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Art, Atlantic Thrills, concert review, Fat Creeps, Gangbang Gordon, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

Concert Review: Fat Creeps, Atlantic Thrills, Gangbang Gordon, Dividers @ Firehouse 13 (3/8/13)

03/14/2013 Chris DeCarlo Leave a comment

Bands: Gangbang Gordon, The Dividers, Fat Creeps, Atlantic Thrills, Thee Itchies
Date: Friday, March 8, 2013
Venue: Firehouse 13 (Providence, Rhode Island)

And the award for best house music goes to…… Firehouse 13!!!! Ahh, we should start doing KLYAM awards, it would knock the grammys flat on its fake, fluffy, fat fucking ass. Firehouse is the place to be though, one of my favorite venues. Place is massive, but has a warm, homey, basement feel to it, good for rock ‘n’ roll. And certainly Eric Aguiar’s playlists help set the mood: Black Lips, The Penguins, Frank Zappa, Nobunny. Eric’s got you covered. Soon enough we slip and slide down the punk slime trail, crashing into the first act: Gangbang Gordon.

Gangbang Gordon kickstarts this Burger Revolution, playing his second show ever! GBG would be the right man to kick off a Burger Records showcase, being a Wiener himself. What’s that? Y’all know. I’m Not A Musician Gangbang Gordon’s debut for Wiener Records, a Burger subsidiary. Pick that shit up, before it goes, they are selling like hot cakes!

Tonight, Gangbang Gordon is decked out in his kooky three dee glasses and he plays in front of the stage alone with his gee tar and a few other tricks up his sleeve. You can call it outsider, amateur-one man band garage, or just plain old noise, either way GBG is unforgettable. I saw his first show at P.A.’s Lounge and while that was odd and memorable, this time around he sounds much better and I can actually hear most of his vocals.

I recognize fan favorites such as “It’s A Damn Shame,” “Lost Touch (With The Youths),” and my fave “Life At The ABC (Abandon Bear Cages).”

His music is fairly diverse and this shows in his performance which includes a recorder, rap, and a drum machine. Way to go bro! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFbSUmVGj1c

Set-List:
“Blue Jay Road”
“It’s A Damn Shame”
“Lost Touch (With The Young)”
“The Breeze”
“Life At The ABC”
“Shit Geetar”
“I Can Testify”
“Slide Paper”
“Wanna Go”
ENCORE:
“Everybody’s Doing It” (Black Lips)

The Dividers hail from New Bedford and they continue GBG’s trend of garage rock ode. I know, I know I get sick of saying garage too, but I mean this is a Burger showcase. Call it punk slime, if you will. The Dividers champion this style and spirit and they give my ears a fierce pounding. I hear that they have a history with our guys the Atlantic Thrills; it’s fitting. Both bands have played shows together across New England and both bands share the aforementioned slimy flavor of rock ‘n’ roll. The Dividers are fun and they get the people movin’ a little. They kind of remind of The Reatards, so yeah nasty, noisy “garage,” but easy to slam around to ya know? Course you do. I recommend you check out their music here: http://www.reverbnation.com/thedividers

Set-List:
“Grinder”
“Psych Moshers”
“Contra Band”
“Lester Goodbody”
“Unk’s Jam”
“Smelly Furman”
“White Hot Russian”
“Free Burd! (Robitaile)”
“Justine”
“Winter Weather”

Fat Creeps are our top dogs, so it’s a real pleasure to see them up on the big stage at the Firehouse 13 in Providence. I always love seeing my favorite bands in foreign settings. The sound is top notch and they dish out several of their classics like “Nancy Drew,” “700 Parts,” and “Secrets.” It’s cool to think that most in attendance proabably haven’t heard these sick tunes before, and from what I observe everyone seems to dig it, especially one Kelly Riley (Atlantic Thrills). During some of the heavier pop songs like “Daydreaming” and “Going To The Party” I notice Kelly rocking out pretty hard, jumping up and down, reveling in his first Fat Creeps experience. Indeed, this trio is one of the best live acts I’ve seen. They also play a song they don’t play as often with “Leave Her Alone,” an excellent surfy song, which is coming out on their upcoming self-titled 10″ release on our very own KLYAM Records! Listen to the digital version here: http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/album/fat-creeps-ep

Fat Creeps and Atlantic Thrills are two of our favorite groups, which makes this show real, real special. We’ve seen both bands separately a gazillion times, but the two have never appeared on the same bill before. Needless to say, I’m extremely pumped to see the Atlantic Thrills in their hometown. The Firehouse is one of the best places to see the Thrillz do what they do best. Whether it’s Dan’s solo, “meat” playing as Glen would say, Josh’s passionate drumming, Eric’s heroic leaps, or Kelly’s manic behavior, the Thrillz are one of the most enjoyable live bands. There’s like this great fun, party atmosphere to them that is rarely matched, and it comes through not just in their physical performance, but also their music. There is an undeniable familiarity to their songs, we’ve all heard this sound before, but the Thrillz are such characters that they shine through any inkling of cliché.

Alas, this show doesn’t have the same crowd reaction (non stop moshing) as the last Atlantic Thrills show I saw at Wilder Zangcraft in Lowell. But , it’s all good, the Thrillz are just as awesome, people dance and have fun. One soul commends them for their “gang vocals,” I’m with you on that one brah. The Thrillz definitely have a particular quality of camaraderie to them, much like a gang or that of the oft-compared Black Lips. The band describes themselves the best: “Four badass muthafuckers who like to drink whiskey and play dirty garage rock”- http://www.reverbnation.com/atlanticthrills

Set-List:
“Give It Back”
“Holy Mountain”
“Booze”
“Beach”
“On My Mind”
“Lies”
“Gatos”
“Light Shines”
“Hold Your Tongue”
“Shotgun”
“Drugs”

I’ll be square with you guys, I don’t recall the last band Thee Itchies too well, my apologies! I’m sure they killed it.

Animal Collective, Art, concert review, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, pictures, reviews

Concert Review: Animal Collective @ House Of Blues (3/7/13)

03/14/2013 Chris DeCarlo Leave a comment

Bands: Animal Collective, Dan Deacon
Date: Thursday, March 7, 2013
Venue: House Of Blues (Boston, MA)

We haven’t been to a show at the House Of Rules in 3 years, can’t honestly say I miss the place, but what I do miss about going to bigger shows like this is encountering random folks that you’ve never met before. It’s always nice to find people that share similar interests as you. Enter Ryder. Ryder is the illest pimp in all of Portland and Glen, Ryder, and myself chat about our lives, our favorite bands, and our past show experiences (Ryder attended that epic Ty Segall Space Gallery show from last year, good man). Great meeting you Ryder, stay in touch brotha. Now to the show.

