Envious? NVS Rules!

Last night, NVS and Audible Smoke Signals played to an enthusiastic crowd at the House of Shields, an old, wood-paneled bar in the middle of the Financial District. The odd surroundings, with the Palace Hotel across the street, only emphasized the near-naked intensity of frontman Walter Campbell. His vocals gained from the band's move toward more rock and funk than punk-based rhythms. He gets to settle down a bit and explore tonalities. The lyrics are clever as ever. "And the best I could do was the worst you could ever hope for."

The light show was disappointing, as I told Tre. He's set the bar high for himself from his Monster Pete and The Chiefs days, with the foot activated light inside the bass drum, for example. But showiness was not a problem overall, with at least two of the five (six if you include Bunny, who sat on the bass amp, professing that she liked the vibrations) finishing the show topless.

Micah adds a steady beat and helps the funk songs, and Tre added nice textures with his pedals of wonder. The fans went crazy the whole night, even the military dudes in the back. It was a great rock show.