Do you remember Ruby Skye? The terrible EDM venue that seemed more like a good place to find overpriced liquor staining a cheap carpet? I mean, if you remember a night at Ruby Skye, you were probably never there. So I wasn’t surprised when the venue closed. I’m pretty sure the DEA would’ve shut it down eventually.
But I was surprised to see, when Courtney Barnett announced tour dates, they included a venue called “August Hall,” and the address was surprisingly close to the address of the old Ruby Skye. Was Barnett, one of the greatest rock songwriters of our time, going to be playing behind a DJ booth? Would there still be an oxygen bar in the corner? Would I be able to buy ketamine in ALL of the bathrooms still?
As I approached the venue, I noticed that the large, gaudy Ruby Skye sign, complete with video screens advertising upcoming events and drink specials, was gone and replaced with a tasteful marquee, simply saying “August Hall. Welcome.” I entered the room swiftly, past an easily visible coat check and merch table, and down a short hallway. After passing two of the four restrooms, I encountered a wonderfully spacious open dance floor. Looking around the perimeter, I noticed that, in the right and left of the room, there was an elevated floor with tables and chairs, so folks that get there early could grab a seat and still easily see the stage if people were standing.
I walked upstairs and checked out the balcony. Massive and spacious, it had a large bar in the back. It reminded me a lot of the balcony at the legendary 9:30 Club in Washington DC. I scoped around and found, hidden behind a corner, a door with the phrase “Relief From the Glare of the Stage” etched into it. I opened the door and found a lounge, with a full bar, a piano, books, couches, open windows, and a TV showing the action on the stage. While waiting for opening act Jay Som to take the stage, I caught up with an old friend, in a comfortable, well ventilated room.
After I enjoyed a lovely Kolsch, I went downstairs to take my place for Som. For those unfamiliar with her work, her effortless balance of delicate sounds, stunning melodies, and free jazz chaos is the perfect test for seeing how a room sounds. Will her voice, quiet and often times mixed far down, be audible over an intense bass/keyboard meltdown? Of course! The soundsystem and raw acoustics of the room were more than enough to handle the shoegaze inspired layers of sound. I’ve seen Som play around town quite a bit over the years, and this was definitely the best sounding set I’ve ever heard her play.
After a short set change, Barnett and her band took the stage. She was backed by her longtime rhythm section, Bones Sloane (such a great name) on bass and Dave Mudie on drums, the same two guys that have been her backbone since she played Rickshaw Stop back in 2014. This time around, she added Katie Harkin (Wild Beast, Sleater-Kinney, and the backup band on last year’s Sea Lice tour with Kurt Vile) on keyboard and guitar.
Barnett began the set with just her voice and guitar, playing “Hopefulessness,” the opening track from her upcoming record, Tell Me How You Really Feel. This song was a delicate, slow burn. It warmed up the crowd nicely before taking everyone on a fierce journey through what was, for most, everyone’s first experience with this album. That’s right: She played all 10 tracks beginning to end, a risky and rather bold move to spend the beginning half of the set playing such unfamiliar material. This was also one of the first times this band had attempted most of this record, and despite the strength of the material, you could tell the band was still warming up to it. There were a few missed notes, and the band showed some insecurity and surprise at times.
The new material definitely benefited from the addition of Harkin. Not only did everything sound fuller, but it was great seeing Barnett trading solos off of another guitarist. Barnett is a highly underrated guitarist, playing blistering, intense solos, and the new material is heavy on the loud, ferocious fuzz laden guitar.
The audience was receptive of the new stuff but was mostly just attentively listening for the first half of the record. It wasn’t until she pulled out the single, “Nameless, Faceless,” that the audience started moving. By the time the album was complete, she had a nice crew in the middle of the room pogoing up a storm.
Our patience with the new record was rewarded nicely, because we were treated to a nearly equally long set of Barnett’s greatest hits! She opened the second half of her set with the breakthrough single, “Avant Gardener,” and the energy in the room exploded. This wasn’t a singer-songwriter show but a full on rock ‘n’ roll explosion! The energy stayed high, even during the ballad “Depreston,” which managed to inspire the entire room to sing along. The energy climaxed when she played the punked up “Nobody Cares If You Don’t Come to the Party,” with an actual circle pit breaking out!
It was a fantastic set by Barnett and an excellent way to usher in a whole new era in the Bay Area music scene. Expect many a fun night to come at August Hall!