Dan Deacon– Dan’s a dude I’ve known about for 3-4 years now, but have never listened to until tonight. He introduces the show explaining that he talks a lot and boy, he’s isn’t kidding! Early into the performance, Dan instructs everyone to get down on one leg, raise their left arm in the air, and then point up to the ceiling and think of what makes them feel the most cowardice. Random, right? But, Dan manages to get nearly the entire audience on the floor to adhere to his bizarre commands.

He is a great orator and his humorous projection continues throughout his performance. Twice in the set, he orders the crowd to form a giant circle and within this giant circle, the participants are ordered to DANCE in competition with one another, with each competitor switching off with another attendee in the audience to keep the dance mania alive until General Dan commands everyone to join! At times it feels like a high school assembly or field trip, sort of cheesy, yet also admirable in its unorthodox nature. I’ll give him that. I always appreciate it when an artist attempts to break the mold of expectation for what a performance is supposed to be like.

At other junctures it reminds me of a rave, with kids bopping about to Dan’s wacked out, jungle/ tribal fused electronic pop. The specifics of Dan’s musical style are far above my noggin; put simply Dan has an electronic/computer set up and makes noises into the mic while two drummers (Jeremy Hyman and Kevin O’Meara) bash away on each side of him. Dan Deacon and crew definitely put on an entertaining, elaborate show, perhaps not my specific flavor, but sure to charm many a doe eyed electronic music sophisto OR new comers that are simply looking for something a bit more unconventional. Go for it.

Animal Collective – I owe much of my infatuation with contemporary music to Animal Collective. Back in high school, I mostly rocked out to older music; in fact, I thought modern music blew, with the exception of a few bands. When I heard Animal Collective, I started to open up to current music and now look where I am today! Running a blog about the latest bands I hear and see. It was Animal Collective’s sheer oddity that roped me in from the first time I heard them. Songs like “Who Could Win A Rabbit” and “Fickle Cycle” were trippy, but poppy too. In 2013, these fellas still retain that unique, utterly undefined character to their craft.

Four years ago, Glen and I experienced Animal Collective at the House Of Blues and at the time it was as one Frank Hurricane would say “life changing.” Just read our old review here: http://wakefieldnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/concert-review-animal-collective-hobo.html Mind altering may be even more apropos Kids were going nuts and I could barely stand for most of the duration of the show, I even lost a shoe at one point.

This time around however, there is only a hint of that mayhem and I’m not quite sure why that is. Maybe these young lads (all ages show) aren’t into moshing and what have ya. Or the music itself doesn’t drive them in that direction. The music tonight is great, but definitely more toned down sonically – not as loud as last time. And with this, there is also substantial less pop elements. Most of the songs I don’t recognize and I’ll admit I am not overly familiar with their most recent album, Centipede Hz. I am more of a Feels– Strawberry Jam kinda guy. The performance tonight is more akin to a fleshed out Dan Deacon, harnessing much of that tribal/experimental freak folk aesthetic.

Personally, for me I am more of a rock ‘n’ roll fan, so the poppier side of Animal Collective is the element of their music that appeals the most to me. I was hoping to hear more of that variety, but all in all this was a fun show. Classics like “Bluish,” “My Girls,” (I probably looked like a screeching fan girl to some of the kiddies when they played this number), “Lion In A Coma,” and show closer “The Purple Bottle” are personal highlights.

Art, Atlantic Thrills, concert review, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

Review: The New Highway Hymnal, Atlantic Thrills, Polaroids, The Real Tom Hanks @ Wilder Zangcraft (2/23/13)

03/08/2013 Chris DeCarlo 2 Comments

Bands: The New Highway Hymnal, Atlantic Thrills, Polaroids, The Real Tom Hanks
Date: Saturday, February 23, 2013
Venue: Wilder Zangcraft (Lowell, MA)

Painted Grashopper– We missed this bedroom set :( Like their FB page : http://www.facebook.com/PaintedGrasshopper?fref=ts

The Real Tom Hanks– For the first twenty two years of my life I was led to believe that this man http://www.hdwallpaperspot.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/tom-hanks-1.jpg was Tom Hanks. Sadly, I was mistaken. The Real Tom Hanks is actually Alex Sargent (guitar), Ben Dickinson (guitar), Johnny Gelsomini (bass), and Kevin Dacey (drums); and they are not sorry for ruining your Black Panther Party. Haha, but seriously these dudes rule. I remember Kevin describing the band to me months ago and I was immediately intrigued. Needless to say, I have been looking forward to this performance. As I was promised, The Real Tom Hanks play a killer instrumental set filled with slick, surf-punk tunes that would make a Dick Dale fan’s eyes light up. It’s hard not to dig this music, it’s catchy, fun, and serves as a solid ode to OG surf of the 1960s garage variety, just the kind of slime I devour. They cover The Ventures’classic “Walk, Don’t Run” and now the song is stuck in my dome forever. The Real Tom Hanks kick ass and set the mood for the evening. Can’t wait to see another fine ass show from these upstanding gents in the near future. Like their page on da fascist book, make it a little less fascist and a better world for you and me. http://www.facebook.com/TheRealTomHanks?fref=ts
http://therealtomhanks.bandcamp.com/

Set-List:
“Beach Boner”
“Walk Don’t Run” (The Ventures)
“Becomes a Barnacle”
“Aunts on the Beach”
“Monkey Man”

Polaroids– I don’t catch all of Polaroids’ set, but what I do see is impressive. Polaroids features Tim Oxton and The New Highway Hymnal’s Hadden Stemp and together with guitars and a drum machine they create a dream pop set that evokes Jesus and Mary Chain, Galaxie 500, and a little bit of Memphis cults, Girls of the Gravitron (at least in the vocals). The music is slow, calm, and haunting. Maybe it makes you reflect on your life up until this moment or maybe you just stare off into nothingness. Whichever it is, Polaroids will fuck with your head, just a little bit. http://polaroidz.bandcamp.com/

