On Mon, 6 Nov 1995, Derek Tokar - PHAS/F93 wrote:
> > well i've combed through all the pop ex reviews and i don't remember one > that gave the maker's mark any kind words. it seems like no one was i gave no reviews of the popx, but here goes anyways ... i sat in the birdland with a kind of nervous anticipation coursing through my young veins, i was awaiting what could undoubtedly be called the most anticipated moment of the popx: maker's mark. the lights dimmed and out walked the band, my first thoughts: "god DAMN, these guys are tall." formalities aside, the band kicked into it's first song. the group (featuring a. scott on guitar and singing, d.b. goode on bass and m. bilitski on drums) was mesmerising, dishing out an enthralling array of songs in that new york, junkie rock sort of style. jarring guitar clashed with melodic bass lines and bilitski's drumming provided a compelling centre for it all. Scott's songs were great, completely current, but original enough to avoid sounding dated (not too '95). dallas was a wicked addition to the band, keeping the band together and keeping andrew's guitar in tune. it was after two or three amazing songs that the evening took a turn for the worse, when joel plaskett started making random cameo appearances, schleping drums from side stage onto the centre stage (what was to come was all too obvious, and i dreaded it.) soon, andrew took a step aside and relinquished control of the mic to mike, while he acquiesced to his seat at the drums. mike bilitski's songs seemed completely out of context with the mood that had been established. the completely powerful feeling of being wholely seperate from what was occuring onstage was shattered and i felt like i was at just another show seeing just another band. the songs weren't bad by any means, on the contrary, they were excellent open chord pop songs, but they were the same songs that any number of bands would and did play at the popx. it was, however, great to get to see andrew play the drums. i get this feeling whenever i see or hear a band in that very cool, new york style, all attitude and confidence that i am being put in a position that is very much at odds with what is going on on stage. it's like a confrontation, and a good confrontation should always leave you feeling a little akward, like, "what do i do now?" and this was the feeling that i got from andrew's songs. i stood slack-jawed after he stopped and t took me time to readjust to mike's songs. this seemed to be the sentiment that everyone had that i talked to. andrew created such a powerful mood with his songs, and mike couldn't keep it going. in the end, joel played drums with them (very much out of time, too), and they left the stage. andrew never returned to the mic, and the akward feeling that accompanies seeing a great band was not to return mike c.
