Well, despite the fact that I was the only member of Team West and Clear that was able to attend last night's Brave Combo Christmas Dance Party at the McDavid Studio downtown, it was still an absolute blast. Though I've long been a big Brave Combo fan, I'd never been to a live show, and my lovely companion hadn't been to see them live since the Caravan of Dreams closed, so we were both overdue.
As expected, the band didn't disappoint. This was a wild & loud three-hour smash of their polka/ska/samba/tango/whatever else they feel like music (in a lovely venue) where the drinks flowed and the dance floors roared. A grand time was had by all, says I. The setlist featured a large number of tunes from the album It's Christmas, Man! (and Brave Combo's Christmas tunes are among the very best - where else would you get a samba version of "O Christmas Tree" or a ska version of "The Christmas Song?"), but there was also a great selection from their new Grammy-nominated album Polka's Revenge (which is fantastic), along with a smattering of older tracks. I was particularly enthused to get to hear live the classic "Do Something Different" from A Night On Earth.
I also played photojournalist, and grabbed several shots of the band in action. For your viewing pleasure, here they are.