Atlantic Thrills– I remember the first time Glen Maganzini told me about the Atlantic Thrills. It was minutes, possibly seconds after seeing them live for the very first time. Glen ventured to Pawtucket, RI to see our favorite band the Black Lips (I would have gone, but I had a conflicting schedule, had to wait until the next night to see them in Boston :( ). Glen called me up, hysterically screaming about this band the Atlantic Thrills that he just saw. “THE ENERGRY! THE EXCITEMENT! THEIR SPIRIT, THEIR EMOTION. THEY’RE CLEARLY INFLUENCED BY LOS SAICOS AND THE BLACK LIPS AND THIS ONE GUY WAS REALLY HAMMERED, HE STUCK THE PIC INSIDE HIS FOREHEAD, IT WAS NUTS!” After hundreds of KLYAM attended shows, I can sincerely say that that sort of reaction is a rarity. Overtime, we became bigger fans of the band and we got to know these guys, great dudes. The Thrillz simply love and represent the music we love and represent. If I had to point to one local band that comes close to capturing the spirit of the Black Lips, which is the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, then it is the Atlantic Thrills. Glen and I have seen them several times now and we’re always extremely excited to see Providence’s wildest rock ‘n’ roll band, but often others in attendance are mellower in their appreciation. In fact in one review I even wrote, “I can’t wait to see the Atlantic Thrills kill it in a packed basement in Lowell, Allston (or anywhere) filled with kids ready to let loose and go wild.” And that’s exactly what happens. The Thrillz blast through all of their classics and a basement filled with drunken youths dance and mosh and sing along. I can’t believe my eyes, I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. I’m not sure how many fans are in attendance, but I feel confident that the quartet convert some, if not many new disiciples, eager to engage in future, rampant rock ‘n’ roll. I can see kids picking up on the sharp hooks and melodies that the Thrillz deliver. The whoaoooooooo of “Light Shines,” the 60s slimy guiar riffage of “Give It Back” or my favorite the la la la of “Lies,” all sound better than ever. Well, the sound is fantastic, but I don’t know if the actual audio is better than ever, but when your having the time of your life with one of your favorite bands, it sounds better than ever. Like I said earlier, the energy tonight is unprecedented in my experience at a Thrillz show. It’s just like a game of catch, the audience and the performers simply toss the ball of energy back and forth between one another. As I’ve noted in the past, drummer Josh Towers revels in the crowd’s excitement and participation, he feeds off of it and you can see it in his performance; when he smacks those drums it’s like he’s having sex. I admire such joy in the music. That’s what it’s all about and the Atlantic Thrills bring the joy, the good times (great times), the party better than anyone else in New England. http://www.reverbnation.com/atlanticthrills

The New Highway Hymnal– The New Highway Hymnal headline, NOT The New Highway Hymen as I had to inform a dissapointed gentlemen. Ha! Tonight, NHH are shooting a video for Whispers opener, “Through Stained Glass,” a fine song indeed off an even finer record. This trio is another band I have seen several times and like the Atlantic Thrills, they put on quite a show. With New Highway Hymnal, things slither into the darkside of the rock ‘n’ roll experience, a violent, bestial eruption of psych noise ensues. During this set, moshing continues and never stops. At this point in the night, I’m pretty out of it, mostly finding a way to survive in this sweaty, smelly, but undeniably fun mosh pit. I’d say this is the craziest I’ve seen at a NHH show (in my experience, which is limited). At one point I notice vocalist/guitartist, Hadden Stemp in the midst of the pit, his visibility in the crowd is a perennial NHH show experience, but this time his emergence seems to come out of nowhere and before you know it, he vanishes, back in front of the mike. He’s a tricky one.

All in all, this set, this show was a bruiser. Anytime I get to mosh with Kelly Riley (Atlantic Thrills) is usually a good time. http://thenewhighwayhymnal.bandcamp.com/

And big ups to The Lysergic Factory Light dudes for making everything look pretty and psychedelic.

Art, concert review, Fat Creeps, Film, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews, The Fagettes, Video

Concert Review: The Fagettes, Fat Creeps, Dream Warrior @ O’Brien’s Pub (2/22/13)

03/06/2013 Chris DeCarlo Leave a comment

Bands: The Fagettes, Fat Creeps, Dream Warrior, The Electric Street Queens
Date: Friday, February 22, 2013
Venue: O’Brien’s Pub (Allston, MA)

Dream Warrior– Never heard of these girls before, which is pretty cool because I think seeing a band live is the perfect introduction. Dream Warrior are an all female, all instrumental three piece and they bash out heavy, headbanging, blues inspired, quasi metal tunes. It’s a slow, sludgey, doomy kind of rock, but it never drags. A few attendees compare them to Metallica, I can see that, especially the first few albums, not St. Anger Metallica or any of that garbage. Glen says they are like the “girl Big Mess.” I actually haven’t thought of this, but I agree to an extent. Both bands create heavy, all instrumental songs that have the power and volume of a metal band, but with more of a blues, perhaps even hook emphasis in some respects. The crowd response is pretty solid and I am digging them as well. I’ll have to keep my eye out for them in local listings, as I am sure they’ll pop up again sometime soon.

Fat Creeps– Yo dawg, Fat Creeps two nights in a row sucka, that’s what I’m talking about! We KLYAMERS like to jam out with our KLYAM out, lord knows how that works. Last night was at the Salem Cinema, first time I have ever been there. In fact, I have never really been in Salem, place kind of gives me the creeps, no pun intended. Tonight is O’Brien’s, one of the best and most active rock venues in Boston, and this is my third time seeing the Fat Creeps here. More national rock ‘n’ roll and shock ‘n’ troll and jock ‘n’ skoal bands should come through to OB’s more often. Seeing the Fat Creeps though is sound enough for me, being a tremendous fan of the band.

I have a 70s conservative take on rock ‘n’ roll, a select few bands that rule, like when you think of rock ‘n’ roll you think of these bands. Like one of those infomercials that air in the wee hours of the morning featuring hit songs from the 60s or 70s, I like to think of all of the music I love being featured in a fake ad with some black guy’s low, soulful voice in the background. Someday, that will become a reality! Transitioning back to the present, it’s a real pleasure to see some great rock ‘n’ roll bands under our nose right in Boston. As I’ve said a million times, Fat Creeps are our favorite Boston band and one of our favorites in general. This is the first time I’ve seen them back to back and it’s exceptional.

