LIVE: Cheap Time @ the Half Moon, 6/18/13

Review and photographs by Kirsten Ferguson

Nashville garage-punk trio Cheap Time played Hudson’s Half Moon last month, a newly re-opened space that balances hipster and dive-bar elements in just the right measures. The revamped 1940s-style neighborhood bar with glass-brick accents was the perfect setting for a production by CAVESTOMP!, the well-known New York City garage rock “festacular” that has migrated north to host monthly Half Moon shows.

DJ Peter Aaron (of the Chrome Cranks) set the stage for Cheap Time by playing their punk forebears – the Stooges, the Dictators, the Dead Boys – while DJ Jeff the Chef started the spinning with 45s of old-school soul enlivened by tasty videos of hot-stepping dancers from old musical flicks, curated by VJ Spike Priggen.

After three albums on In the Red Records — a who’s-who of some of the best, brightest and rawest rock and roll acts — Cheap Time has a much anticipated upcoming album, Exit Smiles, and they spent much of June touring with punk stalwarts Social Distortion (although the local Clifton Park date at the Upstate Concert Hall sadly was canceled). For Cheap Time’s headlining Half Moon show, they had a new bassist, Jessica McFarland, who joined drummer Ryan Sweeney and the group’s mastermind Jeffrey Novak to burn through a set of compact, snarling glam-punk.

Next up from the folks at SmashCrashBash & CAVESTOMP! The Garage Rock Festacular! is the dynamic double-bill of the Living Kills and Twin Guns on Friday, July 19 at the Half Moon in Hudson. Tickets are $6.