Since it’s relocation, the new, larger, Ottobar (Club Otto anyone?) has been host to some pretty big shows, and I was definitely expecting this show to be one of them. I mean , come on, according to Seventeen Magazine, The Promise Ring is this fall’s “”new black!”" All joking aside, I was surprised to see the venue sparsely filled upon arriving. Even stranger was the fact that as people began to file in, they were old, and I’m not talking 25. I’m talking 35-40 year old biker types, hardly the usual demographic for a Promise Ring show.

My questions were answered when the first act of the night, The Put-Outs took the stage. This local four piece played mid-tempo alternative rock that, while it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, was played pretty well. Guitar solos were plentiful, and while the guitarist was certainly no Slash, he definitely had chops. The Put-Outs had all the tricks of the trade for an arena style rock group, particularly their bassist who could have fit in just as easily filling in for Aerosmith, flashing the metal horns left and right, and swinging his bass all over the place. However, the lack of time changes or any sort of variation within the songs made their set really seem to drag. The crowd seemed to reflect these sentiments and was rather lukewarm in response to their brand of rock. I’d certainly prefer to hear The Put-Outs on the radio over Lit or other alterna-punk acts, but their live performance left a bit to be desired on this night.

Up next was The Oranges Band, another act from the Baltimore area, who were thankfully much more entertaining than the Put-Outs. The Oranges Band played straight up pop tunes coupled with a slight DC influence. The entire band was bursting with energy, led by a singer/guitarist that reminded me of the Hot Rod Circuit guitarist with his endearing quirkiness onstage. The warm guitar tones were very distinct and wove together well around the drums. The only downside to their set was the bass which came off a little too quietly, and when it was audible was a little thin for my taste. Nontheless, my first impression of The Oranges Band was quite favorable and I hope to see more of these guys in the future.

By now, the only thing that was sparse in the venue was a good view of the stage, as the band everyone wanted to see was about to perform. This was a solo stop for The Promise Ring on their tour opening for Jimmy Eat World, and was also the first time I would experience them in a live setting. Opening with “”Size of Your Life,”" the lead track from their new album “”Wood/Water,”" TPR seemed very much at home on the stage. I was impressed with how comfortable the band seemed and also enjoyed the fact that they could play even their more mellow songs with some movement and energy onstage. The ears of the crowd perked up as the opening lines of “”Happiness is All the Rage”" came over the speakers, a sign of things to come. While singer Davey’s voice didn’t come across as sweet as on record, the added emotional punch he put in more than made up for it. Sadly, this was the peak of the show as far as most of the audience was concerned. Despite the brilliance of the new material, the crowd quite obviously wanted “”Something I know!”" as one person so eloquently put it. To this, Davey responded by asking “”Why did we write the first three records before the last one?”" While the older material is certainly good, I couldn’t understand why anyone was complaining. The new songs, particularly “”Stop Playing Guitar”" and “”My Life at Home”" sounded absolutely incredible. The variety of instruments within these songs – a melodica, bongo drums, among others – added interesting flavor to the mix. Combined with some of the most crisp, clear guitar I’ve heard live, TPR gave me

exactly what i came for, an excellent performance and some simply magical tunes. Too bad I was in the minority, as everyone else came to take part in “”Very Emergency”" karaoke, which didn’t sit well with the band. Looking at their setlist from afar, I counted about seventeen or so songs, but the set seemed to be cut short, possibly due to the band’s frustration with such an uninterested crowd.

All in all, this was a pretty good show. There was a nice, laid back atmosphere, and I certainly enjoyed TPR, with The Oranges Band being a very pleasant surprise. The only thing I could have asked for would have been more set time for TPR, but I suppose the moral of the story is to let the band play its set, and not your personal playlist.