So I’m a little late on this, then I had a computer crash issue and yadda yadda yadda – but it’s been in my head since leaving the Doug Fir on Monday night and I have to get it out!

My husband and I headed over there to see The Detroit Cobras – a fantastic garage soul band. They were one of the first bands he introduced to me when we first started dating an I’ve been a big fan ever since.

I’d never heard of the opening act, Les Sans Culottes, but they sounded interesting so we had a few drinks on the patio then headed downstairs to check them out. According to their website they’ve been together since 2001, but have primarily played in the NYC and LA areas, so they didn’t really have a fan base here. The crowd did the typical Portland thing and stood back, watching arms folded. The stage was full – seven members of the band – but they filled it even more with their stage presence. Most of the songs were sung in French – including versions of “These Boots Are Made For Walking” and “My Sharona” – and when they spoke they used French accents – despite being from Brooklyn – and by the time they finished playing, the floor was full and booties were shakin’!

When The Detroit Cobras took the stage, the first words out of lead singer, Rachel Nagy’s mouth were, “Let’s get this over with so we can drink.” My heart sank. The last time I’d seen them they were less than stellar – but I’d seen them many times before and they were great. Their new album is really good, so I was hoping that last time was just a bad night. Now I wasn’t so sure. The sounded good – but just very well rehearsed with little enthusiasm. They could have been playing in the studio instead of in front of several hundred eager fans. As the night progressed, they did liven up – and it turned out to be a really good night. But Les Sans Culottes absolutely stole the show. Even when the Detroit Cobras were playing, the bass player and one of the female singers from Les Sans Culottes rushed to the front of the crowd and just started dancing their asses off – and looked like they were having more fun than the Cobras.

Please – Les Sans Culottes – come back to Portland again soon!