by Sophie Block
Friday night I went to see Austin alt rock trio the Well-Dressed Thieves at Headhunters. Located kitty-corner from Stubbs, the home of BBQ and big-name acts, Headhunters gives stage space to lesser-known bands. They have two stages: a small platform in the corner of the first level, and the Cannibal stage. The latter is outside on the second level, with room for the audience on a porch-like deck and the loft above it. The bar decor is very eclectic--a mixture of skulls and tiki items. This hodgepodge reflects the vast array of musical genres that play there.
Upon my entrance I found myself lost in a sea of long hair and denim jackets, and at least one KISS t-shirt. Metal band Fur-King was filling up the tiny room with enough energy to fill a stadium. I rocked out to a few songs, and was impressed with how tight their sound was. That’s one of the great things about Headhunters, you can stumble upon great bands on your way to see a different one.
The Well-Dressed Thieves took the Cannibal stage, and they were indeed well dressed! All clad in black, they opened with “A Blues Thing,” a song with a catchy emphasized downbeat. Guitarist Troy Dry’s strumming was clean during the verses, but he brought on the distortion later in the song in a bluesy riff. Bassist Greg Baldwin took over vocals for the second song, the fast paced “Corina, Cocaine.” The Thieves' fuzzy vocal style over their defined instrumentation gives them a trademark sound. They’re rock with elements of trash, blues and punk. They play with distortion and feedback, and have clear punk influence in some guitar patterns and drums.
The band looked like they were having a lot of fun on stage and got the audience dancing (myself included!) Half way through their set and in the middle of a Nirvana cover, the Thieves were forced to stop playing. Apparently the Austin police called the show a noise violation, just shy of 1 am. Seriously? Even in the concert venue mecca Red River District in the world’s Live Music Capital, we can’t have a good time without getting in trouble. C’mon, Austin, that’s not very Rock and Roll.
Alas, despite the concert being cut short, it was a really fun show. The Well-Dressed Thieves took it like champs, and had a drink with the rest of us.
Upon my entrance I found myself lost in a sea of long hair and denim jackets, and at least one KISS t-shirt. Metal band Fur-King was filling up the tiny room with enough energy to fill a stadium. I rocked out to a few songs, and was impressed with how tight their sound was. That’s one of the great things about Headhunters, you can stumble upon great bands on your way to see a different one.
The Well-Dressed Thieves took the Cannibal stage, and they were indeed well dressed! All clad in black, they opened with “A Blues Thing,” a song with a catchy emphasized downbeat. Guitarist Troy Dry’s strumming was clean during the verses, but he brought on the distortion later in the song in a bluesy riff. Bassist Greg Baldwin took over vocals for the second song, the fast paced “Corina, Cocaine.” The Thieves' fuzzy vocal style over their defined instrumentation gives them a trademark sound. They’re rock with elements of trash, blues and punk. They play with distortion and feedback, and have clear punk influence in some guitar patterns and drums.
The band looked like they were having a lot of fun on stage and got the audience dancing (myself included!) Half way through their set and in the middle of a Nirvana cover, the Thieves were forced to stop playing. Apparently the Austin police called the show a noise violation, just shy of 1 am. Seriously? Even in the concert venue mecca Red River District in the world’s Live Music Capital, we can’t have a good time without getting in trouble. C’mon, Austin, that’s not very Rock and Roll.
Alas, despite the concert being cut short, it was a really fun show. The Well-Dressed Thieves took it like champs, and had a drink with the rest of us.
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