Maybe The Welders, 3.26.06, Dillon's

by Charlotte Deaver

Rock and roll! After a quiet, peaceful weekend, I finally made it out of the house to check out a new local band. Playing late on a Sunday night, in a vast back room of a bar across the street from the old Studio 54, Maybe The Welders made their fans feel at home, as if they were entertaining us in the basement rec room of their parents' house.

Together only a few months now, this is a band that aims to please. Playing sturdy and nicely-outfitted rock and roll, the two lead singers and songwriters Greg Campbell and Declan Collins are backed by Dan Mitchell on guitar and Pitti (pronounced "Peachie") on drums.

Their songs range form ironic teasers, like "Married Men," and the manic, punk-infused "Nightlife." Although all suited up, the band knows how to let its hair down. When Greg and Declan scramble out into the audience, roll around on the floor, and howl about subjects like making babies, it's only regrettable that a larger crowd couldn't be there to share the fun.

Greg's voice, guitar, and songwriting style sound a little like a cross between David Byrne of Talking Heads days and Eddie Argos of Art Brut. Declan is slightly more subdued, focusing more on the meat of a song's chords and melody. Pitti, on drums, is both precise and fiery. He ignites the band with solid beats that do their job of gluing (welding?) the rhythm section together.

Go check them out at Trash Bar in Williamsburg on April 13!




My dear old friend from high school (!), Dane LaChiusa . . .







. . . and my dear new friend, the handsome and rockin' Pitti.