2008-11-10 - 3:02 p.m. Is the universe made of math? Saturday's song swap was quite enjoyable. Since Cafe Meow closed, Rebecca and Deena moved the swap to the 1978 Arts Center (their motto is "we only feature artists with puffy down vests and feathered hair"). I liked Cafe Meow, but the gallery functions much better as a performance space than the cafe did--better acoustics, a more spacious performance area, and a blessed absence of cappuccino-maker screeching in the background. Most importantly, all six of the performers on Saturday were excellent and really brought the tunes. I was there for Dan Sallitt, Erica Smith, and Dann Baker, but the other fellows (Randy Stern, Ed Siefert, and Alan Lee Backer) were all strong in an old-skool Hoboken-y, post-Mavericks mode. I think my favorite song of the whole shebang was Dan's first one, the restrained and poignant "Another Fearless Girl," although it was a treat to hear Erica's "Firefly" in a quiet, lyric-friendly setting. Still, Baker takes the cake for his bravura rendering of his recent classic "Sixteen Places That Raymond Chandler Lived." To fit the song-swap format, he carved the 9-minute piece into three sections, the first of which is captured here. He is such an effortless guitarist. thoughts? (7 comments so far) previous - next blog archive contact