Band of Horses

I winded through the confusing line outside the Cuban Club. Buy a ticket here. Get your ID checked there. Get your ID checked again around the corner.
Thank God I turned 21.

Behind the cement perimeter was a large open area for the show. A huge blue half pipe stood in the corner, decorated with Red Bull advertisements. A mini-amphitheatre was close by.

Then, a drop of water fell on my uncovered head. I looked up to the sky. Rain was inevitable. It was a little before 8 p.m. Band of Horses was up on stage doing a sound check. With the banjo. At least I could be happy at that.

Then, it really started to rain. Most of the crowd that had developed outside started to shift towards the building; though, I was surprised to see a pretty large group stand their ground by the stage.

Inside, a member of Band of Horses brushed by. Reggae music blared from a band on a small stage. Bam Margera took pictures with blonds and brunettes. I searched for Chloe Sevigny, who I actually got to meet the night before at my job.

The show was a part of the Tampa Pro 2008, so there were all sorts of celebrities and skateboarders about.

Who knows how long we stumbled inside before I heard someone mention that Kimya Dawson from the Moldy Peaches was already playing.

At first, I couldn't tell if she was on stage. She sounded very soft and had already played most of her set by the time I arrived, several songs of which were popular thanks to the movie Juno.

Her set was more like a storytelling. She sang a little, talked a little then sang some more. She even encouraged "interpretive dancing" on stage.

Kimya wore a homemade ninja turtles skirt. She even brought her baby, Panda Delilah (yes, Panda Delilah).

They prolonged the time between sets, which was good because it was just long enough for the rain to finally stop.

Band of Horses emerged at last, playing "The Great Salt Lake," off their 2006 album Everything All the Time. They also played what seemed like nearly every song from their 2007 album, Cease to Begin, including my favorite, "No One's Gonna Love You."

Hailing from Mt. Pleasant, S.C., their music is a very soft, melodic and folksy kind, which is why they are so often compared with My Morning Jacket.

The show ended with a "fake last song," followed by five or six more in the encore. At least they're real.

OH. And did I mention the beards on those guys!?