The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir look to make a triumphant post-accident return at Bloodshot party Sunday night (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
The Bell House
149 Seventh St. between Second & Third Aves.
Sunday, November 7, $10, 6:30
718-643-6510
www.bloodshotrecords.com
www.thebellhouseny.com
Last year, Chicago-based Bloodshot Records celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with a great bbq show at the Bell House in Gowanus, with live performances by Bobby Bare Jr., Exene Cervenka, the Dex Romweber Duo, Cordero, the Silos, Ben Weaver, and Rosie Flores. Sadly, one of their best emerging bands, the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, got into a terrible accident the day before and were forced to cancel. Guitarist Mary Adelsman and bassist Mark Yoshizumi suffered the most extensive damage, going through multiple surgeries and lengthy rehab, but everyone was shaken up badly, and much of the group’s equipment was destroyed. We’re happy to report that SYGC is back on the road and will be at the Bell House for this year’s Bloodshot brew bash, being held Sunday, November 7, with another all-star lineup: young country singer Lydia Loveless, the charming Cordero, the Bottle Rockets, and the all-powerful Graham Parker, one of the most engaging and entertaining performers you’ll ever see. Listening again to SYGC’s most recent album, 2009’s outstanding AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON . . . , it’s hard not to reinterpret many of the lyrics, which now seem to tell the story of a very different kind of heartbreak and heartache, filled with darkness and yesterdays. On the propulsive title track Elia Einhorn sings, “These days I find disturbing pictures in my mind of you as a mangled traffic accident . . . and in the daydream, I always smile.” The synth-driven “Liberty or Somewhere” includes the poignant line “Because I’ve lost so many people,” while they declare “Oh my god, my life’s so fucked up” on “Something’s Happening” and “Christ, I’m a fucking mess” on the horn-laden “I Pretend She’s You.” And on “Stop!” which opens the record, they proclaim right from the start, “I hope that you catch syphilis and die alone” before later adding “Christ, I should throw you in front of some runaway train.” AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON . . . , a rollicking, energetic record built on catchy hooks, biting lyrics, and eclectic instrumentation, also features the song “Hope Is Still on Your Side,” which more accurately defines the band’s outlook, having survived tragedy and gotten back into the rock & roll ruckus.