Bus Crush is preferable to bus crash at Silhouette Lounge on Monday, 3 February 2025.

Doss and Nemarca order hot dogs in the opening slots.

Some brief banter from the solo guitarist Nemarca captured the mood of the room and of the country right now: “Strange times.” Shades of Joni Mitchell flutter.

Adding to the sense of alienation, longtime Monday night barkeep Bill the Bartender was nowhere to be seen at the Silhouette Lounge.

At times the four-piece Doss sounds like a love letter written to vintage “rhythm & blues” songwriting from bygone eras. But the delivery system is all contemporary indie rock, so don’t expect to see any pompadours at the live set. Not yet, anyway.

Apparently, Bill got fired for “insubordination”?

The alt rock five-piece Bus Crush brought enough flash & heat to the backroom of the Sil to get the door guy’s attention. He abandoned his post briefly to sneak a peak, remarking, “They’re really fucking good!” It’s Olivia Sisay’s new jawn. The live set feels like a throwback to late 90s grunge pop.

Was Bill fired because he didn’t want to sell hot dogs? He was a friendly presence, deftly navigated the exotic range of customers at the Sil, and he knew how to sling drinks in volume on a crowded night. The one thing he didn’t buy into was the bar’s dumb hot dog gimmick, which seems like a cute idea until you add up how much time gets eaten away on a busy night serving that shit. It makes no sense when you work for tips. Is dishing out the free popcorn not enough of a timesuck?

We’ll miss you, Bill, wherever you are.

Postscript. Overheard someone describe Cape Crush as “pretty tolerable” while grabbing a drink at Model’s before the show. High praise!

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