Live Shows: Living Colour and theWorst, Wally's, Hampton Beach, NH, 8/1/23

Hampton Beach is a weird place to see a show. As much as town officials keep trying to recreate the town as a family summer vacation destination, it remains the party town of New England. It's a trashy boardwalk beach, and most live musical entertainment tends to be cover bands and bands on the nostalgia circuit. It's the kind of place where people who are already there on vacation will see a band is playing that they remember one song of and go, trying to recapture their glory days. I have to really want to see a band to go there during the summer. I was on the fence with the Living Colour show at Wally's, but once theWorst were added to the bill, it became a must see.

Let's get this part out of the way: Guitarist Vernon Reid fell off the stage before the band played even one note. He approached the front of the stage carrying his guitar and took a tumble right off. This is something that cancels entire tours, and the man is sixty four, so the night could have ended before it even began. But, Reid popped up much quicker than I would have, got back onstage, waved at the crowd, and laughed it off. Badass, indeed.

I was definitely worried what the crowd would be like Tuesday night. It could very well have been filled with people in middle age that remember "Cult of Personality" and decided to try to party it up like they were teenagers again to disastrous results. While there were a handful of fans in that camp, most of the crowd were diehard fans who knew the words to every song and clearly loved Living Colour. Seeing them live for the first time, it's easy to see why. Vernon Reid may be the greatest guitarist alive playing small clubs. He was pulling out these insane solos that were mind-blowing and mesmerizing. The entire band played this loose style that can only be achieved by playing together for years, and allowed for some improvised moments. While many of their peers are obviously still playing for a paycheck, you could tell Living Colour were enjoying themselves up there.

That could be because they seemed to be playing exactly what they wanted. Sure, "Cult of Personality" was played, but they also played three songs after it, almost daring casual fans to head out early. They skipped other moderate hit singles like "Glamour Boys" in favor of fan favorites like "Love Rears Its Ugly Head" and "Elvis Is Dead." They also played a shocking number of covers. They opened with Talking Heads' "Memories Can't Wait" and closed with The Clash's "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" In between that, they played a hip hop medley of "White Lines," "Apache," and "The Message," some of "Nothing Compares 2 U," and even a bit of "Hound Dog" after "Elvis Is Dead." The hip hop medley did surprisingly well, considering most of the crowd was an older, white, male rock one.

theWorst came down from Maine for the show, and had a nearly impossible task. Opening for a long established band in front of a crowd just waiting for you to get off the stage is tough for every band, but they pulled it off. Like I said, this ended up being a crowd of die hard music fans, and theWorst's Nirvana meets Joan Jett sound worked out perfectly. Slowly, the crowd got more and more into it, and between each song the applause went from polite to enthusiastic. The trio just let their music speak for them, and it did. Singer/guitarist Brooke Binion just has that 90's style star power that is irresistible. You know how there are bands you really like until you see them live, and then you suddenly become a hardcore fan? That's how it was with me and theWorst, and now I'll be regretting all the shows I've missed the past few years...

Live Shows: Le Tigre and cumgirl8, Royale, Boston, MA 7/24/23

Photo by Ken Sears

Even though it's happened, I still can't believe I got to see Kathleen Hanna come through Boston twice in three months. Bikini Kill played back in April, and Le Tigre swung through this past Monday. Maybe the entire concept of seeing Bikini Kill and Le Tigre mere months apart, or maybe it was that the show had been announced six months earlier, but I almost kept forgetting it was happening. It did happen, and it was glorious.

The band opened with "My Art," a song they had not yet played on this tour. They ended up stopping it as there was some mistake, which led to a discussion of how much they liked the Netflix show Starting Over, and then Small Wonder got brought up before they realized they should get back to playing. This being Le Tigre, the crowd did not get upset at all and were willing to go along with anything.

At one point Kathleen Hanna said that she wanted the night to feel like a basement party, and despite the show being at the two thousand seat sold out Royale with a giant screen behind them showing various images and song lyrics, it kind of did. The entire performance felt much more intimate than the venue and production could have allowed. It may have been the joy the entire audience was experiencing actually seeing the Le Tigre in person.

Bikini Kill is the band of Hanna's I love, and I've always liked Le Tigre, but seeing both live, I ended up having much more fun at Le Tigre. Le Tigre is a giant party, with the crowd going absolutely nuts for most of the show. "Seconds" seemed to be the point that got the audience truly invested, followed by the band leaving the stage for a costume change during "Get Off the Internet." The band left for the encore joking that they weren't playing the song everyone liked, but then came back and of course played "Deceptacon" to close out the show. The crowd lost their minds, dancing wildly. It's the obvious song to close out with, but the recorded "See you later" towards the end made it the perfect choice. Not many shows are such fun that I end up checking resale sites for the next night, but Le Tigre had me scouring for cheap tickets.

cumgirl8 opened the night, and might have been the perfect choice. The quartet was a little more punk, but they had enough of an electroclash element to fit right in with Le Tigre, and the audience fully embraced them. They had the perfect energy level to suck the crowd in, and enough of an attitude to win everyone over. I'm looking forward to checking them out again in the hopefully near future.

Live Shows: Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, Sapling, Astral Bitch, and dropbear, The Sinclair, 7/22/23

As any long time reader of If It's Too Loud... knows, I try to get out to see Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys every chance I get. They don't play a ton of shows, so when they do, it's always An Event. Friday night was being billed as the party of the summer, and seeing how Sapling, Astral Bitch, and dropbear were also on the bill, that claim was hardly hyperbole. 

dropbear opened the show, and... just... wow. I really enjoyed last year's Spiralized EP, but I was unprepared for just how great they would be live. Rachel Bacon's vocals were lost in the mix during the first two songs, but once that issue was corrected, it turns out the power in her voice is only matched by the power of the band. Musically, dropbear combines shoegaze with metal and post-punk into this sonic mix that is mind-blowing, particularly live. There were guitar sounds coming from the stage Friday night that were simply jaw dropping. As with all four bands on the bill, dropbear are officially a must see.

