Category: Photos

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Big Head Big Ears @ The Middle East Downstairs 9.8.2012

I’m just a cat!
I’m just a cat!
I’m just a cat and I like it like that!

Remember those lyrics. The crowd at The Middle East Downstairs for the 2012 edition of One Night Band certainly will. Big Head Big Ears* (Aaron Silverstein, Candace Clement, Nicholas Ward, Peter Moore and Rice Edmonston) put together a mini rock opera with an unexpected twist that made for one of my favorite moments of the night.

* Like SNUGGLZ, Big Head Big Ears named themselves after the kitty pic they used to find their band mates earlier in the day.

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SNUGGLZ @ The Middle East Downstairs 9.8.2012

They may look adorable, but SNUGGLZ* (Alison Murray, Bob Maloney, Crystal “Smokie” Rose, Keith Pierce and Kristina Johnson Parish) packed a punch. The first One Night Band of 2012 had a name inspired by the image they used to find their creative partners for the day. No cuddle music from this cast of characters, though. SNUGGLZ was ready to rock.

* All caps with a Z, please.

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Emily Peal And The Band Of Skinny Men @ The Middle East Upstairs 9.6.2012

Do you know what I like about Emily Peal And The Band Of Skinny Men? I like when the song starts out quiet. Maybe there’s a piano or some finger-picked guitar. Then things get a little tense. You wonder where this is going. All of a sudden there’s a brrrruuuuuuum-brrrruuuuuuum-brrrruuuuuuum-boom-thwack-boom-thwack-brrrruuuuuuum-brrrruuuuuuum-brrrruuuuuuum and you’re kind of knocked back a little from the oh-my-goodness-how-did-they-get-that-heavy wall of sound coming from the stage. It’s a neat feeling, like being 6 years old and spinning around and around until you collapse in a heap. Then you get up and do it all over again.

This was the release show for Emily’s new EP, Fine Fur Coat.

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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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Black Thai @ Radio 8.24.2012

I’m feeling a little disoriented. Black Thai are up on the Radio stage blasting through a new number. It’s a dizzying barrage of devastating riffs and manic drumming. It’s all fingers and limbs flailing about in a fret and foot-pedal frenzy. Black Thai have just raised the bar.

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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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Lonesome Red @ Moe’s Lounge 8.24.2012

In contrast to the adrenalin rush of a show Radio has going on upstairs, Moe’s Lounge is featuring some engaging, stripped-down performances. Earlier in the night I caught Ryan Lee Crosby bleeding blue. Now, Lonesome Red are delivering some stark Americana. Sometimes all you need are a guitar, a couple of drums and some voices to carry a tune.

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Cocked N’ Loaded @ Radio 8.24.2012

I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’ve never seen a more accurate description of a Cocked N’ Loaded show than what Richard Bouchard wrote on Boston Band Crush when previewing this show:

Cocked N’ Loaded play some of the best drunken, we-can’t-believe-this-hasn’t-gone-flying-off-the-rails-yet rock anywhere; frontman Kyle Neeson is as depraved on stage as any Florida bath salts addict, and at least twice as cunning, so watch out.

The band lived up to every word.