Space is tight

Last night I went to Raw Sugar to see Sandro Perri. Perri has been garnering a lot of positive attention for his new record Impossible Spaces, an adroit blending of electronic sounds, pop and percussion. He played most of it for a very crowded cafe. I'm glad I got there early for a front row seat since just about every space was taken from front to back. "I don't think I've ever seen so many people ..." he told the crowd.  Jon Bartlet shouted back "Get used to it!" which sounds like good advice.

Ryan Driver, who played keyboards and flute for Perri and records with him under the Double Suicide name, started the show with some Nick Drake-influence folk music.


Ryan Driver at Raw Sugar, November 3, 2011

Then it was on to Perri, who in addition to Driver was aided by  percussionist Jay Anderson, drummer Dan Gaucher and bassist/keyboardist Mike Smith. He rounded off the set with a cover of Jon Martyn's Couldn't Love You More.


Sandro Perri at Raw Sugar, November 3, 2011

Fisheye action!


Sandro Perri at Raw Sugar, November 3, 2011

A tight fit but a fine performance.

• Show reminder: Slim Cessna's Auto Club plays the first of a two-night stand at the Dominion, with Dry River Caravan. Ox and Al Tuck play Raw Sugar Cafe; Pretty Little Death Machine, Celery Troff, Prett Melberts and The Best Friend Patrol and The Cowards rock The Avant-Garde Bar; The Class Assassins, Andy Snap & The Loose Cannons, Machine Gun Dolly and The Boxcar Cadavers invade Cafe Dekcuf; Those Gulls, DivingBell and Eric Gilmour perform at Zaphod Beeblebrox; The Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkastrata play the Rainbow; The Avenues and Blisster & The Saddlesores ride into Irene's (those with literary inclinations may want to come early for the book-signing by Dave Bidini); the Elmdale hosts The Back-Talk Organ Trio.