We drove out to Ditmas Park on Saturday night to hear Bad Teeth, my son’s band, as well as three bands that his friends are in: Mother Courage, Radiates and Large Lady (making their debut) at Vox Pop, the cafe/bookstore/performance space on Cortelyou Road.

The show was set to start at 8 PM but when we got there the bands were waiting outside with all their equipment because a jazz band was finishing up inside. So we decided to grab some dinner at Purple Yam, the new Philippine restaurant we’ve been hearing about.

When we got to Purple Yam I introduced myself to the owner, who explained that they were very crowded with a big birthday party and invited us to come back after the show at Vox Pop. We told her we’d probably be back on another night. My friend The Shiksa from Manila raves about the food there, as do others who know the chef/owners from their closed SoHo restaurant, Cendrillon.

We ended up at Picket Fence, a cozy restaurant a block away from Purple Yam. Picket Fence describes itself as a “family-friendly restaurant where friends, neighbors and family can share great food and fun times in a relaxed setting.” I’d say that’s a fair description and we both decided to go with sandwiches: me the veggie burger, Hugh wit the salmon BLT. The food was good, the service excellent and we were out of there by 8:45 to hear Mother Courage at Vox Pop.

We were very impressed by the show at Vox Pop, which was for an all-ages crowd. There were, however, some older folks around. A man was sitting in the cafe with his baby, an unbelievably cute 17-month-old. At one point he whispered to me:

“You’re a mom, right?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said. I guess it was pretty obvious

“I need to go to the bathroom. Would you mind holding my baby.  She’s getting sleepy and she really needs a woman,” he said.

“Sure,” I said.

I took the baby from the man and she immediately melted into my arms. Holding a baby, it’s like riding a bicycle you never forget how to do it. I stood up and rocked her way I used to hold my kids, moving side to side, from one foot to another. Babies seem to love that. I covered her ears with my hands because the second band, Large Lady, was a really loud, noise/punk band. The baby (pictured above) was adorable with jet black hair, pale skin and a doughy, attentive face.

I held the baby through three songs. At one point I had a fantasy that the baby’s father would never come back and I’d get to keep her. It was just a fleeting weird fantasy. I could tell that Hugh was smitten with the tiny girl, as well. When the dad finally returned from the bathroom, he put two fingers to his mouth pantomiming cigarette smoking, and asked if I’d mind holding the baby while he went out for a smoke.

Sure, I said.

The baby seemed incredibly comfortable with me but when she spotted her dad smoking through the front door glass she started waving at him enthusiastically. After his cigarette break, he came back and thanked me profusely and took the baby, put her in her pink down jacket and took her home. I wondered if the baby had a mom or if he was a single dad Somehow I think there was a mom at home but who knows.

Bad Teeth was up next and they delivered a fantastic, high energy show featuring their hard driving, raw, literate and unapologetically catchy songs like Raised by Wolves, Mortal Hands, Same Flame, Hemlock Soul Song and We are Worthless. The crowd went wild. You can hear some of these songs on Bad Teeth’s My Space page.

Enough motherly kvelling. Suffice it to say, I think the band is fantastic and Henry is a phenomenal vocalist/performer.

Radiates, a 4 piece post-punk band, played melodic music with driving rhythm section behind airy guitar chords, light synth melodies, and operatic vocal textures. Mother Courage, have an appealing folk/punk vibe with literate and achingly melodic songs that evoke Wilco, Leonard Cohen, Dylan and the Pixies. Their key board player, Nathan J. Campbell, an excellent singer songwriter on his own sang one of his songs between sets with an impressively soaring operatic voice.

After the show I waited outside for a car service (Hugh had to drive the band’s equipment to the drummer’s house and there was no room in the car). I wandered over to Sycamore, an attractive bar/flower shop was packed with a lively crowd. Finally my car arrived and I was taken home just after midnight.

Like Cinderella. Back to Park Slope.