Went out with Carrie Ann(Wife) last night to a bar/coffeehouse in 
Houston called
Notsuoh (Notice anything about that name).

First act was a Houston local, Sabra Laval.
http://www.myspace.com/sabralaval
Beautiful voice. Standard "Dream Pop" stuff in the Hope Sandoval vein. 
This is the act I believe everyone had come for. Crowd was happy and 
mostly paying attention.

Next up was one of two acts from California, Virgin Rosemary.
http://tinyurl.com/2huxyy
A guy in an elaborate skin and feather mask playing a cross between Tiny 
Tim and Emo Phillips. He played a short set and got the expected laughs 
and smiles, but also thinned the crowd a little.

Now the second CA act, the point of this post, Dead Western.
http://www.myspace.com/50690003
"Dead Western" played around with his equipment a bit, chatted with the 
crowd, and then completely isolated himself from the audience by staring 
straight at the ceiling and contorting his face, neck, and body into a
position which allowed him to produce a voice very different from his 
own. Thus entered into this character, he sang a series of slow ballads 
which pushed half the crowd out the door and the majority of what remained
to the furthest point in the room from the stage. Virgin Rosemary, 
Carrie Ann, and I were the only one's listening, and Carrie Ann was just 
being polite.

But Dead Western kept going, shouting to quiet the talkers at the 
beginning of each song. And over time, the atmosphere in the room 
transformed until every single person was silent and watching very 
intently. Dead Western played a last song at least five times; After 
each the room plead for another. When he would no longer comply, the 
crowd insisted he play one of his albums on the bar's record player.

Very much like tales I've heard about Daniel Johnston shows.

  -Shay

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