As the rain poured outside, the atmosphere inside City Dogs in Richmond was crowded and relaxed as everyone waited for the three bands playing that night to begin.  Drinks were ordered as friends met up, and the band set up in the front on the small stage.

As the first band, Central Garage, started playing, the group crowded in front of the stage.  The loud music captured everyone's attention and sounded through the bar.  Looking around you could see the people swaying to the music, moving their heads and tapping their feet.  The band is really into it, closing their eyes in concentration and even passion as their hands strummed the beat.  Looking at each other frequently, you could see that they really liked what they were doing.  They interacted with the crowd frequently, and their set of upbeat rock lasted about forty minutes.  As they continued to play, the crowd continued to get larger and more enthusiastic, as the accelerated rock seemed to be what everyone needed to hear.

The second band to play, the Flesh Mountain Boys, were also very good.  And the crowd continued to get larger and push forward as their upbeat songs also grabbed everyones attention.  The multicolored lights swirled around the stage and were easily visible in the darkened room.  The band played passionately through several songs, moving about the stage and taking turns playing solos with their guitars.  Their interaction with the crowd continued to draw them in, soon their was a line at the door.  As the night continued the music became the sole focus of most everyone in the room, even as it grew later the group inside City Dogs continued to focus on the band up front as they took turns playing solos, some even sang along with the songs that they knew.  As the band played you could tell they enjoyed that their fans were singing along, and this encouraged them to play more songs, which was exactly what everyone wanted.

[Editor's Note: Being from Hampton Roads and needing to get home at a somewhat reasonable hour, Erin was forced to leave around 2 AM, we believe. Because of this she missed the third act of the night: The Silo Effect.  Fortunately, Magazine33 covered them back in December, so you can read about them here.]

All in all, the night was extremely fun, and I would recommend the bands to anyone looking for a similar time.  Thanks to City Dogs for hosting yet another memorable and successful showcase.

myspace.com/centralgarage

myspace.com/fleshmountainboys

myspace.com/siloeffect

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