Review: Julie of the Wolves & Injecting Strangers @ Haymarket

Just about 3 months after Cincinnati's Injecting Strangers first show, They found their way to Louisville Feb. 8 with The Teeth and Julie of the Wolves. To anyone familiar with these three bands it might seem like an odd pairing; regardless it is nice to see twin-city scheming between Louisville and Cincinnati that may form into something like the 1990s Rock N' Roll railway between Louisville and Chicago that brought many great bands here and gave Louisville musicians a chance outside of town.

In a forgotten storage building behind the Haymarket Bar is where bands play when they play at the Haymarket. It is very bizarre, but no more than The Haymarket its self.   The Teeth played first, i'm not sure why, perhaps hospitality for the out-of-towners, either way I missed their set again. this marks the latest in a long line of failed attempts of me trying to see them live, i have really enjoyed their newest LP and it is well worth a listen for anyone who enjoys post-garage..

Injecting Strangers played second, and i made it just in time for their very long and drawn-out sound check. It was a little painful, and maybe unnecessary as the sound equipment at Haymarket has somehow  made a  Miraculous recovery since the fun but ill-fated New Years Eve show, when everything that could go wrong   did go wrong. Watching Injecting Strangers uncomfortably fumble with their equipment I thought 'god, they're young.' and just then a girl next to me looked at them and said "God, I'm Old." So I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder, either way I completely retracted my thought the very second they stopped with the fart and titty jokes and dove straight into their set. They played with the gusto of veteran rockers and with the stage presence of vaudevillian legends. Lead Singer Richard Ringer has the makings to be a great entertaining personality; embodying just the right amounts of a Birthday Party era Nick Cave and pre-Beautiful World Mark Mothersbaugh.   To the best of my knowledge they played all three tracks from their short but finely crafted Nightmare Nancy EP: available for free download here, or as a free CD at their shows that comes with a bonus track..  they did mention wanting to play Louisville regularly. I recommend that they do.

injecting strangers @ haymarket

Richard Ringer: The Birthday Party & Devo's escaped love child.

Last up was the incomparable,  and possibly unappreciated Julie of the Wolves, as I was completely surprised that there wasn't more people to witness the unabashed rock they exhume without even trying.
Maybe rock isn't appreciated the way it was a decade ago, or maybe it had something to do with the entire Derby City Roller Girls team showing up in the main building for a fashionable get down.
Regardless the crowd that stayed was in for a rock infused show starting with their super catchy Create/Destroy, the title track to their solid new LP. read logan's review here. Carrie Neumayer and company can scream and crush with the best of them. I hope they too hit the stage in Louisville again soon.

Julie of the Wolves