Mellow Bravo @ The Middle East Downstairs 7.29.2011

There’s this movie called I Get Off. It stars a white 1974 Pontiac Trans AM driven by Sheila, played by an otherwise unknown actress who now makes her meager living charging people $20 a pop to have their picture taken with her and a replica of said car at comic conventions. In this cinematic masterpiece there are bar fights, mustaches, a Columbo knock-off police detective, bricks and bricks of an unspecified narcotic and a guy in a banana suit.

In the climactic scene, the Trans Am races head-on toward a tanker truck in the desert. The windows are down. Sheila’s hair is blowing in the wind. She lifts her sunglasses. Her eyes are focused. There’s a shotgun on the passenger seat. Her hand reaches down to turn up the radio.

Mellow Bravo blares from the speakers as a sly smile comes across Sheila’s face.

Then it gets messy.

Sidewalk Driver @ The Middle East Downstairs 7.29.2011

It’s becoming old (tiny) hat for me to heap praise upon Sidewalk Driver. Lest you think I’m blowing smoke up their asses, lets get straight to the facts:

  • July 29th was the big Boston Band Crush show at The Middle East.
  • Sidewalk Driver played.
  • The crowd clapped and cheered.
  • The band covered Queen’s “Keep Yourself Alive”.*
  • Tad crowd surfed.**
  • Sidewalk Driver was awesome.***

So there you have it.

* Video by the tireless Sophia Cacciola for Sophia’s Rock Beat.
** No video. Sorry.
*** Fact.

Streight Angular @ The Middle East Downstairs 7.29.2011

Well, this certainly got my attention.

After falling hard for their song “Everyone Is Syncopated” earlier in the week, I was prepared for good things from Streight Angular at the big Boston Band Crush summer blowout. What I was not ready for was the party bomb the band set off in the Middle East. Crazy good.

The Invisible Rays @ The Rosebud Bar 7.27.2011

Counting, creativity, projections, synchronization, pop culture, musicality and a touch of humanity.

As it turns out, The Invisible Rays were actually visible. It was just really dark.

Miskatonic @ The Rosebud Bar 7.27.2011

It’s been some time since Miskatonic last played a show. They came back with a fistful of new songs to debut for an enthusiastic crowd at The Rosebud.

Sourpunch @ The Rosebud Bar 7.16.2011

Sourpunch is from Providence. They had their debut show at The Rosebud the other night. Twice.