Viva Forever

At the last show with The Pining, an all-female alt-country band, I was curious why Terra Lightfoot was the guest guitarist while the regular guitarist, Emma Moss Brender was in the audience. Wednesday night, it made sense: Emma was leaving the band. The Pining held a farewell show for Emma at Ted's Collision, with both guitarists on board for the abbreviated set.

Ted's Collision and its air of benignful neglect, with its old tables, pool table, pinball and Ms. Pac-man tabletop is quite different from the glam lounges, Italian trats, and cheap sushi eats that dot Little Italy. But it was the perfect venue for some twangy alt-country tunes. The sound system was definitely lo-fi, but it was more than adequate for the small space. In fact, the 4-part harmonies and the quieter acoustic guitars and violin came through clearly, better than louder set-ups.

Each singer/songwriter had their own style. Some were fast and toe-tapping while others had a bluesy feel. It remains to be seen what Terra's style will be, though they did sing a new tune written by her. Emma specialized in slow, hurting song. Appropriately, the show ended with her singing the melancholic She's Gone.