For Father's Day: Julian Dorio of The Whigs Talks About His Father's Influence for Him Becoming a Musician

by Julian Dorio

My dad is definitely the reason I am a drummer today. It was almost like he planned it, whether he knows it or not.

Growing up in my house seemed just like anyone else's childhood whose family owned a restaurant. Days after school were spent doing homework at the restaurant my family owned in Atlanta, GA until we were old enough to start busing tables, washing dishes, cooking, and, eventually, bartending. It’s amazing how the lessons I learned being part of a small business like a restaurant were applicable when running the business side of a small band.

My dad made baseball and music a big part of growing up. My father loves music but if there is one thing my father loves, as much as, if not more than music, it is baseball. Left handed, crafty pitching was very popular in the late 80's/early 90's on the Atlanta Braves team, my dad's favorite, so the moment I showed any promise on the baseball field my father was convinced it was a matter of time before the Major Leagues would come knocking. And though I did pitch left-handed like Tom Glavine and Steve Avery and could mow down a few batters, baseball didn't continue for me after high school. Perhaps if my fastball was 5 MPH faster, this missive would be about rotator cuffs, "circle" change ups, and the green grass of Fulton County Stadium, than record collections and drum sticks, so maybe we got ahead of ourselves on that one...

A love of music did remain though. A trained pianist since childhood, my father always made music a part of our household. He also had an impressive vinyl collection from the 50's, 60's, and 70's, which helped my older brother Michael and I develop an interest in rock n' roll early on. (Well, initially, I just wanted to do whatever Michael was doing, and if that meant listening to Sticky Fingers again, then I wasn't gonna miss it.) The Christmas when Michael was 10 and I was 6, my father told us that he no longer wanted to spend money on toys that my brother and I would inevitably throw to the side after a month or two, so we should think accordingly. My brother asked for a guitar, and I, not wanting to be left out, chose drums (with a little input from my dad…I mean, I was 6). Now, my father loves Christmas almost as much as Santa himself. In his opinion, there is no holiday that even compares, and this new idea made him even more excited. So sure enough, on Christmas morning that year, my brother and I couldn't believe our eyes! I got a no-name MX30 drum set that probably cost around $100. The equipment was inexpensive, but my dad promised that if we practiced, it would be replaced with professional gear the following Christmas. Lessons began, practice was daily, and even my father taught himself to play bass in order for us to form a family band, The Flying Dorio Brothers (my brother's play on the Flying Burrito Brothers, obviously). As silly as it sounds, my father was trying to stress the importance of the band dynamic and, of course, songwriting. Our father would pick out classic rock songs for us to learn, and if it was too difficult, then we could have our respective music teachers show us how to play them. The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, T. Rex, Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks, and many more were done a huge injustice with our attempts at covering their timeless hits. But we came close, and more importantly, Dad was instilling in us what made a great song.

Sure enough, the following Christmas, Dad sold our introductory drums and guitar and bought us real equipment. Actually, Michael still has the Gibson Les Paul he received. This became the tradition for years to come: If we proved ourselves to him, he would buy us whatever we needed to keep honing our craft. At the time, I didn't fully understand what he was doing. It was fun, and we loved playing together, but our dad was investing so much time and money in breeding us to be what most parents would avoid - rock n' rollers.

The Flying Dorio Brothers continued to learn songs together and even play for family friends. As you might guess, my father was very proud to have us perform "Misty Mountain Hop" for dinner guests (my mom, maybe not as much), and we loved doing it. So the ball was rolling, I couldn't stop playing. My brother and I practiced a lot, and as we got older, began playing with friends. The support was endless from our parents, but how my parents tolerated all the noise we made, I will never understand. I was never in a band per se-I played with friends for fun, but mostly I spent my time practicing, and trying to learn and understand why the great drummers (i.e., Keith Moon, John Bonham, Ringo Star, Mitch Mitchell, etc.) were truly great. Once I moved to Athens, GA to attend University of Georgia, I finally felt ready start a band.

