“The Best Gig I Ever Saw” is a weekly column that will see us ask a musician to chat about their favorite concert thus far. This week it’s Brandon Moss, drummer with Detroit rockers Bars of Gold who play the Hi-Hat this week…
The best show I’ve ever seen was 20 years ago and not exactly an “Eureka!” moment on its surface, but it sure felt like it to my friends and I. It was At The Drive In at the Magic Stick in Detroit, around July 1999. I think it was a Tuesday, and possibly even the day their EP, Vaya, came out, if I remember correctly.
Like most weekday shows in Detroit, there was hardly anyone there, but the band completely killed it, and my buds and I ate it up. Great bands create their own world, and even better bands invite you into it — ATDI totally invited you into their frenzied musical storm. It was celebration, a jubilee, a self-contained second-line parade. They were so egalitarian to me. In my mind, that show really taught me that playing music was supposed to be exciting, joyous and exhilarating.
When the show/storm was over, I think we were all convinced that we needed to stop talking about starting a band and actually do it. A handful of months later, those friends and I started a band called Bear vs Shark.
Bars of Gold plays with The Manx at 8 p.m. on Friday, August 2 at the Hi-Hat.

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