Joe Camel and The Stills
Soon after arriving at Don Hills in Greenwich Village and making my way through their intense ID check (they scan your ID and take your picture), I was hit by a barrage of Camels. Everywhere I looked, there was Camellarge cardboard posters and projections covered the walls of the interior. And then after less than a minute of being inside Don Hills, I was asked if I smoke. I would be asked the same question a few more times over than next hour or so, while waiting for the first band, Aderbats, to take the stage. The Camel advertisements surrounded me, and one was interestingly juxtaposed next to a no smoking sign. Multiple photographers walked around taking pictures of the Camel advertisements as though they were the main event and The Stills were just a side note to Camel. After a little reading, it seems as though this is a regular thing for Don Hills, and Camel is a regular part of their décor, which is otherwise pretty cool. With the Theater now renamed to the WAMU Theater and the multitude of corporate sponsorship elsewhere, its surprising that Don Hills hasnt added Camel to their moniker.
Once Canadian rockers The Stills took the stage at midnight and the shattering guitars of debut album opener Lola Stars and Stripes began flowing through the speakers, it was all about them. There was little break if any between songs, keeping a high energy coming from the stage for the entirety of the set. The Stills were stellar, playing nearly all of the songs from their two albums, as well as at least two new ones (which were great). But as great as the band was, the crowd was totally lame. Surprisingly, the small venue was not at all crowded, and it seemed almost like it was an office party that the Stills happened to be playing at, rather than a Stills concert. One big dude in front of me kept turning to his buddy to tell him how much he liked a song, talking through the entire song. Hey big dude, if you like the song so much, then shut the hell up and enjoy it.
Photos courtesy of [Jonny-Leather]