Tuuli & Damelo

Just when you think that you have The Blue Room pegged, they turn all your theories on ‘Blue Room Time’ on their respective ears. The show was scheduled to start at 10 PM, right? So theoretically, that means like 11:00 or so. Well I arrived at 10:15 just to be sure that I didn’t miss anything, and after climbing the stairs, I find Damelo in full swing. It turns out, that if there isn’t a play going on that night, The Blue Room starts at exactly the time they say they’re gonna start, or in this case, ten minutes before. Cheers to them for always keeping me on my toes.

The music that Damelo created is kinda indie / emo core — abrasive, and full of energy and style. Dressed in black, the band tore through the remainder of their numbers with relentless fury. With drum sticks flying, guitar posturing and no apologies, they definitely had the rock ‘n’ roll in their veins. Gotta give it up to those who get on stage and put all their energy into a performance. Generally, I’m not able to decipher lyrics, but the impression I got was the songs were political in nature. As the lead singer callously spat out lyrics, the rest of the band threw themselves into the numbers. Their songs had a lot of variety, slipping into odd time signatures right into four / four simple beats. I also dug their cover of The Pixies’ "Where is My Mind." Personally, I’d like to hear a little more melody for contrast against their forceful, rough sound, but they’re definitely a good band and I hope to hear more from these local boys soon.

The headlining event of the evening was Tuuli, from Ontario, Canada, and they had their act down! Picture this: three gorgeous girls in glossy clothes, dyed hair, and great equipment, absolutely rocking out as cute and sexy as you can get — they were great. They all played their parts — goofy, outgoing lead singer, introspective lead guitarist, and super-cool, un-amused bass player. Their regular drummer couldn’t join them on tour, so she was replaced with a guy friend of theirs from up north. Poor guy, going on tour with a whole bunch of hotties… Playing their blend of punk influenced hard pop, they had the audience on a leash from the get go. "We love Chico," was answered by several chanting, "Chico loves you," in response. Fuzzy and over-driven guitars playing in unison, simple drowning bass, fast paced drums, and youthful, harmonizing vocals combined to make a tight, well-rounded sound. They also had a lot of energy on stage, rocking out on shoes, that more resembled stilts, somehow not toppling over. There seemed to be a theme in their set; after every other song the lead vocalist quipped something about how the next song was about a boy who broke her heart. Poor thing. I’m sure every guy in the joint was quickly thinking of unique ways to console her. Their short set consisted mainly of originals with a few covers thrown in. They did a pretty respectable version of "I’m Only Happy When It Rains," by Garbage and closed with "Blitzkrieg Bop," by The Ramones. They came, played with conviction (and a healthy dose of sex appeal), and left the crowd wanting more. You gotta check out Tuuli if you missed them — I know I’m going to see them the next time they play anywhere in the area.

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