Bookreader at Whiskey Junction - 7/8/07 (Battle of the Bands)
Source: morecowbell.net
Sunday night I was anything but looking forward to going out on the town. I was warm, tired, and just felt gross after my whole adventurous “Day of Waiting for Prince.” I’d made a commitment, however, to shoot a show for a band in the finals of “Whiskey Wars” at Whiskey Junction here in Minneapolis. I ended up being very glad I went.
Bookreader is a band formed by five college boys from the University of St. Mary’s, Winona - Bryan Atchison, Peter Snell, Rob Brewer, Neil Olstad, and Rick McCoy. They just released a new album, titled “Four Forty-Three” in May and have been playing various gigs around the city to promote it. The band features Bryan Atchison on lead vocals, and he might as well be listed as “cheerleader” too. His energy and enthusiasm for the crowd and his bandmates is probably what pushed Bookreader over the top gave them the win at the finals on Sunday night.
Every time I’ve seen Bookreader live, I feel like I’m supposed to be in some dark speakeasy. It’s the trumpet that does it. Peter Snell is a rocket scientist on that thing and wails on every song he’s featured on. Snell’s stage presence has improved dramatically as he’s performed more, and I find him pretty entertaining to watch. The interaction between all the members of the band is actually pretty great and regardless of whether you like this kind of pop/rock, you’ll enjoy watching them perform. Atchison’s dancing alone is enough to make you fall apart with laughter at times.
Overall the crowd was definitely a college-friend crowd, with family and friends there to support the boys and throw a vote in the hat to bring a win home. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and I saw quite a few mouths singing along during the set. That alone is a victory for any band, and Bookreader seems to continue gaining fans each time they perform.
Bookreader’s next show is July 24th at the Loring Pasta Bar’s Red room. They play at 9pm.
For more information on Bookreader, check out their MySpace.
www.myspace.com/bookreadermusic
