As I entered The Exclusive Company on Saturday the 21st of April I was unaware that anything like Record Store Day even existed. I came to see Archie Powell and the Exports, a band local to Chicago who have still found a way to be a participant in the Milwaukee music scene on a regular basis. Although their newest album “Great Ideas in Action” doesn’t drop in record stores technically until May 1st, the band had copies on hand, and allowed the eager crowd to purchase the new album. Watch for my upcoming review within the next few days. Archie Powell and the Exports also have an excellent new music video check it out at their website.
Although you might be underwhelmed to hear that Archie Powell and the Exports were playing in a record store, thinking to yourself “How good can the band be if it is playing in a record store?”. Answer: Real good. Their appearance in the record store is just the type of gig that bands that love music this much lick their chops over. Just think an entire store of people who already love music listening to your tunes as they pull out their pocketbooks to pay for music. I mean, really, with the internet threatening to eliminate the need for physical media entirely those who made it out for Record Store Day are obviously die hards. When is a band going to get a chance at an audience this ready to invest in music?
Playing an appropriately short set, which included songs off their new album, Archie’s sound demanded the attention of the patrons as they flipped through old records. Brandishing a wonderfully refined garage rock sound that is reminiscent of bands like The Ramones, The Strokes, and even a touch of Green Day (before they sold out, sorry if you think they haven’t), Archie Powell is about to kick off a month long tour that will take them across the midwest to New York and then international with 2 weeks of touring in Canada. The tour kicks off with their CD release show in Chicago this Friday at Subterranean in Chicago, and is highlighted with a live performance on NPR’s World Cafe on May 4th at 1pm. If you get a chance to see this band, count yourself lucky because they may not be playing record store gigs for long as I can see big things in their future.
(Photo courtesy of William Ryan Gardiner)
