Category: Featured

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Mötörböat @ The Middle East Downstairs 9.8.2012

Last year, One Night Band 2 alumni Bedss came out to shut down One Night Band 3 with a drunken rousing rendition of “Cum On Feel The Noize.” This year, the drunken rowdy sing-along tradition continued. Mötörböat rocked the hell out at last year’s event. They returned to the scene of the crime to close out the 4th edition of this treasured Boston institution. Mötörböat tore through a couple of their original tunes like they had firecrackers in their pants. Then a cast of thousands* got up on stage to end the night with a drunken spirited cover of “You Shook Me All Night Long.”

* OK, a cast of tens. This included One Night Band participants past and present, organizers and, well, just about anyone else who wanted to jump on stage.

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The Walls @ The Middle East Downstairs 9.8.2012

People were excited about The Walls for a lot of reasons. For me it was one: guitarmony.

You see, Thin Lizzy came on the radio during my morning car ride into Central Square (to shoot some of the One Night Band promo photos). With “Cowboy Song” stuck in my head, I struck up a conversation with Adam Andersen about my hope that one of the bands about to be formed would try to pull off harmonized guitar lines during One Night Band 4. Lucky me, The Walls did just that. Now, I’m not trying to take credit for this joyous turn of events,* but this was my favorite part of their stellar set. It was either that or Aaron Perrino and Mariam Saleh’s awesome vocals. Or maybe Kyle Rasmussen’s kinetic drumming. Or the way Aaron, Adam, Mariam and the ever-versatile Rafi Sofer wove their stringed instruments into a textured sonic fabric.

Hmmm. It was one of those things, anyway.

* I totally am.

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The Field Effect @ The Middle East Upstairs 9.6.2012

Holy smokes! The Field Effect were at the tippy-top of my bands-to-check-out list. This was mostly due to the persistent reminders of how great they are by Beardie McFunsponge. Boy howdy, was he right.* The Field Effect are an amazing live band.

* He usually is. Don’t tell him this, though. I don’t want his head to get too big for his hat.

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The Acro-brats @ Radio 8.24.2012

The Acro-brats are going to rock until there’s no one left standing in the crowd. What’s that? There’s another band coming up after them? OK, The Acro-brats are going to rock until there’s no one left standing in the band. Good times.

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The Rationales @ Radio 8.19.2012

Talk about a night of great songs. First we had Airport. Now, The Rationales.* On a Sunday. I’m alive and well at Radio, but I feel like I’ve died and gone to well-crafted-pop-n-roll heaven. We’re spoiled, folks.

* The Wooden Sky from Toronto topped the bill for a perfect songsmith trifecta.

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Sidewalk Driver @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 7.27.2012

A couple of weeks ago, we presented a show at TT’s with our good friends over at Boston Band Crush. Sidewalk Driver was on the bill. I may have posted some pictures of these guys before. I kinda sorta like ’em a little bit. They’ve got these songs. Really cool songs. Songs about magnets and Tad’s face. And they play the hell out of ’em. They do all that while blowing confetti all over the friggin’ place.

One of my favorite things about a Sidewalk Driver show is telling my boys about it the next morning. As I was describing this particular show, Big Little One suspected I may be embellishing the tale a bit.

“You’re teasing.”

I assured him I wasn’t, although I understood his skepticism. It all sounded to fantastic to be true. It was too much for his six-year-old brain to process. I paused a minute to let him take it all in.

Then I told him about the parachute…

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Zip-Tie Handcuffs @ Ringer Park 7.21.2012

Allston DIY Fest dragged a whole lot of bands out of the dark spaces they frequent and into sunny Ringer Park. Some bands, like Holiday Mountain, felt right at home in the open air. Others seemed gloriously out of place. Such was the case with Zip-Tie Handcuffs. Theirs is a sound meant to rattle around a dank, claustrophobic room. Freed from its confines, 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. It was awesome.

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The Humanoids @ Church 7.14.2012

If global thermonuclear war ever plays out like it threatened to in countless ’80s flicks, The Humanoids will be the last band remaining to rock us through the atomic winter.

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Darling Pet Munkee @ Radio 7.7.2012

Darling Pet Munkee draw their inspiration from the ads in the back of old comic books. They wear skeleton costumes and X-Ray Specs. They’ve got to be one of the geekiest bands around. That’s what makes them so fun.

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Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance @ Paradise Rock Club 6.30.2012

WFNX has been sold to Clear Channel and will cease to exist as we know it. Time to celebrate!

Wait. What?

We Want The Airwaves: A WFNX Tribute was about three things: raising money for The Progeria Research Foundation; getting all sentimental about the ‘FNX that was; and looking to the future of the DJs, staff, artists and local music community the station supported.

Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance are playing “What If It All Works Out” and that future seems bright. WFNX will live on in some form online. A bunch of the station’s on air talent are heading over to Boston.com for a new venture. Sure, these outlets may not have the same reach as a commercial radio station, but what if they find a more engaged audience? What if they can connect with truly passionate music fans? Wouldn’t artists love that? Wouldn’t it be great to have the sounds of Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance heard by people who actually care? Let’s send their wall of layered guitars, dynamic bass lines, thunderous drums and vocal crooning directly to those who need it. Something needs to happen. It may all fail spectacularly, but that’s a worry for another night. I’m too busy watching Garvy J. rip another crazy-distorto solo on his 12-string acoustic guitar.

What if it all works out? Maybe it already has.