Andrea Gillis @ the Lizard Lounge ~ June 20, 2009

 

 

see full show gallery at ViscerevieW

The Person(s):

Andrea Gillis Band including Bruce Caporal on Drums, Charles Hansen on Guitar, Melissa Gibbs on Guitar, Michelle Paulhus on Bass and of course, Andrea Gillis (vocals)

The Place:

The Lizard Lounge – Cambridge, MA – Named this year’s Best Small Music Venue by Boston Magazine, Lizard Lounge is an intimate live music club located just north of Harvard Square at 1667 Mass. Ave. in Cambridge (downstairs from Cambridge Common Restaurant … a great spot for a meal before or after the show). With its subterranean location, sensuous red lighting and fabulous bartenders, Lizard Lounge brings a unique intimacy to performances.  As the Boston Globe says, “Everybody knows that the Lizard Lounge, with its low lighting, plush Persian rugs, quality live music, and laid-back vibe, is one of the most soul-nourishing hangs in town.”

*Photographer’s note: Taking pictures in low light is one thing, navigating the crowd in the Lizard Lounge with a camara bag over on your shoulder, pint of Mojo IPA in one hand and camera in the other = 117 individual apologies, 13 small spills and a lesson learned to find a good spot early and to stay there.

The “Thing”

The “Thing” about about Adrea Gillis on this specific night, in this specific place, was her and the band’s ability to make the show bigger then the space. The space itself is small, hot and packed, as a proper rock club should be, but rather then that being a hinderance, the band seemed to thrive in such close proximity to their fans. Tons of energy, specifically from Andrea and [insert bass player] , that could easily have owned a crowd 10 times the size, in 20 times the space. My first time seeing them, definitely not going to be the last, and if you haven’t yet…get on it.