Rats, trash and babies

Last time I was at the Montgomery Legion it was for the Tomaney-Cook prenuptial shindigs featuring The Allrights, Centretown Cripplers and White Wires, but that was in the upstairs room ... for a basement shindig we have to go back more than five years to a Varge-Doers-DD.MM.YYYY-Expatriates-Quebexico gig ... all bands since defunct, with the possible exception of The Doers. Anyway, this show was an Ottawa Explosion warmup of sorts, featuring a couple of great local bands and a crew from south of the border.

Rat Tales are a new band of folks who you've already seen: The Girlfriends' Sammy and Wolfgang, plus their Mistress bandmate Coupe De Ville and pal Luke. They kicked out some really top-notch power-pop with super vocal work. Here's Coupe and Wolfgang (and my flash - they've installed a mirror since Quebexico et al. played there)


Rat Tales at the Montgomery Legion Hall, June 8, 2011

Luke and Sammy! As you can see they broke out the striped shirts, except for Wolfgang who ditched the shirt and kept the stripes (you'll see what I mean when I follow things up tomorrow, along with a lot of shoulder riding).


Rat Tales at the Montgomery Legion Hall, June 8, 2011

The Middens have been kicking out since an R'N'R Pizza Party show last year. Unfortunately it seems they're one of those bands with a short lifespan,  since frontman Matthew Wells is moving back to Saint John's. They went out as they came in, sharply dressed and ultra-distorted.


The Middens at the Montgomery Legion Hall, June 8, 2011


The Middens at the Montgomery Legion Hall, June 8, 2011

Finally, Nashville, Tennesee's Natural Child gave us a preview of some of the folks - like Bad Sports and Heavy Cream - who will be gracing our fair city for the Ottawa Explosion. When they started off they had me thinking of Endless Boogie. I also detect hints of southern rockers like Black Oak Arkansas and something of a Memphis garage rock sound.


Natural Child at the Montgomery Legion Hall, June 8, 2011

All this and a snappy beat too!


Natural Child at the Montgomery Legion Hall, June 8, 2011

A real treat for a Wednesday night.

• Show reminder: Machine Gun Dolly, Gunsmoke, RawRawRiot, Lost Youth and Scally Cap Brats play Cafe Dekcuf; downstairs at Mavericks you'll find Chuck Ragan, Dave Hause, The Rough Sea and Old Crimes; Weyes Blood, Angels in America, Karn and local personal faves Roberta Bondar perform at Babylon; Kathryn Calder, Brian Dunn and Ox play Zaphod's; the Elmdale hosts the charmingly named Petunia and Minimalist Jug Band, Big Smile shares the bill.