LIVE REVIEW: DimeStore Recordings Birthday Party, Sweeney's

Five strong years behind them, DimeStore Recordings threw a proper birthday humdinger recently with 18 acts helping them to blow out the night.
And if anyone deserves cake and a big to-do, it’s Andy Cullen and Peter Pureheart, the braintrust behind DimeStore. Since 2009, they’ve offered no-charge showcases of unsigned Irish acts every Thursday at Sweeney’s, Dame Lame, Dublin.
The pub hosts performers on each of its three floors, and it was no different for the birthday event. The middle floor was loudest while quieter performances graced the upstairs, and electronic acts lit up the basement. Sets lasted between a half hour and 45 minutes.
There were almost too many highlights to list, but a few clear standouts. Sarah Red, a DimeStore queen from the start, asserted her royalty with perfect control of her vocal craft. Andy Early proved a true Irish troubadour as he paid homage to the old traditions with a similarly full voice.
Bagels were a progressive alt-rock collective of 16-year-old boys who won me over with their carb-inspired name. They varied between screaming and crooning and forayed into a funky surf-rock at one point.
Others worth keeping an eye on included Laura Ann Brady, Markas Carcus, Verona Jane and crowd favourites She’s a Beauty, who called DimeStore record “the gig to do”. She’s A Beauty treated the audience to a debut of tracks from their upcoming EP, I Don’t Dance.

Check out a photo gallery of shots from the night here.