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The New Transit Direction
Hudson River School
The Downers
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Kilby Court
Salt Lake City, UT
9/28/2002
By: Derik Hendrickson
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Those that have attended a show at Kilby Court in Salt Lake City are aware of the personality of the venue. It is a warehouse with a courtyard, and the restrooms are across the alley in the adjoining warehouse/living space. One of the only all-ages venues in Salt Lake City, this spot sees many acts hit its stage.
Tonight was special as The New Transit Direction had two A&R reps visiting. In essence, it was a showcase for Island/Def Jam.
The Downers opened the show with their signature new wave garage rock. These guys (and gal) have improved impressively over the last year or two, and it's not very often one gets to see a band with a Michael J Fox look-alike fronting it. Paulie is great, he wore a suit and sunglasses, and I couldn't help but compare him to the main character in Back To The Future. The band played a lively set that included favorites such as "Eight Zeros" and "Never Again" from their previous two releases, and they also unveiled a new song that is to be recorded for their next release.
The crowd grew significantly as The Downers worked through their set. For a venue that is happy to see 100 people on a normal evening, there were at least 150 people by the end of their set. Don't get me wrong, Kilby is the best place to catch young bands. When Salt Lake decides to back some of their finest local musicians, the excitement in the room steps up significantly.
The second band to take the stage was Hudson River School. Since their CD Scenes from a Vinyl Recliner was released almost a year ago, these guys have been working hard on new songs. In fact, their technique of playing only limited shows locally has done well for them for the most part. The crowd seemed curious to hear what was next. Two demo recording sessions and a new drummer later, the boys of HRS are ready to step it up a notch or two. What began as a band that has been dubbed "the Toad the Wet Sprocket of the emo world," this quartet has become something of an energy-expending pop machine. After warning the crowd that their set may be a bit short due to the new drummer, Hudson River School performed a precise and energetic set. With their new drummer, they've added a bit more energy to the band.
In talking to the band after their set, it looks like Hudson River School has big plans for the near future. They boys are planning on hitting the recording studio with an as-yet-unnamed producer to record an EP for release early next year. Interest for this band has been building and I'm quite excited to see what lucky label picks up the new recording once it is complete.
The New Transit Direction recently finished recording a new album in Washington, D.C. with famed engineer and producer J. Robbins of Jawbox and Burning Airlines fame. Just knowing that they impressed Mr. Robbins, many fans are talking about how amazing this album will be. We can only hope that the release of this album will not be far away, especially after seeing the band hit the stage this evening.
The stage stands just above my ankles, and I have to stay on my toes (so to speak) during the set so that I don't collide with Levi Lebo's bass as he's rocking the house. Levi is a returning member of the band, and this was his first show on bass for The New Transit Direction. Having played guitar with Hardcore heroes Clear, he also helped form The New Transit Direction at its inception a little over three years ago. After about six months on guitar, he left the band for other projects. One of these amazing projects is a Salt Lake City band called The Kill, which originally also included Josh Asher – the vocalist and guitarist for TNTD. Levi didn't miss a beat, and he added much needed excitement to the showcase.
After performing two songs, Kilby Court was overflowing into the courtyard. I tried to move through the crowd to judge crowd response in the back, but decided my spot up front was way too valuable. The band nailed old favorites like "Three Word Distrust" and "Song For the Anonymous," then proceeded to play songs from the new recording. I specifically remember a song that the boys play that reminds me of old Dismemberment Plan vocals. I can only hope that this song is on the unreleased record.
With such a celebratory mood in the air, the show was over before I knew it. I even found myself a beer cozy that reads "I Party With The New Transit Direction." Damn good thing too, because the party that night lasted well into the AM.
It sounds like Island/Def Jam may not be the label for The New Transit Direction at this time, but the execs that came out for the show have offered the band help in shopping around the record in order to find a strong label that can take care of them to the fullest.
As soon as we find out more, we'll let you know. Until then, catch The New Transit Direction on the road near you – soon.
The Downers are planning on a 5-day tour of Colorado in November with Sherlock.
Hudson River School has just returned from tours of the Western US with Superdrag and Ultimate Fakebook.
The New Transit Direction plan on mastering their new recording and shopping it to some more labels in the coming months. Tour plans are currently in the works.
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