Show Pics: Nick Diamonds @ Holy Mountain (9/8)

Nick DiamondsAfter last night, Holy Mountain now has eighteen shows left. We had a good opportunity to spend a little time before things get a little nuts as all of the people that now publicly lament the venue’s closing will finally go to a show there. (Yes, that was quite facetious.)

Anyway, Nick Diamonds brought the latest solo music to life and brought along The Tulips for the ride. It was a very loyal crowd. We’ll talk whisky, relocation, blips and bloops, failed lighting and “the scene” and provide all the pics you need to see after the break.

James, owner of Holy Mountain, has become a bit of a celebrity lately, appearing in news articles and being straight forward honest about a number of issues facing the scene. While I can’t say I always agree with his viewpoints, it is usually a fair conversation and his departure via relocation to Minnesota will leave a gap. I’ve lost another bar-type person to talk whisky with. Over delightful sips of a limited edition Tullamore DEW, we talked about winter coming, shows left and how to shut down a bar to avoid the taxman (ie, sell all the beverages before shuttering.) Those waiting for the last night to say goodbye, don’t unless you like Lone Star and well whisky. Besides, there are some great shows coming.

The Tulips have a decidedly calming effect. The three piece uses synth-noise for the bass part of the rhythm section with great effect and guitars and effects are effectively employed to build a bigger sound. I went in cold to the band’s material and I am quite happy I did. I like being happy about an opener, even when I am not blown away and their songs aren’t the material to blow you away. It is more of gentle whisking away, or a hammock of warm tones. I liked.

Nick Diamonds was on subdued duty tonight. No maniacal dance party or full on hip-hop show. It was a measured performance that perhaps lost the mood due to the warmth indoors. The AC system had issues (margins for the last run perhaps), but the tour manager really wanted to try to get the space nice and foggy despite the physics of fans moving air preventing the mood enhancing haze. It was a clever idea, bouncing a projector off a mirror to make for a bigger light show, but with open doors and tons of fans, it just wasn’t going to work. So, instead of just embracing, they tried closing the big garage door as a hail mary leaving the fans to slog through human temperature air. I got my photos in batches, returning the patio to just soak in the songs. I do wish we could have gotten the full moody experience, it would have elevated my reception to the songs, but I was still just as happy to sit at the table just out the door and let (what we all hope is) the last warm night wash over. It is a good record, these songs are solid live.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *