Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
What a great night of music this has been. It’s the Walter Sickert And The Army Of Broken Toys album release show. We’ve already had killer sets by Ruby Rose Fox and The Field Effect. Now, The Rationales are closing with their song “Let It Go.” So good. So, so good.
This was the first Boston area show for The Rationales with Chad Raleigh on guitar. Based on the string of rippin’ guitar lines he unleashed at Radio, I think things are going to work out just fine.
The Rationales were the first band to play at Radio. It’s only fitting that they take part in the venue’s first anniversary show. They closed their set with a song they debuted at the club’s opening. You can probably guess what it was…
Talk about a night of great songs. First we had Airport. Now, The Rationales.* On a Sunday. I’m alive and well at Radio, but I feel like I’ve died and gone to well-crafted-pop-n-roll heaven. We’re spoiled, folks.
* The Wooden Sky from Toronto topped the bill for a perfect songsmith trifecta.
Great songs have always been a trademark of The Rationales. Saturday night these guys added a couple of new gems to their setlist. I immediately fell in love with “Let It Go,” a song that wouldn’t sound out of place on side two of Abbey Road. Keep an ear out for that one.
We’ve nearly reached the end of the road with the 2012 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. After 31 sets from 23 bands, we’ve got it narrowed down to the final three contenders. Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance, Bow Thayer And Perfect Trainwreck and Motherboar (wildcard) will play for all the marbles tonight at TT’s. Before you head out, here are a couple of things that have tickled my brain about the Semifinal round.
Are You Experienced?
The Semifinal victors know a thing or two about winning over crowds in Boston. Garvy J. And The Secret Pocket Of Hope And Resistance and Bow Thayer And Perfect Trainwreck are both fronted by scene veterans and have top notch players on every instrument. That’s not to say they go about things the same way. Bow and Co. take a more traditional approach, twanging it up with the best of them. Any one of these guys is capable of stealing the show. Together, they’ve formed an outstanding Americana ensemble. The Resistance, on the other hand, has you wondering where the synth players are. Before long, you realize all three guitar players are masters at manipulating their instruments. Having the amazing rhythm section of Scott Fitts and Tommy Lada gives you that kind of freedom.
Lada Vs. Lada Revisted
Speaking of Tommy Lada, the battle of Lada Vs. Lada was won by Tommy Lada. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a small part of me that wanted to see Ghosts Of Jupiter take the wildcard just to see this happen again. It certainly wouldn’t have surprised anyone, as Ghosts Of Jupiter threw down another definitive slab of ’70s classic rock on their Semifinal night.
The State Of Heavy Revisted
In my last Rumble ramble I talked about wanting to see how the two heaviest bands in the festival competition fared in the Semifinals. Well, Motherboar fought their way into the wildcard spot through a shower of beer and metal mayhem. Sherman Burns continued to win over a slew of fans after another rifftacular performance. I love it.
Fun With Numbers
Play Me Out
Once again, I’ll leave you with the songs that haven’t left me. Have a listen and then hit up the Finals tonight at TT’s!
The Semifinals of the 2012 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble are in the books. Congratulations to Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance and Bow Thayer And Perfect Trainwreck for taking their nights. With Motherboar earning the wildcard spot, the Finals are set! After having to withdraw from competition before their prelim night, The Grownup Noise will get to play the Finals as the special guest band. Classy touch, Anngelle.
Finals / Friday, April 20
9:30 – Motherboar (Wildcard)
10:15 – Garvy J.
11:00 – Bow Thayer and Perfect Trainwreck
11:45 – The Grownup Noise (Guest)
Tickets are available at the TT’s website: www.ttthebears.com
The Semifinals had great performances all around. In case you missed any of the action, here are links to the photos and recaps of each Semifinal set:
Thursday, April 12th
Thick Shakes
Bow Thayer And Perfect Trainwreck took the night.
Cask Mouse
Motherboar got the wildcard.
Friday, April 13th
Sherman Burns
Ghosts Of Jupiter
The Rationales
Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance took the night.
In case David Mirabella and his bandmates in The Rationales didn’t know it already, a large contingent of their fans sang along to remind them that they have some of the best songs in town. When the band plays them with the fire and passion that they did in the Rumble Semifinal, it’s going to be a good night. Last night was a good night.
Semifinal Night #2 Winner: Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance
After a much needed day of rest, the Rumble returns with Preliminary Night #4 (Cask Mouse, Never Got Caught, Parlour Bells and The Fagettes) tonight at TT’s. Before I head out, here are a few thought on the first half of the week…
Old Favorites
It was great to see strong showings from some old favorites in the 2012 edition of the Rumble. The Rationales and Garvy J. took their nights, so I’ll be catching them again next week. Thick Shakes put on a raucous show to kick off their night. Cooling Towers did the same to close out theirs.
New Faces
One of the best things about The Rumble is being able to check out bands you haven’t see before. I’ve managed to catch 5 new bands so far. Ghosts Of Jupiter took Preliminary Night #3 and left me eager to check them out again next week. The Susan Constant was fantastic. I know they made some new fans on their night. The Tin Thistles brought with them the same devil-may-care attitude Mellow Bravo had last year. In the end, it’s just a big party, right? I also got my first exposure to Letterday and Grey Valley Ghosts. The biggest disappointment of this year’s event was not being able to catch The Grownup Noise. I’ve heard great things about them, but Paul Hansen slipped a disc in his back and they had to withdraw from the competition. Get well soon, Paul!
Lada Vs. Lada
This is my favorite story of this year’s Rumble. With Garvy J. and Ghosts Of Jupiter advancing to the semi-final round, Tommy Lada will be competing against himself on Friday the 13th. How much fun is that going to be to watch?
Fun With Numbers
Play Me Out
Animal Talk’s “Into The Sun” is just too damn catchy. That song, and a few of the other songs that have been stuck in my head after these first few Rumble nights, are below. Check them out, and then come out for the rest of the action. Here’s the schedule. Get thee to TT’s!
* The Rationales were scheduled for the third slot, but moved to the second when The Grownup Noise had to cancel. I’m still going to allow this little “fact” to stand.
** Letterday covered “Holiday” by The Get Up Kids. The Tin Thistles busted out The Misfits’ “Skulls”. Garvy J. had musical references to other songs, but no true covers.
*** Letterday and Garvy J.
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.
