Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
Letterday’s Rumble set was tight. Really tight. These guys came ready to play and delivered exactly what their fans wanted: heavy, energetic, melodic indie-rock. Their amped-up cover of The Get Up Kids’ “Holiday” will give you a pretty good idea of their sound. It’s hard to imagine too many bands doing this kind of thing better than Letterday.
Preliminary Night #3 Winner: Ghosts Of Jupiter
Ghosts Of Jupiter just floored me. Their Rumble set was a clinic in heavy ’70s groove. Sure, huge sonic blasts of retro-riffage may not please everyone. Some people may write off their throwback style. That’s OK. Ghosts Of Jupiter probably can’t hear those people over the wall of awesomeness coming from the stage.
Ghosts Of Jupiter take Preliminary Night #3.
The Tin Thistles may have been playing up the “token punk band” angle for their set during Preliminary Night #3 of the 2012 Rumble, but there was nothing perfunctory about their performance. These guys came out and gave the TT’s crowd a kick in the pants. It may not have been what everyone wanted, but it was what everyone needed. They just didn’t know it.
Preliminary Night #3 Winner: Ghosts Of Jupiter
Night #3 of the 2012 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble was the only night where I hadn’t seen any of the bands before. The Rumble is a great way to check out new bands. This night would be very fruitful.
The Susan Constant opened the proceedings with a long slow build of a number. It certainly caught my attention. Before long the band was banging out some pretty great indie rock tunes. A friend (who also happens to have won Preliminary Night #1) comments that The Susan Constant walk a line between The Jayhawks and Death Cab For Cutie. It’s an unusual combination – not one I would have thought of – but I get where he’s coming from. It’s a great sound. My friend walked away a big fan. I did too.
Preliminary Night #3 Winner: Ghosts Of Jupiter
Grey Valley Ghosts kept the grunge flame alive at Preliminary Night #2 of the 2012 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble.
Preliminary Night #2 Winner: Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance
Wow. Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance just blew my mind. I’ve seen these guys before, so I knew they were going to be good. I wasn’t prepared for this. At times it seemed like TT’s would burst. Their Rumble set was so powerful, so joyous, that anything would have been possible. I can’t wait to see them again. I won’t have to wait long. Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance take Preliminary Night #2. They’ll be back for the Semi-Finals next week.
Animal Talk closed their Rumble set with a killer version of their song “Into The Sun”.* It was an early Rumble highlight for me. They may not have won the night, but their rock/pop/dance hybrid got some bodies moving. That seems like a win to me.
Preliminary Night #2 Winner: Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance
* A song I love so much I put it on my most recent Spotify playlist (which you can listen to here).
Thick Shakes crammed 11 no-frills garage rock songs into their 30 minute set that kicked off Preliminary Night #2 of the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. It was a bashy, trashy, Farfisa-drench fuzzfest and I loved it. Don’t stop – go go go!
Preliminary Night #2 Winner: Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance
Rumble Preliminary Night #1 closed out with the heavy groove of Cooling Towers. Eric Donohue and Pete Gamache are one killer rhythm section. Ronan Fahy knows when to attack his guitar and when to let it sing. Judy Margo’s backing vocals and synth parts are the icing on the cake – a cake that Commodore Vic slithers all over like some kind of rock n’ roll prophet with a sweet tooth.
When a good rock n’ roll band finds its groove, it’s a wonderful thing. It becomes as much about what you feel as what you hear. I feel good right now. I just heard something great. It was a wonderful thing.
The Rationales just played their Rumble preliminary set. By the time they got to “No Guarantees”, a personal favorite of mine, they were so locked in nothing could derail them. The last three songs of their set felt like a victory lap. That’s the beauty of the Rumble. Win or lose, bands rise to the occasion. Bands like The Rationales.
My gut is confirmed. The Rationales take night #1.
