1990s - Mercury Lounge

For a show I thought I'd really enjoy, 1990s last night at Mercury Lounge were a bit of a letdown for me. The songs on the band's Cookies CD are catchy, but I didn't get their full sting last night. Guitarist Jackie McKeown sings and plays well, with a genuine smile to the fans in the crowd, but I was underwhelmed by their drummer Michael McGaughrin last night.

Pitched up front and center stage, flanked by his bandmates on each side, his 1-2 basic rhythms made Meg White sound like John Bonham. It seemed to me that songs like "You're Supposed to be My Friend", with their singalong choruses, could rise so much higher with more dynamic drumming. Maybe it's just me.


Photo by Dfactor

The final song by the band included several minutes of guitar feedback over a looping rhythm, but it seemed almost like a time stretcher rather than an integral part of the song.

Matt Hobbs liked the band at Union Pool on Tuesday night. 1990s plays again tonight at Club NME at the Annex.