Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
The bittersweet sounds of The Novel Ideas floated through Harvard Square on a beautiful spring day. Their country folk songs provided the soundtrack for Mayfair.
So long, 2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. You were something else. Nine nights of Rock ‘N’ Roll that solidified your reputation for helping local music fans find their new favorite bands. Anngelle Wood put together your wonderfully diverse lineup, but you took on a life of your own. You always do. We’re lucky you’re still around and you’ve got people like Anngelle looking after you.
Congratulations to Zip-Tie Handcuffs! You’re the 2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Champs! You played every night like you were fending off a swarm of bullet ants, armed only with tortured guitars, thrashing drums and tight harmonies. You are the stuff of legends.
I guess that’s it. Another Rumble come and gone. All I have left now are these photos. Hopefully they bring back good memories…
Finals:
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (2015 Rumble Champs)
Nemes
The Static Dynamic
The Gravel Pit (Non-Competing Guest Band)
Semifinals:
Dirty Bangs
Duck & Cover
Eternals
Murcielago
Nemes (Semifinal Night #1 Winner)
Soft Pyramids
The Static Dynamic (Wildcard)
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (Semifinal Night #2 Winner)
Preliminaries:
Band Without Hands
Dirty Bangs (Prelim Night #4 Winner)
The Dirty Looks
Drab
Duck & Cover (Wildcard)
Eternals (Prelim Night #2 Winner)
Le Roxy Pro
Nate Leavitt Band
Mercury On Mars
Mister Vertigo
Murcielago (Wildcard)
Nemes (Prelim Night #1 Winner)
New City Ghost
Protean Collective
Psychic Dog
The Rare Occasions
Raw Blow
Salita
Soft Pyramids (Prelim Night #6 Winner)
The Static Dynamic (Prelim Night #3 Winner)
The Warning Shots
Dan Webb And The Spiders
Yale, Massachusetts
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (Prelim Night #5 Winner)
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.
