The Features @ Piano's

I haven't seen the Features in almost two years, which when considering that I saw them roughly fifty times from 2001-2006, that's a big drought. A big drought. I still find it hard to rationalize that I now live a life almost completely void of this band, aside from listening to them on my iPod. They were my life in Tennessee, through message boards, friends, hanging out, flyering, going to shows, making mix CDs, it was just what me and my friends did. It was nice to have even more Tennessee friends up here than the last time they played in New York in 2007. It felt right being able to freak out and have a good time with some of the same people I freaked out with back in the Boro.

The show was great. It's nice to see that the band still brings it with every performance and that their onstage personas haven't dulled at all. They're all still highly energetic and captivating performers with tunes to back them up. I'm of course bummed that I can only hear album tracks now, as the spontaneity of the Features shows of yore was a large part of the appeal. Being able to yell out "Damage Is Done" and have them decide to play it after a year of not, or having the power go out to inspire an acoustic version of the seldom played "Bumblebee." But this show was definitely a solid show with a consistent set of songs, all of which had me freaking out. I really lost it to "Me & The Skirts," of all songs. I get nostalgic for that jam every time, maybe because I remember the first time I heard it and the bit we still do to this day when discussing it (thick country accent: "You see that all them sang on that song right there!"). I don't know, memories flooding back.

The Features play Brooklyn on Sunday night, at Union Hall. You should go.

Here are some pictures that Davis took. You can also fall in love, either again or for the first time, with this band daily at The Damage Is Done.