I got to the Firehouse at about 9 just in case there were problems with parking. As it turned out, there weren't a whole lot of people there, but it was a good thing that I arrived early because it wasn't 10 before No Justice, the opening act, took the stage.

The evening started off on the right foot. The bartender spotted me a beer, which is rare but happens from time to time. Even better, I didn't have to wait in line for it. I was on the phone leaving a message for Kevin and Callie when he just walked out and handed it to me. Man, I love that bar.

It was a predominantly young crowd. TGD tends to attract younger audience so it wasn't a surprise, though it was quite welcome. It was also predominantly female (3-2 ratio, possibly 2-1) and most of them were concentrated in one area. I came to call them The Pack. It was not only predominantly female, but there were actually a number of girls that I would consider "my type." Generally, at the Firehouse, it's wall-to-wall girls who ain't my type, but I woulda been sittin' in tall cotton if I were in the relationship market.

I've heard a lot about No Justice over the last several months. They're supposed to be The Next Big Thing out of Oklahoma according to Great Divide bandmembers and fans. I bought their CD a month or two back in anticipation for the show and found it to be good, though not great (I gave it a solid B). I got the impression that they were probably a better live band and boy was I right!

I was playing pool when they first got on the stage. I thought that it was the bar music, though I thought it was odd that Jack (the audio guy) would have a copy of a live No Justice song when it was their first stint at the Firehouse and (I'm pretty sure) in Houston. Okay, okay, so I'm a little dim. But it goes to show the tightness of the band. Until I heard the sounds of an audience, I thought it was the studio recording.

They played most of my favorite songs from the CD including The Toast, which I didn't think they would (it's a slower song). The lead singer's voice is quite booming and in contrast to the slightly restrained sound on the studio recording It's not unusual in the Texas music industry for that to be the case, but usually the restrained voice on a CD hurts the CD whereas with NJ it didn't hurt the CD as much as the difference made No Justice one of the best new live acts I've seen in a while. There were three Steve Earle cover songs, which is a bit much, but that's my only complaint with their setlist. There also played Rolling Stones's Dead Flowers and a couple covers I was unfamiliar with (I love it when acts introduce me to good music).

The night took a bit of a foul turn when a certain romantic figure from my past showed up, but she left about the time that TGD took the stage. I figured it'd take me a few songs before I started loosening up. But the New Great Divide hit the ground running with some great TGD classics.

On the second song, I'd kinda wished that Lisa had stuck around as a young lady in The Pack walked over and asked me to dance. Tragically (for her, not me), I am a pretty pathetic dancer. She had no idea what she was getting herself in to, but she was a sport nonetheless. I only wish Lisa had been there out of petty spite. Yeah, yeah, that's me. Petty and spiteful. Regardless of my dancing ineptitude, it was flattering to be asked.

Micah Ailes is the new lead singer, replacing the Mike McClure who in many ways carried the band. I wasn't sure what to expect as I didn't know much of Ailes and hadn't heard their new sound. As it turns out, Ailes has a spectacular McClure-type voice when he wants it. There were literally points during some of the McClure songs where I could have closed my eyes and I'd have thought that it was McClure singing them. Much to my surprise, though, when he got to the first non-TGD song (a Chris Knight cover) his voice sounded quite different. Analogous to Scott Melott's voice, but with a little more heft.

A little bit later, I struck up a conversation with Not Blake (or perhaps he struck up a conversation with me) about the lead singer. We were both impressed and agreed mightily that if he could write good songs, TGD would be better than ever. Not Blake had apparently come down from Ohio (where Ailes is from) to see the band play. I asked him about Ailes's other band, but he said he'd never heard them play. Apparently, he is a former Texas who got into TGD down here before relocating to the hell we call Cleveland.

After about the fifth song or so, the band announced it was someone's birthday and lo' and behold, probably the cutest girl from The Pack, The Birthday Girl, was wished a personal happy birthday by the band and the drummer kissed her hand (oooh, ahhh, the drummer! Actually, with McClure gone, the drummer seems to be the functional leader of the band). So it was apparently a birthday party that had attracted all the ladies and a few guys. One of them, I assumed her boyfriend, went apespit and pulled her away from the stage to "talk to her" or something. He was quite apparently jealous or something.