Performance wise, tonight is pretty solid, not the best from the band, but awesome. “Going to the Party” is quickly becoming one my favorite Creeps numbers, I just adore Mariam’s monotone vocals and how they transition into screams as the song gets heavier. Much of this heaviness stems from the early hardcore riffage coming from the guitars, like a diabolical Dead Kennedys tune. “He Comes In Loudly” is another stand out, especially in Gracie’s mumbly vocals. As always, fun show from your local creeps. See them live, if you haven’t! Or start by listening to them here: http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/

Following the Creeps’ performance is the movie premiere of Ali White’s and Lauren Kimball’s Nautical Nymphs. A short film about some wild mermaids and an unsuspecting sailor. It’s a colorful, cool little movie. I suggest you watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pfW0_EIyxA

The Fagettes– The Fagettes are up on stage, but before they play there is a special guest performance from The Electric Street Queens, a kickass duo consisting of Coco Roy on vocals and guitar and the Fagettes’ Melanie Bernier on drums and vocals. They play a couple of tunes alongside the other members of the Fagettes including their nastiest number, “Dontcha Wanna Work At the Brewary” and like the last time I saw em’ Coco comes out to the audience, playing her guitar on the floor. I am pretty excited for this, cause I dig the ESQ very much and I didn’t hear of their special guest appearance until an hour or so before they hit the stage. Check dem out and like their page!: http://www.facebook.com/ElectricStreetQueens?fref=ts

The Fagettes open with their latest and greatest offering, “Gonna Die Out Here,” and it gets the crowd a rockin’. It’s a smooth, catchy song that showcases the simple drum beats and dual vocals that make the Fagettes an impressionable garage pop group. Their set features most of the hits I have fallen in love with over the past six months, such as “Mystery Pills,” “On Drugs,” “My Girl Looks Like Johnny Thunders,” and more. They are a fun loving, light-hearted band in the spirit of Hunx and His Punx, Shannon and the Clams, and Nobunny, just the kind of rock ‘n’ roll we dig around here. This show doesn’t sound as nice as the previous Great Scott show we attended, but there is more of a physical presence, and energy coming from both the performers and audience and that always makes for fun at a rock show. In particular, Ryan Major hops into the crowd bringing the mic stand with him, dude’s a boss, one of the best showmen around town. They close their set with the classic, “Water, Tea, and Alcohol,” a fast pounder indeed. Haha pounder. Listen to Fagettes, yeah I’m talking to you. http://thefagettes.bandcamp.com/

Set-List:
“Gonna Die Out Here”
“The AA Took My Baby Away”
“Mystery Pills”
“I Kill Him If I See Him Again”
“On Drugs”
“My Girl Looks Like Johnny Thunders”
“I Wanna Feel Good”
“Water, Tea, and Alcohol”

concert review, Music, Nice Guys, The Orwells

Concert Review: The Orwells @ TT The Bears (2/27/13)

03/03/2013 G. Gordon Gritty 2 Comments

Bands: The Orwells, The Kingston Springs, Nice Guys
Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Venue: TT The Bears (Cambridge)

TT The Bears is one of those venues that hosts some real solid local shows on a regular basis that we often recommend, but for whatever reason, it is just not a place that I often find myself going to. The shows I have been to at TTs have been memorable, though. There was that sparsely attended Sunday March 29th 2009 War on Drugs show, an even emptier Tuesday night Growlers show back in February 2010, and finally a more populated event on September 17, 2010 that featured the choice threesome of Those Darlins, Gentleman Jesse & His Men, and The Strange Boys.

On this chilly Wednesday night in Cambridge, it was one of my favorite bands of the past few years – The Orwells – headlining a gig at ‘The Bears. The cool thing about running a site that operates like a fan zine is that the shows we go to and end up reviewing usually feature a favorite on the bill. Well, as it turns out, the power of informing others about bands that rule went full circle on this night. A little more than two years ago, The Orwells reached out to KLYAM, seeing if we would check them out. At that juncture, they were a little known band from Elmhurst, Illinois without much deserved press coverage. Not to mention that they were still far away from graduating high school. Well, KLYAM gave them the ole Spotlight (https://klyam.com/2011/01/31/band-spotlight-the-orwells/). Not that this did much in the way of introducing shit tons of people to a really great band; it was more of a damn, how are these guys not being mentioned alongside some of the garage greats of the day? Their debut album Remember When, self-released a year before the Autumn Tone backed vinyl, is an insane album that definitely stacks right up with some of the best of the past couple of years and I would say that is a testament to the way these guys achieved a stand-out sound that is probably more the result of extensive listening to Black Lips and Ty Segall than the stuff (’60s garage/psych) that those same dudes were influenced by. It was great to finally meet the band after a long ass waiting period of simply listening to their music. On to the show:

Starting things off were Nice Guys, who I had seen on a few different occasions prior to tonight. Those times contrasted this occasion in more than one way. The last time I caught them was at the Wilder Zangcraft in Lowell with Nice Guys being Nice Whips (all Coachwhips covers) due to the untimely illness of drummer Cam Smith. Well Cam was back behind the kit tonight, and damn right he was, given that the show I mentioned was many months ago. At any rate, the point is that up until this point I had only seen Nice Guys play teeny basement spaces with rampant moshing, oozing beer, and broken instruments. There wasn’t any of that mayhem at TTs, but there were fun times and a fine display of musicianship from the foursome. Their set, the list of which I’m really pissed to say I lost…the one that was personally given to me by always friendly guitarist Matt Garlick, mixed up a bit of Mean Songs material with newer works like the recently recorded jam “Cop Walk”. Dueling guitars, extended shredding and pounding, and a pretty consistent nod to the work of Mr. Jon Dwyer, resulted in nice vibes, some dancing, and simply a good start to a good show. They fooled me a few times at the end of their set with some ‘we’re not done yet’ teasing and – hey – that’s fine by me. [http://niceguys666.bandcamp.com/]

