This past Friday night after I got my fill of stellar deals and shopping, I headed over to Downtown Utica to get my fill of beer and good tunes. I've lived in the Sterling Heights/Utica area my entire life, but I've never really made a habit of going out in Utica. On the rare occasions that I did go out down there, it was usually just to The Shamrock for some incredibly delicious fried food and a beer. Other than that, not really my place. If you aren't familiar with Downtown Utica, it's about 4 blocks long with about 7 bars, a library, a couple random shops, and a sweet lazer tag joint. One of the handful of bars is
Hatchy's.
Prior to Friday night I had never been to Hatchy's. I always just had it in my mind as a random sports bar that was probably full of douchey guys, most of which I went to high school with. Recently I started seeing flyers and Facebook invites pop up for shows there though, which I thought was super odd, but definitely peaked my interest. Well, on Friday there was a lineup there that I couldn't pass up, especially since it was so close to home.
The night started off with
The ILL Itches, whom I arrived just in time to see. I may have a slight obsession with this band and I'm pretty sure all of the guys in the band are super creeped out that I pop up at 95% of their shows. But, it's for good reason. They're great. Regardless of what type of music you are generally into, you will like this band. If you haven't seen them yet, they have a few shows coming up, but you'll definitely catch them when you come to our
two year bash.
Next up was
The Jet Rodriguez. I have to admit, I think every time I have seen this band has been because I am there for someone else on the bill. That has to change. Great band. A little more mellow than I am typically into, but super talented. And the drummer sings on some of their songs. That's always fun and impressive.
Third to hit the stage was
George Morris & The Gyspy Chorus. I just have to say, this band has really grown over the past couple of months into a cohesive unit. When George first added a full band, I was unsure about it. But, now it's hard to picture it just being him. Great band, great songs, and Helena is always fun to watch. Gotta love when girls can rock out with the boys!
The headliner on this show was
Almost Free. One thought kept running through my mind throughout their set; Why the fuck don't I go see this band more often??? They are one of the most talented and underrated bands in the Detroit Scene right now. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GO CHECK THEM OUT! They have two albums available as free downloads on their
bandcamp and their latest,
The Mirror Stage, is available for under $4. Well worth it.
So, needless to say, this was a solid show. Huge shout out to
Blaring Division on a great night and for venturing out of the box and trying out this new venue. Just to fill you in a bit on Hatchy's, it's a 2 level bar with the music venue on the 2nd level. It was a beautiful room with brick walls and great exposed wood beams. I kind of felt like I was at a ski lodge of some sort by the looks of it. Plenty of spots to sit and see the band, but plenty of standing room too if that's your thing. It kind of felt like a cross between
Foran's Grand Trunk and
The Pike Room. Super comfortable, clean, nice, and just all around a cool place. Plus they had a pretty decent beer selection and PBRs were only $2, like they should be. It's right off M-59 and Van Dyke, so it's not too difficult to get to if you are coming from Detroit or Ferndale. Definitely keep an eye on
Hatchy's Facebook page to find out when they have another show coming up and go check it out for yourself. Better yet, if you're in a band, think about booking your next show here!
~C