Astral Bitch took the stage next. As they only have two songs out, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The quartet played this intense mix of anthemic alt-rock meets noise punk. It was aggressive and huge, at times sounding like they belong on the biggest stages in town, and much more underground and DIY venue ready at others. And they excelled at both sounds. It's that whiplash inducing change of sonic styles all while sounding just like them that made Astral Bitch's set so special that night. We're all desperately looking forward to new music and more live shows from them sooner than later.

I've seen Sapling a decent amount of times, typically in bars and basements without an actual stage. They're usually playing the corner of a room on the floor, so seeing them in a more traditional venue was a treat. They did not disappoint, and pulled off one of the best sets I've seen them play. (This is even without paint, glitter, or confetti due to The Sinclair's house rules.) Old favorites like "Everything Was Better" and newer favorites like "11:37" sounded amazing in the larger room. Of course, chaos still reigned at the end of the show with bassist Rainy and drummer John swapping instruments mid song, while guitarist Amber attacked her guitar with a powerdrill, something I haven't seen since Sonic Youth.

The show also doubled as a video release party for Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys' new single, "Keep My Head." After showing the video (which is spectacular, and can be viewed here), the band took the stage and played a loose set of favorites. "Dino Domina," "Goth Beach" (the night was a Goth Beach Party, after all), and "28 Seeds" were all featured. It was a loud and raucous set that was particularly joyous. All Army of Toys shows have a special quality and they are all unique to the time and venue where they occur. This one was more of a straight up rock show, which fit The Sinclair perfectly. What is particularly special about seeing this band is how it truly feels like a family, and that feeling becomes stronger with each time you see them. It's always such a celebration of joy and love, which would normally be something I recoil from, but not the way Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys do it.

Live Shows: Thelma and the Sleaze, Tysk Tysk Task, and The Fools Agenda, O'Brien's Pub, Allston, MA 7/19/23

Thelma and the Sleaze are one of those bands that I saw their name on a Facebook event, and just knew I had to hear them. Turns out their blend of sexed up southern rock, hard rock, and indie was even more fun than their name suggested. I immediately wanted to see them live, and when it was announced they were playing O'Brien's in Allston with Tysk Tysk Task opening, I obviously had to make it.

Thelma and the Sleaze's live show turned out to be even more fun than I expected. In fact, it's the most fun show I've been to in years. Their sound mixes the most fun genres (hard rock, country, southern rock, and even some disco) into just a party on stage. Singer Lauren "LG" Gilbert set the tone for the evening by declaring that everyone there had one thing in common: "We all love eating pussy and we all hate Trump." From there it was a night of songs (and onstage banter) about eating pussy, eating ass, and fuckin'. But, in a completely charming way. Oh, and lots of songs about cars, too.

Wednesday night was just a big, loud rock show with plenty of swagger and groove. Musicianship was completely top notch, particularly a fiery guitar player who was announced as Luscious. As fun as it was, Gilbert kept admonishing the crowd to loosen up and have fun (sorry, our Puritanical roots run deep), which is something I've heard about Boston plenty of times. (I've heard it started that we love music but hate dancing, which is apt.) The band used a cover of "Smell Yo Dick" as a call and response to get the crowd more engaged, which mostly worked. When Thelma and the Sleaze make it to Boston next time, we all need to promise to turn up and rock out a little harder.

A reworked line up of Tysk Tysk Task played second, and even though their album came out almost a year ago, Samantha Hartsel and crew keep playing around with the previously released songs. In particular, "On My Own" has been almost completely rearranged as a more pop leaning anthem with a completely rock ending. It's somehow made the song even more emotionally effective. Songs like "Contagion" and "Flies" continue to be live favorites and seemed to be packing an extra punch lately. Tysk Tysk Task broke out two new songs: "My Side" and "Trazodone." "My Side" showed off a slightly new sound for the trio, as it grooved harder than anything they've done as of yet.

The Fools Agenda opened the night with a solid set of southern rock inspired rock. The Black Crowes are the obvious band to compare them to, but The Fools Agenda rocked harder than we're used to from the Crowes, and southern rock in general. There was a surprisingly thrashy sound from them, which worked out great. I'm personally always a fan of bands letting some thrash metal loose during their set, so no complaints here.

Live Shows: Blondshell and Hello Mary, The Middle East, Cambridge, MA 7/16/23

Photo by Ken Sears

When Blondshell announced her first headlining tour, I was surprised to see Sabrina Teitelbaum's musical project was playing The Middle East, especially the upstairs room. It seemed like Blondshell had already outgrown a two hundred seat room, especially by buzz alone. It sold out almost immediately, and as her stature grew, I kept expecting the show to be moved to a larger room. But, Sunday night Blondshell played the dive-y Middle East Upstairs in a show that fans will be bragging about attending for years to come.

From the opening song of "Veronica Mars," Blondshell had the audience in her hand. The buzz worthy stature was evident from the start, as I've never seen a band have a banner that large onstage at The Middle East, or a singer wearing in ear monitors there. Teitelbaum played her heart out, and her love of performing live was obvious. It was a diehards only room, and she loved every minute of that. The entire crowd sang along to virtually every word in every song, and when Teitelbaum said it was the best crowd they had played in front of, even though it's such a cliche thing to say, you believed it.

I was a little worried that Blondshell might not translate well live and be more of a studio project, but Teitelbaum has put together a killer indie rock band. She has this insane charisma that fits her slacker style of vocals perfectly. She delivers lines like "I think my kink is when you tell me you think I'm pretty" and "The sex is almost always bad / I don't care cause I'm in love" with just enough of a knowing smirk to win over even the snobbiest music critic.

Blondshell has released covers of The Cranberries and more recently Samia, so I fully expected one of those to make it in Sunday night's set. Considering her debut album is nine songs, she had to include something else. She did a cover of Le Tigre's "Deceptacon," and simply nailed it. Teitelbaum avoided mimicking Kathleen Hanna, and the cover was simply better for her doing it in her own voice. 

Hello Mary opened the show, and I wasn't too familiar with them before Sunday night. I listened to their self-titled album in the background once, but not that closely. Their set Sunday night completely won me over. They started off playing more mainstream 90's influenced alt-rock heavily leaning into pop that fit perfectly well with Blondshell, but they got noisier and more art rock as they went on. Noisy pop/rock songs are one of my true loves, and Hello Mary nailed that, and even went further into experimentation. One song with vocals from drummer Stella Wave sounded like Primus going shoegaze. In a set that dabbled in virtually every indie rock subgenre, Hello Mary shined by refusing to be just one thing.

Live Shows: The Devil's Twins, Kingshot, and Aaron & The Lord, Faces Brewing Co., Malden, MA 7/14/23

Faces Brewing Co. has been killing it lately with local triple bills. I haven't made it out to anywhere near as many as I've wanted to, but when two favorites get booked together (The Devil's Twins and Aaron & The Lord), I simply couldn't miss it. Kingshot was the third band of the night, and ended up being a great discovery.

Aaron & The Lord opened up the night, and were the only band not celebrating a new album release. They opened up with "The Darkness," and guitarist Steven Lord was already on his knees playing before the song even started. That's usually reserved for well into a noise rock song, but it's also the secret of an Aaron & The Lord live show. The band plays these perfectly crafted alt-rock/pop songs that are irresistibly beautiful, even though they are filled with darkness and noise. You can easily get swept away by how simply beautiful a song like "Lilydale" is without even noticing how much noise lurks beneath, or vice versa. This is the third time I've seen them, and each performance has gotten tighter and more intense.

Kingshot played next, celebrating the release of their album. (They mentioned some of the songs had been written in 2013, and at first I forgot how long ago that was...) The band includes The Devil's Twins' trumpet player Eric Ortiz on bass, but has a completely different sound. However, that sound is nearly impossible to define. Some songs were completely mainstream and straightforward alt-rock, while others had a much more pop punk sound. And then there was their metal side, which peeked through during most songs with guitar solos. My personal favorite of their songs were their straight up thrash metal ones. Not many bands can pull off so many genres and have it all work together seemlessly, but Kingshot pulled it off.

The Devil's Twins closed out the night by focusing on their recently released (and great!) album HORNS. A lot of these songs have been in their repertoire for a few years now, but they always seem to find a way to keep it fresh. It could be that Jeremiah John Louf and Nicole Marie Coogan are such dynamic performers that it's virtually impossible not to be entranced by anything they are doing. Plus, no one quite mixes blues, metal, and roots the way they do. Every show of The Devil's Twins I've seen just breaks out into a party of pure joy, and Friday night was no exception. There are just some bands that are good on an album, but great live, and this is one of them. They remain one of the true must see acts in New England.

Live Shows: Kiltro, Club Passim, Cambridge, MA 6/26/23

Photo by Julian Brier

I became completely enamored with Kiltro back in April when I first heard "Guanaco." The mixture of Latin folk and shoegaze was nothing like anything I'd heard before, and each single just sucked me in more and more. Since Underbelly was released earlier this month, I've played it an embarrassing amount of times, and get more and more into it each time. Sometimes you can just tell when a band will be amazing live, so I had to check them out when they came to Boston at the legendary Club Passim.

I certainly wasn't expecting the configuration Kiltro is currently touring as. Chris Bowers was on vocals, guitar, keyboard, and loops, and was joined by a bass player, a second guitarist, and two drummers. In case that wasn't enough percussion for you, Bowers also used loops to record and play finger snaps, hand claps, tapping on his guitar, etc. Between the two drum sets, large effects pedal set up, keyboards, and a five person band, there wasn't a ton of room on stage. The bass player was on the outer edge by the emergency exit, and one drum kit was precariously on the edge of the stage.

It was all worth it once they began playing. The audience was awash with the sounds of Kiltro, and the sold out room was mesmerized from the first note. The sounds coming from the stage were simultaneously relaxing, intense, and demanded that the listener move, even if just a little. I think my only complaint of the night is that Club Passim is a seated, dinner style venue, and Kiltro play music more suited to standing and dancing. Latin folk isn't something I would ever think should be paired with shoegaze and alt-rock, but Kiltro would prove me wrong. Passim crowds tend to be more reserved and politely applaud between songs, but on Monday night there was a thunderous and long ovation between every single song. And it was well deserved.

Chris Bowers ended the evening by playing the song "Kiltro" solo. It was just him and his guitar without any effects. Even stripped down, these are incredible songs that you simply need to see performed live.

Live Shows: Deer Tick, Cisco Brewers, Portsmouth, NH 6/14/23

Wednesday night Deer Tick kicked off their monster tour supporting their fantastic new album Emotional Contracts in Portsmouth, NH, which was John McCauley's birthday (aka Flag Day). It ended up being a brilliant and exhilarating night of music even though it had one of the rockiest of starts.

The stage at Cisco Brewers is basically a parking lot with a stage at the end in the middle of an industrial park. But it's actually set up really nicely with a grassy hill over on the side for lounging and better views of the stage. I got there right as opener Rafay Rashid started, playing a laid back version of alt-rock meets roots music. They only played four or five songs when someone from the venue took to the stage to announce they had to pause the show due to thunderstorms passing through the area, for everyone to head indoors, and it would probably last about an hour.

It turned out to last about two and a half hours. There was little to no communication between the venue and the assembled crowd as to what was happening, and I know I assumed the show was being called off. The evening was advertised as lasting until 10:00, so as that hour came closer and closer, I became more discouraged and annoyed. I know no one can control a storm, and I certainly don't want anyone hurt, but communication would have been nice. I started wishing I had picked literally any other way to spend my evening, and debating joining the people who had already bailed on the night. Finally, I noticed a large number of people near the door head outside, so I wandered out to see if anything was happening. Turns out they were hurriedly setting up the stage for Deer Tick to finally start the show around 9:50.

Deer Tick had a monumental task to make the evening worth it, and they were more than up to the task. Before they started, there was an excitement in the crowd I haven't felt in years. It was a mixture of giddiness that all that waiting wasn't for nothing, and that Deer Tick have earned a die hard following in the past decade plus. They took the stage wearing party hats and with the crowd serenading John McCauley with a terrible rendition of "Happy Birthday." And then the rock started.

Surprisingly, the band didn't play anything off of Born on Flag Day. They started off with two songs off of the upcoming Emotional Contracts, and despite how new the songs were, the crowd knew them by heart. In fact, three of the first five songs were from the upcoming album before Deer Tick busted out a version of Jimmy Lloyd's (or NRBQ's) "I Got a Rocket in My Pocket," which is such a perfect cover for them. They also covered Santo & Johnny's "Tear Drop" later in the set, but it was played so closely to the end of another song that most people didn't notice, even after McCauley pointed it out.

I've been going to see Deer Tick for thirteen years now, from dive bars to festival stages and venues in between. This was the best I've ever seen them. The finally feel poised to just explode into the (semi) mainstream, and they deserve it. The show was finally called off at 11:15 due to noise ordinances, and McCauley kept profusely apologizing for not being able to play their entire set. John, if you're reading this, none of us minded. You played a brilliant show for nearly ninety minutes and played seventeen songs. You could have just ended the show and no one would have felt shorted. I'll definitely see you next time.

Live Shows: Fucked Up and Restraining Order, The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA 6/5/23

Photo by Jeannine Kaufer

June is a weird month in Boston. College is out for the summer, but the summer college kids aren't really here yet. High School is still in session, and companies haven't really started their laid back summer rules. That, and the fact that it was a chilly Monday night didn't help with attendance for the Fucked Up show at The Sinclair this week, but a decent number of people showed up and were treated to a killer live set by the Canadian hardcore heroes.

As you can probably tell, we aren't exactly a hardcore outlet, but something about Fucked Up just works for me. They just aren't your typical hardcore band. Sure, frontman Damian Abraham has one of the best hardcore growls out there, but the band hardly sounds or looks hardcore. Live, this was even more obvious. Fucked Up played as a six piece with three guitarists. Musically it seemed like everyone in the band was playing a different style. Different songs had differing levels of post-punk, indie rock, metal, funk, and occasionally hardcore.

Possibly due to his wrestling fandom, but Abraham is a killer frontman. He has a theatricality to his performance not typically seen in heavy music. You definitely knew you were seeing a show, not just a concert. Plus, he happily stepped out of the spotlight during instrumental parts or when another band member took over on vocals.

No hardcore show would be complete without some politics, and unfortunately with the world being what it is currently, declaring that black lives matter, indigenous lives matter, protect trans kids, etc. is considered political and not just an accepted statement that everyone agrees with. Abraham made those declarations which led into their song "Police," which led to the most active moshing of the night.

Fucked Up also did one of my favorite things by mocking the planned encore. Abraham thanked the crowd, then gave a big thumbs up and a cartoonish wink. Band members started leaving the stage, until there was just a recorded piano track playing. Before that was done, they were back on and played a two song "encore." They left the same way they did before, with drummer Jonah Falco ending the show with a killer drum solo. Hardcore legends indeed.

Western Massachusetts/Connecticut hardcore quartet Restraining Order opened the show with a thirty minute set. They were more traditional hardcore, and they very obviously had their own set of fans show up for the show. There was a lot of scream-a-longs to lyrics, and possibly the most active dancing of the night for their set. It was high energy hardcore that was impossible not to appreciate. 

Live Shows: Justine and The Unclean, Barrence Whitfield & His All-Star Band, and Spiller, Faces Brewing Co., Malden, MA 6/2/23

I've been trying to hit up Faces Brewing Co. for shows as much as possible. It's a great small room, and as smaller, independent clubs seem to be going away in Boston, breweries in the suburbs are stepping up as stages. Plus, there's a free garage a block away, and you truly can't beat that. A great show finally worked out with my schedule, and I couldn't pass up the double bill of Justine & The Unclean along with the legendary Barrence Whitfield & His All-Star Band.

Spiller opened the night, and I unfortunately missed about half of their set. I had never heard of them before this show, and I wasn't able to find out much online, so I went in pretty much blind. They have a total 90's sound, injected with some metal riffs. It wasn't 90's alt-metal like Quicksand or Helmet, but more 90's alt-rock with a metal edge. They had the loudest and heaviest set of the night, and made me wish I had made it on time (it was a very rainy drive in with multiple accidents, in my defense), and that I had been following them for a while.

Justine & The Unclean played next for their album release show. They mostly focused on songs from that album, The Signal Light, which was expected and seeing how solid of an album it is, it wasn't unwelcome. The band played their blend of power pop with a punk edge we've come to love from them, and live the songs had an unexpected metal side to them as well. Aside from a mid-set more mellow set of songs, they played a fast and heavier than expected set of songs. Justine & The Unclean were one of the tightest units I've seen in recent memory, most likely since they've apparently been around for much, much longer than I realized. (Justine Covault mentioned playing the Rock & Roll Rumble in 1993, which doesn't seem possible.) This was a set from the highest quality bar band possible, and it was flawless.

The legendary Barrence Whitfield & His All-Star Band closed out the night, and no one in the Boston scene is quite the showman that Whitfield is. No one really does a crossover between soul and punk like he does, either. I've seen this band live once before, and I was just as pleasantly surprised by how great they are this time as I was the first. Whitfield could make an entire song compelling with just his "Yeahs!," and I don't know of anyone else that could. A Barrence Whitfield & His All-Star Band show is just a pure party and celebration of music, led by one of the best frontmen of his generation, or really any generation, in Boston. Somehow he continues to stay one of the best kept secrets in town, even though he truly should be getting much more acclaim.

Live Shows: En Attendant Ana, Adult Learners, and Hands & Knees, O'Brien's Pub, Allston, MA 5/29/23

Memorial Day weekend was pretty bonkers in the Boston area. There was the massive Boston Calling that took over everyone's attention, plus just about every other music venue was hosting a killer line up of bands. It was such a strong weekend of live music that I was starting to regret my plans of seeing En Attendant Ana at O'Brien's, even if it was the French band's first time playing in Boston in five years. Turns out my decision was perfect as Monday night had one of the best performances of the year.

