It’s Sunday night, somehow the afternoon had evaded me, and it’s an hour before doors open at Slabtown; when suddenly I realize I should really take a shower, and possibly eat some food. Perhaps I was too wrapped up in the Men’s Wimbledon championship, or perhaps I’m just lazy, it’s so hard to tell, but I washed the grime and grit of my sedentary day away, and headed to the show. I’ve never been to Slabtown before, but as I was searching the internet one day, like yah do, I came across an interesting band called, Autopilot is for Lovers. I was into them immediately, like a good conversation with an old friend, there was just something there that spoke beyond the lyrics and the quivering voice, as it lilted its way above accordions and electric guitars. Something there in the background that just made me listen again and again. And like they say, “No one will know if you never tell them”, so this is me telling.

It was just before 9, when we(myself and Shawn, one of the photographers) walked through the door, an old ping pong table taking up most of the stained concrete floor, a trace of smoke floating by the fake brick covered pillars, and a bunch of people setting up instruments and gear, up on the stage. I find Adrienne (who’s the lead singer/accordion/guitar/piano player), and she tells me that they’re going to be the third act of the night, and gives me some background on the some of the band and its members, which there are several. Autopilot is for Lovers, uses a revolving group of musicians some play in other bands, some do play a few instruments, some do whatever needs to be done, also for tonight, Los Mustachios would be providing the visual enhancement, with a piece of equipment called the KeyWii (which uses a Wii guitar and a keyboard to change and warp visual displays being projected, hey I don’t have to understand it to know that sounds awesome!). In lieu of all this new knowledge I think it’s time for a drink, when I get back to the table I find out that the band has been bumped to the 4^th slot and has a quick case of the, should we stay or should we go’s. They mull the options, early night or free beer and music; I think we can see how this turns out.

The ping pong table gets folded up and hid in a corner, as the lights dim and a slow Sunday trickle of people start to enter the bar. The very personable S. Brooks is seated with his guitar, and a smoldering cigarette in the ashtray on the floor. He strums a few bars and opens his mouth, and a soft sweet breeze blows through the bar. He opens with a few Ballads, and then kicks it up with some great guitar and a voice that makes me think of an urban Willie Nelson. For those of you who have lived in Portland for awhile, you might know Mr. Brooks from his band Minmae, who’ve been around for the past few years. I must say that Mr. S. Brooks solo stuff has a completely different feel then what I heard from Minmae, which I think is a good example from a band to solo dynamic which plagues a lot of musicians. So many just try to sound the same, I have to say S. Brooks sounds like S. Brooks, and played a great set to start the night.

While the next band sets up, I decide to switch from beer to the much tastier beverage…whiskey. Just the thought of the clink of ice cubes against a short glass, the way the whiskey just kind of hugs them, in a let’s be friends kind of way, and livened up with just a sprits of soda water...ah who’s thirsty? The second band of the evening is out of North Carolina, on the home stretch of their cross country tour. I just would like to give this band a big round of applause, I took a look at their schedule, and they have 9 shows in eight days, and that’s just amazing, maybe not as amazing as whiskey, but definitely close. They didn’t waste any time getting things going either, immediately jumping into their set…no I mean it, there was a little bit of jumping! Playing a lot of songs from their self titled debut album, "I Was Totally Destroying It", came to play. A sound that’s hard to categorize, a little Twilight Singers, a little bit retro. Despite some sound difficulty early on, the last half of the show went great, culminating with, Forfeit, and the chorus “You better run”, and a very pop-retro song, Hey Alright, it started fun and stayed fun till the screaming wailing end!

I don’t know if it had anything to do with today being the day Nadal finally took Federer down on grass(which sounds kinda naughty-like, when you put it that way), but Tennis Pro fucking rocked it! The three piece out of Seattle was one lively hot mess of a band. This is a band that anyone who’s into rock’n’roll needs to go see, they’re fun, wild and great live. You can tell these guys have been together for awhile, with butter smooth transitions and timing that pops, even when the bass player is wriggling on the ground it works. From Small Shorts to I’m Taking Your Mom Home Tonight, everything stayed charged and pounding, like a grunting orgasmic serve from Venus Williams. Check out the album, “Are you there God? It’s me, Tennis Pro.”, but to really enjoy this band check um out the next time they drive south.

Finally we come to the band that I came here for, Autopilot is for Lovers. I listened and watched, as the music and visual display threw me into a trance like state. The vocals that drifted into my head and through my body, I lost track of time. The violin and banjo, the drums beating under the warbling voice. People pulled chairs around the stage sitting and listening. I went reeling through people and places of my past, letting the music push and pull me, guiding me here and there. So much stimuli to take in and process, I fell into the music and the screen, this crashing amalgam of instruments, as everything faded into the background, and I awoke to the stained concrete floors and fake brick covered pillars, with goose bumps still on my arms. My only complaint being that it was over too soon. I got home a bit after 1 and put on their new EP, “Sore Eyes”, and proceeded to drift into the deep mist of dreams that wrapped over me like a favorite quilt, warm and familiar.

You probably missed them tonight, but no worries, they play all around town in August, check out their myspace page for the most up to date information. On August 6^th they’ll be playing with Wooden Indian Burial Ground, at Roadside Attraction, should be an awesome show, besides what else do you have going on? If you have any questions about any of the bands covered here, go check them out on myspace, if you don’t have myspace, then get it, it’s free!