Live Shows: Panic Shack and inplainsight, The Rockwell, Somerville, MA 6/10/26

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There are some bands that I don't think I'll ever get to see live. They tend to be smaller bands from other countries that I doubt will ever fully tour the states. Maybe one of those quickie tours around a massive festival where they only play New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, but those always skip Boston. You can imagine my delight when I saw that Panic Shack were coming all the way from Wales and playing the tiny The Rockwell. I obviously couldn't miss it.

I was wondering what Panic Shack's draw would be. I am a terrible judge of how popular artists are, so I had no idea if it would be ten people at the show or a packed house. Turns out, The Rockwell was packed tighter than I've ever seen it, with anticipation bubbling from the crowd. Panic Shack took the stage and met the energy from the crowd in an endless loop of excitement. It turns out that Panic Shack put on what might have been the best show of the year in Boston. 

The energy Wednesday night was insane. Panic Shack play a version of punk rock that is loose and loud but also ridiculously fun. My favorite style of the genre is more mocking than badass, and they provide that perfectly. Their show was a perfect mix of unhinged chaos and silly choreographed moments. The crowd knew virtually every word to every song, and danced and bopped along as much as our Puritan descendent genes would allow. Songs like "Gok Wan," "Baby," Girl Band Starter Pack," "The Ick," and "Tit School" overdelivered on everyone's expectations. (Also, how does a band that formed in 2018 have this many great songs?) "I Don't Really Like It" included a portion of The Ting Ting's "That's Not My Name," and "Who's Got My Lighter?" had a much more thrash metal vibe live than on record. The air conditioning was no match for the excitement and dancing in The Rockwell Wednesday night, and everyone left a sweaty, happy mess.

We never do this, but Panic Shack is also playing The Iron Horse in Northampton, MA on September 24. If you're able to make it, you're going to want to. You can find more info and tickets here.

Boston's own inplainsight opened the show. The quartet is so emo that half the members were wearing My Chemical Romance shirts. They had an interesting take on the genre that was both more pop and more alt-rock than your typical emo band. They put on a fun show that quickly won over Panic Shack's crowd. Personally, at first I found their set ok, but as it went on I kept finding myself more and more invested. We'll definitely be keeping an eye on them.

On Repeat...

TORRES - "I got the fear"

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Indigo De Souza - "Heartthrob"

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Julien Baker & TORRES - "Tuesday"

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Photo by Ebru Yildiz Julien Baker and TORRES teaming up for a country album is one of the true joys of 2025. The pair's latest single, "Tuesday," is fronted by TORRES, and according to the press release is about "... trying to overcome and heal from the guilt, shame and religious abuse that so many people experience discovering their identity and growing up Queer." The song is a twangy, laid back country track that lands somewhere between classic country and modern pop music (but nowhere near the current country pop sound). I'm not typically a lyrics guy and don't normally pay attention to the lyrics of a song until after multiple listens, but the lyrics of "Tuesday" grabbed me immediately upon the first listen. This is the type of song that is going to demand your focus and attention.  You can watch the visualizer for "Tuesday" below. Send a Prayer My Way is due out April 18 on Matador Records, and is available for pre-order here . F...
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