Second in order is The Kingston Springs, a group from the South. Tennessee. I had not heard any music from them, prior to the first chords that blared from their amps. They were polished and tight, but not overwhelmingly so as in a Kings of Leon clean boy trying to be “dirty” kind of way, no, not really. The Kingston Springs’ bigger, pop-rock sound was differentiated occasionally with by some more rough around the edges country and garage twang. They definitely seemed to impress the audience as I looked around and noticed a lot of people were really into these guys. I’m not about to say The Kingston Springs’ take on southern rock/blues rock is something I find/found myself extremely into, but for what it is worth, I could see firsthand their passion for their material and how easily they got a whole bunch of people excited to be witness to their performance. Their faster stuff I definitely got behind, namely “Sweet Susie,” which I’m listening to now and enjoying. [http://thekingstonsprings.bandcamp.com/]

Back to the main band, the dudes themselves, The Orwells. Seeing them on stage, doing incredible renditions of tunes from Remember When like “Halloween All Year,” “In My Bed,” “Hallway Homicide,” and “Mallrats (La La La)” – just to name four – there were OTHERS – brought back the memories of when I first heard them and I could literally feel the energy of The Orwells. But there is nothing like seeing singer Mario Cuomo knock down the microphone stand while frantically pacing around the stage (and nearly off of it), all while singing/screaming at the top of his lungs. He’s a character for sure, a naturally manic front-man who never takes a minute off. None of the members take a minute off, though, and hey that’s probably why this was one of the best things I’ve seen all year. Their live pace is more frenetic than on record and with that said, they only played for about a half an hour. But in that time, they jammed in all those aforementioned classics and a smothering of new songs that we should see later this year on a new full-length that is nearly complete. The new songs I can tell are going to be special and why wouldn’t they be? With Orwells being one of the more distinct bands out there today. Some bands are great performers without necessarily having individual songs that are instantly recognizable. The Orwells got both of those things going on. Of course I would loved to have heard another half-hour worth of jams, but in due time. Maybe on a different stage. Maybe on the same. But it shouldn’t be a surprise why these guys are touring a shit load and playing some choice venues around the country. This isn’t 17 year old pop punk Warped Tour shit, this is passionate rock ‘n roll that can be enjoyed by all ages – hence why it was and yeah, the middle aged dude perpetually rocking out next to me seemed to know what was up. See you soon Orwells. [https://www.facebook.com/theorwellsband]

Comedy, concert review, Fat Creeps, Local Music, Music

Review: Kylie and Mark’s Comedy Throw-Up @ Salem Cinema (2/21/13)

02/23/2013 G. Gordon Gritty 2 Comments

I don’t know what it’s like to talk about comedians in this kind of format, in fact I’ve never really sat myself down to hear one or five in person. I am impressed by the way things went down on this evening. Host Andrew Durso cracked some wise cracks before introducing the comedians – some amateur, some quite reputable around the area. Reputable or not reputable, funny is funny, no matter which way you look at it. And creative, yeah, creative is creative. I give a lot of credit on the most basic level to the comedians for taking the stage. That is a feat. I found myself tearing up on a number of occasions. The variety of comedy, ranging from little skit type of things to brief one-liners, allowed for the versatility of the performers to shine through. I am not bullshitting you, I don’t know how to recap comedy…OK!

Each had their fine moments, never a dull moment, watching someone saying shit that a wide audience can agree is funny. Shout-outs to Gary Peterson, Ian Von Steffen, Riley Knispel, Matt Watson, Mark Gallagher, and Kylie Alexander. You done good.

Did I miss out on THE BFs? Potentially. Hey, it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t drive. I recall The BFs from the other night, hey BFs dude, Joey, I remembered, if you read this, I’m that dude who said yo nice shit at the Cambridge Elks. I must have missed you play on this night, as I would have been congratulatory on the successes of being on the stage and doing rock and roll. Your rock and roll is a good time; I do not see many bands like you these days. I have seen some popish punk in my time, not all of it very entertaining cuz I’m not much a pop-punk guy, but I can get more behind you than those others. Hope you know what I mean.

The Fat Creeps finished things off for the night. I took a seat near the front. Others preferred standing, slobbering around the stage, or not slobbering around the stage, but being around it, dancing even. I haven’t really seen this kind of locomotion at a Creeps show since five days prior at the Elks, when those Lowell guys were mosh pitting during “Daydreaming”. Well, set-wise, it is an exemplary performance, with the usual suspects and a surprise (for me, anyway) of the song that I remember being my favorite from when all I could associate with the Fat Creeps was their Bandcamp. The song is “Leave Her Alone”. They haven’t played that in a while, I mean you haven’t played that in a little bit, if one of the band members is reading this. That’s cool. New favorites such as “Going to the Party” and “He Comes in Loudly” and that other tune that draws a lot of clapping were most definitely in the mix and those other ones I really like. It is hard not to like the Fat Creeps; they are really nice people, but performers, top-notch. The kind that has you coming back for more. KLYAM has definitely indulged in this regard, but when heavenly performances are to be seen, you have to see them. I do like standing up better, just my own preference, so the next night at O’Briens would allow for some truly optimal conditions. I’ll let Chris take over describing that event. Though I could write now.

Good oldies Salem, see you at the next juncture.

Art, concert review, Fat Creeps, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews, Video

Concert Review: Fat Creeps @ Cambridge Elks (2/16/13)

02/20/2013 Chris DeCarlo Leave a comment

Bands: Fat Creeps, Space Bums, Fedavees, The BFS
Date: Saturday, February 16, 2013
Venue: Massasoit Cambridge Elks Lodge (Cambridge, MA)

Fat Creeps– Hey y’all super cool people out there reading this, if you are in fact reading this, I got a little confession to make. I am a Fat Creeps fan. I know, it’s a shocker, who would have thunk? To say that I am a fan of this band would be a massive understatement, but I don’t want my Fat Creeps fanboyism to clog up this “review’ anymore. I am trying to imagine what it would be like to see them for the first time without having any prior knowledge about their music, ahh sounds awful, but I’ll give it a shot.

Fat Creeps are a three piece consisting of Mariam Saleh on vocals and bass, Gracie Jackson on vocals and guitar, and Jim Leonard on drums. They have taken over Boston by this point and are starting to overflow into Portland, Providence, Worcester, Northampton, Brooklyn, and Bennington, your city will be next. The charming trio of early twenty somethings play a variety of styles that is both familiar and appealing to the ears, but not always easy to classify. Lazy journalists might call it “garage” or “pop punk” or they actually hear those styles, I don’t know. Surely, there’s elements of each, but being somewhat of a connoisseur of contemporary garage and a vehement detractor of most pop punk, I’d say this is painfully misleading. It just goes to show that the band’s diversity makes them applicable to many genres and they can and have shared bills with all different walks of life from the rampant noise of SKIMASK to the playfully vulgar punk of The Coathangers, and everything in between. It’s all rock ‘n’ roll.

Tonight, the band rips through some fresh cuts as well as some vintage Creeps classics that everyone and their grandmother should know by now. I mean my grandmother probably does, she’s a hip, hip lady, I once caught her listening to Black Flag, strange. “Nancy Drew,” do do do doo, hey Nancy Drew, do do do doo, hey Nancy Drew, do do do doo, hey Nancy Drew, do do do doo, hey Nancy Drew. The song practically sells itself. You just have to hear it once and you can already sing along to it! Actually, once you hear the first do do do doo or second do do do doos, then you can pretty much sing along to it, unless you’re retarded. But, that’s okay I screw up lyrics all the time myself. “Nancy Drew” is a mini insight into the band’s quirky world. It’s simple, but ever so catchy, you can’t turn your back on it. I’d say this goes for pretty much most of the Creeps songs tonight. The main appeal to me is the memorable quality in all of their tunes, with “Nancy” being a boss example. That is the basic charm, but the band’s prowess as musicians and performers is what really hooks me in to their sound. Up front, Mariam and Gracie execute harmonies that rival the Vivian Girls, while Jim tenaciously assaults his drums behind them. In particular, I dig the way the delivery of their sound can match up with the direct nature of their lyrics like in “Secrets,” Mariam roars “Come closer I can’t hear you,” and it really feels like she is yelling at you to come closer.

This show is at the Cambridge Elks Lodge, a place I have never stepped foot inside in my entire life, until now. It’s a sweet spot, not too big, not too small, but just right, to paraphrase one, Goldilocks (I had to look the correct spelling up, this whole time I’ve been spelling it as Goldie locks). There was no stage and it was pretty much absent of any extraneous rock club bullshit, so it kind of felt like a glamorous basement show. Speaking of basement shows, a young chap by the name of Kevin Dacey- a frequent basmenter, is in attendance tonight, which is swell because I usually don’t see him at Boston above ground gatherings because of the ageist polices of the rock clubs :( Nonetheless, Mr. Dacey is a happy camper and he ignites some fine moshing during the Creeps’ kickass, fast rocker, “Daydreaming,” perhaps the most moshable song in the Creeps catalog. Definitely a highlight of the evening. http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/

The first three bands were all solid as well:

The BFS are a mixture of power pop a la Gentlemen Jesse and His Men/White Wires and pop punk. Check em’ out here: http://thebfs.bandcamp.com/

Fedavees play extended, experimental, psych pop and they’re doing a fine job. Take a gander: http://thefedavees.bandcamp.com/

Spacebums have a similar psych sound, but with more of a fun, rock ‘n’ roll, garage sensibility. Check it out: http://thespacebums.bandcamp.com/

Before and in between some of the band’s sets there were a couple of screenings of bizarre, but humorous videos from “The Gooder Life With Dr. Jesse” and “The Family Factory.” They reminded me of a cross between John Waters, Tim and Eric, and Hollywood Nailz (Hunx’s show). http://www.thegooderlife.com/

Check out this Surfer video featuring the Fat Creeps’ Christmas classic “Bring Us Some Waves”

Art, concert review, Fat Creeps, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews, Video

Concert Review: Fat Creeps, Miniboone, Bunny’s A Swine, Pile @ O’Brien’s Pub (1/24/13)

02/08/2013 Chris DeCarlo Leave a comment

Bands: Fat Creeps, Miniboone, Bunny’s A Swine, Pile
Date: Thursday, January 24, 2013
Venue: O’Brien’s Pub (Allston, MA)

Act I: Fat Creeps– We the KLYAM first saw Fat Creeps here at O’Brien’s Pub last April, Friday the 13th to be exact. Here we are again, nine months later, a lot has gone down in the time since then: touring, an EP release, many shows (much of them KLYAM attended and reviewed), and loads of rightfully deserved media attention. I recall Fat Creeps as being a memorable band with catchy, weird pop songs that reminded me of The Shaggs, Beat Happening, and Vivian Girls. I wasn’t thinking whoa, this band has totally changed how I look at music! but there was something unique about them. Honestly, I thought they had this sort of outsider thing going on, which is pretty far from their actual “sound.” Overtime, I just developed a greater affinity for their music and it feels like they have grown significantly as musicians and performers in the nine months since my initial live experience. They sound stronger and heavier than ever and yet they still have that odd charm that sparked my interest in the first place. This performance is the longest Creeps set I have ever witnessed, it feels like I am seeing a national, headlining act on tour. My brother Justin, who has never seen the band, is in attendance as well and it’s as if I am seeing the band again for the first time through his eyes. I am glad he is here for this show, because they play a wide variety of tunes. They open with “Horoscope,” a song I haven’t heard live in a couple months, so naturally this is a pleasure. Of course, you have the other essentials like “700 Parts,” “Nancy Drew,” and “Secrets,” but they also play a batch of numbers I’ve never heard before (“Blue,” “I’ve Got”) as well as somewhat new tunes like “He Comes In Loudly,” the instrumental, “Back to School” and “Going to the Party,” which is like Devo meets Dead Kennedys. At least, I hear those dark, punk influenced surf vibes. At this point, most music fans can point to the Fat Creeps and say it sounds like 90s or surf rock or garage or lazy rock (whatever that means), their style has some easily identifiable features, but their actual songs expand far beyond any specific sound. In other words, they have created their own original brand of rock ‘n’ roll, so much so that when people ask me what they sound like, I just want to say they sound like the Fat Creeps, because I could conjure up more obscure references, but I feel like it just trivializes their distinct personality.

