Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
I don’t get to see Reverse nearly enough. No one does. We need to fix this. These guys are too good.
After starting the night at TT’s, we made our way over to Union Square for some of the heavier stuff. We arrived at Radio just as the Buzzcocks meets Black Sabbath riff barrage of Devil On Horseback was getting started. Those guitars got a workout.
Boy howdy, these cats are good. I just saw Slowdim a couple of weeks ago, yet here I am at TT’s soaking up their brilliant melodies. I don’t want their set to end. Slowdim has quickly become one of my favorite bands in town.
Friday night. Oh, boy. Friday night was one of those nights when it seemed that every single club had put together a show I would regret missing. Not fair. I suppose the healthy way to look at it would have been to say I’d win no matter which show I went to. That’s not usually my style. I started the night at TT’s to catch The Life Electric for the first time. Hmmm. Maybe there’s something to this positive thinking business…
I’m looking around Oberon. It’s been a pretty crazy evening.* Sidewalk Driver is playing and people are dancing and singing along. Oh / you can’t help it / ’cause when you see it / you want to touch it. It’s one of the band’s newer songs. “My Face” is yet to be released, but that doesn’t stop people from getting snagged by its hook. They inevitably join in. That’s how good Sidewalk Driver is. Shut up.
Now, if only they’d put a little effort into their live shows…
* Tonight’s Bayou Bacchanalia was a fundraiser for the production of The Bacchae. If the show is anything like tonight’s festivities, it’s going to be pretty wild.
The High Ceilings
The Edge Is As Safe As The Ground
2003
The High Ceilings are a tight unit able to balance introspection and bombast. They’re also a smart unit that plays to their strengths. Much of The Edge Is As Safe As The Ground is built around Max Heinegg’s powerhouse vocals; they mate well with Chris Blackburn’s layered guitars to produce compelling, not-quite-up-tempo songs with ever shifting dynamics.
The High Ceiling shake things up often enough to keep the record interesting. “Mayfly” rocks hard. “Follow To Ruin” rides along on acoustic guitars and piano. “Calcutta” brings to the forefront many of the exotic phrasings that are hinted at in other songs. The six-eight time of “Let It Be Now” is particularly effective. The lead guitar line in this number is probably my favorite part of the whole record. John Woods has some fancy kick drum patters going, too.
The Edge Is As Safe As The Ground would be The High Ceilings’ only full length release. It serves as fine representation of the band.
Where to get it:
Dr. Rah and His Brass Zombsemble set a suitably carnivalistic mood for Bayou Bacchanalia, a fundraiser for the upcoming production of The Bacchae.
The Interrobang brought a block party feel to PorchFest. Their feisty indie rock provided the soundtrack. They even threw in some Radiohead in preparation for their Brit Night at Radio.
PorchFest! What a beautiful day to head into Somerville and listen to bands play out-of-doors. Big Little One and I jumped in the car after his swimming lesson* to catch some songs from The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library. We camped out on the sidewalk and enjoyed the ample sunshine and harmonies. As we walked away, Big Little One informed me that he had enjoyed himself.
“I like the way they sound. They sound the best.”
* There may have been a quick stop for a donut on the way.
