Hooves on the Turf

A Hawk and a Hacksaw may have been without The Hun Hangár Ensemble last night, but the outfit of four induced a lot of dancing, feet stomping and clapping at (Le) Poisson Rouge, a venue which, now that I’ve been there twice in different settings, is really going to be a gem for affordable live music of superior quality. Jeremy Barnes looked all the more New-Mexico-meets-Hungary with his roguish mustache (Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood), and he freely took a full swing at label mates Beirut, members of which were present amongst the audience, apart from violinist Kristin and drummer Nicholas, for abandoning the Mexico and “selling out” by moving to New York. When two enthusiastic (and adorable) Mexican brothers in the front revealed their identity, Barnes called theirs the “Old Mexico” and then the “Original Mexico” of which the new was once a part, which prompted Beirut’s accordionist Perrin Cloutier to yell that they were still run the same way anyway. Barnes asked him if he was the governor. 

All pictures after the jump, video coming later.

I was immediately drawn to this spectacled strummer; I believe he’s Ross Condon? Chris Hladowski (thanks j-m). Hladowski kicked butt.

Jason Poranski and Paul Collins from Beirut:

This woman danced wildly from the start, full Roma style, and there was a dancing group at the back that was no less than the groom’s friends at a Romanian wedding.