Afghan Whigs and Psycho Nurse at Snagilwet

By William Brents

There's nothing quite like going to a dark, shabby and friendly club to clear one's sinuses. And Snagilwet is such a place; a place where at times you can hear diverse music from superior bands at a frugal price. And it also represents a place where you can take refuge from the diluted and pretentious world of commercial music.

On this night, Thursday, January 17, Snagilwet offered up Psycho nurse and sub-pop recording artists the Afghan Whigs.

First up, hailing from New York, was Psycho nurse, an outrageous theatrical group of three women with a backing band that consisted of a guitarist, drummer and one bulging-eyed bass player who went by the name of Dr. Sick. Dr. Sick had a tendency to squirm on the floor like a fish out of water.

They are undoubtedly a visual group of performers who use a satirical style of songwriting set to basic rock music. There's nothing sacred with these people, so I can't print many of the song titles, but here are a few of the hilarious ditties that I can mention: "Jack the Ripper Was My Alien Sister," "Christopher Street" and "Slit My Wrists."

If the three women of Psycho nurse ever meet up with Andrew "Dice" Clay, I'd pity Dice.

The Whigs capped the night off by laying into some new material that was typically tight and torrid.

Vocalist and rhythm guitarist Greg Dull plowed through the songs in his raspy tone and as usual he entertained between songs by chatting with the crowd.

Lead guitarist Rick McCollum, bassist John Curley and drummer Steve Earle all knew how to kick up a galvanizing storm that whipped a portion of the crowd into a dancing frenzy.

"You, My Flower" was one of the songs they played off their relatively new LP Up In It, a song, that got minimal rotation on MTV's 120 minutes program. "Big Top Halloween" is a sure thing at Whigs shows and it should be.

The Cincinnati residents usually play a cover or two and this night would be no exception as they shared a highly amplified version of the Shirelles' 1960 classic "Tonight's the Night."