The next part of the show was eye-opening for a couple of reasons. First of all, Scotte Lester, the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist, sang a couple songs that had long been nixed from the TGD play list. McClure really dominated the shows during his era and Scotte would only get to play one song. That, thankfully, was one of the things that they changed.

The second thing they did was set up five benches and sit in a row to do a few accoustic tracks. Rather than the slow accoustic tracks that I am accustomed to whenever a stool is pulled out, they sang rockin' classics like "Can't You See." Even better, everyone got to sing. As I mentioned, McClure often dominated the band to the point that it was practically Mike McClure and the Great Divide (and was thus little surprise when he went out on his own). Given that McClure is as talented as he is, I never really knew what I was missing with the feel of a truly unified band as they were that night. It wasn't Micah Ailes and The Great Divide, it was just The Great Divide. I look forward to seeing McClure's solo shows, but I think I like TGD better this way.

As the show progressed, Micah started singing more than a couple original tunes. They were quite good. "This is gonna work," Not Blake told me. I nodded.

Birthday Girl and Dragonheart (the boy that pulled her away from the stage earlier) were dancing up a storm. In fact, everyone was dancing (Except me. They'd seen enough to not ask me to dance) and having a great time. I'd only had a couple beers by that point, but the sheer energy eminating from the room was enough to intesify the carefree feeling I so often get at these shows (and that keep me going to them). Everyone was there to have a great time and you can't ask for much more than that.

The band took a timeout between songs in order to remind everyone that they had CDs for sale and that anyone interested needed to go talk to Blake at the stand. "Wave Blake!" Micah said. "Now everyone wave to Blake!"

I turned around to wave at Blake, who I'd talked to earlier when I was mulling over buying a TGD shirt. Not Blake was standing right next to him. He'd had a lot more to drink than I, so he felt compelled to walk over and inform me, "Hey man, I'm Not Blake. That guy over there is Blake." I told him that I knew it, but he stared at me kinda blankly. The band started playing again and we were bopping up and down and singing along.

In addition to the theatre on stage, there was some off as well. A few songs later, a frat-looking boy made the mistake of trying to cut in on Birthday Girl and Dragonheart. Birthday Girl'd had quite a bit to drink and was kinda oblivious to it. When Dragonheart pulled Frat Boy away, they were dancing once more. With the theatre off the stage done, I could enjoy the band again, which I dutifully did.

TGD was hitting all the high notes. Micah was doing a great job of reproducing McClure's material in close to its original sound, but putting a lot of heart in it to take it the extra few yards. Ailes truly wanted to be there and that's as energizing for the audience as it is for the performers.

As the show started drawing to a close, they started singing some of their classics. The most prominant (okay, I'm biased because it's my favorite) was "Yesterday Road", during which Birthday Girl actually invited me up to dance before being rescued by her friends.

"You was robbed!" Not Blake exclaimed.

"I was robbed!" I agreed.

Not that I really cared. There seemed to be a lot of drama going on in The Pack. Besides, I was free to finish my cigarette (unlike before, when I had to put the poor thing out), listen to the music, watch the band, and watch everything else going on. So I really didn't care. But I was robbed.

Not long after Birthday Girl and Frat Boy were dancing with each other. After the song ended they went over to a front table and preceeded to make out. The Pack came to her rescue, but Frat Boy went with them and they were making out again in no time.

No Justice went up there to sing "Used to Be" (another classic) with them in one of the closing songs of the night. I spent half the song bopping to the music and the other half avoiding Birthday Girl and Frat Boy, who'd gone back to dancing again, as well as Not Blake, who could barely stand up straight. Birthday Girl was rescued once more by her friends before the song reached an end.

There wasn't an encore and I wanted to get out before I was tempted to buy something I couldn't afford, so I sped to the bar to pay my tab. Five beers?! I drank five beers?!?! I was trying to cut back, but somehow I'd drank five beers! Come to think of it, that's probably why I was accidentally but a Bic lighter in my mouth and started flicking at my cigarette.

I said goodbye to Not Blake and headed for the door. On my way out I could see Birthday Girl in the corner of my eye. She was slumped over and barely standing straight. She'd obviously come down and was in for a rough night and a rougher morning.

Five beers?! I hadn't eaten much of anything. I was in for a rough night and morning, too.

There are boys who woke up with headaches
There are girls who are ashamed
There'll be parents full of questions
But there's always friends to blame.
-The Great Divide, "Yesterday Road"