There’s a songwriter in town.
Now, in most small scenes, songwriters perform, whether they like to or not. The idea of walking up to somebody else’s band and handing them some lyrics and a melody seems ludicrous. I’d you’re too shy to play out, approaching someone else to play your stuff seems even more daunting.
This songwriter—we won’t reveal the name—had a quiet strategy. Left notebooks and slips of paper, with poetry and chords scribbled on them, all around the Bullfinch every few nights for weeks on end. It didn’t take long to have some of the regulars buzzing. Then it was just a matter of finding out who this butterfingers was, who couldn’t hold onto a pack of such precious papers.
The final step was a little less obvious, but someone finally asked if these songs were ever going to be played out—this was The Bullfinch after all, where some musician’s every idle thought can get an airing, if only on a Wednesday. When it turned out that the songs were veritable orphans, they were adopted at once by a beer-fueled table of fans.
The generous communal impulse grew and grew until it was decreed that members of half a dozen or so different bands would play two entire sets of the mystery composer’s songs this coming Tuesday. Moreover, the bands themselves would be a mystery—new conglomerations of musicians who used to play together, or share a studio place, or have time to rehearse. Somebody had the bright idea to name the bands after the songs they were playing.
Hence a set list that is identical to the band line-up:
Those Endearing Young Chains
Thunder Below,
Time Without Pity
Try and Get Me
The Trout
Who is Hope Schuyler?
Where the Hot Wind Blows
Valley of Hunted Men
World for Ransom
Oh men! Oh women!
The Notorious Lone Wolf
Edge of Darkness
The Family Next Door
Odds Against Tomorrow,
Sins of the Children
Singin’ in the Corn
Sinners in Paradise
They Won’t Forget
It was further decided that this would be a benefit for something or over, yet to be decided. But a benefit for sure. In any case, the main beneficiary is the one who wrote those songs and titles.
Coming up two days sooner: Ex-Champ, The Limping Men and Kids & a Queen all exchanging spit at the Bullfinch… Three Strangers, Two Headed Spy, Unseen enemy and ska oirchestra The Ten Flags at Hamilton’s… We Go Fast, Young Ideas at D’ollaire’s for an afternoon show. Then they chase everyone outside, bring them back in again, and present Zis Boom Bah, Wise Maids and the worth-the-wait (we’ve waited four years for them to come to town) Youthful Cheaters.