Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
The Gravel Pit took the stage as the 2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble special guest band and rolled through a set of rockin’ favorites old and new.
2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
The Static Dynamic
Nemes
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (2015 Rumble Champs)
The Gravel Pit (Non-Competing Guest Band)
On the day of the 2015 Rumble Finals, I went back to see what I wrote about Zip-Tie Handcuffs the first time I saw them. Here’s a quote: “The wall of distortion and close-spaced vocal harmonies whipped through the crowd melting faces like the spirits at the end of Raiders Of The Lost Ark.” Yup. Nailed it. First try. Zip-Tie Handcuffs are your 2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Champions. I love it.
2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
The Static Dynamic
Nemes
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (2015 Rumble Champs)
The Gravel Pit (Non-Competing Guest Band)
Nemes saved their best for last, with a performance that topped their already rock solid sets from the early rounds. Harmonies, energy and an abundance of hooks left their mark. They’ve got a big sound.
2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
The Static Dynamic
Nemes
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (2015 Rumble Champs)
The Gravel Pit (Non-Competing Guest Band)
The flying dynamos known as The Static Dynamic opened the 2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals with their tightest, punchiest, most energetic set of the event. I wasn’t sure that was even possible, but it was. It was an electric performance that showed why these wildcards got where they did.
2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
The Static Dynamic
Nemes
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (2015 Rumble Champs)
The Gravel Pit (Non-Competing Guest Band)
Doomriders roared through their set at The Sinclair like a vicious V8 powered by the beautifully blackened souls of those assembled for this historic show. That’s what you’ve got to do when you’re opening for Slayer.
Rozamov brought the heavy, grinding sludge during their set opening for Slayer and Doomriders at The Sinclair. What a great way to get things going early.
Converse Rubber Tracks Live brought Dinosaur Jr. to The Sinclair with The Replacements and The Young Leaves. Unbelievable. The iconic trio did their part to make the evening memorable. They dug into old favorites, their fantastic new material and a few songs even people who don’t know who Dinosaur Jr. are would recognize. All songs were delivered at maximum volume for maximum impact. Did you expect anything less?
What’s up, Holliston? Looks like The Young Leaves and I share a hometown. The band’s big sound and dynamic presence easily make them the best band I’ve ever seen from the quaint New England suburb.* What’s not to like about loud, fast, roughed-up sonic blasts? Watching them open for The Replacements and Dinosaur Jr. made me happy.
* Downtown Holliston has a general store. Fiske’s. It’s a landmark. Also, this show is named after the town.
There’s never a dull moment with the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. The 2015 edition has been a wild one. Zip-Tie Handcuffs and Nemes won their Semifinal nights to move on. The Static Dynamic snagged the wildcard. The Finals will go down Friday night at TT’s. Before you head on over, here are a few things buzzing through my head regarding the Semifinal Round…
Rock ‘N’ Roll Variety Show
It has become pretty common to reference the wackiness of individual Rumble night lineups. Can you remember a non-Rumble show with bands as varied as Zip-Tie Handcuffs, Soft Pyramids, Dirty Bangs and Duck & Cover? Diverse bills occasionally happen in the wild. They’re commonplace in The Rumble. Thursday night’s Semifinal was a goodie.
The NFL’s Got Nothin’ On The Rumble
In sports, you always hear about league parity. Any given Sunday and all that jazz. The big leagues could take a few pointers from The Rumble. Trying to get inside the judges’ minds during the Friday night Semifinal showdown between Nemes, The Static Dynamic, Eternals and Murcielago was an exercise in futility. Hunches? Sure. Confident predictions? Unlikely. That’s parity.
Boston’s New Favorite Band
If my Facebook feed is any indication, Boston’s new favorite band is from Portland, Maine. The number of times Murcielago appears next to some form of the phrase “face-melting” is alarming. Not that I disagree. These guys have been a Rumble highlight for me, too.
Fun With Numbers
Play Me Out
In the end, it’s all about the music, right? Here are the songs stuck in my head from the Semifinal Round.
Dynamos. DY-NA-MOS. The Static Dynamic lit up TT’s with an electric set of modern rock tunes for Rumble Semifinal Night #2.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble 2015 Semifinal Night #2
Murcielago
Nemes (Winner)
Eternals
The Static Dynamic
