Last night the Steinways headlined a show at the Lit Lounge, which is kind of like playing Dracula's basement. Despite the cramped space and weird logistics (you have to pay a waitress standing next to the bar to get a drink from the bartender, say what???) it was a fun night. The Ghost of Lester Bangs, a NYC post-punk quartet, opened the show. They've got two singers, one with a rougher more hc voice and the other with a smoother, more pop voice, and a variety of songs that go from keyboard-inflected pop to angry mathy rockers. Two guitars, keybs, and drums, no bass but you don't miss it. Right now I'd say this band was still finding its sound but there's a lot of potential there plus excellent stage presence so I have high hopes.

The Asthmatics are a young pop/punk trio from Manchester NH who were making their first NYC visit. I don't think it will be their last. They play lots of catchy singalong pop/punk tunes in the style of NH bands like the Queers or the Guts (although Boney, the bassist, tells me that their scene in Manchester is completely cut off from those other NH bands from Portsmouth.) Check 'em out on MySpace and they have a tour booked in July, but hopefully we'll get 'em back here for a show before then.

The Steinways headlined, showing off a bunch of new songs which were a little longer and more fully fleshed out than some of the short, jokey songs on their debut CD, which is definitely a good thing. The band can do no wrong in my book but as much as I love Grath Madden's nasally pop/punk vocals, it was good to hear Ace and Michelle singing more. The crowd was so into them that I couldn't nudge my way close enough to the stage to get photos, which is definitely a good thing.

Props to the Pop Punk Message Board for turning out in force for this show, although it was also nice to see a lot of unfamiliar faces there too. Lots of college-aged faces there for GoLB and of course Lit Lounge turns into a dance club after the bands so there were some early-arriving hipsters filling the place up too, but shows are always more fun if they're full, so we'll take 'em anyway we can get 'em.
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