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Art, Black Lips, Cole Alexander, concert review, Davila 666, Honorary KLAYMERS, Ian St. Pe, Jared Swilley, Joe Bradley, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews, Video

Hell at the Hall: Black Lips, Davila 666, X-Ray Eyeballs @ Webster Hall (10/29/11)

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Artists: Black Lips, Davila 666, and Xray Eyeballs
Date: Saturday, October 29, 2011
Venue: Webster Hall (NYC)
Comments:
Act I: X Ray Eyeballs: X Ray Eyeballs are a pretty sweet band. I sadly know very little of their material, so I am not totally wrapped up in their performance, but it sets the stage for the next two acts very well. I definitely plan on checking out their work in the future; I see their name pop up all the time now, it seems.

Act II: Davila 666: I have been anticipating seeing these cats for quite some time. I am a casual fan of Davila and like most other fans, I think the energy and rarely matched enthusiasm they bring to the table is probably their greatest feature. In general, they have the whole “garage rock” style down to a tee. It’s just really fun, balls out rock and roll. In particular, the crowd goes wild when they blast into “Patitas,” a favorite of mine as well. The whole performance is solid, every member gives it their all, which is exactly why they are one of the finest live acts around, for sure.

Act III: Black Lips!!!: As you all may or may not know, we are devout Lips fans and making the bi-annual trip from Boston to New York to see our favorite band is a requirement of such excessive fandom. Lips have been my number one live act for a few years now and this night is no exception. The boys in blue hit the stage, decked out in their “Raw Meat” video tinged NYPD uniforms. Per usual they erupt into the classic (and my favorite) “Sea of Blasphemy.” It never gets old! Five Lips shows deep, which I am sure to some is nothing, I can safely say “Sea of Blasphemy” should always be their opener. The crowd simulates the excitement on stage and my composure and sense of right and wrong is suspended for the next hour. Between Cole’s proclamations of DMT Parties and threats of hauling all the dope smokin’ kids off to jail, he busts out one of his best performances, spitting, kissing, and beer can headbutting in all. Jared mans the center of the stage, looking like the classic frontman (though I have never thought of any of them specificially as frontmen, just to note). His vocals on relatively new live cuts, such as “New Direction,” and “Noc-a-Homa,” sound better than ever. To the right of Jared, Ian stands proudly, dishing out all the classic Lips riffs, with that ubiquitous smile he always maintains, kind of like your crazy uncle. In the back, but always on top is Joe, bashing away at the drums with the spirit of a six year old. Joe’s vocal driven songs constantly seem to garner the greatest crowd reactions. Arabia Mountain cut, “Go Out and Get It,” is arugably their most danceable tune and appears to get that extra umph outta everyone, especially the ladies. And naturally, “Bad Kids,” the band’s biggest song makes the kids go wild more than the other songs. In general, this show focuses on their latest record Arabia more than any other Lips performance I have attended. In total, we see/hear seven songs from Arabia, which is more than any other album. This is unusual for the Lips, since their standard is playing mostly Let It Bloom (2005) songs (if you had to name one record that dominated their set lists). With that being said, this does not really affect the overall performance too much and I am actually happy to see more new songs being performed. But, a Lips fan of any and all eras (such as myself) can find plenty to admire. The group even harks back to oldies like “Stone Cold.” Of course, Halloween being the theme, the quartet unleashes some garage soaked horror classics such as “Jack the Ripper,” (though they play this off-season as well). “Wildman,” by The Tamrons is another cover I have never seen them perform live and have waited to see for a while now. One of my qualms about this show, however, is the sound quality. It is not terrible, but it could be much better. Things like that fortunately do not interfere too much with the charisma of a Black Lips show. Not the best I have seen, but definitely up there, one for the books.

Grade: 9/10

Set List (in order by album):

Black Lips (2003):
“Stone Cold”

Let It Bloom (2005):
“Sea of Blasphemy”
“Hippie Hippie Hoorah”
“Boone”
“Fairy Stories”
“Dirty Hands”

Good Bad, Not Evil (2007):
“O Katrina”
“Bad Kids”

Arabia Mountain (2011):
“Family Tree”
“Modern Art”
“Go Out and Get It”
“Raw Meat”
“Dumpster Dive”
“New Direction”
“Noc-a-Homa”

Non Album/Cover Songs:
“Make It”
“Wild Man” (The Tamrons)
“Jack the Ripper” (Pierced Arrows)
ENCORE:
“Bow Down and Die” (The Almighty Defenders)
“Too Much Monkey Business” (Chuck Berry)

Art, Atlantic Thrills, concert review, Music, music video, Punk, reviews, Those Darlins, Video

Concert Review: Those Darlins, Movers and Shakers, Atlantic Thrills @ Mid East Downstairs (10/15/11)

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*This photo is not of the Middle East*

Artists: Those Darlins, Movers and Shakers (we missed :( ), Atlantic Thrills
Date: Saturday, October 15, 2011
Venue: Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge, MA)
Comments:
Act I: Atlantic Thrills– Atlantic Skillz is kind of like what would happen if the Black Lips were a twelve year old kid caught masturbating by their shady uncle Los Saicos and were forced to sing and dance for a half hour. I’m not sure how that makes any sense whatsover, but in more common terms you could say these guys have that nice Punk Slime flavor of garage rock found in the Lips music amongst other practicioners of said style. Just fun, rock and roll you can dance and drink along to- I mean what kind of rock and roll can you not do that to? Well, if you can, then you don’t like rock and roll and I don’t like you, but that’s another whole can o’ worms. The Thrills set some nice vibes for the evening and “Acid Rain,” everyone’s fave was a particular stand out; got me all revved up and ready to go. And when that happens, you know to move back about five feet or else*…

Act II (That KLYAM saw): Those Darlins– Those Darlins have been a favorite of mine for about two years now; a band I often recommend to those kids lurking around, asking for “new” or “good” music. Apparently, they have yet to discover the internet, but that is okay. That’s what I was put here for, to spread my love. The Darlins put on a great, rockin show per usual- well at least in my experience, they have been a fun, live band; I saw them last year at T.T the Bears. That was a cool show, but I’d say they rocked even harder this time around and the PA at the Middle East was/is superior, so that definitely amplified the greatness. The set consisted of tunes from both their studio albums, Those Darlins (2009) and Screws Get Loose (2011). I prefer the former, and “Red Light Love,” “The Whole Damn Thing,” and “Wild One,” got me real excited as they always do, definitely some of their finest songs to date. I really dug their encore (I noted this the last time I saw them) which featured some sick classics including “Night Jogger” and “Funstix Party.” FP is a Darlins fave of mine for sure, it sorta reminds me of King Khan & BBQ at their raunchiest. In any case, it was a fun show, so if Those Darlins are stopping by your town, GO AND SEE THEM!

Grade : 7/10

Here’s the relatively new music video for “Scews Get Loose”:

*Or else absolutely NOTHING will happen.

Art, concert review, Girls, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, Nobunny, Punk, reviews, