Live Shows: Throwing Muses, Met Cafe, Pawtucket, RI 4/29/17

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Photo by Ken Sears

When I first saw that Throwing Muses were being inducted into the RI Music Hall of Fame, I had two thoughts:

 1. There's an RI Music Hall of Fame?
2. Who else is in it besides Throwing Muses?

 Wandering the hallway in the building that houses the new Met Cafe (my last time at the Met Cafe was the old Providence location in 2003 for an Evan Dando show), I saw the other previous inductees into the RI Music Hall of Fame. Looking at those names, I still didn't know why it took a few years to get Throwing Muses inducted. George Wein, founder of the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals? Sure. John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band? Ok....
Photo by Ken Sears
With their performance at this year's induction concert, Throwing Muses solidified their place as Rhode Island rock royalty. The first few songs were a bit rough, but Throwing Muses haven't played since a tour in 2014. After that, Kristin Hersh, who was joined by longtime drummer David Narcizo and bassist Fred Abong (who was originally in the band from 1990-1991), settled in with her normal intensity. For their eleven song set, Throwing Muses dusted off nothing but the classics. I didn't hear a single song from anything after 1996's Limbo. This was pure vintage Throwing Muses designed for die hard fans. They played three songs off 1991's The Real Ramona ("Red Shoes," "Counting Backwards," and "Two Step"), and while they did play "Snakeface" off University, they didn't play what is most likely their biggest hit, "Bright Yellow Gun," also off University. Their fans didn't care. Guessing on the ages of those around me, of which I was one of the youngest that wasn't there to see a grandparent play, these fans probably think that anything after Tanya Donelly left as their new stuff. (Tanya was playing a benefit show in Boston that night and wasn't present for this reunion.) The band closed with the deceptively intense "Pearl" off Red Heaven. Let's hope this inspires Kristin to dust off Throwing Muses sooner than later.

On Repeat...

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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Dutch ReBelle - "GOONIEZ"

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How is Dutch ReBelle not a national superstar at this point? The Boston MC just released "GOONIEZ," and I know I'm a bit out of touch with current mainstream hip hop, but this song is absolutely killer. It's a stripped down hip hop song that has this futuristic space age sound to it. Plus, ReBelle's flow is unsurpassed. You can't listen to her and not be completely sucked in. The song has a feel reminiscent of classic Missy Elliott. As much as I love that we can still see Dutch ReBelle in smaller Boston venues, "GOONIEZ" proves she should be playing much larger venues nationwide very, very soon. You can watch the video for "GOONIEZ" below. For more on Dutch ReBelle, check out the artist's website . 
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The Freqs - "Witch"

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Photo via Facebook When you're a rock band from Salem, MA, you have to have at least one song about witchcraft. The Freqs have fulfilled their obligation with a banger of a song. "Witch" is this giant monster of a song, filled with fuzz and strained, screaming vocals. This is the type of song that doesn't usually exist in this century. It's giving me some serious 90's flashbacks, like if Hum got aggressive or Alice in Chains decided to do some damage on the college charts. As great as the vocals are in "Witch," what's really drawing me in is the instrumental break down that takes over about halfway through. This is the kind of song to make the hipsters and the headbangers equally excited. You can listen to "Witch" below. For more on The Freqs, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . The Freqs · Witch
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