INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
The Booze, Red Light Driver, Noah East
Red Light DriverWednesday, April 16, 9 p.m., $6, 21+
Get ready Indianapolis music fans. The fine folks at 45 Little Revolutions and Birdy’s Bar and Grill are bringing in one hell-fire rock ’n’ roll show: Atlanta, Ga.’s The Booze and Red Light Driver will be setting them up and knocking them down. The nattily attired gentlemen of Red Light Driver will continue their quest for world domination and fabulous wealth, while The Booze will literally pin your ears to the wall.
In the past couple years, Drew Reed, Mike Shimmercore, Derek O and John Harmon — collectively known as Red Light Driver — have been steadily building steam. Their live sets get better every time you see them, and their recently issued Drinks For the Delayed is a must-have for any local music connoisseur. “Lights” and “Sleep it Off” are cornerstones of a live set that brings a hefty Brit-tastic edge to the party.
The buzz has been building for The Booze, with even Perez Hilton getting in on the action. Comparisons to everybody from The Dave Clark Five to Amy Winehouse to northern soul bands have been bandied about, but these guys have more in common with Athens, Ga., compatriots The Woogles and Detroit Cobras than anybody. Their latest buzz cut, “Hey, Amy,” is a delirious rock rave-up that transports listeners back to the days when rock was fresh and dangerous.
But get past the hype and what The Booze ends up being is a band that has, without a doubt, the greatest 3-foot-tall lead singer in the history of mankind. OK, maybe he’s closer to 5-foot-something, but Chaz Tolliver is a living, breathing rock god. He has the moves of Little Richard and a young Mick and a voice that The Hives must be super jealous of. No matter what your music tastes, anybody who has ever tapped a toe to a song on the radio needs to be schooled in the fine art of showmanship from Mr. Tolliver.
Opening the show gently will be singer-songwriter Noah East. It all starts at 9 p.m. and it’ll cost you six clams, or bones, or what have you, to get in.