It’s a good day today in K-town. The sun is shining, the birds are tweeting (but not, as far as i know, on Twitter), and I’m sitting comfortably in my new house with some chilled pink lemonade while listening to some Russian Circles.

Speaking of Russian Circles– we were finally graced with their presence this past Thursday! Despite a setback this past winter with a show cancellation due to inclement weather, they returned to us– and this time the clouds mercifully left us alone (thank you clouds). And I was able to experience this event thanks to a generous monetary gift from The Daddy. Now I will be able to relay for you all that went down Thursday night.

Opening up the night was Grand Rapids natives, Charles the Osprey. While I’m not a huge fan of their music, I am still able to appreciate the technical prowess of both the drummer and the guitarist. It never ceases to amaze me how 2 guys can create a sound that matches or exceeds that of a full band. If you’re interested in progressive or math rock like Cheer-Accident or The Fall of Troy, and you enjoy discussing time signatures or finger tapping techniques with your friends,  you may like these guys.

Next up was The Life and Times of Kansas City, Missouri. They were quite honestly my favorite band of the night. I am an avowed sucker for big, spacey ambient rock and these guys completely delivered. The only thing I was slightly frustrated with was that the right vocal monitor was crackling like crazy during their set so it was really distracting when I wanted to hear the entire band. I hope the Strutt will get it fixed soon. Nevertheless, I was really impressed with these guys. So if you like music to watch the stars to, music like The Appleseed Cast or maybe even Swervedriver, please check these guys out.

And of course, the band we had all been waiting to see at the Strutt since January, Russian Circles, closed out the night. There’s something so gratifying listening to music like this. You’re getting the full package. There’s ambiance and a lot of clashing cymbals, but you can precisely hear every note being played. This is what makes Russian Circles stand out amongst their post-rock peers. I also have to give a huge kudos to The Strutt’s sound guy, Mark, for helping re-create their huge sound in such a small venue. If you’re a fan of Caspian or Pelican, you’re going to absolutely love this band. I sincerely hope we can be graced with their presence again– I’ll be in the front row.

Be sure to check out our calendar for all the goodies coming up in the next few months- I’ll be at Kalamashoegazer on Saturday enjoying myself some good shoegaze music. See you there!