If It's Too Loud...

Sometimes you just want a straight up rock show without any pretention. You want a fun night out in a dive bar watching rock bands playing rock music. That's exactly what was offered at Midway Cafe Saturday night with the phenomenal quadruple bill of Soraia, River City Rebels, The Cocktail Slippers, and The Chelsea Curve. First up was Boston's own The Chelsea Curve. They were the only band of the four that I had previously seen, and they always put on a great show. Their garage rock meets mod sound was pretty much perfect to start off this night of music, and they seemed to have a slightly more punk edge to their sound than they normally do. Instead of the usual hipsters watching a set and slightly bobbing their heads, The Chelsea Curve got people up front actually dancing, which was a theme for the evening. The band played more tightly than I have ever seen them, and they and the crowd fed off each other's energy throughout the set. Up next was The Cocktail Slippers, comin...

This seemed to be the year that most cool events were happening before (or early) on New Year's Eve. Possibly the coolest was Muzztival. Hosted by Muzzins, the event took place the night before New Year's Eve and featured a wide variety of entertainment besides bands. The evening featured punk poetry, DJ Lightfoot, a drag performance, and an arts and crafts table in the back of Midway Cafe. Of course, the main event was the performance by Muzzins. Despite having just two singles out, Muzzins are quietly one of the buzziest bands in Boston currently. From the first time I saw them opening for Snapped Ankles way back in March, the band has just gotten better and more engaging. One of the main reasons is just how impossible they are to categorize. Their music is a combination of hip hop, electronic, punk, jazz, indie rock... and just about everything else you can imagine. They are truly a captivating performance, led by singer Rayna Jhaveri. Jhaveri just owns the stage when Muzzin...