Oh, the legendary Deli party. Long absent and long overdue, it was finally resurrected Monday night with a good old-fashioned 8 off 8th at Mercy Lounge. The first time I went to a Deli party was two years ago in West End, and by the end of the night I somehow wound up becoming a writer for the blog. Since then, Nashville Deli festivities have waned. As the first party we’ve thrown in many moons, it started off like a young fawn, shaky and uncertain, but with a lineup of bands worth their salt, (hello, Holmes and Presley, Erin Manning, Alvin Love, Paper Machete, Evan P. Donahue, Turtle Bangs, Modoc and Overzealous), free swag and of course, some boozy and jovial showgoers, the Deli’s comeback party was, at least, a respectable shot at our first fiesta in a long while.
Thanks to rock and roll trivia right before, 8 off 8th commenced with an already-convivial atmosphere that peaked mid-way through the night and crashed before the final two sets. But as far as lineups go, the Deli was happy to host some fine Nashville talent, like Alvin Love (if Mr. Rogers had a soulful, poppy guest artist on his show, it would probably be Mr. Love), Americana/hard-rock infusion Modoc, and Turtle Bangs, an endearingly grody garage rock twosome from Murfreesboro.
Sets were short and sweet as usual, but that kept an already-diverse selection of bands interesting. Turtle Bangs might have given Nashville a taste of something it’s not used to, playing three rowdy, guttural numbers from their just-released album, “Mountain.” Modoc and Overzealous also have new EPs in the making and just-released, respectively. The last two to go on, they unfortunately played to a nonexistent crowd, but we know—it was a Monday night, so all who bailed are forgiven. I guess. At any rate, the Deli says thanks to everyone who came out, and to the guys at Mercy Lounge for letting us throw down there. Perhaps a weekend date is in order for next time. And there will be a next time. – Jessica Pace