Fourth of July is a weird weekend in Boston. The city is chock full of tourists, a lot of locals are on vacation, and those that stay in the area can be wiped out. I was in the wiped out category, but I couldn't let myself miss the triple bill of Happy Little Clouds, Lovina Falls, and Parlour Bells!
Parlour Bells opened the evening, and it was my first time seeing them. For a show like this, The Rockwell will keep the floor free for standing/dancing and have the seats available on the sides and back for anyone that prefers sitting. It could be that the audience attracted an older crowd, or everyone was still recovering from the Fourth, but everyone decided to hang out in the seats. (That's not to say that the crowd wasn't great, as there was more lively applause for all three bands than I usually see at a local rock showcase.) Singer Goddamn Glenn is always a joy to see perform live and is one of the most natural frontpeople in Boston. Their set is just killer glammed up rocker after killer glammed up rocker. I can't imagine what their energy level would have been if the audience had matched them. Their just released single, "Knight Owl," was a highlight of the set, and Parlour Bells just hopped on my can't miss list for next time.
Saturday night was my third time seeing Lovina Falls this year, and my second in less than a month. Despite just seeing them a few weeks ago, their show at The Rockwell truly stood out. Lovina Falls played with a stripped down line up of seven members (one background singer and a violin player were missing), but they still needed to set up keyboards on the floor of the venue. While they are still doing the baroque pop sound, the band has started playing some newer songs that are bringing back some of the rock noise of Valerie Forgione's previous band, Mistle Thrush. The more baroque pop sound mixed with the indie rock noise changes everything up just enough, and the new music (including the just released "Tragedy") are fantastic. For a last song, the band dropped down to four members, and they broke out a Mistle Thrush song. As a 90's music fan in Boston, it was a dream come true.
Happy Little Clouds closed out the show. The trio have a more rock based sound than the other two bands on the bill, and the crowd responded accordingly. People finally got out of their seats and came down to the floor, which worked since this was the most rockin' I've seen Happy Little Clouds play. They've always been one of those bands I'm shocked isn't one of the biggest bands in Boston, and if they keep playing sets like Saturday night's and releasing singles like "The Emperor's Song," they certainly will be.
All three bands were fantastic Saturday night, and I'm looking forward to seeing them all again when the city (and myself) have a bit more energy.
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