Pride Parade
w/ Gift Horse, Sleepy Horses
Thursday, Oct. 23 @ Caledonia Lounge
originally published October 28, 2008

It was a dark and stormy night, and I had taken a creative writing course. The wind whipped, and a light mist covered the cold evening. I made my way to the Caledonia Thursday night to be lulled into a sense of security by opening acts, only to have my face rocked off by Pride Parade.

Gift Horse took the stage first and matched the weather with its droning, pulsing grunge meets shoegaze rock. The band started up a haunting number, lit from below by a single spotlight, creating a shadowy atmosphere. It was like riding slowly through the desert night during a thunderstorm - you're your own personal soundtrack. Songs like "Not the Only One" sounded perfect in the Caledonia, echoing off the walls. People had piled into the Caledonia to get out of the cold, they stayed for Gift Horse.

The Sleepy Horses were up next. They've been through a few lineup changes since I saw them last. The difference was barely noticeable, but it was there. The new drummer was a little steadier rhythmically and a fourth instrumentalist added just a touch more, making the group sound a bit more like its record. The Horses played a whopping four songs to the nodding crowd, each averaging somewhere around eight minutes long. Sleepy Horses is an appropriate name. The layered Edge-like guitar melodies, steady bass and pounding drums are soothing enough to put you to sleep but interesting enough to keep you awake.

It's always a little awkward to figure out what to do with yourself when watching bands like Gift Horse and the Sleepy Horses. Do you sit down and just gaze, or do you stand up and nod while unconsciously keeping the beat with your leg? Whatever you do for these type bands, it'll be worth your while to give them a listen. Can we get these guys on a tour with Quiet Hooves and Band of Horses? Please?

It was a jolt to my now frozen system to go from the relatively quiet Sleepy Horses to Pride Parade. Fans of the opening acts hung around for a bit, but more and more of the leather clad and chained crowd came in. The difference in volume alone was enough to make me wonder if I hadn't accidently gone to another venue during the break. From the first note it was clear: We are going to rock.

Pride Parade was LOUD. There's not a whole lot more that you can say about that. Just for reference's sake, I stood outside the Caledonia listening from across the street and could hear everything. It was an all out, turn your amps to 11 bar brawl of sound. These guys are loud rock stars and damn proud of it. They had all of the good parts of what used to be rock and roll: wailing guitar solos, screaming vocals, and a bass/drum sound that vibrated so much that it shook up whoever was playing the Farm 255 stage.

The faithful who braved the cold and rain were treated to an unfortunately short set of tunes from the band. But, they danced until the band was done. One guy was headbanging so hard I was sure that I'd heard his neck snap, but that turned out to just be the snare drum. Oh well. Pride Parade will help you warm your cold heart and hands but they don't help much with pulled neck muscles.

Jordan Stepp