En Attendant Ana didn't have to be great. They were playing a dive bar with a capacity of seventy-five, and it wasn't sold out. It was the kind of night that saw the TV still on with people angrily yelling about the Celtics game instead of watching the bands play. But En Attendant Ana pulled off a mystifying performance. Stereolab is the obvious band to compare them to, due to musical style and their country of origin, but live they ended up being so much more. There was a much more focus on rock that offset the French pop/twee sound to a stunning degree. Songs like "Same Old Story" and "Principia" were mesmerizing live. The crowd started off with the standard five foot indie rock semicircle around the stage, but as the night went on we were all slowly pulled closer and closer to band without even realizing it. It was a night of pure joy, as any expectation was met and exceeded wildly. By the time they closed with "Wonder," the dozens in attendance were enraptured. The song was the perfect choice to close, as it just builds and builds into a perfect crescendo for the night. And then they ended with a perfect cover of The Pogues' classic "I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day." It was just a perfect night of music.

Adult Learners played second Monday night. They played a set of ultra-sugary sweet indie rock/power pop songs, but sped up at a furious rate. It was such a fast set that they appeared to run out of songs on the setlist, so they had to choose a few on the fly to close out their set. They were truly fun with catchy songs, so let's hope they end up playing more shows soon.

Hands & Knees opened up the night, playing their first show in five years. They seemed a bit rusty, but in a way that worked with their sound. They play music that also qualifies as twee, but with too heavy of a guitar sound. And just a little of a country/Americana twang. Hopefully they don't wait until 2028 to play another show, because they have a really fun vibe.

Live Shows: The Downhauls, Stars Like Ours, and Swivel, Lizard Lounge, Cambridge, MA 5/19/23

This past weekend might have been the craziest of all time for the Boston area, musically speaking. We had Taylor Swift taking over Gillette Stadium (and everyone's social media feeds) for three nights, Janet Jackson in Mansfield, Blink 182 at the Garden, and countless local rock shows happening every single night of the weekend. I assumed I'd have some FOMO at only making it out to one show, but when that show was the outstanding triple bill of The Downhauls, Stars Like Ours, and Swivel, I could not have gone wrong.

I'm about to lose all my Boston rock credibility by saying this, but I did not know Swivel at all before they were announced as the opener for The Downhauls' EP release show. Last week I discovered that Carissa Johnson was in the band, and I assumed they were a new project. Turns out they've been around for at least five years and also feature Damone's Noelle LeBlanc, and released an EP back in December that we completely missed. This won't shock anyone, but Swivel are great. As in ridiculously great. Their music is steeped in that original grunge sound that seems to be sweeping Boston right now, but with some impossibly catchy pop hooks. Swivel also inject songs with metal riffs and hardcore breakdowns, while being as grunge and pop as possible. I can't believe I could have been rocking out to such a great band for the better part of a decade. 

Stars Like Ours describe themselves as "a 90's influenced rock band with pop sensibilities," and they basically nailed it. I saw them open for Juliana Hatfield a few years back, and they're the perfect kind of band to bridge the musical gap between Boston's favorite 90's indie rock star and the kind of show where a good chunk of the crowd are wearing Helloween, Metallica, and Rob Zombie shirts, as they were Friday night. Stars Like Ours is just giant, anthemic 90's alt-rock of the heavier variety, but mixed with mid 90's power pop. They sound like if Fuzzy covered Motorhead instead of The Beach Boys. In a night of fun, no nonsense rock, Stars Like Ours might have been the most fun.

It was The Downhauls' EP release party, and they brought the rock to close out the night. The quartet played with a joyful ferocity, combining pure rock with just enough pop to keep things fun. Live they sound like a combination of the Ramones and Joan Jett, with more than a little of Jett's metal side. That's not saying they are a metal band. The Downhauls are just straight up rock and roll. For a band that released an EP called Scream Into the Void, they don't do a whole lot of screaming in their songs, but when they do it's just killer. New songs like "Spit the Poison Out" and their cover of the Bangles' "Hazy Shade of Winter" were highlights of the night. As someone who tends to go see the more pretentious side of indie rock quite a bit, it's good to just get out and rock the fuck out every so often.

Live Shows: Matt Charette, Micah Schnabel, Michael Kane, and Christian Marrone, Hotel Vernon, Worcester, MA 5/16/23

At its very best, music can foster friendships and a true community. That was the case Tuesday night, for a quadruple bill of three Worcester musicians (Matt Charette, Michael Kane, and Christian Marrone) playing with Columbus, OH's Micah Schnabel. All four musicians have played together before and are all friends, and it was no secret that it was a show put together at Hotel Vernon to give Schnabel a place to play and make some cash on his way through. Virtually everyone in attendance knew at least one of the musician playing, and the community was truly showcased.

Each of the local musicians played shorter sets to give more time to Micah Schnabel. Matt Charette played five songs, mostly from his excellent new album Lo-Fi High Hopes. I've been trying to get out to see him for months now, and he did not disappoint. He has a certain working class punk rock infused take on folk rock with a heavy emphasis on rock that came through perfectly even playing solo acoustic. His songs are undeniably catchy, and after hearing the in between set music that included Fountains of Wayne, The Hold Steady, and The Replacements, Charette embodies all three of those artists spirits and sounds. I've had his song "4x4" stuck in my head since I saw it played, and I have no complaints.

I had never heard Micah Schnabel before Tuesday night, and if you haven't either, you need to change that immediately. The theme of the night was working class folk-ish acoustic punk rock, and no one was more folk-punk than Schnabel. Playing a set of lefty, anti-capitalist songs, Schnabel softened the politics in songs that were awkwardly catchy, probably because of how engaging a performer he is. Songs like "Remains Silent" and "How to Ride a Bike" may be political, but it's wrapped in a level of personal experience that it's impossible not to love them. He was joined by Vanessa Jean Speckman for one of their Call Me Rita songs, and now I have yet another band I'll need to check out ASAP.

