Split Lip Rayfield, the Asskickers & Robots Hate Cowboys

Kicking things off was Robots Hate Cowboys, a two-piece that is fairly new to the scene. Drummer Candice Armenta and bassist Andy Cose are supremely talented musicians, making the bass / drums combo perfectly viable. Armenta threw rolls in where you'd never expect rolls to be; where normally a drummer would hit his or her snare once, she nails it machine-gun style. Her snare had enough pop to knock your eyes out. When their songs got quieter, her intricate wrist-driven drumming was amazing. Cose played his bass like a guitar, hitting root notes and playing leads at the same time. There might as well have been two bassists for the amount of sounds he created. He did everything you could do with a bass: basic bass lines, harmonics, slides and even tapping. Their jazz inspired indie rock won over the crowd quickly.
Next up, in a complete warp of musical styles, was Chico's favorite alt-country band, the Asskickers. I normally hate funny music. It's usually not that funny and is usually made by a bunch of goofy jackasses who have nothing to say. That said, the Asskickers' songs are hilarious and I love them. They're not funny in an Adam Sandler / Bloodhound Gang, farts and boobies sort of way. Singer Bob Howard's lyrics cover everything from politics to drugs to cross-dressers and his lyrics, unlike so much "funny" music, make you think. While "Guns goin' off in the backyard sounds like freedom" may not be a lyric I agree with — guns goin' off in the backyard sounds like 'aww shit, I'm gonna get killed' to me — the Asskickers' "Anarchy Redneck Kingdom" inspires all sorts of anger at the government. The song even rails against the criminalization of marijuana. All around good musicians, the music sounded tight as usual — just rocking enough, just twangy enough. John LaPado handled slide guitar nicely and Scott Pressman rocked out on lead.
After a quick set change and some adjustments to the sound — could I get a little more highs on my gas tank? — Split Lip Rayfield took the stage. The band consisted of three unassuming looking guys on banjo, mandolin and a one-string bass made out of an old gas tank and a lead singer / guitarist, Kirk Rundstrom, who looked eerily like Booger from Revenge of the Nerds. An interesting sight. Their music was phenomenal. I wasn't exactly sure what bluegrass was before the show and this was probably the best introduction I could ever ask for. It's kind of like country on speed, but that doesn't do it justice. The band ripped up the stage with their stringed instruments. Mandolinist Wayne Gottstine plucked away with speed and fury. The one string bass worked for bassist Jeff Eaton who created a lot of percussive effects by slapping the back of the tank. All the members had really good voices and sang in three, and occasionally four-part vocal harmonies. Split Lip played a nearly non-stop foot stomping set.
Though a little less college-rock than usual, it seemed like any other show, but it was the last show the Blue Room will ever host. If you never caught a show there, fuck you, you blew it.
– Brian Brophy
– Photos by Myles Stenger

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