Set-List
“Horoscope”
“Blue”
“He Comes In Loudly”
“Nancy Drew”
“700 Parts”
“Fooled”
“Secrets”
“Going To Party”
“Dadweed”
“Daydreaming”
“I’ve Got”
“Back 2 School”

http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/

Act II: Miniboone– This is my first time seeing these New Yorkers, I’ve actually never heard of them, but one of the members of the band Earthquake Party! (a kickass band I recommend y’all check out) informs me right before the band plays that they sound like a mix between Talkng Heads, Queen, and Bruce Springstreen. Sounds wild enough, I’ll take it. I can definitely hear arena rock and fast, power pop influences in their perfomance tonight, physically and musically. They are an entertaining band, but they do not blow me away either. I feel like they have the musical chops and decent songs, but not distinct enough for my ears. Then again, this is the only time I’ve seen them, and I am not too familiar with their music, so who knows? http://miniboone.bandcamp.com/

Act III: Bunny’s A Swine– Western Massachusetts’ Bunny’s A Swine describes themselves as “awk pop slops rock,” not sure what that means, but it sounds better than “indie,” that’s for sure. To me, they sound like Pavement, which I feel like I say a lot, but that’s what I hear. That makes sense, Pavement is kind of awkward, but poppy and a bit sloppy. I don’t necessarily see the sloppiness in this band, they seem to have their shit together. The band speaks of party hardy times with headliners, Pile, maybe that explains why they have songs like “Pour It Out At Parties” and “Nobody Wants You Here (Sober).” Check em’ out at their bandcamp here: http://bunnysaswine.bandcamp.com/

Act IV: Pile– We missed :(

http://pile.bandcamp.com/

Art, Bent Shapes, Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion, concert review, Earthquake Party, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews, The Fagettes, Video

Concert Review: Bent Shapes, earthquake party!, Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion!, The Fagettes @ Great Scott (1/12/13)

02/01/2013 Chris DeCarlo 1 Comment

Bands: Bent Shapes, earthquake party!, Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion!, The Fagettes
Date: Saturday, January 12, 2013
Venue: Great Scott (Allston, MA)

Act I: The Fagettes – The Fagettes are a KLYAM band. Period. There are many styles/genres I could attribute to this band, and pretty much all of them we dig, hence why they are a KLYAM band. Rock ‘n’ Roll, Garage, Punk, Psychedelic, you name it, they got it. Their sound and aesthetic fits perfectly with the punk slime we proudly promote every day on this site, which I honestly can’t say about most of the local bands we see. That isn’t to say other bands around here suck, not at all. It’s just great to see a Hunxian “garage” band in Boston. We saw them once before performing as Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood for a Halloween cover show, and as much of a blast as that was, we yearned to see them as FAGETTES. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited. As I mentioned earlier, these guys have nailed that fun, fun rock ‘n’ roll sound down pat, but they also have a real cool look to them. Especially Ryan Major (vocals, guitar, harmonica); he is simply one suave motherfucker. He rocks the shades and from a distance he looks like Jared Swilley, but up close he looks more like John Holmes, either way he is the man and he is a great singer. Ryan shares vocal duties with Melanie Bernier (one half of one of the best local bands, The Electric Street Queens – check them out!), who also plays drums. But, Melanie isn’t the only one that sings and plays drums, oh no. A wonderful gentleman by the name of Peaches commands the kit in the back and provides some sick backing vocals. The bass player, who’s name escapes me (sorry dude!) is enthusiastic as he always is, love that guy. But, wait there’s more. Matt “Nice Guy” Garlick is riffing on guitar. In fact, before the band plays their set, I can hear Matt jamming on The King Khan & BBQ Show’s “Waddlin Around,” killer song. I should also mention that Matt is completing the second half of his double header tonight, having just played at the Butcher Shoppe with his other badass punk band, Nice Guys, wowzer! The Fagettes’ set consists of all the fun tunes you’d want to hear, oldies like “Catholic Riff Raff,” “Mystery Pills,” and “Water, Tea, and Alcohol,” as well as their latest offering, “Gonna Die Out Here,” one of their sexiest to date. They also play all three cuts (“If I See Him Again,” “On Drugs,” and “My Girl Looks Like Johnny Thunders”) from last summer’s EP If I See Him Again. With “On Drugs,” they really make it feel like a place you come to visit, where the fun never stops. This song and every song sounds terrific. The Fagettes live is a visual, auditory monster. With all these vocals and percussion jostling me, I feel like I’m being trampled by a lion. The sound is that big, perhaps not that terrifying though, but my ears are equally pleased and damaged. I can’t recommend Fagettes more, going back to what I started saying at the beginning of the review that they are a KLYAM band, meaning they play rock ‘n’ roll the way it ought to be done: short, but simple pop songs, fun, filthy, and catchy. Sweetness meets sickness. Like, Shannon and the Clams, there’s enough loud punk and soft pop for all to enjoy, and usually somewhere in between. I am exhausted, but Fagettes can keep me up all night. Be awesome like me and listen to all their crazy music here: http://thefagettes.bandcamp.com/

Act II: Beware the Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion!– Now, here’s a sweet band. With a name this enormous and eccentric, they ought to send me into an oblivion. And like their name they are both fun and puzzling, but in a pleasant way. ‘Beware’ is a five piece and each member is dressed the same: bandannas covering their noses and mouths, blue jeans, and black shirts bearing a picture of a presumably dangerous, ghost scorpion. The set is entirely instrumental and with the exception of Big Mess, I typically am not fond of this style of music, but these men capture my attention and entertain me for the next half hour. They rock out pretty hard, playing early 60s surf rock with a bit of an extra kick, in fact a lot of emotion and physical energy. This is especially true of the man on tambourine. This dude bashes away at the tambourine, unlike anyone else I’ve seen before, I can’t imagine what his hand looks like after each gig. But, he goes beyond that in his showmanship. He makes the crowd move and shake and he is the leader of all this hype and excitement in the room, as if he is holding the crowd in the palm of his hand, perhaps a cliched comparison, but he just holds this undeniable command over the crowd. What’s even more fascinating and unique about this man and the group as a whole is the lack of vocals. As I mentioned, they are an instrumental band, but they literally never speak throughout the whole performance. No words, just music. Actually, let me rephrase that, words do appear at various moments, as they are scrawled across a sign that the tambourine player triumphantly holds, reading: BEWARE THE DANGERS OF A GHOST SCORPION! This guy gets an A+ for the night. Solid set, sick band, but I don’t know if this is the kind of music I see myself listening to at home alone in my room, with that being said, I hope to see them again in the future and I hope others catch their set too, for this is a live show you won’t want to miss. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EmoBSVPoXs

