I arrived at the Resort sometime after 10 pm. The Akaschic Record were setting up, and people are roaming around freely. I take a seat at the bar and begin my night with a PBR, as I always do. I couldn't help but wonder which one of these people were here on assignment to cover the event for so-and-so magazine/paper. That might have been cool.
The Akaschic Record began their set at around 10:25 pm. It was a pretty tight set, very energetic. The first couple songs had a lot of reggae-vibes mixed with some of that indie-rock flavor. It was definitely an interesting mix and they made it work. The most memorable part of their set was the last song they performed. Don't remember how long the song was, but it seemed pretty epic. Sometime into the song, every one in the band, with the exception of the drummer, put down their instruments and picked up something else. It was a few minutes of a percussive jam, with the members rocking out with bongos, congas and shakers . They went back into their previous jam soon after. Nice way to start the night.
For my next drink, I continued on with a Blue Moon. The bartender asked, “What kind would you like?” I didn't know other flavors existed. I went with Summer Honey Wheat. Drinking Blue Moon means that it tastes awesome by default. Sure enough, it was awesome.
During the break, I thought I'd try something new from the menu. That's when I saw Boddingtons on their list of imports. I've never tried it and I only recognized the name because of an episode of Friends (The One with all the Kissing). I ordered one and the bartender gave me a glass along with my drink. Boddingtons is a really smooth beer, but unfortunately I couldn't finish the thing. I was feeling good about half way into it, and that was good enough for me.
People came and went through the night, but it seemed almost empty towards the end. I wonder how many writers, if any were in attendance, stuck around till the end. At 12:50 am, Acton Town began their set (and the last band for the night at the Resort). I've heard a few tunes from this three-piece not too long ago, and to be honest wasn't expecting much. It turns out actually that their songs sound better live. I'm glad I stayed for it. They played a handful of songs, switching it up to an acoustic one in the middle, but pretty upbeat the whole time. I wouldn't mind seeing these guys again. Hopefully next time I'll be having a drink during their show. Acton Town ended their set around 1:30 am.
Not bad for the first night (my first) of Neon Reverb. Seems like an awesome event with lots of local support. But I missed out on some other awesome shows. I wish I had made it to The Quitters, Robot Nixon, The People's Whiskey, Ian Down, and Audacity show for night two at the Bunkhouse. Been wanting to see Quitters and People's Whiskey, and Robot Nixon sounds pretty cool too. Holding onto Sound also played a set on the third night. I hope to at least make it to one of their shows by the year's end. And of course, the set by Atari Teenage Riot at the Resort. I'm guessing it was a ridiculous show. And I mean that in a good way. But for next year's Neon Reverb, here's hoping to attending more shows and nights, at the very least, two.