Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
Will Dailey closed out the final Rock-n-Romp of the season. This guy is loaded with talent. I want to say he’s a natural up on stage, but I suspect there’s a lot of hard work involved, too. Will and his band engaged young and not-so-young alike with heartfelt tunes* and an easy going way.
* Including a smooth cover of “I Would Die 4 U.”
A rainy Saturday was the perfect time to squeeze in one more Rock-n-Romp for the season. Destry got things going at The Sinclair with their laid back, ’60s-inspired pop.
Another Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble has come and gone. The 35th one. It’s amazing when anything lasts for 35 years these day.* A big part of the Rumble’s recent resurgence is because of the lady in the picture above. Anngelle Wood has a passion for this whole Rumble thing that we all benefit from. She’s good at it, too. Lucky us.
Congratulations to Goddamn Draculas! You’re the 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Champs! You earned it. Every time I thought there was no way you could top yourselves, you did. If that isn’t a recipe for Rumble success I don’t know what is. Of course, the killer three part harmonies didn’t hurt. Thanks to all 24 acts that kept us entertained night after night. The bands in this town really are something special.
So concludes our coverage of the 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. I went to every night. I had a good time. I took some pictures. I hope I captured a few of the memorable moments.
Finals:
Goddamn Draculas (2014 Rumble Champs)
Petty Morals
Await Rescue
The Information (Non-Competing Guest Band)
Semifinals:
Await Rescue (Wildcard)
Barricades
Goddamn Draculas
Petty Morals
Tigerman Woah
Western Education
When Particles Collide
Yellabird
Preliminaries:
Airport
Await Rescue (Prelim Night #6 Winner)
Barricades (Prelim Night #3 Winner)
Butterknife
The Color And Sound
Doom Lover
Emma Ate The Lion
Feints (Wildcard)**
Goddamn Draculas (Prelim Night #2 Winner)
Gondoliers
Guillermo Sexo
Harris Hawk
The Life Electric
Petty Morals (Prelim Night #5 Winner)
Rebuilder
Sinnet
Slowdim
Summoner
Tigerman Woah (Prelim Night #1 Winner)
Vary Lumar
Western Education (Prelim Night #4 Winner)
When Particles Collide (Wildcard)
Yellabird (Wildcard)**
Z*L
* Technically 36 years. There was a one year hiatus in 2010. Don’t believe me? Check the wiki. Bonus link.
* Feints earned a spot in the semifinals as a wildcard but had to drop out due to illness. Yellabird filled in ably.
The Information are in The Rumble.*
2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
Await Rescue
Petty Morals
Goddamn Draculas (2014 Rumble Champs)
The Information (Non-Competing Guest Band)
* As the non-competing guest band.
Goddamn Draculas were the most consistently great band of the 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. With the perfect mix of punch, polish, humor and harmonies, they left their mark. Goddamn Draculas are the 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble champs! Everyone gets a hug!
2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
Await Rescue
Petty Morals
Goddamn Draculas (2014 Rumble Champs)
The Information (Non-Competing Guest Band)
Classy, fun and packing a punch, Petty Morals kicked the Rumble Finals party into high gear. Their songs are infectious. They worked in a shout out to Amy Douglas of Feints* that morphed into “Rainbow In The Dark.”** They made sure the TT’s crowd was having a good time. Petty Morals made a lot of new friends and fans at this year’s Rumble.
2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
Await Rescue
Petty Morals
Goddamn Draculas (2014 Rumble Champs)
The Information (Non-Competing Guest Band)
* They did a partial cover of “Make Love To Me” by Amy’s other project, SPF 5000.
** Which in turn morphed into Petty Morals’ staple Rumble cover, “Neutron Dance.”
Precision. That’s the word I keep coming back to with Await Rescue’s Rumble run. These guys are a well oiled machine of heavy, melodic rock. They delivered every time they got on TT’s stage. They were the wildcard into The Finals and set out to show the world they deserved to be there.
2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
Await Rescue
Petty Morals
Goddamn Draculas (2014 Rumble Champs)
The Information (Non-Competing Guest Band)
So, you’re headed to the sold out Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals tonight and you’re wondering what to expect. Look, these things are pretty unpredictable. No one ever really knows what’s going to happen. Petty Morals, Await Rescue and Goddamn Draculas have been on point the whole Rumble. There’s no reason to expect anything less tonight. However, if you think you know what tricks the bands have up their sleeves or who’s going home in a tiara, you may be in for a surprise. We’ll find out soon enough when we pack into TT’s to watch in all unfold. Then we’ll catch a set from The Information before they announce the winner and spray the champagne. In the end, we’ll have our memories. Maybe we’ll have some pictures. Here are a few of mine from the last 3 Rumble Finals. See you tonight!
Oh, and let’s not forget the celebrations…
The Easy Reasons
“Piece”
2013
“Piece” introduced The Easy Reasons as a band to watch last fall. A roughed-up riff and the opening line “If you loved me I don’t know what I would do” stick immediately. The verses are simple and effective, leading to the big payoff — that chorus. Listen as The Easy Reasons serve up thick guitars and fiery vocals from the days of smoky bars and muscle cars. Shades of “Gimme Shelter” color the sound. It’s dark. It goes for the gut. That’s a rock ‘n’ roll hook, right there.
Where to get it:
Cooling Towers
“Hard Headed Woman”
2014
Cooling Towers have put out a couple of cool NWOBID* tunes in 2014. “Hard Headed Woman” is my favorite of the pair. Cooling Towers cut to the chase on this one, jumping right into the catchy-as-all-hell chorus after a brief mood-setting intro. The song never looks back. The bridge? Please, the intertwining harmonies cloaked in desperation are p‑e‑r‑f‑e‑c‑t. I dig this track.
Where to get it:
* New Wave Of Boston Indie Disco
