https://www.facebook.com/notes/mkdevo/review-the-breakfast-2014-05-09-the-ballroom-at-the-outer-space-hamden-ct/578063375625375Pretty amazing the vibe in that room on Friday night.
This was the only show of the three that I was able to make. While Providence looks better on paper to me, there's not a doubt in my mind that I was able to make it to the right show.
Everyone came out. Friday night was
the BFam 15
(ish)-year reunion.
We'd seen hints of it in 2013, with a few strong mini-reunions. I'm sure Boston and Providence this weekend were incredibly strong in that department as well. But while the BFam represents in a big way throughout most of New England, what happened on Friday night could not have happened anywhere but Connecticut.
It seemed like every time I turned around, I ran into someone else from this family who I hadn't seen in years. Someone who I used to see night after night, show after show. Someone who is a core Psychedelic Breakfast fan who I used to see the band in bars with before I was old enough to drink. Someone who has spent his entire fandom thousands of miles away, and another who was a hometown fan who relocated - both of whom flew in to see the shows. Someone who has greatly documented so much of what this band has done. Someone who ran up and danced on stage at the first Fonghoulish Freakout, who is now married to the keyboard player and the mother of his child. And so many, many more.
And when things settled down and we turned our attention to the stage, there was the music. The music that had brought us together so many times for so many years had brought us together once again. It was an incredibly satisfying setlist that was executed exceptionally. The first set gave us a great variety and range of Breakfast songs old and new, and was capped off with the band's once-elusive cover of Focus' "Sylvia" - always a fan-favorite. And there was no doubt the band meant business when they came out of the gates with "Wild Pack of Asscracks".
After a good breather, the second set brought out the heavy hitters. "Metropolis" rocked and laid the foundation nicely for what was to come. I don't think anyone would say no to a "Buquebus" and "Rufus" in the same set! "Taboo or Not Taboot" and "Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples" (Funkadelic) were excellent get-down songs after being kicked in the face by the a couple of the band's biggest and baddest songs. That get-down vibe stayed with us the rest of the way, and took us out with two of the band's oldest songs, "The Vermont Song" and "Gladys Pimp And Kangaroos With Me"
The nights that you don't want to end always seem to go by the fastest. And this night was no exception. Just like that, it was over. The lights went on and we shuffled out the same way we'd shuffled in a few hours earlier - hours that seemed like minutes. We said our goodbyes, keeping most of them long, and were on our way.
...but not before Stu Blatt was able to assemble a bunch of us for a miniature group photo:
Thank you Stu Blatt for what is a perfect memory of the evening for me.
There truly is no place like home. It was SO good to see you.