Fresh off his appearance at the Rock & Roll Rumble with his band The Morning Afters, Michael Kane played a solo set of his working class punk inspired rock and roll. A song like "Dark Nights" translated perfectly to this format. If Kane's songs were this intense and engaging solo, I can't imagine how they would sound with a full band. Every performer was playing a set of mostly dark songs, and Kane was no exception, but his songs have a certain joy to them to mask the darkness. It's kind of a cliche to compare every working class rock musician to Bruce Springsteen, but Kane's songs have that darkness masked by anthemic rock thing going for them, so it's basically impossible not to.

Christian Marrone opened the night, and he was the one I was most surprised by. He played a fun set of acoustic rock that stood right up with the nationally touring musicians he played with. A highlight was a cover of Green Day's "Jar," which he dedicated to a friend who had recently passed away. I always like when an artist covers one of the more forgotten songs from a band, and "Jar" is the kind of song I haven't thought of in years. It's always a good sign when a cover makes you want to go back to the original. Let's hope we hear more from Marrone sooner than later.

Live Shows: Lydia Loveless and The Quahogs, Askew, Providence, RI 5/7/23

Considering Lydia Loveless and Drive-By Truckers are two of my favorite artists, I was truly bummed out that their tour wasn't hitting the Boston area, even though they had played in Boston just last spring. Luckily, Lydia Loveless announced a show on an off night for the Drive-By Truckers. There was no way I could miss that, especially since it had been eight years since I saw her with a full band.

Lydia Loveless has been moving away from the alt-country sound that she started out with ever since 2016's Real and 2020's Daughter. On Sunday night at Askew her sound has evolved even more. Her band has always had a more punk/indie rock sound to their live show, but with the addition of a new bass player and a new second guitar player (apologies, I didn't catch their names!), the band's sound has taken on a more shoegaze sound. This might be since the new guitar player plays with one of the largest pedal boards I've ever seen, but the newer songs packed more of a punch in this current incarnation. Most songs also came from the newer albums, with only "Head" and "Verlaine Shot Rimbaud" from 2014's Somewhere Else. An audience member requested "Wine Lips," to which Loveless stated that she wasn't sure how to play that right now, just to show how much she's moved on to her more current music.

As she usually does, Loveless played three songs solo in the middle of her set. One of these was a cover of Justin Bieber's "Sorry," if Google is correct when I looked up the lyrics. It was a much more downtrodden, nearly gothic take on what I assume the original sounds like. That might be the best explanation of Loveless' current sound: Pop music played with as much sadness as possible, but in a punk/shoegaze way. As much as I loved the band's early alt-country, I am quite intrigued by what they are coming out with next.

Providence's own The Quahogs opened the night. I hate making this comparison because it sounds dismissive, but they're an alt-country band from Providence with a lead singer that sounds more than a little like John McCauley, so the Deer Tick comparisons can't be avoided. But they had their own thing going in that genre, and were probably responsible for about half of the audience Sunday night. Plus, there was a cover of Gram Parson's "A Song for You" which had more than enough heartache injected into it. 

Live Shows: Fever Ray and Christeene, Roadrunner, Boston, MA 5/5/23

I'm not a huge one for electronic music. Sure, I had my techno phase in the late 90's along with everyone else, but it's a genre I'm typically lacking in these days. However, I've been trying to get out of my comfort zone a bit more lately, so when I had the chance to see Fever Ray and Christeene at Roadrunner last Friday, I made the trip into Boston to see what all the fuss was about.

Christeene was an experience to say the least. Christeene is a drag character of Paul Soileau, and a live show was a spectacle as much as it was a show. After the first song, Christeene declared that she was there to "put fire" up the crowd's "tight unstretched buttholes," and that just set the tone for the rest of the set. Christeene was accompanied by keyboard and sax, and the set was just pure anarchy. I was reminded of artists like Divine, GG Allin, Peaches, and Rammstein at different points, as Christeene stormed around the stage and removing an article of clothing between each song until she was wearing the bare minimum, and miming masturbation throughout the set. A song like "BEAUCOUP MOROCCO" has the chorus of "Beaucoup Morocco, Beaucoup Morocco, Beaucoup Morocco, fuck fuck fuck fuck" and "Fix My Dick," this was not subtle or tame. It was spectacular.

Fever Ray may have been the exact opposite of Christeene. Instead of loose anarchy and chaos, Fever Ray's set seemed much more carefully planned and choreographed. Each member of the band took the stage one by one (electronic drummer, keyboards, and two background singers) until Fever Ray entered last. Fever Ray and the singers had specific moves they did in unison during certain songs, and instead of an ongoing glorious trainwreck, it was a much more restrained affair. Very, very slowly, the music went from ultra laid back songs like "New Utensils" and "To the Moon and Back" to more energetic songs towards the end of the set. It went from the chill room at a rave to a full on dance party in the course of an hour. And the crowd was there for it. The audience was filled with people who are megafans of Fever Ray. This was far from a show for the curious as virtually everyone was singing along to every word as if it was a Taylor Swift concert. Fever Ray has very dedicated fans, and their enthusiasm was contagious. This easily could have been a night I stayed home, but my comfort zone wasn't as much fun as this.

Live Shows: Not Bad Not Well, One Fall, Kooked Out, and Tysk Tysk Task, Sonia, Cambridge, MA 4/22/23

Part of the great thing about the return of the Rock & Roll Rumble is seeing bizarre four band bills that end up working perfectly. I doubt we'll ever see the likes of Tysk Tysk Task, Kooked Out, One Fall, and Not Bad Not Well all playing together again, and that's a shame. Sometimes the most oddball groupings of bands make the most cohesive shows.

Tysk Tysk Task opened the evening, and I was a bit nervous for their performance. Their regular drummer was unavailable that night, and they had to use a fill in drummer, which is never ideal... unless that drummer is Cutty from Paper Tigers. With only five days of practice, the show should not have gone well at all, but five seconds into their set and all trepidation I had was gone. Cutty seemed to inject a new sense of excitement into the band, and Samantha Hartsel and Amy Gee seemed to up their game to match that excitement. Plus, turns out Cutty is a phenomenal drummer. Tysk Tysk Task's songs are ever evolving, even from when I saw them nine days prior. "I Need This" was my least favorite song off last year's You're Sorry More (it's my favorite album of 2022, and even that can have a least favorite), but Saturday night saw it injected with new life, and it's now a favorite. The closer of "Flies" has turned into an absolute powerhouse. Let's start a change.org petition to get Cutty to join Tysk Tysk Task full time.

