36 Links To 512 Photos Of The 2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble

Anngelle curated a Rumble that saw bands as diverse as Eternals and Zip-Tie Handcuffs win nights. Awesome.
Anngelle curated a Rumble that saw bands as diverse as Eternals and Zip-Tie Handcuffs win nights.

So long, 2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. You were something else. Nine nights of Rock ‘N’ Roll that solidified your reputation for helping local music fans find their new favorite bands. Anngelle Wood put together your wonderfully diverse lineup, but you took on a life of your own. You always do. We’re lucky you’re still around and you’ve got people like Anngelle looking after you.

Congratulations to Zip-Tie Handcuffs! You’re the 2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Champs! You played every night like you were fending off a swarm of bullet ants, armed only with tortured guitars, thrashing drums and tight harmonies. You are the stuff of legends.

I guess that’s it. Another Rumble come and gone. All I have left now are these photos. Hopefully they bring back good memories…

Zip-Tie Handcuffs rule. They're your 2015 Rumble Champs.
Zip-Tie Handcuffs rule. They’re your 2015 Rumble Champs.

Finals:
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (2015 Rumble Champs)
Nemes
The Static Dynamic
The Gravel Pit (Non-Competing Guest Band)

The Static Dynamic lit up the TT's stage and earned themselves the wildcard spot in The Finals.
The Static Dynamic lit up the TT’s stage and earned themselves the wildcard spot in The Finals.

Semifinals:
Dirty Bangs
Duck & Cover
Eternals
Murcielago
Nemes (Semifinal Night #1 Winner)
Soft Pyramids
The Static Dynamic (Wildcard)
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (Semifinal Night #2 Winner)

Dirty Bangs were mesmerizing. They took Prelim Night #4.
Dirty Bangs were mesmerizing. They took Prelim Night #4.

Preliminaries:

Band Without Hands
Dirty Bangs (Prelim Night #4 Winner)
The Dirty Looks
Drab
Duck & Cover (Wildcard)
Eternals (Prelim Night #2 Winner)
Le Roxy Pro
Nate Leavitt Band
Mercury On Mars
Mister Vertigo
Murcielago (Wildcard)
Nemes (Prelim Night #1 Winner)
New City Ghost
Protean Collective
Psychic Dog
The Rare Occasions
Raw Blow
Salita
Soft Pyramids (Prelim Night #6 Winner)
The Static Dynamic (Prelim Night #3 Winner)
The Warning Shots
Dan Webb And The Spiders
Yale, Massachusetts
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (Prelim Night #5 Winner)

Zip-Tie Handcuffs @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 5.1.2015

On the day of the 2015 Rumble Finals, I went back to see what I wrote about Zip-Tie Handcuffs the first time I saw them. Here’s a quote: “The wall of distortion and close-spaced vocal harmonies whipped through the crowd melting faces like the spirits at the end of Raiders Of The Lost Ark.” Yup. Nailed it. First try. Zip-Tie Handcuffs are your 2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Champions. I love it.

2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
The Static Dynamic
Nemes
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (2015 Rumble Champs)
The Gravel Pit (Non-Competing Guest Band)

The Static Dynamic @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 5.1.2015

The flying dynamos known as The Static Dynamic opened the 2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals with their tightest, punchiest, most energetic set of the event. I wasn’t sure that was even possible, but it was. It was an electric performance that showed why these wildcards got where they did.

2015 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Finals
The Static Dynamic
Nemes
Zip-Tie Handcuffs (2015 Rumble Champs)
The Gravel Pit (Non-Competing Guest Band)

Random Rumble Ramblings: 2015 (Part III)

Anngelle has uncovered the finest t-shirt distributors in the Northeast. Some good bands, too!
Anngelle has uncovered the finest t-shirt distributors in the Northeast. Some good bands, too!

There’s never a dull moment with the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. The 2015 edition has been a wild one. Zip-Tie Handcuffs and Nemes won their Semifinal nights to move on. The Static Dynamic snagged the wildcard. The Finals will go down Friday night at TT’s. Before you head on over, here are a few things buzzing through my head regarding the Semifinal Round…

Rock ‘N’ Roll Variety Show

Check out the creative stylings of Zip-Tie Handcuffs at the Rock 'N' Roll Rumble.
Check out the creative stylings of Zip-Tie Handcuffs at the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble.

It has become pretty common to reference the wackiness of individual Rumble night lineups. Can you remember a non-Rumble show with bands as varied as Zip-Tie Handcuffs, Soft Pyramids, Dirty Bangs and Duck & Cover? Diverse bills occasionally happen in the wild. They’re commonplace in The Rumble. Thursday night’s Semifinal was a goodie.

The NFL’s Got Nothin’ On The Rumble

Nemes & Semifinal Night #2: Inspiring sports analogies since 2015.
Nemes & Semifinal Night #2: Inspiring sports analogies since 2015.

In sports, you always hear about league parity. Any given Sunday and all that jazz. The big leagues could take a few pointers from The Rumble. Trying to get inside the judges’ minds during the Friday night Semifinal showdown between Nemes, The Static Dynamic, Eternals and Murcielago was an exercise in futility. Hunches? Sure. Confident predictions? Unlikely. That’s parity.

Boston’s New Favorite Band

Murcielago: Secretly holding stock in plastic surgery companies.
Murcielago: Secretly holding stock in plastic surgery companies.

If my Facebook feed is any indication, Boston’s new favorite band is from Portland, Maine. The number of times Murcielago appears next to some form of the phrase “face-melting” is alarming. Not that I disagree. These guys have been a Rumble highlight for me, too.

Fun With Numbers

Four guys in a band called Eternals.
Four guys in a band called Eternals.

  • Four for four: There were 4 quartets competing in the middle round. Eternals, Murcielago, Nemes and Duck & Cover represented.
  • Two way tie: There were 2 ties in this year’s Rumble Semifinals. Evan Kenney of Dirty Bangs sported a bolo tie, while Ian Grinold of Zip-Tie Handcuffs sported more traditional neck attire.
  • One for three: Zip-Tie Handcuffs were the lone 3 piece band in the Semifinals. Winning their night assured they will be the lone trio in The Finals.

Play Me Out

In the end, it’s all about the music, right? Here are the songs stuck in my head from the Semifinal Round.