The Cellar on Treadwell Gets Brassy

Surf punk, sweet head-banging riffs, and a Gwen Stefani singalong accompanied by a sousaphone and glockenspiel — on Friday at The Cellar on Treadwell, The Sandy Clams, Minorchy, and You’re Not Listening! Brass Band made up an eclectic triple bill, ushering in the new year with enough raucous fun for music fans of any genre.

First up to the stage was The Sandy Clams, a West Hartford-based trio that included Mike Therion on guitar, Jeff Pierpont on bass, and Jason Devin on drums. The three-piece dove right into its set with a thundering sound as smoke filled the air overhead near the multicolored lights in hues of red, green, and blue. The band then eased its way into hardcore surf riffs. With barely a break in between, the band sailed into song after song, hard rock meeting heavy waves and all instrumental. This energetic band kept to the music hard with enough shredding and hefty beats to satisfy all of one’s rock needs on a Friday night — though they also offered a tune that Therion introduced by saying ​“here’s a pretty one, guys,” as they delved into a more melodic and slower piece that eventually got bluesy and even a little funky. The audience was receptive and seemed to have as much fun as the band members themselves.

Pierpont returned to the stage on guitar, bass, and vocals with the next act, the Manchester-based Minorchy, which also included Phoebe Stone on guitar, bass, and vocals and Mitch Martin on drums. Pierpont began by telling the crowd, ​“we’re Minorchy, and that was the Sandy Clams. Mike is a bad emcee,” which garnered laughs from the crowd (and Mike). This trio offered a more straight-up rock ​‘n’ roll sound with a punk edge. Pierpont began on vocals and guitar and then took over bass from Stone for the last three songs, and letting him take up vocals and guitar, though there was an instrumental in there as well (before which Pierpont told the audience ​“I’m not going to sing now. You’re welcome.”). Each one got their turn at extended guitar solos and was received with much applause and appreciation by the audience.

“We are Hartford’s only all-lady brass band,” announced Zoë Chatfield, vocalist for You’re Not Listening! Brass Band: the final act of the night. This band came to the stage nine members strong and included Chatfield, Athena Demaille on glockenspiel (one that was adorned with lights, no less), Alexa La Fever and Rose Pierre-Louis on percussion, Lindsay Silcox on trombone, Anne Thompson on alto saxophone, Christina Marie Solem on baritone saxophone, Leah Piros on trumpet, and Meg Hourigan on sousaphone and kick drum. Hourigan had to stand off and to the side of the stage next to some of the amps to accommodate her instruments, which Chatfield acknowledged at the start of the show by telling the audience ​“our sousaphone player cannot fit on the stage and we miss her.” There was no missing Chatfield or any of the players, however, as the band went into a joyously hard beat and horn-heavy cover of ​“Low Rider” that immediately got the crowd moving (and some even singing) along.

Before the next number, a cover of Madonna’s ​“Like a Prayer,” Chatfield announced that the band was going to do a tribute to some of the band members’ favorite pop divas, though as the night went on, the topic of whether or not some of the acts covered were ​“pop” divas or not was brought up and laughed about amongst the band. The band covered a variety of songs from many different women of many different genres — such as ​“Toxic” by Britney Spears, ​“Jolene” by Dolly Parton, ​“I’m Feeling Good” by Nina Simone, and ​“These Boots are Made for Walking” by Nancy Sinatra — but made each their own, amplifying the anthem-like nature of their choices. 

The crowd reveled in all of it, cheering and singing and moving along throughout the night — never more so than later in the set, when Chatfield was joined by Piros to help her ​“channel my inner cheerleader” for Gwen Stefani’s ​“Hollaback Girl” and the audience was asked to join in as well on the ​“this shit is bananas” line, which they did loudly and proudly. The whole band, the whole set, and the entire vibe of The Cellar felt like a bold statement on how to have fun on a Friday night. It was hard to stop smiling.

The band also covered the song ​“Manic Pixie Dream Girl” by The Bandshes, a band which Chatfield noted both she and Demaille were members of and had played in at this venue when it was The Space — and also with bands that were quite different from their own, as they had done on this night.

“It’s cool though,” she said.

This reporter agreed. Clubs in the New Haven area often book eclectic bills, grouping together bands one might never see unless they happened to be on the same bill as bands one has chosen to see. On this night, one of the first of the New Year, The Cellar gave the crowd a few fun choices and perhaps a new favorite. That’s not a bad way to begin.