BULLDOG - REVIEW

BULLDOG
wsgs TERROR AT THE OPERA
SMALL'S, HAMTRAMCK
APRIL 3, 2004

The much buzzed about Bulldog took the stage at Small’s on Saturday night. Before they came out, a few gear enthusiasts wandered around the front of the stage and uttered things such as “wow, that’s a sleek pedal-steel” and “check out the vintage organ mounted on that rack with that great keyboard.” Expectations were high. This band wasn’t supposed to be a scene of drunken euphoria, though we admire that ethic in Detroit, nor were they supposed to be another crew playing the same formulaic garage that is so tried and true. No, tonight hopes were up for a band brimming with musicality and songwriting that is not necessarily flashy, but is just plain good. That’s exactly what Bulldog delivered.

Bulldog is led by Kenny Tudrick – a guitarist you may recall seeing in two of Detroit’s best bands,

the Detroit Cobras and The Go. It turns out that putting him front-and-center with a microphone is a brilliant idea. His solid, full-toned vocals are perfect for Bulldog’s slow and steady rock. The band’s slightly alt-country tinged sound is one that people tend to appreciate with the first few chords and grow to intensely love by the end of the set. The sound on Saturday night was incredible. Technically, Bulldog had a lot going – pedal steel, keyboard, organ, acoustic and electric guitars. This is a lot to coherently mold together, but nonetheless, the balance was impeccable. While this city is filled with great bands, it was clear that Bulldog is on a different level of musicality than most. The chemistry of the players is obviously amazing to achieve this quality of sound so early in the band’s life. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the show was at Small’s – the best sounding venue in this city.

Opening the night was the comfortably eerie trio Terror at the Opera. Beautiful female vocals melded with simple guitar lines and the in-and-out breathe of an accordion provides the ‘comfortable.’ One can never find too much comfort residing in this hallowed out shell of an industrial Mecca – there’s typically some sort of eerie quality looming somewhere that can’t quite be seen. With melodies taking slightly unexpected twists and turns, Terror at the Opera’s Nick Cave-esque songwriting captures the comfortably eerie aesthetic simply, but beautifully. -- Ryan Sult