It all began with an e-mail from Karlene Turek of NewSoundBase Productions dangling a free bar tab in front of our alcohol-sensitive noses. Even as we accepted, we wondered if she realized the potential magnitude of this bribe - er, generosity; if she had taken the time to glance through our Long Island Iced Tea and Vodka soaked pages and the never predictable but always entertaining results thereof.

She assured us she did. Who were we to doubt her?

Admittedly, I don’t attend The Phantasy niteclub often, and probably because it’s the sort of place where purses are searched and male patrons are patted down upon entrance. Granted, I spend my share of time at biker bars, but even the roughest never bothered to utilize electronic devices. Not to mention, I always forget how stuffy and overheated the second-floor recycled theme-based room (think two bows of massive sailing vessels) becomes. Forget air conditioning. This true to life punk-leaning venue relies on a few giant fans to keep the sweat and accompanying body odor at bay. Predictably, the technique is more efficient on some nights than others.

Considering the length of my skirt, I’m pleased we didn’t feel the need to position ourselves directly in front of its gusting wind. As it was, every time I lifted my arms about shoulder height, I flashed panties (much to the admiration of a small group of early twenty-somethings with copious facial piercings from one of the opening bands) Kimmie, meanwhile, was making time with the sizeable doorman named, appropriately enough, Big Dave.

First there was Drew, a simply adorable drummer wearing a tee emblazoned with ‘Orgasm Donor’ who graciously started us down the path of excess. Unaccustomed to the Sirens, he believed us to be neck deep in our cups when Kimmie called him “Sunshine” and threw her arms around his neck, followed later by my new habit of underwear inspection (see my blog for additional details). He admitted being impressed with our extensive musical knowledge though, so we must not have scared him too badly.

On his heels followed Karlene, a beautiful brunette who quickly established herself as a very cool chick (an honor bestowed by us on those who rise above petty too-typical female pettiness). Kimmie, bad with names on her best days, could only remember the moniker by composing her own pneumonic device - Skinny Automobile. Get it??

Immediately preceding their set, we encountered Ed, 2nd Half’s vocalist, and subsequent to the performance, we met Kelly, loyal employee of most of Cleveland’s rock-oriented radio stations. It goes without saying that each of them walked away with some nifty Score! Gear.

As much as I’d like to be a good lil' professional and give a run-down on the night’s line-up, this is an impossible feat. About the best I can do is say they were loud - very loud - and the music between acts ranged from Sid Vicious’ “My Way” to “Punk Rock Girl” by the Dead Kennedys. We were consuming, folks - it was free.

The first unique aspect of 2nd Half is that they are, in fact, a duo. According to their website, they have a third member, known as PC, that purportedly contributes bass and backup vocals. In actuality, PC serves another more impressive function during the band’s live performance - he acts as a giant movie projector. When was the last time you saw a local band use a video screen in a manner that wasn’t self-glorifying, exploitative or just plain cheesy? (Hence the second thing that bumps 2nd Half above the hoard of bands slogging the local circuit.)

To get the cliches out of the way, let’s say that 2nd Half is head-bopping, booty shaking, guitar-driven, radio friendly melodic rock. They immediately bring to mind 311, a fact that sent Kimmie scrambling for the CD, and their hooks are just catchy enough that they circle in your brain long after you wish they’d disappear. Considering the band’s declared goal is “to send a positive message through music and have fun doing it”, what do you expect?

After distracting the bouncers to the extent that they allowed someone to sneak in sans ID or wristband, and passing a card to a Weezer geek-like punkster, we decided to vacate for our awaiting comfy beds. Karlene assured us our damage to her credit card was minor, and we elect to take her at her word (it’s not as if we had any direct recollections to counter her claim). But the story isn’t over yet folks, as you’ll see in an upcoming article. Til then, drop by their website and listen to some tunes - or better yet, treat yourself to an invigorating performance by PC and the boys at a club near you.

2nd Half's Website