To the Arlington moon, Marah says goodnight and blows a kiss
The wee small hours come in different ways for different people. For Sinatra, on his album of that name, the time means drifting through the rooms of a house. The time is lonely and ornate. Orchestration paints a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, a windowsill, and a hall.
For Marah, the album for these hours appears to be the new one. I have been trying to decide how to interpret Life Is a Problem, and last night's show at Iota has led me here… The kitchen has dishes in the sink, the opinions of anyone's recent grocery run and a phone with a cord that stretches forever. The living room is the workspace of the house musicians. The bedroom is for dead sleeps and sexual pacing, with a closet where everything that used to be important is piling up toward all that's now important, hung or shelved. The windowsill is heaven in summer and frustration in winter. The hall sees too much traffic and, if this is home, is the most affecting room in your house.
For Sinatra, the wee small hours are melancholy. For Marah, they are loose ends. Not lonely, not surrounded, not hot, not cold, not for work, not for play. The hours have answers, though, and they require effort.
About the show? The renewed band isn't fully formed yet, but they're hitting early marks. Dave's solos are going to terrific levels creatively, and he's bringing the new material even more to life than the raucous album. Christine's musicianship and personality are increasingly clear as the missing links in Marah evolution. Of the new band players, Mark Sosnoskie is punching his bass guitar as he jumps on the Iota bar and scaling the stage to play his trumpet. I could see Serge adopting him.
In related news, Christine raps. Best Marah randomness since Slo-Mo. Joining me in the rocking and liking what she heard and defending my chair at the bar later, Alison named it her favorite moment of the show.
Stuff to work on #1: The band needs to go on vacation together. Dave and Christine are obviously close, but the new guys are obviously still the new guys. So, the starter on the new album is Muskie Moon, an old Marah song reworked to new heights, and it's loaded with great lines. "To the moon, I say goodnight and blow a kiss" is one. "What a funny bunch of drunks have all gathered" is another. Marah has its legacy of weird personalities. Introduce us to your new funny bunch of drunks.
Stuff to work on #2: Dave mentioned coming back to town in August to play Rock and Roll Hotel. Awesome. I love Iota, but the crowd was too comfortable last night. Hotel's setup should make us sweat some more and knock out some distractions. I mean, this is freakin' Marah, people. They sweat for you, and you should sweat for them. That's the deal.
What needs no work: Cassette tapes. You heard me right. Bought the new album on tape at the merch stand. (You can do the same online.) I'm not saying this particular cassette is a magic cassette. (But it is.)
