Live Shows: Kate Nash and Shamir, Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater, Somerville, MA 10/15/24

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Photo by Ken Sears

Like just about everyone, I absolutely adored "Foundations" when it came out in 2017. At that point, I was more of a casual Kate Nash fan, and she admittedly fell off my radar shortly after that. Earlier this year, it was announced that she had signed to Kill Rock Stars. Being a 90's indie rock snob, that got my attention and I checked out 9 Sad Symphonies. That was excellent enough to get me to dive deeper into her catalog, and became more of a fan. Seeing as she was playing Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater, I knew I simply could not miss the show.

Any expectations I had for Kate Nash's live show were blown away by actually seeing her perform. Nash attacked that stage with an energy usually reserved for hardcore bands. She barely stood still for the first five or six songs as she bounded across the stage. For "Misery," she hopped off the stage and into the crowd for basically the entire song. Her energy was matched by her band, who played somewhere between indie rock and heavy metal style behind her. I sincerely don't know if I've ever watched anyone have as much fun onstage as Nash did Tuesday night. Even the more cliche moments (such as having the crowd wave an arm back and forth) seemed completely genuine coming from Nash.

Musically, the band was fantastic. They played a much noisier style than I expected, and I have my own theory that they're the Kill Rock Stars house band on loan for the tour. The set was unexpectedly heavy on feedback, and was more of a rock show than the pop show I assumed I'd see. Nash also moved between playing bass and acoustic guitar when she wasn't running across the stage.

Photo by Ken Sears

I do have to mention the audience at Crystal Ballroom. Kate Nash might have the best fans in music. Every single person I interacted with was in a great mood and completely pleasant. Everyone was there to have fun, and they all did. Sing-a-longs were quite prevalent, especially on a song like "Dickhead." The Kate Nash led "My Little Alien" was possibly the most fun and involved sing-a-long I've ever been a part of. This was a crowd made up of diehard Kate Nash fans, and those about to become diehard fans. And, yes, the crowd exploded for "Foundations." It is a great song, after all.

Shamir opened the show solo, and definitely had his own fans. He played a solid acoustic set of originals and a cover of Peter, Paul and Mary's "500 Miles." Shamir's style is typically more eclectic and electronic based, so it was interesting to see such a stripped down version of the artist. It was enough to have me intrigued to see a full set of his.

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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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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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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