Replicator is on tour, so last night I saw them play at Plush, a micro-sized shithole just down the street from Emo's. (They also dropped by and hung out with us for a while, and we all went out to eat at Green Mesquite BBQ, before I went with the band to the sleazy, graffiti-covered venue and its sticky-ass "dressing room" carpet. As the night wore on, the replicating ones were gradually introduced to that unique concept known as "Austin club time," in which absolutely nothing happens before ten p.m. This did give plenty of time for their pals from We'll Go Machete to show up and everybody to hang out, though. First up on the bill was a solo set from Jordan Webster, the guitarist of New Orleans transplants Wolf at the Door, who turned in a really impressive solo old-school country blues set playing just a dobro and howlin' like an old dead blues guy. The Machetes put on a solid set, albeit one mildly hampered by a too-short vocal mike and the limitations of a sound system designed primarily for DJs. Replicator went on around midnight (by which time everybody's favorite Austin drummer Daniel Francis Doyle had showed up to witness the bringing of the rock), and they were indeed the epitome of swellness. Conan and Todd (guitarists) sure wiggle around a lot like buttered eels, it makes me feel old just watching them and remembering dimly a time when I could do these things as well. They got to break out "Baby, I Want to Terraform Your Planet" (their first post-MACHINES song) for the first time on this tour, and it was every bit as entertaining as the rest of their set.

The only drawback to all this whole-grain rock goodness was that I didn't get home until after one in the morning, and requiring time to decompress meant not going to bed until nearly 2:30 (with a 6:45 wake-up call). Needless to say, I am a tired cheese now, and will probably be going to bed early this fine evening....