Ami Saraiya at Hungry Brain

Originally I intended to go see her with Julie Meckler at Schubas, but I could not. I don't like missing combos like that. Julie fucking rocks. So I find out nearly on the day that Ami is playing Hungry Brain Tuesday 15 March. I know I go on about her a lot. Perhaps I repeat a lot of shit just to fluff up the mention of seeing Ami here and there. I do that with everyone. And these gigs are indeed different from one another as Schubas is distinct from Hungry Brain. Schubas can seem small and cramped for a mid-size venue depending on who....yes depending on who. I did not go to the Schubas event, but I know Ami, and Schubas. I can calculate something from there. Hungry Brain is an easy to miss cafe on Belmont and it's a Tuesday. It's only going to magically appear if you are actually looking for it. That night it was host to a stand-up comedy event. Ami was to sing in the end. Given all the, you know, real venues she's played(Empty Bottle, Hideout, Subt's, and Schubas), it's really cool that you can still see her in all the smaller places. I don't say real just to sound like an asshole. But Hungry Brain has indeed a smaller profile than say Empty Bottle, and for that reason the more singular, intimate performance. For one you see the massive shift in audience. One can reasonably expect a good crowd at Hideout. But what is preventing that same crowd from Hungry Brain? Yet, at the Brain all I saw were perhaps friends of the previously performing comics, barely populated. Well, her drummer from The Outcome was there. I think the fact that Ami Saraiya does this is way fucking cool, and worth the mention. And that makes Hungry Brain awesome! So Ami is there to promote the new EP Ami Saraiya & The Outcome. It has three songs, Hanging By A Thread, Purging Purging, and Cattle Prod Hands. They all got Ami's usual sweetness. She's been circulating them around for some time now. And I've been waiting for them to release the last one forever. The accordion on it makes you feel like you're in the movie Amelie. It's like in the midst of no reason for feeling good, comes wonder and that slight euphoria leads to feeling good in the middle of an other wise boring Tuesday night. Ami finished her set with an as yet unreleased "Automatic". She had the small audience participate with her. That Amelie feeling lasted me the whole drive back to the south side.

Zig