg's songs. As this club's short history soon comes to a close (at least at this location), it will have given witness to one of the best sets of rock n roll music dished out in this time in a long, long time - a classic to be remembered.

Local darlings Babyshakes played for about 15 minutes but those were 15 beautiful minutes - salvos of garage punk-pop in all the finest measures. Please play a lot all over town all the time.

The Brooklyn Bluebirds appear to feature the same noticeable big man in the front as I've noticed here in the past with another band (The Stalkers; I think the dude works at this place) but this time he was part of a collective doing 50's classics. No irony, no punk or garage take. Straight redux of "Duke of Earl" and all the others of that fine ilk. Not sure if this makes one feel old or righteous or both.