Torben Floor

Lesson Be Learned
by: bill aicher

It snowed on March 31. Not a nice snow either, but a slushy crappy to drive in snow. Almost died a few times... but sometimes that's the price you pay.

Reed St. Station was a little hard rock/metal bar tucked in a shady part of town. There probably was a good chance my car could have gotten ripped off there... but sometime's that's the price you pay.

Torben Floor, a small relatively unknown (unfortunately) band from Ottawa Illinois took the stage near 11 p.m. Playing for a relatively small crowd (probably not more than 30 people) meant nothing at all. They were there to play and that's what they did.

The set consisted of a good deal of newer material not found on Live Music in the Apartment, the band's only album to date. New tracks of note were "Virginia is for Lovers," a strolling love song (download the mp3) and "Unequivocal Man," which give a greater idea of where the band is headed. Some of the intimacy found on Live Music... has been put aside for a more emotional rock style, bringing the band even closer to Radiohead's The Bends style - but not exactly. The band did, however, make sure to show their Radiohead influence with an excellent cover of "Bones" (even if lead singer Carey Ott said it sucked).

Once again, the high point of the show was their "signature" track, "Sunbathing," off of Live Music... (download the mp3) It definitely earned them a few new fans - including the two new Music-Critic staffers who had never heard Torben before.

But wait... there is a moral to the story too, and it is this: sometimes you have to risk life and limb - go to the little dive bar that you never gave a second thought to before, brave the shitty weather, take an adventure - and you never know what kind of good stuff you can find.

The best music is still where you least expect it...

not in the amphiteatres and stadiums.

and definitely not on TRL.