This is when The Whigs started. Months were spent writing and practicing before booking any shows. Of course, I kept my father updated as things progressed, but he hadn't heard us yet. Once we started playing some shows and Dad got a chance to see us play (which is probably the only time I have been truly nervous in all my life), he once again offered all the support and advice in the world. Every time he saw us play, he would write a formal letter and send it in the mail, critiquing the show, offering tips, likes, dislikes, and specific ways to improve. My bandmates couldn't believe it, but they were probably most surprised by how knowledgeable his advice was. As a musician since he was young, my father understood the intricacies of music and how to express it.

We still receive letters from him to this day. A matter of fact, I recently received his critique of our new album, In The Dark, and thank goodness, he likes it! Nothing is worse than my father being unimpressed. His support is unconditional but he has a keen ear-we can't play him just anything and get a good response. But I enjoy his honesty, as does the rest of the band, and I often think about him and what he would say while we're writing new songs. It drives me towards progress and what he would describe as "greatness". Whether or not that is achieved, I want to thank him for giving me the gift of music. Even to this day, he shares his experiences with my brother and me, and reminds us of the important principles upon which rock n roll is based. For that, we are forever grateful.

Julian Dorio is the hard-hitting drummer of mega-selling rock band, The Whigs. His brother Michael is also a professional guitarist with the band, Trances Arc. Dorio lives in Athens, GA.

Seen Your Video: "Hundred Million Miles" by The Whigs on Jimmy Fallon

Call it a late April Fool's prank I guess (or maybe just to get folks to stay up late and watch)...We were told yesterday that The Whigs were covering an old Meat Loaf song on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night, but what they played was "Hundred Million Miles" from the new record In the Dark....weird. Maybe the same hacker who unleased all those new releases last week from PlayMPE was at it again? Maybe the band was drunk emailing in some NYC bar yesterday? Doesn't matter though, live, The Whigs can rock (or RAAWK if you're Whigs lead singer Parker Gispert) whatever they play with gusto.

Here's an Interesting Reason to Stay Up Late...

The Whigs @ Ottobar, Baltimore, MD (4-4-2010)-7094, originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

Three skinny guys from Athens, GA....Fans of making a ginormous sound onstage. Has a drummer who plays so hard that he should not play next to a snowy mountain because he might inspire an avalanche.

Big man from Dallas, TX. Equated with one of the biggest selling records of all time and annoying people who like to air guitar and act out lyrics in bars. His name was, at one point, "Robert Paulson."

What do they have in common?

I dunno either but we can find out this evening. Apparently, The Whigs will be shaking things up on late night television this evening by performing, "I Would Do Anything For Love (...but I won't do that)" by Meat Loaf on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

No fooling...And The Whigs make everything good. But how odd a choice is that??

The Hold Steady Announce New Tour Dates with The Whigs, Provide NewAlbum Stream

6591_The Hold Steady @ the Recher Theater, Towson, MD (3-29-09), originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

Still no Washington, DC date in the mix, which stinks (especially given that The Whigs are opening this group of dates), but The Hold Steady did announce additional dates today for July.

July 2010 Hold Steady Dates
2nd - Hayward, WI Lac Courte Oreilles Casino
3rd - Minneapolis, MN Cabooze Outdoor Stage
4th - Minneapolis, MN First Ave
6th - Omaha, NE Slowdown
7th - Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
8th - Santa Fe, NM Santa Fe Brewing Company
10th - Dallas, TX Granada Theater
11th - Memphis, TN Hi-Tone Cafe
12th - Knoxville, TN The Square Room
14th - Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
15th - Pontiac, MI Crofoot Ballroom
16th - Toronto, ON Kool Haus

Probably as a premptive strike, knowing how many low-quality rips of the record would start flying around after Saturday's Record Store Day release of the limited vinyl the band has been streaming their new record, Heaven Is Whenever, over at NPR since Sunday. The National is following suit with their new one, High Violet, which starts streaming over at the New York Times on Friday,

Seen Your Video: "Kill Me Carolyne" by The Whigs on David Letterman

Last night was quite the night for good music on late night television...Drive By Truckers on Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with David Letterman had The Whigs. The Whigs have long been a favorite of mine to see live due to their powerful stage show...plus, that reverse duck-walk thing that lead singer/guitarist Parker Gispert does always makes me marvel at his balance. Someone get that boy on "Dancing With the Stars" already!

If you haven't yet heard their recently release, In The Dark, yet, you can download a few tracks and listen to its entirety via stream (info here). The songs definitely take on a new and amazing shape live so if you're around Sunday, tickets are still available for their show with with Band of Skulls and 22-20 at Baltimore's Ottobar.

Myspace Steaming All Tracks of New Whigs Record, In the Dark

The new Whigs record comes out next week but if you can't wait that long, head over to Myspace, where the whole thing is streaming (here). Pretty interesting (and gracious) move when you consider the band also provided three of the record's eleven tracks as free downloads. Standouts from a quick first listen are "So Lonely," "Automatic," "In the Dark," and "Kill Me Carolyne;" lots of good hooks and as usual with drummer Julian Dorio, a strong backbeat. Lyrically, lead singer/guitarist Parker Gispert seems to be have women and their form on his mind a lot (this could prove just metaphor until closer listening of course).

In the Dark drops 3/16, and preorders are available here.

The Whigs Offer Third Free Download from In The Dark

0269_The Whigs, originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

The Whigs released the third single, "Kill Me Carolyne," from their upcoming third album, In the Dark, out 3/16. And like the two singles, In the Dark, and Hundred Million, they're giving it as a free download.

Give a Listen: Kill Me Carolyne-The Whigs (from In the Dark)

Listen to all three tracks here:

Whigs Releasing New Record, Playing Letterman in March

The Whigs announced that In the Dark, their follow up to the massive Mission Control, will be released on 3/16. Touring for the record will start as openers for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in late February, SXSW this year (yipppee!),
a co-headlining tour, (the other "co" of "co-headlining" hasn't been announced yet), in late March, as well as a stop by Late Night with David Letterman on 3/31. Seems like a lot but given how much they toured for Mission Control, you know this is them just getting started.

The track listing for In the Dark is as follows:
1. Hundred / Million
2. Black Lotus
3. Kill Me Carolyne
4. Someone's Daughter
5. So Lonely
6. Dying
7. I Don't Even Care About The One I Love
8. Automatic
9. I Am For Real
10. In The Dark
11. Naked

Performance of the new record's title track here at the Black Cat last December. Their live show is so vibrant, it will make you forget that Atlanta Braves "tomahawk chop" intro...maybe.


Whigs Opening Dates Supporting Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
February 26th: Harlow's, Sacramento, CA
February 27th: Knitting Factory, Reno, NV
February 28th: Wasted Space @ The Hard Rock, Las Vegas, NV
March 2nd: Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
March 4th: Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
March 5th: Showbox Market, Seattle WA
March 6th: Commodore, Vancouver
March 7th: Wonder, Portland, OR
March 9th: Slim's, San Francisco, CA
March 11th & 12th: Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA
March 13th: HOB, San Diego, CA

The Whigs Set Release for Third Record,"In the Dark," Announce Fall 2009 Tour Dates

I've had a special spot for anything out of Athens, GA for years now. It's got a soul and a kitch and heart that rocks with a unusual sense of style that I've long found fascinating. I'm sure you already know how cool its music scene is, and have heard more than a few of the various types of great music that various great bands have brought out from its 117 square miles over the years.

One of its more recent exports, The Whigs, blew the doors and the eardrums off of 2008 with their incredibly powerful and intense second release, Mission Control. They then spent the next 18 months blowing the eyes and eardrums off of everyone who saw them live. Drummer Julian Dorio is so amazing to watch, he's kind of like skydiving, you definitely have to experience it just once.

Well, drummers, lay down your sticks because Dorio is reentering the building. The Whigs are heading back out on the road next week in support of their third album, In the Dark, which is out in late February/early March 2010. The headlining tour covers 29 cities in seven weeks and The Features, The Dead Trees and Mean Creek will open.

Give a Listen: In the Dark-The Whigs

The Whigs Fall 2009 Tour
October 28th Middle East (Downstairs) Boston, Massachusetts
October 29th Funk & Waffles Syracuse, New York
October 30th Mohawk Buffalo, New York
October 31st Musica Akron, Ohio
November 2nd Mad Hatter Cincinnati, Ohio
November 3rd Newport Music Hall Columbus, Ohio
November 4th Birdy's Indianapolis, Indiana
November 5th Cannery Nashville, Tennessee
November 6th Bottom Lounge Chicago, Illinois
November 7th Triple Rock Minneapolis, Minnesota
November 10th Bluebird Theater Denver, Colorado
November 13th Media Club Vancouver, British Columbia
November 14th Tractor Tavern Seattle, Washington
November 15th Doug Fir Lounge Portland, Oregon
November 17th The Independent San Francisco, California
November 18th Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, California
November 19th The Troubadour Los Angeles, California
November 20th Beauty Bar Las Vegas, Nevada
November 21st Soma (sidestage) San Diego, California
December 1st Emo's Austin, Texas
December 2nd The Loft Dallas, Texas
December 4th The Variety Playhouse Atlanta, Georgia
December 5th Rhythm & Brews Chattanooga, Tennessee
December 8th Visulite Charlotte, North Carolina
December 10th Black Cat Washington, DC, Washington DC
December 11th The Fillmore @ Irving Plaza New York, New York
December 12th North Star Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 14th Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
December 15th Pour House Charleston, South Carolina

With The Features (from October 28th - December 15th)
With The Dead Trees (from October 28th - November 21st)
With Mean Creek (October 28th and December 5th - 15th)

Show Review: The Whigs @ DAR, Washington, DC (11-10-08)

The Whigs are a band whose barrage of energy never ceases to amaze me. They opened for We Are Scientists and Kings of Leon recently, and shook the old bones of the Daughters of American Revolution Hall (DAR) to its core.

The second and most recent release by this Athens, GA three-piece, (Mission Control) is a powerful and ear-splitting cacophony of sound full of poppy goodness. While some bands have mixing help when recording, or play louder to cover the fact they really can't play their instruments, Parker Gispert (lead guitar/vocals), Julian Dorio (drums), and Tim Deux (bass) are each stellar in their playing abilities, who rip addictive melodies out and weave them seamlessly into each other.

(Parker Gispert)

(Julian Dorio)

(Tim Deux)

Gispert pogoed and stomped around the stage when he wasn't singing, so energetically at times he almost fell into Dorio's drum kit at least twice. Deux started out all stoic and calm compared to Gispert's always-in-motion-ness, but then broke out into a Rod Stewart/Mick Jaggar strut from time to time, standing on the speakers. Then there's Dorio who was the vortex around which this stage chaos swarmed. Dorio is a jackhammer of sound, a younger Keith Moon with long red hair that flailed around as uncontained as Dorio's drumming. As hard as he plays, it shocks me that Dorio doesn't break more sticks. Or passes out. He was visibly panting after many of the songs.



This DAR show is the third time I've seen The Whigs, and every time, they've blown me away with the amount of energy and intensity they play with, night after night. Much like another passionate showman, The Whigs can be summed up in two words: Raw Power. Don't look for any smooth songs for the lovers here.




(See the rest of the photos of The Whigs DAR show here)

Show Review: Monolith Festival @ Red Rocks, Denver, CO--Day 2 (continued)

Day 2 starts here.
(Day 1 recap here and here.)

6.5 Hearts of Palm
Yeah, I saw some of Hearts of Palm's set. Eh. Photos were about the best thing I walked away with.

(More photos from Hearts of Palm's set here)

7. The Whigs
They put The Whigs in that little hallway room. The ear splitting, rocktastic, popular Whigs in a room that doubles as a hallway, a mind-boggling move to say the least. It sounds stupid, but after seeing these guys at SXSW 2008, I really wanted to get a shot of Julian Dorio's hair flying around while playing here at Monolith....something about it just makes me laugh, probably because it reminds me of Animal on the Muppets (yes, I know, I'm a dork.) The lighting wasn't stellar in this room but I think I scored one or two good ones of both Dorio as well as the group as a whole.







Playing-wise they were, as usual, fucking awesome. But the immense crowd, coupled with the inability for the security people to keep space in front for the camera folks to shoot without being inundated by said crowd, made me way too claustrophobic. Which bummed me out as The Whigs were one of the groups I was really psyched to see again live.

(More photos from The Whigs' set here)

I did get a few minutes in with lead singer/guitarist Parker Gispert afterwards. He said they're doing more east coast dates and will be hitting DC this fall (with the Kings of Leon in November at DAR; DAR, well you can't win em all).


8. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Ruling the mainstage in the late afternoon was Sharon Jones and her Dap Kings. I'd heard she is a full on cyclone live and that was no joke.



Her sound of soul and funk harkens one back to an earlier time in pop music history when girl groups ruled and bouffant hairdos were the rage, when Tina Turner danced her ass off in that macramé dress while belting out a song. Jones absolutely knows how to hold a crowd in her hand.



Dancing barefoot onstage, pulling this crazy caped crusader named TRL out of the crowd for some onstage teaching about how a woman just wants a man to "Be Easy" (though we were all convinced that dancing with Sharon Jones is about as close as TRL would ever want a woman to get to him)...





...having women come up on stage to dance with her, and ending with a show-stopping, heart-pounding, ass-shakin, body-quakin version of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," she was literally all over the place. The center of the cyclone had settled right over us and we were all happy to be swept up into the inward spiraling wind that was Sharon Jones. She is, by far, the hardest working woman in showbiz.

(More photos from Sharon Jones/Dap Kings set here)


9. The Airborne Toxic Event
Racing back up the 230 stairs, I found a bit of a traffic jam trying to get to the inside stages. Apparently, the organizers hadn't anticipated the draw of the some of these inside bands like the Presets and Does it Offend You Yeah? (Dee captures the mayhem well here). In order to slow the flow, they closed off one of the two entrances, allowing one person in when one person left the inside stage hallway; not both entrances mind you, just the one, which didn't make much sense. So I had to do some fast talking and thankfully, a very nice employee led me through the kitchen to the side room where they were playing. (whew!)

By now, I'm sure you’ve heard about that awful Pitchfork review of Airborne's debut record and Airborne's spirited response. After I'd read the review, I emailed lead singer Mikel Jollet and said you should invite the guy to a show as he obviously has never seen y'all live. Now, if you’ve been reading my site here at all, you know I've interviewed The Airborne Toxic Event, I’ve reviewed them, I’ve photographed them...I’m a fan. But remember that Replacements Factor I spoke of ? I think Airborne sorta has that too. Their record is good, don't get me wrong, but had I heard their record before seeing them live, I honestly don’t know if I would have been quite as knocked out by them. That stunning "thing" that they have, like the Mats, A Place to Bury Strangers, and countless others, that thing about them that seems to raise the hairs on the back of your neck, that's so completely obvious when you see them on the stage. You get glimpses of it in what you hear from the scripted confines of a studio booth and mixing board, but seeing them live is when you forget to breathe. (In my humble opinion of course...)







And Monolith was no exception. It was a fantastic set even though the entire band was all terribly ill with the flu. Drummer Daren Taylor told me afterward, "I'm exhausted, but I played my ass off." Yes, yes he was, and yes, yes he did.



That's because Airborne is a band that just can’t let themselves play a bad show, even being so sick they could barely remain standing (bassist Noah Harmon, in fact, sat down on the rocks in back of the stage at one point). The author of that Pitchfork review, Ian Cohen, claimed the band is about market research and does what they do according to a "formula" so to speak. Though Cohen would probably somehow consider playing deathly ill as part of that "formula," I bet everyone who was at their show at Monolith saw it for what it really was, a band obsessively dedicated to their audience, their performance, and their music.







Plus, I mean seriously, how beautifully does lead guitarist Steven Chen photograph? You just cannot shoot a bad photo of this guy...

(More photos from the Airborne Toxic Event's set here)


10. TV on the Radio
And while we're on the topic of dedication...there had been rumors all day that TVOTR may not make their evening slot but no one knew why. Around their show time on the mainstage, the photo pit was as jammed full as the crowd behind us in anticipation. Finally, 15 minutes past their scheduled start time, the announcer came out to tell us the story: Seems the band was in Salt Lake City at 11 am, gearing up to head to Red Rocks, but the bus broke down. Sunday, Salt Lake City, big bus=trouble finding the right parts. By about 2 pm though, they apparently said fuck it, found a bunch of rental cars, and literally broke many speed limits to get to Red Rocks a mere 15 minutes late. Festival organizers thought they wouldn't make it as TVOTR checked in with their location progress throughout the day, but the band was certain they would (the organizers had obviously never driven with NY-drivers apparently, heh).

Needless to say, when TVOTR hit the stage, the place, as well as the band, went bananas. Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe never stopped moving the entire show, alternating between pogoing and dancing (and damn, can the man dance!).



They're out doing a few shows supporting the super incredible Dear Science. It's funky, it's thrash, it's rock, all laced with interesting pop sensibilities. This record is, and absolutely deserves to be, in everyone's top 10 lists for 2008. This is definitely a group you MUST check out live.



(More photos from TV on the Radio's set here)


11. CSS(Cansei de Ser Sexy)
I figured CSS would be a big draw so for the last time over my two days at Red Rocks, I trucked back up the 230 stairs (total stairs climbed over 48 hours: 986875675454). But in doing so, I had to miss the back end of the TVOTR show, which was a drag. Even more of a drag because CSS was 15 minutes late in starting. My guess? CSS lead singer Lovefoxxx had to finish tying the last garbage bag piece to her jacket.


(More photos from CSS's set here)

"Hyper" is an understated adjective for Portugal's CSS. But so is "addicting," shake your ass madly," and "listen on repeat." Lead singer Lovefoxxx is quite the Portugese Beyonce, dancing, hair tossin, crowd-flirting up a storm, all the while singing her ass off. These guys were definitely worth waiting around for....



At this point, I was seriously shivering (a mile above sea level gets damn cold at night), and I had no interest in seeing two French guys dj on the mainstage (yes, it was Justice. No, I didn't need to see dj'ing done live), so I called it a night.

What a couple of days...Red Rocks was incredible. I heard a rumor that Monolith lost money and it's possible it won't happen again, which would be a shame. It's got potential, true potential, so I hope they can make it work. The lineup was a really interesting collection of bands, all different and indie. The surroundings were amazing. And sure, there were a few issues (the indoor stage setup, security not always understanding the setup for photographers) but overall, things were smooth, and it was, most importantly, fun. The Monolith Festival did what a good music festival should do, have enough bigger name acts to draw folks sprinkled with lots of smaller groups that you'll walk away happy to have discovered. I know I'll definitely go again next year, if only to shoot more of the incredible landscape.

On the Topic of Monolith...."The Winning Side," The Airborne Toxic Event

Heading off to the Monolith Festival in Denver this afternoon to see over 60 bands over two days. Bands I'm excited to see include The Whigs again, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, a group I hear puts on an amazing live show, and the large amount of East LA bands that are playing like The Airborne Toxic Event.

If you bought a copy of The Airborne Toxic Event's self-titled debut album via Itunes, a bonus track called "The Winning Side," was included. Having received my version hardcopy, the first I'd heard this song when the band opened their DC show with it. A catchy little track about a dark subject (Iraq), it employs all the things that Airborne does best: a fast and driving drum beat, catchy guitar riffs, and smart lyrics you can visualize.



They did not do a video for this song during their acoustic song series, videos they released of each track off their record performed acoustically around Los Angeles. But here is the acoustic version of "The Winning Side", "brand new even to them," at an CA in-store performance last month.



(The Airborne Toxic Event plays the Monolith Festival this Sunday, as well as assorted dates across the country opening for The Fratellis.)

The Whigs' are now bloggers too!

Was poking around band sites tonight to compile the 899 shows that seem to be set for Mid-Atlantic stop offs during June and July, and as I hope to catch The Whigs again during this very kick ass tour but this time near the bar in a venue with air-conditioning, I hit their site. What I found instead of a tour date was this...This Is a Blog and We Are the Whigs. With pictures! Of Chuck E. Cheese! And Vegas baby! And lots of food items! And batting cage poses! How Julian Dorio fit all that hair under a batting helmet one can only wonder...

"Rock and Roll Spring Break, or My First Time at SXSW (Day 3)

DAY 3

Day 3 had a lot going on, and after Day 2 mess ups, I was determined to get it right.

My trainer took my measurements upon my return and found I'd lost 4.5" off my thighs, which didn't surprise me given the 76756879 miles I probably walked Day 3 alone…

1. Delorentos
After missing them on Day 1, I finally got to catch Delorentos out of Dublin. Gotta love cute Irish boys. I only stayed for a few songs, but they sounded great, a hard powerful guitar-driven noise in the key of Brit Pop. If I had to equate them to someone, I'd say The Cribs meets Franz Ferdinand.

Stop -Delorenos (MP3)

In the "Guess Who I Saw" department, Clem Burke, the drummer for Blondie was digging the band too, directly in front of me. Made sense as I recalled his side band was playing at some point. As well, we discovered J. Mascis in the hotel lobby with us the previous morning. Frankly, I would have walked right past him if John hadn't pointed him out as the way he was dressed, he looked homeless.

2. Chatham County Line
Delorentos was playing at the Convention Center and thankfully, there was a coffee shop in between there and the next venue with Raleigh-natives, Chatham County Line. I never got to see them there—I think they started just before I moved away—but I always like to support bands from that area regardless. It was a beautiful day outside and the banjo-centric, North Carolina-Appalachian bluegrass inside was the perfect thing for an early Friday-though-it-felt-like-Sunday afternoon. Mother Maybelle Carter would have definitely approved.

Chip of a Star -Chatham County Line (MP3)

Around this time, Sean texted with his success in getting a pass from the SPIN booth for the SPIN party that day from their Convention Center booth and I should give it a shot. The party this year looked really promising with two bands I wanted to catch, The Whigs and those new indie darlings, Vampire Weekend playing back to back. I darted over as it was on the way to The Weakerthans set, but seems many others had the same idea. Poor kid manning the booth looked like a deer in headlights.

3. The Weakerthans
The Weakerthans out of Canada, were one band I was really looking forward to seeing at the Paste/ Stereogum day party at this club called Volume. (Volume had literally opened the Wednesday of SX I was told....which explained that yummy fresh paint smell. They obviously tested their air conditioning system in someplace like Canada in December too because the place was incredibly hot and steamy....like make you pass out hot.) These guys have Death Cab for Cutie all over them, between the lead singer's phrasing, the artful lyrics about heartbreak and dissolving love, and their sound...Which of course means I love them. The songs ranged from ballads to fast rockers so there's a little there for everyone. The place was mobbed and folks were singing along, so I guess I've been under a rock in terms of Weakerthans-mania.

The show was being simulcast on NPR's "World Cafe," which you can check out here.

Sun in an Empty Room -The Weakerthans (MP3)

I was told I should check back at the SPIN booth for passes again so I headed back and joined in the line of hopefuls, including another friend from our group, Dave. The guy manning the booth had apparently received an ok to go ahead and start distributing a few passes, so we were a lucky couple of kids.

While waiting in the line of uncertainty, the booth next to SPIN, a guitar manufacturer, had a few folks starting to play/sing a beautiful guitar/vocal version of the old Cowsills' song, "Happy." I remembered reading that Susan Cowsill was playing SX this year. It seems this was indeed her singing with her other Cowsill brethren, and I believe this was the first time in ages they'd done so. Beautiful harmonies for sure.

No one was certain of the start times of the Whigs or Vampire Weekend, but given the time, we knew we were cutting it close. Being the closest to Stubbs, the SPIN party location, I practically ran the four blocks to find out I'd done the right thing, The Whigs were just about the take the stage. I think the text message that went out was "Move yer asses!" :)

4. The Whigs
These guys blew me away, I don't know how else to say it. Out of Athens, GA, I'd heard of them but not *heard* them...in a word, "Wowza." It's music that beats your ass and makes you stand up and want more, seriously. If I had to classify their sound, I'd say maybe Led Zepplin meets...something really poppy and catchy (maybe these guys or, and you're gonna think I'm nuts, but I swear I hear Michael Hutchence-era INXS even). The Whigs' sound is hard but really friggin catchy. In fact, I picked up the cd "Mission Control" and drove around with it one nice afternoon doing errands...I found myself inadvertently drumming and humming the melody when I was out of the car getting my hair done, picking up my dry cleaning...really infectious songs. Drummer Julian Dorio was given Esquire magazine's 2007 Esky Award for Best Drummer), and it makes sense they utilize a serious asset and make their stuff really drum driven. Plus, watching Dorio play is entertaining because, in the words of my friend Dave, "it's a lot like watching Animal of the Muppets" really frantic, with this mass of hair that just goes everywhere. In fact, I was so impressed that after the SPIN party, they were playing that hellaciously hot Paste/Stereogum venue and I actually went back in there. Course, I didn't last long but still, that's gotta say something about The Whigs if I even attempted.

Their show from the Paste/Stereogum party was also being simulcast on NPR's "World Cafe," which you can also check out here. (Unfortunately some dumbass is chatting through some of it sorry). I didn't find this show as good as their SPIN party one so you'll just have to check them out live and see for yourself.

Production City -The Whigs (MP3)
Right Hand on My Heart -The Whigs (MP3)

5. Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend closed the SPIN party this year. I'd seen them on Saturday Night Live awhile back and frankly, wasn't overly impressed. They do have an odd but original sound though-sort of a ska/African pop sound and regular jangly-rock mixture that is catchy and different. There is something interesting and different there for sure. But is it worth all the friggin hype about them? That I'm not so sure. Someone should definitely tell them to work on their stage presence, in the words of the guy standing next to me, "Do you think they realize there are people out here actually listening to them?"

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa -Vampire Weekend (MP3)

6. Von Bondies
I'd gone to see The Whigs a second time after the end of the SPIN day party but only stayed a few songs because Volume was such a sauna that no amount of Lone Star beer was gonna quench for me. So I set out for the Von Bondies show up the street at Emos. Now if you know anything about Emo's, there's like three divisions of this joint: the Annex, the main area, and some other smaller venue on the corner. Trying to find which one was hosting the VonBondies took a friggin lifetime.

Emos, I found out later, is not the best mix for acoustics. While the Von Bondies play really loud, the vocals still weren't anywhere near loud enough. As such, things came across really muddy, an eek from a big wall of sound. I was introduced to the Von Bondies via Denis Leary and his show "Rescue Me," as the VB's song "Cmon Cmon" is the show's theme song. I even have it on my mix for the gym. But seeing them in this environment was rough. The new stuff sounded promising but it was tough to tell...This show, all it sounded like was a lot of yelling. I do hope to check the new record out, as well as another Bondies' live show hopefully, at a later date.

Cmon Cmon-The Von Bondies (MP3)

Coming up...Day 3 night shows...

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Day 1/Part 1
Day 1/Part 2
Day 2/Part 1
Day 2/Part 2