Atombombpocketknife at Brownie's

I hadn't seen my friend Burns in a quite a while. Although most people know him as David, I've always had a thing for calling him by his last name. I started referring to him as Burns back in the early 90s, when we were all in school together. I gave his friend and roommate at the time the title "Uncle Bill." I don't know what possessed me to hand out nicknames; it just seemed to happen. Neither of them was the slightest bit amused when his new name began sticking, but over the years they have come to appreciate being Burns and Uncle Bill. David has programmed his e-mail to say BURNS in the subject field. Not sure about Bill's, but I'd imagine it has something to do with a band he idolizes.

I met up with Burns a few hours before the Atombombpocketknife show. Because they were the last of four bands to play we opted to walk down the street to get some grub. We had a couple of Brooklyn's while gazing at a rather cute waiter. We finished eating just as the first band, Circle & Square, was scheduled to start. We headed back to catch their set because David wanted to see them play. I hightailed it to the bar and began people watching?it's so easy to do at an all-ages (or at least 16 & over) show. Everyone looked extremely young, even younger than the Cooper Union kids I sometimes find myself associated with. Also, the three girls standing in front of me at the bar were shorter than I am when I'm sitting down. That freaked me out.

After Circle & Square, Burns joined me at the bar. We decided to visit ABPK downstairs in the band room. We've both known Justin Sinkovich, the singer and guitarist, since '92 or so. I think Sinkovich may have lived with both Burns and Uncle Bill at one time. Anyway, we reminisced about being on the road and what it's like to approach 30 and still go to or play all-age shows.

I've seen ABPK in every state of their conception; from a two-piece living in Tennessee to a three-piece (with the original drummer playing bass), to a three-piece from Chicago featuring Sinkovich's girlfriend, Alison Hollihan, on bass and Burns playing drums; to a four-piece without Burns. They've sounded like everyone from David Bowie to Unwound to a more freakish Girls Against Boys. That's how Sinkovich sings, like Scott McCloud, especially like McCloud in New Wet Kojak. ABPK songs are well thought-out, premeditated journeys. Live, they turn out five-minute-plus versions of tracks from their self-titled Southern album, Alpha Sounds. Sinkovich loves distortion, wah-wah or any other pedal for that matter. He has a board with all of them nailed to it. And he loves his tape recorder, on which he programs the ridiculous loops he plays between songs.

As usual, ABPK began their set with a 60-second loop to get the audience's attention before going into their first song, "Gamma Rays Forever," which will be on their next album. Every time I seen ABPK play they suck me in, almost hypnotically; my whole body becomes compliant, moving to the mesmerizing beats. And Sinkovich's vocals are deeper and more meaningful than most; he's like the Melville of rock 'n' roll. Anyone can sulk and write a song about a girl. On "Conceit Needs Concentration," he drones: "The thought of luck makes you want to puke/It reminds us of the day when you couldn't get a date/now I've got the cure/It's too bad you're not that pure... Where do we go from here?/Conceit needs concentration/And that's all right."

ABPK went through other favorites, all with great titles like "Play Chandeliers" and "Unofficial Guide to Backstabbing," before ending with "Window Washer Mafia." The whole set was brilliant. I just wish more people would catch on to what they're doing.