CHRIS LETTERII IS BACK WITH A NEW POST!

HEY HEY HEY!!! Oscar D. Meany here more Chris Letterii goodness! I cannot stress how excited I am whenever we get a new story from this cat. Some people like music, this guy LIVES it. I wish I had this kind drive to be out there, night after night... ;) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Real Estate, Air Waves, the Beets at Bruar Falls Hoo boy. Before we get to the meat of this tale, I'll tell you a little story about the bus. I MTA Tripplanner'd (http://tripplanner.mta.info) the fastest way to get to Bruar Falls, the new(ish), Cake Shop-affiliated venue in Williamsburg, and I was directed to take the Bx19 to the 5 train to the L train. Sure thing. But then, after ten fruitless minutes, the Bx19 came -- out of service! And our new lieutenant governor is a former MTA chief? After this bus debacle, I can't say I trust him. I made my way down eventually -- finding an alternate route through the sheer force of my own wits -- but the hurt was already deep. I got to the venue at a quarter past nine, expecting to have missed Real Estate, who were scheduled to open the show at 8:30. Here's where the story takes a turn for the happy -- the show hadn't started yet! Thanks for waiting for me, Bruar Falls. It was probably a good call on their part, as the concert space in the back of the bar (cordoned off by just a curtain, so if you didn't feel like paying the $7 cover, you could still hear the music) was far from full even when Real Estate started setting up at about 9:20. In fact, they hadn't even started checking IDs at the door. Take note, astute readers: there's no rush at Bruar Falls. It's all about the experience. The experience began with Real Estate, possibly my favorite band on the bill. Well, it actually began with a Corona, but you're not here to read about my drinking habits (although I do tend to share these details rather often). Their songs, full of delicate, dual-guitar interplay, meander and build to gentle, immediately familiar refrains. Live, the band is not afraid to jam; the end of "Fake Blues" was a particular highlight. Catch them tonight with Titus Andronicus for free at the Whitney Museum, or next week at the Bowery Ballroom with Woods and Wavves (7/15) or Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg (7/16). You've already heard my thoughts on Air Waves , and they were very solid once again. By the time they took the stage, the room was fairly full, which was probably a relief for the bands and the venue, since most of the weekend's hype was around the Captured Tracks/Woodsist Festival (which lost much of its appeal to me when it was moved indoor to the frequently sweltering Market Hotel). Frontwoman Nicole Schneit thanked the crowd for bucking the hipster trend and coming out to Bruar Falls. That's called fan appreciation. Cultivating good will -- savvy move. The dedicated reader will recall that I skipped out on the Beets' set the last time I was at one of their shows. Not so this time. As they hung up a banner that read "We are the Beets. We are from Jackson Heights, Queens" I realized that these guys probably don't take themselves too seriously. When they launched into the snottiest cover of the Beatles' "I Should Have Know Better" that I've ever heard (out-snottying even my snotty-as-hell, preteen brother's band's version) my suspicions were confirmed. Their drummer plays standing up, all three group members shout-sing (suffice it to say that their harmonies aren't exactly CSNY-level) and they invited "the fourth Beet" onstage for a couple songs to provide some accompaniment on the recorder (yes, the instrument that you (and everyone else in the country) had to sort-of learn in 3rd grade music class). This was a savvy move by the Beets, as there is undoubtedly no instrument more crowd-pleasing than the recorder. This has been confirmed by numerous independent research studies. I have to be honest, here, loving readers: I didn't stick around for Grooms. I know I have disappointed many, but I was rather exhausted, the hour was late, and I was facing a 90-minute (at least) commute back to the BX borough. I really do like Grooms and their Pavement-style jams a lot, though, so I have no qualms recommending their upcoming shows at Death By Audio (tonight!) and the Whitney Museum (July 17th, with Abe Vigoda and free!). And I'm sure I'll be back here talking about one of their shows soon. Until then, I salute you. www.meanyfest.com