Event: EP launch
Where: Annandale Hotel
When: November 17, 2004
We arrived at the Annandale as the last touches were being done on stage. The opening acts had already gotten the place moving and the room was packed and hot. When we pushed up to the bar and ordered a drink, the bartender's t-shirt gave us a laugh and set the tone pretty well. In big bold letters it said, "FUCK THIS - I'm going to the Annandale." We liked the attitude (and wanted a shirt).
We didn't get a copy of the set list, and we didn't ask for one. So we won't go through the review song by song. Instead, we focused on 3 different elements of the night: the band - Rynsaardt, vocals and guitar - Jan Rysaardt, and the pub - the Annandale. Let's get busy....
The Band - Rysaardt
This was Rysaardt's EP launch. This 3-piece band plays grinding, pulsating blues. It had a real Lenny Kravitz and Jimi Hendrix feel to it. As a group, they looked like they intentionally dressed without a plan. Jan wore an indie beaded necklace and a comfortable earthy singlet. Bass player, Dean Calkin wore a white dress shirt. And, drummer, Ekko Gaha wore a Dick Tracey hat and Starskey and Hutch mirrored-sunnies.
The lights were set up to ensure your eyes stayed on Jan. But so was the music - it is his band and it was his show. Rysaardt doesn't count on chit chat with the audience to get them through - they have tight transitions between songs, moving from one to another quickly and sometimes seamlessly.
Sometimes the blues gets monotonous - where each song starts to sound like the one before it and they all blend into one. Not with Rynsaardt. The set started with a standard, solid blues riff, and then as Rysaardt moved from song to song they took the music to different levels.
The rhythm was really well laid out by Dean and Ekko. Ekko was charismatic, consistent, and creative in his drumming and was a real pleasure to groove to. He played well and added dynamics to each song and within the set as a whole.
When the spotlight wasn't on him, Dean matched the confidence, intensity and the passion of Jan and Ekko. My only criticism of the band as a whole would in the confidence of Dean when the spotlight was offered to him. He had a mic and was supposed to use it, but when he did he was reserved - almost shy. And in the last song when Jan gave him the spotlight, Dean instantly looked uncomfortable; it seemed like he couldn't pass the baton to Ekko fast enough. As a result, his solo wasn't very robust even though he had demonstrated amazing talent throughout the night.
Vocals and Guitar - Jan Rysaardt
Jan had our attention from the beginning. He picked up has Strat and turned it up to 11. He had great command of the instrument and easily handled vocals while he pumped out intricate riffs. His voice was gruff (a good, bluesy gruff) and strong; it reminded me of Johnny Diesel in 1989.
Throughout the night Jan played 2 different Strats (one seemed to be detuned by ½ or maybe even a full note), some slide guitar on a Les Paul, and even a little bit of banjo during the encore. (The banjo might have been a really nice touch, but Jan didn't seem as confident on it - volume was down and he didn't seem to hit the picking strings very solidly. After the song, Jan said, "That's enough for that," and handed the banjo to his stage hand. The crowd roared as he picked up his Strat and hit a power chord to start the next encore.)
Jan finished with Hendrix's Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire. He played it perfectly and sang it well, in his own style. Jimi would have been happy to listen.
The Pub - The Annandale
How long has it been since you went to the Annandale? Well, it's been several years for me and, to be honest, I hadn't really been paying much attention. I don't drive on Parramatta Road and for awhile there I didn't seek out a lot of gigs - I waited for friends to tell me about bands and gigs and I went wherever they told me to go.
My loss.
The Annandale has live music throughout the week. Sometimes a DJ will sneak in too (no offence) but for the most part, the Annandale is a live music pub. For the gig on Wednesday night, the pub had a great feel. First, as I've already said, it was packed. Therefore it was pretty warm, but since we were all dressed for summer, the feel was good.
Second, the lights and sound were very good. The Annandale management seems to understand that quality performers need quality equipment. I noticed that there were 2 manned cameras capturing the gig on Wednesday; Dan says that they do all of their recording and photography in-house. So he knows what it takes to promote a band well and he provides that to bands who play there. Novel.
Third, there was enough staff to keep the juices flowing. And they can lipread when the band is playing - always a good bonus when the band is loud. And they all seemed really, genuinely happy to be there. Believe me, I don't throw around a complement like that often. It is such a pleasure to order from someone who wants to help you. More than that, though, the staff listened and grooved to the music, too. If there was a minute to watch and listen, they did. I love it.
Improvements? When the place is going to be packed like that, it would be good to move the bar tables off to the side so that the room can fill in a bit, but then again, it was good to have somewhere to put your empties.... Cigarette smoke and heat were rampant and lingering so some better ventilation and cooling would be nice.
In the End
Three cheers to Rysaardt! (Seek them out!) Three cheers to Jan! Three cheers to the Annandale! And three cheers to Dan for supporting live music and musicians and for running a great establishment. We need more like him.
Now - let's make it each and every person's personal challenge to go and see at least one original act a month. One you haven't seen. Challenge your friends. Let's lift live music! Get out there!
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