Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
The Information are in The Rumble.*
2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
Await Rescue
Petty Morals
Goddamn Draculas (2014 Rumble Champs)
The Information (Non-Competing Guest Band)
* As the non-competing guest band.
Goddamn Draculas were the most consistently great band of the 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. With the perfect mix of punch, polish, humor and harmonies, they left their mark. Goddamn Draculas are the 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble champs! Everyone gets a hug!
2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
Await Rescue
Petty Morals
Goddamn Draculas (2014 Rumble Champs)
The Information (Non-Competing Guest Band)
Classy, fun and packing a punch, Petty Morals kicked the Rumble Finals party into high gear. Their songs are infectious. They worked in a shout out to Amy Douglas of Feints* that morphed into “Rainbow In The Dark.”** They made sure the TT’s crowd was having a good time. Petty Morals made a lot of new friends and fans at this year’s Rumble.
2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
Await Rescue
Petty Morals
Goddamn Draculas (2014 Rumble Champs)
The Information (Non-Competing Guest Band)
* They did a partial cover of “Make Love To Me” by Amy’s other project, SPF 5000.
** Which in turn morphed into Petty Morals’ staple Rumble cover, “Neutron Dance.”
Precision. That’s the word I keep coming back to with Await Rescue’s Rumble run. These guys are a well oiled machine of heavy, melodic rock. They delivered every time they got on TT’s stage. They were the wildcard into The Finals and set out to show the world they deserved to be there.
2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
Await Rescue
Petty Morals
Goddamn Draculas (2014 Rumble Champs)
The Information (Non-Competing Guest Band)
So, you’re headed to the sold out Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals tonight and you’re wondering what to expect. Look, these things are pretty unpredictable. No one ever really knows what’s going to happen. Petty Morals, Await Rescue and Goddamn Draculas have been on point the whole Rumble. There’s no reason to expect anything less tonight. However, if you think you know what tricks the bands have up their sleeves or who’s going home in a tiara, you may be in for a surprise. We’ll find out soon enough when we pack into TT’s to watch in all unfold. Then we’ll catch a set from The Information before they announce the winner and spray the champagne. In the end, we’ll have our memories. Maybe we’ll have some pictures. Here are a few of mine from the last 3 Rumble Finals. See you tonight!
Oh, and let’s not forget the celebrations…
The Easy Reasons
“Piece”
2013
“Piece” introduced The Easy Reasons as a band to watch last fall. A roughed-up riff and the opening line “If you loved me I don’t know what I would do” stick immediately. The verses are simple and effective, leading to the big payoff — that chorus. Listen as The Easy Reasons serve up thick guitars and fiery vocals from the days of smoky bars and muscle cars. Shades of “Gimme Shelter” color the sound. It’s dark. It goes for the gut. That’s a rock ‘n’ roll hook, right there.
Where to get it:
Cooling Towers
“Hard Headed Woman”
2014
Cooling Towers have put out a couple of cool NWOBID* tunes in 2014. “Hard Headed Woman” is my favorite of the pair. Cooling Towers cut to the chase on this one, jumping right into the catchy-as-all-hell chorus after a brief mood-setting intro. The song never looks back. The bridge? Please, the intertwining harmonies cloaked in desperation are p‑e‑r‑f‑e‑c‑t. I dig this track.
Where to get it:
* New Wave Of Boston Indie Disco
The 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble has been a doozy. The 35th installment of this storied event has seen incredible sets, meticulous preparation, substitute wildcards, misunderstood lyrics and riffs galore. Friday night will find Goddamn Draculas, Petty Morals and Await Rescue (wildcard) squaring off on the friendship stage to see who goes home with the Rumble tiara. It all happens at T.T. The Bear’s Place. The Information are in The Rumble.* Until then, chew on this…
Second Chances At First Impressions
If you want to talk about first impressions, you can’t do better than the second Rumble sets from Tigerman Woah and Goddamn Draculas. Tigerman Woah began their semifinal set singin’ and stompin’ among the TT’s crowd. Not to be outdone, Bice Nathan and Chris Duggan from Goddamn Draculas stood side by side, backs to the crowd, in total darkness to start their set. When the word “DRAX” was projected onto the stage, it revealed the rallying cry printed on the back of their shirts: WE CAME TO SUCK.
Tight and Outta Sight
“Tight and Outta Sight” may be a Petty Morals song, but it also represents a Rumble state of mind. You’ve got to have your act together to do well in this competition. Petty Morals put on a real rock ‘n’ roll show to take the first semifinal night, but they weren’t alone in the preparation game. Await Rescue** and Barricades closed out their nights with precise and energetic sets that kept the outcomes in question to the very end.
Wild Wild Card
Aw man. I hate when stuff like this happens. Feints earned a spot as the Friday night wildcard, only to be silenced by doctor’s orders.*** Such a bummer. The plus side? Rumble-goers got another chance to witness Yellabird riff it up on the TT’s stage. Well done, gentlemen.
Fun With Numbers
Play Me Out
The semifinal round was chock full o’tunes. Here are some of the ones that had me wired.
* As this year’s non-competing guest band.
** Jed Gottlieb observed that “nobody prepared more for the Rumble” than Await Rescue. I’m not going to argue with him.
*** Get well soon, Amy!
Just when you thought The Rumble didn’t have anything left to give, Barricades came out and energized the TT’s crowd with a charged, pop-tinged indie rock set. Semifinal Night #2 ended with yet another band raising their game. Well done.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble 2014 Semifinal Night #2
Yellabird
Tigerman Woah
Goddamn Draculas (Winner)
Barricades
WE CAME TO SUCK. Yeah, right. Goddamn Draculas are going to the 35th Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals. Watch yer necks.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble 2014 Semifinal Night #2
Yellabird
Tigerman Woah
Goddamn Draculas (Winner)
Barricades