Kooked Out came on next, and at first I did not like them. They seemed like a typical college cover band even though they were playing originals. Slowly, as I admittedly was half paying attention, I started getting over my own music snobbery and realized I was actually kind of liking it. As I gave them more and more of a chance, I started getting it more. They play an ultra peppy and poppy version of garage rock that turned out to be infectious and fun. It might not have been my personal taste, but that's the beauty of the Rock & Roll Rumble: You can get exposed to bands you normally wouldn't see and end up understanding their appeal.

I really like One Fall's three song EP from last year, and expected to like their live show. Instead, I was absolutely smitten with their set. Their blend of thrashy melodic punk was even more addictive live, and they completely drew everyone in attendance in by the end of their thirty minute set. The true secret of One Fall's appeal is singer Helen McWilliams. She was endlessly compelling and charming, and has one of the greatest Boston accents in the history of the Boston music scene. "Rats Abandon Ship" has been crammed into my skull since Saturday night with no sign of it slowing down. They also got a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" in, which is almost mandatory for a band with that sound. Just such a seriously great thirty minutes of music. 

Not Bad Not Well closed out the evening, and I didn't really know what to expect from them. They only have one song officially released ("Sleeper") which I had kind of half listened to before Saturday night. Sonically the Worcester based band sounds like a more melodic version of At the Drive In, which turns out to be far better than you would expect. They're the kind of band you instantly want to know more about, and had this mysterious energy to their set. Just about every single song in their set is an arena ready post-punk anthem, which doesn't sound possible, but Not Bad Not Well prove is more than possible.

Live Shows: Ruin the Night, Tysk Tysk Task, The Endorphins, and The Freqs, The Middle East, Cambridge, MA 4/13/23

There's just something about the first really nice day of the year in Boston. Winters can be brutal, and even if an eighty degree day comes early and we know it's going to get chilly again, there's just a certain energy in the city on that day. Plus, we're in the middle of the first Rock & Roll Rumble in three years, so there was magic in the air Thursday night at The Middle East.

First up were The Freqs out of Salem, MA. I've been enjoying the trio's recorded music since discovering them last year, but I wasn't prepared for their live show. They are a monster live, with a very specific blend of metal meets alt-rock that is always much better in a club than a computer speaker. "Witch" is my personal favorite of theirs, and they both opened and closed with the song. The Freqs make fast and loud rock that is actually clever and interesting, which can be rare in the genre. They definitely made my list of bands I'll need to see again and again.

The Endorphins were up next. They also play a heavier version of alt-rock, albeit more indie rock based than metal. Their songs almost have a dream-like quality to them, as heavy as they are. "Voyager of a Daydream" was a definite favorite of their set, and sounded like a more fuzzed out version of Foo Fighters. Plus, The Endorphins pack a much heavier punch live than they do on record. They had a ton of energy and kept the audience engaged throughout.

Next up was Tysk Tysk Task. If you've been reading this blog for the past year, you'll know that I've seen them a lot (possibly an embarrassing amount...). Something was just different about Thursday night's show. While their album release party was a magical night, this one seemed much more like a performance than I've become used to. It seems like the current line up of Tysk Tysk Task have gelled into an absolute live force with songs like "Contagion," "Colors," and "Flies" taking on a completely new life. Their songs keep morphing as time goes on, so they never get stale. Plus, they cranked everything up past eleven and sucked the audience in for this one. It was a glorious thirty minutes of sludge and noise, and I'll definitely be going for more ASAP!

Ruin the Night closed out the evening and completely changed up the sound of the night. Rock & Roll Rumble nightly line ups are chosen by drawing names out of a hat, so Boston's preeminent and newest dad rock band played last. They have a much more chilled out sound that seems to almost be perfect for those that grew up with ska but want a more mature version of that sound in middle age. Chris Duggan's vocals have that punk growl even if the music sounds more brunch than late night dive bar. But that is the true pleasure of Ruin the Night. This is punk rock for grown ups that still want music with an edge but don't want anyone landing on the back of their necks anymore. 

Live Shows: Bikini Kill and Brontez Purnell, Roadrunner, Boston, MA 4/9/23

Photo by Ken Sears

I've been a fan of Bikini Kill for what seems like forever, but for some reason I've never gotten a chance to see them live. The Boston date has been moved, cancelled, changed venues, and rescheduled seemingly into oblivion over the past three years, but it finally happened this past Sunday night.

Bikini Kill in 2023 should be a pure nostalgia act, and the crowd should be filled with fans in their forties and fifties reliving their high school and college years, and there was that. But a huge percentage of the crowd was comprised of teenagers and college students who just recently discovered Bikini Kill and were seeing their new idols for the first time. And Bikini Kill delivered.

From the opening cry of "Revolution girl style now!" in "Double Dare Ya," they blasted through twenty three songs that are all classics at this point. The younger crowd injected an energy into the entire experience for everyone involved. Kathleen Hanna was delighted at the mosh pit during "No Backrub," a song about self care. My moshing days are long over, and a Bikini Kill mosh pit is no place for a middle aged white cis male, but I felt more nostalgic watching the pit at this show than I ever have before. I make the joke that most pits tend to be kids larping the 90's, but these kids nailed it. It was more just bouncing around into each other to have fun and experience a fantastic night of music together. The kids were all right...

As was expected, Hanna discussed politics a lot between songs, but there were great moments of levity along with the (unfortunately still relevant) politics. While holding a bouquet of flowers, she joked that she hopes she doesn't get blamed for ripping anyone off, which was an obvious shot at the nonsense Courtney Love/Olivia Rodrigo controversy. At one point Hanna realized that a venue filled with over two thousand people was dead silent and was hanging on her every word, and she said the crowd just undid years of generational trauma.

