Ezra Furman & the Harpoons @ Fat Baby. NYC.

I schleped my ass through the obnoxious rainstorm last night to get to Fat Baby, a small, underground venue off of Rivington St. near the lower east side of Manhattan. The subways were running out of whack because they apparently don't know what rain is, so I had to take a bus and then a subway and then walk a thousand miles. My heels almost broke. I nearly fell in the slippery streets. Why would I do this, you ask? To see Ezra Furman & the Harpoons, of course, and it was worth every curse word I muttered on the way.

This show was part of the CMJ festival and luckily, even though I had no badge, I was able to get in with a cover at the door. The venue was plastered with Halloween decorations, which was pretty cool. Unfortunately, it was the only thing they had going for them. The room was small; normally a good thing, but not when small means not knowing where to stand without being in someone's way. In between shows, horrible top 40 music blared from speakers, so loud you couldn't hear yourself or anyone else speak. Thank God it didn't take long for Ezra and the Harpoons to grace us with their presence. The suicidal music ceased and the good, honest rock and roll began.

Considering my last time seeing them play was in Nashville with a temporary fourth member, it was strange watching/hearing them as a three-piece again. I'll admit, some of the show was a bit shaky, with Furman forgetting some lyrics and a couple of mishaps with his guitar, but none of it mattered. Everyone in attendance was there to have a good time and that's exactly what they got. This band is certainly not short of songs that make you want to dance and if you don't know the words, make you wish you did so you could sing along at the tops of your lungs like a total lunatic. Not only are these guys talented, they are entertaining and are guaranteed to get a laugh out of you at some point. Again, "Take Off your Sunglasses" was the biggest hit with the crowd and songs like "We Should Fight" were enough to make you feel as though you were transported to a 1960's rock show. If you are into that sort of thing or prefer something different from the crap they're playing on the radio, I would bet that you'd dig Ezra Furman and the Harpoons.

I honestly believe this band is on it's way to becoming something big. Be on the lookout.

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Ezra Furman


Myself with the Harpoons: Adam Abrutyn [drummer] and Job Mukkada [bassist]