A peculiar band with a peculiar (ah-hem) name, Jay Reatard, passed through the Echo last Friday and Saturday nights. The trio of rockers brought their sound from Memphis, Tennessee, and had me wigglin’ with nods of approval in the packed venue. The show (Saturday night) almost felt oversold, which I find common at the Echo (they let in too many people).
     Jay R played approximately 20 songs in 60 minutes, though I could be totally off. It could have been 50 songs in 45 minutes. Either way, Jay’s brand of garage rock is mesmerizing, a new fusion of metal, indie and punk. This is not some mindless noise machine. The band is musically talented, tight and agile. The drummer especially blew my mind.
     Jay Reatard’s recordings are phenomenal (and he produces a lot of them), but this is an artist that cannot be fully appreciated until you hear and see it live.