The main set closed with the always fiery "Suck My Left One" and included the fantastic "Carnival." They came back for a one song encore, which was obviously "Rebel Girl." You knew it was going to be played and when, but it still didn't lessen the impact of seeing THAT song performed live. While many of their peers are engaging in cash grab reunions, Bikini Kill are doing it for all the right reasons, and it shows.

Brontez Purnell wasn't an obvious opener, but one that worked quite well. He's primarily known as a writer more than a musician, but for those of us that enjoy not completely obvious openers, he was perfect. Purnell's music is more lighthearted with definite 90's indie rock roots, and it might have been the perfect choice to ease us all into the evening.

Check out our photo album for this show over at Facebook.

Live Shows: Sleaford Mods and Muzzins, Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA 4/7/23

Sleaford Mods are one of those bands I just never thought I'd get to see live. I've been a fan for years, but they never seemed to be coming through Boston the rare times they came to the US. Finally, they were set to play The Sinclair in 2020, but... you know. Then they came last spring, and I ended up being able to get in last minute. I assumed that would probably be it for quite a while, but they ended up coming through again this past Friday, so obviously I needed to go.

One thing that surprised me when I saw Sleaford Mods at The Sinclair was how mellow the crowd was. After watching countless videos of live sets on YouTube, I expected a fairly rowdy crowd. The Paradise's crowd seemed even more reserved, and was more the PBR sipping, chin stroking crowd. To be fair, the energy coming off the stage didn't seem to be what I expected, either, so I started preparing for a disappointing evening.

About halfway through the setlist, the duo broke out the hit song "Mork n Mindy," and there finally seemed to be a bit more life to the show. Once again, not sure if it was Sleaford Mods, the crowd, or both, but finally the night seemed to step up a gear or two. Everyone seemed to get more into it after that, and a little dancing or at least bopping seemed to take over the crowd. This just built through songs like "TCR" and "Tory Kong." The final two songs of the night broke the crowd out into a frenzy and a near mosh pit, but how can you go wrong with the one-two punch of "Jobseeker" and "Tweet Tweet Tweet?"

Two of my favorite parts of the Sleaford Mods live shows occurred again Friday night. Andrew Fearn doesn't have much to do onstage, except press play on his laptop, so he dances throughout the entire set. The man energetically danced for ninety minutes, which is about eighty nine more than I could at his rate. Vocalist Jason Williamson didn't get very chatty during the show, but he did make sure to thank guest vocalists such as Perry Ferrell during the show, even if they were just recorded.

Muzzins opened the show, and I was a bit nervous for them. While I'm a huge fan of both bands, I could see Sleaford Mods fans being perplexed by the bizarre funk/electronic/hip hop/punk/jazz hybrid sound. And when they started off that evening's pre-show ritual, that is definitely what happened. I heard a few snarky remarks from the people behind me. But, the more the show went on, the more the crowd got it. By Muzzins' second song, even the snarky remarkers were getting into it, and by the end of their set, virtually everyone was bopping along. Muzzins are a cult band, but their charm and uniqueness can suck the most skeptical music fan in. Sure, a song with the lyrics "Smoke this and listen to jazz" helps, but the rest is just them. This was the fourth time I've seen Muzzins, and each set is completely unique from the others. The Paradise show was seeing a band completely discover themselves and the power they can have.

Live Shows: Caroline Rose and Hammydown, Royale, Boston, MA 4/6/23

Photo by Ken Sears

I've been going to Caroline Rose shows for a few years now, and they've always been a bit of a showperson. From back when they were playing the two hundred forty person Great Scott with a bunch of red items on stage (fake flowers, a stuffed cat with red on its mouth, red stuffed animals, etc) to playing The Sinclair with all of the same items, but everything awash in red light, I've come to expect a show. But nothing prepared me for what I saw Thursday night at Royale.

Caroline Rose has been posting about the light show they designed in preparation for this tour. I'm not a big fan of complicated lights, and most shows I go to tend to be pretty low tech. But Rose's light show and stage set up complicated the music perfectly. This tour is a performance of The Art of Forgetting in its entirety, as it is meant to be heard as a piece of art. The stage set up featured Rose out front with two guitars and a keyboard. All other performers were behind screens and mostly out of view. Sometimes you could see them through the screen, but mostly if you saw the four other musicians it was while they were backlit through the screens. Colors flashed through the rectangles, which had a very 1960's vibe to it. It was an odd set up, but it works perfectly with the music. The Art of Forgetting is about loss and being alone, so it makes perfect sense to have Rose basically alone on stage. 

The songs on The Art of Forgetting worked perfectly in this live setting. At one point Rose left the stage and popped up on the bar towards the back of Royale to sing a song, and then crowdsurf back to the stage. It was a surprisingly moving moment in a moving show. This is Rose's largest headlining tour, but it's also her most intimate and personal. Even those of us that don't care for large spectacles are going to be moved by this tour. It's a large spectacle that somehow makes the entire evening smaller and more beautiful.

For an encore (that started with Rose singing a song at the soundbooth solo with a guitar and illuminated by a cell phone), Rose played "the hits," which included favorites like "More of the Same" and "Jeannie." It also saw the stage being set up to include the rest of the band. It was a perfect way to make sure the audience left on a high note, but The Art of Forgetting was the highlight of the night. At one point Rose said that they felt the album was a classic, but it would take five years for people to realize it. Anyone that makes it to this tour will definitely realize it. It's rare to spend an entire weekend thinking about how much a concert moved you, but that's what is happening with Rose's current tour.

Hammydown opened the show, fronted by Abbie Morin, who I immediately recognized their time in Caroline Rose's band. When their set first started, it seemed like fairly standard modern indie rock. Good, but nothing spectacular. As their set went on, I slowly got more and more into it. I'm not sure if they were just saving their best songs as the set went on, or if their charm just won me over, but by the end Hammydown became one of my favorite live performances of the year so far. Morin mentioned they had recorded an album with Rose during lockdown, and that's what Hammydown was playing Thursday night. Let's hope that comes out sooner than later.

Check out our photo album of shows over at Facebook.