Alphabet Soup

I quickly changed out of my work clothes when I got home, started up the bike, and was soon motoring up to Northampton. I was intending to catch the remaining couple hours of the Transperformance 18 show, going on at the Pines Theater in Look Park.

The show had started about 4:00, but it was right about 6:30 when I headed out. I wasn't too worried about it, as I heard there was a slew of bands performing. I was sure I'd get to see my fill.

I showed up at the Pines Theater right around 7-ish, and paid the eight bucks to get in (the bands all volunteered their efforts, so the money went to further fund local arts).

It looked like a pretty good turnout, the theater was just about full.





I grabbed a drink (the price also for charity, I assumed) and staked out a spot to watch the show...



The group Spouse was winding up a U-2 performance as I walked out onto the grass.





After that performance, there was a short but sweet memorial to Buddy Rubbish. Buddy was a beloved local radio personality, and long time Transperformance advocate and announcer.



Out came the Leah Randazzo Group, to get the crowd riled up and hopping with the soulful sounds of the Jackson Five.



I had a video clip of these guys, but erased accidentally, in a fit of space-making deletions on my memory card...(Aargh!)... It's too bad, they had the crowd moving...



The crowd now warmed up, it didn't take much to send everyone into a tizzy with Serum 114's great renditions of the B-52s. Rock Lobsta' anyone?



Darkness had completely fallen by the time the B-52's triumphantly walked off stage, and before the next band, came the 'Fem-n-Ems' (hope I got that right). They ripped up an Eminem rap song, turning it into a rallying cry for middle aged feminism.



It was weird, but funny, and the crowd seemed pretty appreciative.

Then came the next band, the famous Aloha SteamTrain, doing a fine tribute to glam-band T-Rex.



King Radio then came out after that, and did a few renditions of the complex music of ELO. By this time it was getting pretty chilly (autumn coming, you know), and I began thinking more about the cold ride home than the final couple bands coming up: Kate O'connor as K.D. Lang, and the band Drunk Stuntmen, who were going to do their much-touted version of the J. Geils Band.

I wanted to stick around until the end, but decided it was time to go. But after a final, warming dose of the funk, courtesy of the band Unit 7 doing up the band P-Funk:



The bands were all surprisingly good. The local talent we have here is immense; it was my first time at Transperformance but it won't be my last...