Set-List:
“Red River Tombstone Hustle”
“Heads Will Roll”
“The Lover’s Curse”
“The Nameless One”
“Caught Dead”
“Cateye Glasses”
“We Welcome The Living, But Only If They Come Here To Die”
“Satan’s Invisible World”
“13 Stabs”
“SOS”
“Denton County Casket Company”
“Haintmaker”
“The Legend of Goatman’s Bridge”

Act III: earthquake party!– Earthquake Party’s a perennial rock force in Boston, and a very talented band at that. Their set is loud and noisy, but with some pop beneath the heavy volume. Their keyboard driven songs mixed with grungey/screaming vocals remind me of the Lost Sounds and Yo La Tengo. There’s a harsh quality to it, but it’s also satisfying and never overstays its welcome. Listening to their bandcamp, I hear the songs more clearly, they have some real great pop numbers here. I’ve seen them a couple times before and each show has been an enjoyable experience. Definitely a KLYAM recommendation: http://earthquakeparty.bandcamp.com/

Set-List:
“Nails + Hammertime”
“One More Night”
“Pretty Lil Hand”
“Fast Girl”
“Escape Artist”
“Daydream Jenny”
“Brains”
“Pretty Trash”
“Tramp”
“Little Pet”
“Hello Weirdo”

Act IV: Bent Shapes – Like earthquake Party! Bent Shapes are familiar faces around the Boston rock scene and they have earned a reputation for creating catchy, mellow, pop songs that rank up there with the finest in music today. So yeah, they’re one of my favorite bands right now and it’s great to see them in front of a packed crowd at the Great Scott. Great Scott is the first place I saw Bent Shapes (well Girlfriends) many, many moons ago, opening for another brilliant, underrated pop band, Harlem. At the time, I didn’t really pay attention to local music, for no particular reason, I just didn’t. Girlfriends stood out to me though, I think the first local band that I really dug. Flash forward to the present. They sound excellent and they play some of their best songs including the sunny “Leave It Till You Need It,” and their recent flexi, “Panel of Experts” and “Bites and Scratches.” They have a somewhat soft pop style to their craft, but they rock just as hard as all the other bands. The set closes with one of my all time favorite songs, “I Was Here, But I Disappear,” which always gets me super ecstatic, there’s just no way of describing my love for this song without sounding over the top. Perhaps, the best performance I’ve seen from Bent Shapes. Check them out, if you haven’t already. http://bentshapes.bandcamp.com/

Set-List
“Big Machines”
“Panel of Experts”
“Boys to Men”
“Spazz”
“Bhead”
“Wut?”
“Space”
“What We Do Is Public”
“Bites and Scratches”
“Leave It ‘Til You Need It”
“Brat Poison”
“I Was Here But I Disappear”

Atlantic Thrills, concert review, Music, Ravi Shavi

Concert Review: Ravi Shavi CD Release @ Firehouse 13

01/28/2013 G. Gordon Gritty 1 Comment

Bands: Ravi Shavi, Atlantic Thrills, The Rice Cakes, Napoleon
Date: Saturday January 26, 2013
Venue: Firehouse 13 [Providence, RI]

Act I – Napoleon – Things get started right with Napoleon from Brooklyn. This four piece played a dark and danceable set that included some memorable tracks from their latest record, Success. They had their act together, showing some nice moves that ought to be appreciated by more than New York basement attendees. The songs themselves are very New York, which is sort of a weird thing to say, but if you are familiar with dudes like mid 2000s Walkmen, Interpol, and their oversea counterparts, Editors, you might get what I mean. There also was some upbeat jangle in there – so I’m not talking a totally dark experience; I enjoyed these clingers a bit more than the rest. And the hi-hats were nice, as testified by an enthusiastic man who related his feelings to the drummer after the set. I used to be way more into this style of rock and roll, but I found myself really appreciating this young group and the way that they played since it is not really what I hear often at shows I usually attend.

Act II – Atlantic Thrills – The Thrills, I will state off the bat, are the kind of band that makes me always want to drive down to Providence. Providence/Boston, not too far apart, but only for truly special bands do we like to go out of our way. The Thrills are special – I mean they are not musically unique by most measures, but they’ve held the torch of messy, fuzzy, fuckitall r n r pretty high since it was handed to them by wild teens from Peru. Seeing them on the stage tonight brings to mind some great show moments, a handful now involving these guys. I’m going nuts the whole time and hey, fellow KLYAMer Chris seems to be enjoying himself a good deal as well. The increasingly packed crowd gets more and more into Atlantic Thrills as the set progresses. The Thrills’ set nowadays is as impressive as ever – there are the perennial classics, “Acid Rain” and “On My Mind,” a re-energized “Ain’t Enough,” and a handful of newer songs that I am sure will find their way on the Thrills upcoming LP. The energy of these guys is outstanding, climbing on amps, spewing mouthfuls of Jim Beam on the crowd, spilling more than half of that bottle of Beam on the ground. Not caring. If you live remotely close or far from Providence – it is well worth a journey to see the Thrills. Do it!

Set-List
Ain’t Enough
Holy Mountain
Booze
Beach
On My Mind
Try & Try
Blindfold
Lies
Light Shines
Drugs
Shotgun
Acid Rain
Hold Your Tongue

Act III – The Rice Cakes – I didn’t know what to expect from The Rice Cakes, but certainly they made good with their output! Their tunes tended to be lengthy and melodious. A more folky take on rock and roll. A cover of Pixies “Gigantic” surprised me as they certainly put their own three-piecy sspin on it. Another tune that particularly remains with me is “Magma”. It drew a more than pleasant response from the crowd and like I said – it’s memorable!

Act IV – Ravi Shavi – At last, we see the arrival of Rafay Rashid and his three band-mates onto the stage. This ain’t no ordinary show for Ravi Shavi – it’s their record release show. A big deal for a band that’s certainly been making a name for themselves for some time now. They have a very strong following of devoted fans, at least from what I’ve witnessed each time I have seen them. And the reason is clearer than ever this evening. They play pop rock that is loose and messy. While their references might be more along the cleaner side of power pop and garage rock, Ravi Shavi created a raucous and positioned themselves far from safety. I wasn’t really expecting a mosh pit of any kind, but it happened and it was awesome. Everyone reacted to Ravi in some way… how could one not? I can’t really pick any one highlight, it was just one of those situations where I felt extremely satisfied throughout. Everyone can agree.

Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM)