So many bands pose as an opening act for themselves by scaling down to side projects or solo sets or what have you. So it was truly novel to hit a presumed rip-off “Evening With…” show at D’ollaires and get a full revue of several different bands, all featuring Ziggy Hell. In the Annie Doni band, he backed his wife on—get this—stand-up cello. In the acoustic duo Money & Run, he was “Money” to Bert Tony’s “Run.” Tony, Ziggy’s longtime touring bassist, was also around for the main set, a full-blown six-piece combo doing all the hits you wanted to hear and none of the downer ones you didn’t. There was also enough patter to constitute a stand-up set on its own.
We bitch about “Evening With”s constantly—they’re lazy low-key affairs that are less planned than an average band rehearsal. They’ve do away with opening acts and other elements of variety in the name of “intimacy” and “purity.” There’s rarely a decent tech crew. Everything’s bargain-basement, except you tend to pay more for the privilege of seeing the star “up close.” Thank you, Ziggy Hell, for showing us a good. We’ll wait at least a week before we starting slamming slumming gods again.

How Now Dow and the Ander Sisters at the Bullfinch… Just Tell Me What You Want takes your song suggestions at Hamilton’s… Warren LaSalle and the Pelhams at D’ollaire’s…