Last June, I had the chance to see a great original band from my native Long Island called Ready In 10 (myspace). I caught the premiere of the video for their song "One More Chance," as well as an awesome show. For some time now, I knew that they had scheduled a single show in New Hampshire - but the date had slipped my mind. That is, until about two weeks ago. I was simply doing my laundry - but since it was Sunday, I was at a different laundromat than usual. As my clothes dried, I saw a publication called The Hippo, with the cover of "25 Famous Granite Staters Who Never Lived." It looked interesting enough, so I start flipping through. As I get towards the back, I find the weirdest thing - an article about the upcoming Ready In 10 show! February 8, The Peddler's Daughter in Nashua - done and done.
Wearing the T-shirt I bought in Bay Shore at that last show, I made the hour-long drive into south central New Hampshire last night. As is usually the case when I go to a new city, getting there and finding the venue was simple, but parking was another issue. I ended up leaving myself a bit of a hike to the bar. I walked in, got a drink, and took a seat near the stage. Within ten minutes, the band's lead singer, Sal, comes over and says, "I like your shirt." We briefly re-introduced ourselves, and he returned to his preps for the show. About fifteen minutes before the band took the stage, an older lady came up next to me at the bar, and said, "I have one of those shirts!" It turned out she was the mother of Charity, the fan who was pretty much single-handedly responsible for bringing this slice of greatness to within sixty miles of me. I met her and a bunch of her friends. Just after ten, I was compelled to remind the band that we weren't in New York; the establishment would cease serving at 1 a.m., and the performance needed to get going.
Ready In 10 played for roughly two hours, and they had a nice mix of old stuff, songs I hadn't yet heard, along with a couple of covers at the end. Of the new stuff, my favorite was a song called "Turn Your Red Light Green." They hit every song on the album - songs which sounded even better live than they do on my iPod. The coolest moment of the night was right about halfway through, when they mentioned me, and thanked me for coming out - and then, fittingly, they played "One More Chance." I was floored. Since I saw them last, they have changed drummers, and their new one is extremely talented. This talent was expressed in a long and energetic drum solo during "Simple." They - along with just about every one of their fans there - were surprised to discover there's a New Hampshire state law that prohibits the performers from being served before or during a show. Every time someone ordered drinks for the band, employees were quick to pull them away. After the show was complete, I talked to Sal, Mike, and Marc, and they again reiterated their appreciation for my coming down. It was at this time that we learned that half the speakers had been inoperative for the entire show. I got a picture with Sal, and said goodbye to the other fans I'd met, and took off - it was nearly 1 am, and I had an hour's drive back. The guys said they've got a show coming up in Boston in April; with my impending return to Connecticut, I hope to be able to see them a lot more often.
It was another great night in a week that happened to be filled with them, between the Giants' winning the Super Bowl and the Mets' introducing Johan Santana. With the suck factor at work increasing exponentially, I need as much good energy in my life as I can get - and last night provided an ample amount.
Pictures: Ready In 10 - The Peddler's Daughter (Nashua, NH) - 8 February 2008