The 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble starts Sunday night. Here are 13 things about the 24 bands playing this year’s shindig…
- Airport, Slowdim, Butterknife and Sinnet are all in The Rumble. That means you can catch four of the bands writing the best songs in the city at TT’s next week. Sinnet plays Sunday, Airport on Tuesday. Butterknife and Slowdim go head to head on Thursday. We’re a lucky bunch.
- I’ve seen Doom Lover twice, both times without Nikki Dessingue. I still haven’t had the full Doom Lover experience. I’m sure this is my loss. The Rumble will see this remedied on Monday night.
- Riffs, riffs, riffs. I gotta have riffs. Color me excited to hear what Summoner and Yellabird are laying down. Summoner is up Friday. Yellabird is the last band of the whole Rumble on Saturday.
- Harmonies, harmonies, harmonies. Goddamn Draculas (Monday) and Airport have some of the best I’ve ever heard.
- Z*L(Tuesday) and Petty Morals(Friday) are two bands I’ve been dying to see. I really dig what the folks in these band have done in the past. I’m excited to (finally) see what they’re doing now.
- The Color And Sound played one of the most energetic sets I’ve ever seen. They’re going to impress a lot of people on Saturday.
- What will Gondoliers do on Thursday night? Seriously, what are they gonna do? You never know with these guys. They’re masters. Definitely one of my most anticipated Rumble sets.
- It seems like there’s been a big surge of prog-influenced rock in this town. Emma Ate The Lion will be repping the movement on Monday night.
- Getting through the early part of Rumble prelims week can be tough. With three bands-I’ve-never-seen-much-to-the-dismay-of-friends-who-have-seen-them in the first two nights, I think I’ll make it through okay. Tigerman Woah and Guillermo Sexo are on Sunday. When Particles Collide follow on Monday.
- Rebuilder is the pop-punkiest pop punk band to play The Rumble in a while. They’ll get the whole thing started on Sunday night.
- I always enjoy seeing a band for the second time (for an explanation, see reason #18 here). In addition to the previously mentioned Sinnet and The Color And Sound, I’ll be catching second sets from Feints(Friday), Vary Lumar(Friday) and Await Rescue(Saturday).
- Between The Life Electric(Tuesday), Barricades(Tuesday) and Western Education(Thursday) there’s a pretty impressive variety of highly polished modern indie rock on tap for this year’s Rumble.
- Harris Hawk will be kicking off the final night of the Rumble prelims, thus ensuring that any Rumble hangover from nights 1-5 will be quickly smashed to bits. Pay attention Saturday night. They don’t mess around.
That’s all I’ve got. The full 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble schedule can be found here. Maybe you should go to one or all of the shows.