Local D.C. garage rock band The Hall Monitors never dreamed they would one day be billed with the likes of proto-punk, garage-glam rockers the New York Dolls, until they decided to get "Sirius" - literally. Vocalist-guitarist Sean Crowley and bassist Matt Sullivan tuned into Little Steven's Underground Garage on Sirius satellite radio show and heard Steven Van Zandt announce that his Rolling Rock and Roll tour was holding a contest - the winner of which would be given a 20-minute set to open the show in each city.
"We e-mailed our song to Little Steven, then he chose three from the D.C. bands who submitted and put them on the Web site for people to vote on," Sullivan said.
"From there it was sort of a grassroots thing: get all your friends to vote. But I hope some people who haven't heard us before voted on our song because they liked it," he said.
Crowley, Matt Sullivan and Sullivan's brother, drummer and AU graduate student Mike Sullivan, had been playing together since high school, but The Hall Monitors were born just 18 months ago when guitarist-vocalist Ginger Richards joined the band. Since then, the band has been promoting themselves the only way small D.I.Y. bands know how - by playing as many clubs and parties as possible and by logging into the MySpace marketplace. But now they have something uniquely substantial to put on their r?sum?.
"People are really impressed by this," Mike Sullivan said.
And indeed they should be. The Hall Monitors' bluesy, blistering set oozed equal parts bravado-infused R&B and snarling punk, shredding through seven songs in just 20 minutes or less. Their influences, ranging from the Rolling Stones to The Cramps, were manifested in Crowley's Buddy Holly-stance at the mic, Richards' Chuck Berry-rife riffs, and Matt's Stones-infused bass rhythms, all the while Mike keeping time in Ringo-meets-Keith Moon fashion. The Hall Monitors, holding their own among the living legends of garage rock, proved to be a worthy appetizer for what was to follow.
The main course began with The Charms, a Boston stoner-garage rock outfit boasting a Wendy O. Williams/Deborah Harry-inspired crooner capable of melodically spewing angst-ridden, gritty break-up-and-make-up songs, but did not pick up until Rochester-based band The Chesterfield Kings hijacked the Black Cat's stage. Their frightening resemblance to the New York Dolls was overcome by the startling originality of their set, which incorporated maracas, harmonicas, finger cymbals, the bar and the contents of the bar, not to mention vocalist Greg Prevost's body and soul. Prevost worked the audience and mic stand harder than his ripped nylons and mascara wand, while from his bubblegum pink lips leaked vocals equally sweet and sticky.
The climax reached during the Kings' set was continued with Seattle's Supersuckers, playing their uniquely mosh-worthy blend of country, metal, and blues rock and roll, which held the crowd over until it was time for dessert, and by the time the Dolls' David Johansen ripped into "Looking For A Kiss," the crowd was ready to give it to him. Johansen, rail-thin and nearly disappearing behind the microphone stand but for all the glitter and sequins dripping from his garb, proceeded to lead the band through Dolls classics "Puss N' Boots" and "Pills," as well as material from their new album.
In all, the show was exhilarating and cathartic, especially for The Hall Monitors. "There was a huge build up and then it happened really quickly," Mike said of the experience.
"The cherry has been popped now," Crowley said. "Everyone had to play past their anxiety and jitters, playing for a larger crowd, so that's good."
"It's allowed us to play for a different demographic, an older, more mature audience, and making them aware that D.C. has a good garage band scene," Richards said.
After such a huge show and excellent exposure and advertising, the only question that remains is what The Hall Monitors will conquer next.
"We recorded two singles, and we're debating whether the album is still a viable form of delivery. We still want to record a lot of songs. From here, we could shop for a label," Crowley said.
"But a record label isn't promotional," Richards said.
"It's just a stamp of approval, especially with garage [music], because there are so many little labels and each has a certain reputation of their own."
For now, however, The Hall Monitors will enjoy their own, new reputation for giving D.C.'s garage rock scene a place in the limelight and perhaps even a new spot on the map.
