Many options abound for Gotham denizens when it comes to the New Years countdown, and this year was no exception. While some people still opt to watch the ball drop in Times Square for some godforsaken reason, music is the top priority for me, thus I had no fewer than 4 stops on my schedule on NYE. But when the countdown began, I opted for the Mercury Lounge to hear Earl Greyhound deliver their first cover tune (or at least, first cover tune of the modern Ricc Sheridan-era).
Days earlier, guitar-slinger Matt Whyte had intimated to me, "It's the perfect song for us right now," which started my hamster on its jukebox wheel, but all my guesses were way off. When the midnight bassline introduced "You Make Loving Fun", I was surprised and delighted, but was perhaps more surprised by the fact that I had my face melted right off by a Fleetwood Mac cover. I hope 2008 is full of similar satisfying surprises...Thanks to the shooting skills of Danielle Lurie, you can see it for yourself here:
That wasn't the only surprise from the ever-rockin' Brooklyn trio. They bravely offered up some acoustic numbers penned by Whyte, a bold gift for a crowd expecting a heavy dose of rock n' roll on a rowdy night. But the ditties they chose were well-received, and featured a side of Whyte and Thomas that most EG fans wouldn't know existed unless they had frequented the HonkyTonk Happy Hour. "Black Sea Vacation" is a song Whyte wrote for a rock-opera Thomas produced in April of 2006 called "Bulgaria". Even more surprising was the delivery of a beautiful children's song written by Whyte called "This Tree" (which he modestly ascribes to be a rip-off of a Dylan Thomas poem), a tune they played at the request of mighty drummer Ricc Sheridan. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea (Earl Grey or otherwise), these acoustic selections revealed a depth of rich musical talent that most hard-rock bands could only hope to reach.Once they began rocking-face again, the trio played a promising new song based on their trip to Japan, and to my delight, they are finally letting audiences revel in the glory of the finest song they've written to date:
"The Ghost and The Witness". If you think their "Monkey" is thundering, just you wait...If the softer side of the Greyhound caught your fancy, you will want to be sure to catch the next three Sundays at the Living Room, where the HonkyTonk Happy Hour will be making its much-awaited return. This is the forum where Thomas and Whyte play country classics with some of New York City's finest; a gang so good they're being featured in an upcoming documentary, and word is that son-of-Waylon Shooter Jennings will be making the rounds, so there will be some roots royalty around. Pretty sweet way to rock off your new year, y'all.
