Dreamcast #7 w/ Rhea and Crosslegged

There were so many great events tonight that it was hard to decide which to attend. We chose Silent Barn because it’s a treasured DIY venue with a cool vibe that provides a welcoming outlet for avant garde performances—the kind of show that you can only find in New York, and even then only off the beaten path.

Take tonight’s event, for example: a combination music and comedy show from JMC Aggregate and (barely) hosted by Zach Mandeville. Musical guests Crosslegged opened the show with a few meandering ballads, followed by comedian Peter Smith in character as a suburban dad talking about his gay son while picking up poop from his invisible dog. Next up, Anthony Oberbeck told the disturbing story about the time his father put his dog Elvis to sleep, then the band Rhea played a few songs that brought to mind the Cranberries. After their last track, the house lights came on and nobody took the stage to replace them, so we called it a night, disappointed that this show wasn’t as much fun as others we’ve attended here.

We appreciate the chance that Silent Barn is taking with Dreamcast, but the show needs a lot more effort and a bit more curation to reach the level of, say, Title:Point Salon or a 100% Party—especially for the price of admission. So don’t write off Silent Barn, but unless you’re already in the neighborhood, don’t make a special trip for Dreamcast until they figure out a way to take things up a notch or two.