T
ool & D
ie page 10
The night of the 4
th
installment of the Tool
& Die party begins with the end of band
practice. A few libations in already, I grab
my camera, a clean T&D shirt, my keys, my
girl, and we're out the door. We hadn't been
to Station 58 in a long time, and we were
curious to see the renovations fi rst hand.
We'd heard good things from a lot of folks,
and we've missed the Station. Playing this
night would be Augustine, and from Califor-
nia - Within the Eddy. Confl icting schedules
kept a third band from playing, but knowing
the reputation of these two, there would be
plenty of quality music to enjoy.
We pull into 58's parking lot with Scott (one
of my best friends, and drummer of the last
22yrs) right behind us. We got there a bit
early to be able to say all our `hellos' and
check out the `new' Station. However, before
we scooped out the venue, it's straight to the
bar- "three beers please."
Scott disappears after grabbing his drink, and
Heidi and I start our tour. We must have been
the last people alive in CNY that hadn't seen
the post fi re 58 renovations, but in case we're
not - the place looks fantastic! The sound-
board has been moved near the wall, which
opens up the whole fl oor. Everything is new,
clean and well kept, which is something we're
not used to...in most bars, a working toilet is
a luxury. We head upstairs, and they managed
to double the size of the place. Now there's
a balcony area to get an interesting birds-eye
view of the bands, and a projection screen
to give the audience two great angles of the
band that's playing. Heidi and Scott decide to
play a game of pool before the music starts
while I continue to look around. There were
three merch tables (Within the Eddy, Augus-
tine and of course T&D), manned, or should I
say, woman-ned by `Feisty Fury' from our very
own Assault City Roller Derby Team (don't
be messin' with any of the merch, if you know
what's good for you!). T&D also had a com-
puter set up so everyone could check out the
new `zine' - Issue #7, and the fi rst one to go
virtual (online and worldwide!!).
I hear the fi rst band of the evening, Augustine,
sound checking so I hit the boy's room before
the music starts. This may be too much in-
formation, but I'm a stall-guy. There's nothing
I hate more than rubbin' elbows with drunks
on either side of me at a urinal. As I'm zip-
pin' up, I glance to my right, out a curtain-less
window and see a male silhouette staring at
me. If you remember the scene in the fi rst
Halloween, where Jamie-Lee Curtis is in her
bedroom, looks out the window, and out by
the cloths-line is a perfectly still Michael star-
ing at her...you get the picture it was very
unsettling.
So I found one thing that the 58 forgot - cur-
tains.
Shaking off the creeps, I grab another beer and
head up front, where a modest but enthusias-
tic crowd was gathering. Heidi fi nds me and
tells me, that she came from
behind to win the game of
pool she and Scott were
playing.
If you live around the Salt
City and haven't been un-
der a rock for the past year
or so, you're familiar with
Augustine. The four young
upstarts from Clay, New
York hit the ground run-
ning in early 2008, and have
been playing shows every
week since. I'll admit there
isn't a lot of history in the
`You may know him from
this band or that band' type
thing, but every time I see
them play, they become a
tighter unit, and despite their youth, are ma-
ture beyond their years. As a spectator, it's
nice to see a positive group of young men hav-
ing fun, and bonding though the music in a way
that non-musicians can't understand. One
can't help but get caught up in their un-jaded
enthusiasm. It reminds me of how lucky I am
- that I've had the privilege to have been able
to play with two of my best friends for almost
24 years....and the music continues to grow
as we grow. I would love to see Augustine
keep this line-up together so they can grow
and mature over the years. These guys have
so much potential if they keep their feet on
the ground and stay focused.
You can hear in their originals a blend of more
modern bands (Gin Blossoms, Doughtry), and
more seasoned acts (Bush, and some darker
elements i.e. Alice in Chains). Smooth palat-
able vocals over heavy guitar riffs with the low
end locked in tight. I hate trying to label bands.
It's not fair to the bands, and someone is al-
ways going to disagree with your assessment.
Just check them out for yourself. You won't be
disappointed.
Augustine played for a little over an hour.
Next up was Within the Eddy. Just before
they went on Scott tells me that he went
up to a pretty girl sitting by herself at the
bar and asked her if she was the girlfriend
of one of the guys in the band. She politely
responded-"No, I sing for the next band..."
He said he fell over his tongue trying to
apologize, and walked away with a mouth
full of marbles.
Whoops...
Within the Eddy is a four piece originally
from Chattanooga TN., but now calls L.A.
home. The brother/sister songwriting team
of Christina and Michael Salerno gives this
band an intangible quality that sets them
apart from the rest. The juxtaposition of
the feminine, yet beautifully haunting vocal
style, hovering over heavy, at times downright
brutal riffs, gives this band a sound all their
own. Not an easy feat in the derivative, un-
By BONE