Live Shows: Sapling, Miracle Blood, The Freqs, and Nicholas Burgess, Electric Haze, Worcester, MA 11/2/25

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As much as I love Halloween, I didn't end up doing a lot of Halloween things this year (except for watching more horror movies than normal). For some reason, most of my holiday activities seem to be happening in November. This included Sapling's Halloween Hangover show at Electric Haze in Worcester with Miracle Blood, The Freqs, and Nicholas Burgess. Plus, it was a matinee, and who doesn't want to check out a rock show and be home for dinner?

Opening up the show was Nicholas Burgess, playing as a duo with a second guitarist. His set was the most Halloweeny by far, with songs about Frankenstein and his new single written for the occasion, "The Day After Halloween." It was my first time seeing Burgess perform live after discovering his more spooky music, and it was as fun as I expected. He was also decidedly the most mellow artist of the afternoon, which was a good way to ease everyone into a daylight rock show, especially as the crowd was still wandering in off the street.

Up next were The Freqs, marking my third time seeing the Salem trio. Their high energy blend of noise rock woke everyone up, and seeing such a loud band playing at 3:00 pm gave me some Warped Tour/Ozzfest flashbacks. Songs like the just released "Tag Maggot" have an interesting grunge meets punk, but somehow noisier sound, and as of now they are three for three for fantastic live sets for me. It was fantastic that they made the long trek down to Worcester, and let's hope they continue to visit for shows more regularly.

Miracle Blood might be one of the most underappreciated bands in Boston, and their live show continues to show why. They seem to bounce between nominations for Punk Act of the Year and Metal Act of the Year, and they comfortably live in both worlds. For a band as intense as they are live, they're also incredibly fun live. Singer/guitarist Andrew Wong is always endlessly engaging, and no one in Boston is having as much fun playing live as bassist Garrett Young. Every time I see them play live, I decide I need to see them more often, so let's hope I stick to that.

Closing out the day was Sapling, and you know it's going to be a bonkers show when the theremin gets broken out during the first song. Saturday seemed like a particularly chaotic show for the Worcester/Rhode Island band as they played a set of classics they haven't played in a while ("Nice Guy") and their brand new single "Drop Dead Fred." As always, Sapling shows have a sense of fun and mischief and put the rare "art" in art rock. This was in abundance during their usual end of show insanity when guitarist/vocalist Amber Tortorelli walked through the audience with a handful of paint, marking willing audience members with royal blue. The Halloween Hangover was an afternoon of bonkers and fun live music, and more bands should play matinees more often.

On Repeat...

Holiday Ghosts - "Slipstream"

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The latest single from Holiday Ghosts hearkens back to when pop music was weird. "Slipstream" will remind you of classic early alternative artists like Talking Heads, The Modern Lovers, and Violent Femmes, but it also has the 90's slacker vibe of Pavement and Beck. It turns into a crazily fun and just offbeat enough indie rock/pop song. You can watch the video for "Slipstream" below. West Bay Playroom , the new album from Holiday Ghosts, will be released February 15 on PNKSLM Recordings. The album was recorded in band member Sam Stacpoole's childhood home, specifically his old playroom. You can pre-order the album here . For more on Holiday Ghosts, check out their Facebook .
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Liam Kazar - "Shoes Too Tight"

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Photo by Alexa Viscius This may be Liam Kazar's debut single, but the Chicago based musician already has an impressive resume, having worked with Jeff Tweedy, Chance the Rapper, Steve Gunn, Daniel Johnston, and others. "Shoes Too Tight" features childhood friend Spencer Tweedy on drums, Lane Beckstrom on bass, and Ohmme on vocals. It's an absurdly fun and groovy little song that is a party waiting to happen. What he gives us here is a timeless song that could truly have been released any time since the 1960's (ok... maybe not the 80's...) There are elements of classic rock, 60's crooners and R&B, indie rock, modern Americana... it's really just packed with everything in a cohesive song that maintains the vibe the entire way through. You can watch the video for "Shoes Too Tight" below. For more on Liam Kazar, check him out on Instagram and Twitter . He's also raising money on his Bandcamp for Constellation and The Hungry Brain. ...
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The Cairo Gang - "Be What You Are"

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Photo by Rachel Cassels The Cairo Gang is mostly Emmett Kelly, who recorded most of their upcoming album, Goes Missing,  on his own while travelling. "Be What You Are" is pure pop gold, reminiscent of British invasion bands like The Kinks and The Zombies. It features jangly guitars and some of the most infectious layered vocals you've heard in years. Luckily the beauty of this style of music is that it never quite sounds dated. It might sound like it's from a certain era that happened 50 years ago, but everything you've ever listened to since then borrows so heavily from it that it always sounds current. It's the kind of music you wish you hadn't missed, only now you haven't. Goes Missing  is due out June 23rd on God? Records. You can pre-order the album now, and be sure to check out The Cairo Gang's Facebook . Listen to "Be What You Are" below, and below that are tour dates, many opening for Mikal Cronin. Sat. Sept. 5 - Portlan...
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