Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
Ringtail
“Birdwatcher”
2016
OK. Ringtail officially have my attention. Mid-tempo but never dull, their latest single mines vintage indie and classic rock territory. “Birdwatcher” feels like a long lost 120 Minutes gem from the mid-nineties dressed up with some Big Star sensibilities. Is that weird? Maybe, but it works. I’m eager to hear what these guys get up to next.
Where to get it:
Thank you to everyone who came out to the Photos by Johnny Anguish opening reception at The Verb Hotel last night. It really made this old man feel special. I had a lot of fun putting these photos together. I hope everyone enjoyed them. I talked to the good folks at Vanyaland before the show. You can read the nice piece they put together right here.
If you couldn’t make it out to The Verb last night, don’t fret. The photos will be on display until mid-April when they’ll find homes elsewhere in the hotel. Swing by and have a look.
If you’re wondering what you might see, here are the photos on display. Imagine them bigger, framed, matted and hanging on a yellow wall. Or don’t imagine anything and go see the photos for yourself. They’re real, touchable objects. Please don’t touch the real objects.
It occurred to me as I sat on the floor of The Verb Hotel room newly named in their honor that the first time I saw Guster was in a similarly sized space with about as many people.* The difference? This time they followed up with a pair of shows at the House Of Blues instead of trekking off to another college rec room. The band may have only played a few songs, but it was a unique experience that the folks at DO617 put together with the hotel for a few appreciative fans. Neat.
* At Providence College. They were simply known as Gus at the time.
Petty Morals
Marked Women
2016
This EP may not be named after a sugary treat, but it’s the same synth-y, dance-y, punk-tinged power pop you’ve come to expect from Petty Morals. Marked Women comes out of the gate like Robert Palmer throwing back shots with Blondie at a hair metal show. That’s just “Get Down (And Live It Up).” “Over It” is the band’s best pure pop song since “Radio Action.” “Just A Game” is 1987 flashback city. “Into You” is their best pure pop song since “Over It.” Petty Morals channel their inner Rick James on “Telephone Erotic” before closing out the EP with a sweet Nick Z remix of “Go For Broke.” Looks like they’ve done it again.
Where to get it:
Nicole Anguish is Daykamp Creative. She’s a design genius.* Nicole creates some of the coolest poster art in town. Today we celebrate her wonderfulness. Sharpen up your eyeballs. Here are the 56 gig posters Nicole designed in 2015.
* I’m biased, but it’s true.
Now that I’ve caught up on posting my photos, here’s a belated goodbye to the year that was. 2015 had some fun times. I’m glad I got to be there for some of them. Here’s one photo from each of the 218 sets I caught from bands playing around town last year, presented in chronological order. It’s what I do.
Johnny Anguish is the guys that takes all of the photos you see on this site. He’s the guy writing this post in the third person right now. If you’ve ever wondered what his photos would look like hanging up in a wikked cool hotel, you’re in luck. For the next couple of months, some of Johnny’s favorite photos that have appeared on Daykamp Music will be on display at The Verb. How cool is that? It’s not just locals this time, either. Bands like Superchunk, Slayer, Imperial State Electric and X will be hanging side-by-side with Sidewalk Driver, Dirty Bangs, Township, Will Dailey, The Organ Beats and Petty Morals.
The opening reception is Wednesday, 1/27 from 6-9pm at The Verb. Come by and listen to Johnny awkwardly try to say artistic-sounding things. Or just look at the photos and grab a drink from Hojoko. That sounds fun, right?
My last photographic gasp of 2015 fixed its gaze upon the wonders of Walter Sickert And The Army Of Broken Toys supporting the DCF Kids Fund at Once.
Good things happen when members of Aloud and OldJack team up to benefit the DCF Kids Fund. Lemon Merchant Allstars were just plain wonderful, ripping through their bands’ backlogs and playing music for the joy of it.
Also, more photos of Dan Nicklin in a Santa Hat.
The first super group of the night, Goddamn Glenn And His Red Coffee Cup Ensemble did a mix of holiday tunes and I-forgot-how-much-I-like-this-song covers at Anngelle Wood’s 4th annual Spectacular Gift Drive for DCF Kids Fund. Oh, and another photo of Dan Nicklin in a Santa hat.
