Three Sheets occupies the address that formerly housed Rudy’s. That’s right, Rudy’s, immortalized in the Steely Dan song Black Cow. While it’s been at least 20 years since my last visit, not much has changed. The microscopic bathroom may be an extra foot below sea level given the sheer volume of urine going out. An odd afternoon show put on by Shaki Presents, was not to be missed. Since 2008, the Mountain Movers have been a pillar of the New Haven psychedelic scene. Dan Greene and Kryssi Battalene on guitars, Rick Omonte on bass, and Ross Menze on drums. I enter the bar with the Movers set underway. The twin guitar crunch fuels the spacey jams, with Greene kneeling into a Hendrixian feedback squall. Battalene has grown up throughout my frequent viewings, early on she may have skateboarded to the show. Her other group Headroom is also must view local music. Omonte is DJ Shaki, a local promoter who has been a conduit of world music for New Haven for years. He is an expert on psychedelic cumbia and often does DJ events. Great set from these local scenesters that closed with a looped harmonica sequence.
Takaat is the backing band of the Niger guitarist Mdou Moctar. The word Takaat means “noise” in the Tuareg language Tamashek. The trio is Ahmoudou Madassane on guitar, Mikey Coltun on bass, and Souleymane Ibrahim on drums. The music is propulsive desert blues crossed with a punk bite. The hypnotic guitar swirl, the muscular bass riffs, and the frenetic drumming wow the capacity crowd at Three sheets. Drummer and guitar are dressed in their native robes and turbans that emphasize the exotic nature of what’s on stage. Spotify says that Takaat follows “in the independent music culture that birthed hardcore basement shows, bedroom tape labels, and generator- powered pick-up wedding bands”. Every now and then you view some music and realize you are witnessing something special, that was Takaat.
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