It's been some time since The Urban Verbs played around here. In fact the last time I saw them they were one of the bands closing down the original 9:30 Club on F Street in 1995. So I am very happy to report their return to the scene this Saturday night. When lead singer, Roddy Franz returned to DC a few years ago, he was dismayed to find hardly a footnote of their significant impact here, but here's what my trusty correspondent, Lyn2 remembers:
So the thing about the Urban Verbs is that I was not someone who saw them all the time, but I did see them. Everyone I know had the first record and somehow the sound defined a period for me, despite there being many other great sounds at the time in local music. I never got the record on disc, but last summer when I got a turntable I popped it on. I knew every word and every note like I had been hearing it every day, even though I hadn't heard it much at all for over twenty years. Favorite lyric? "I get n-n-n-n-nervous whenever you're n-n-n-n-near me." Just recently when Roddy posted the Eno version of Next Question, I could barely work for the rest of the day. It blew me away because it sounded so right.
If you are pining for The Verbs or just curious and have a screwed up turntable or other such technical difficulties, check out their myspace page ( see link above) or Wounded Bird Records which has re issued their albums on CD. Look for another story this week as I had a long talk about the show with Roddy earlier today. I am one of many that thought this band was ahead of its time. (way ahead)
And, as an aside, something weird is going on with the titles to my post. They only appear if your cursor waves over them like a magic wand. If anyone knows how to break this spell-please email me. (This blog is managed by Luddite Inc. a division of The Knownothing Party)
NB: The Rosslyn Mountain Goats play The Quarry House TONIGHT.
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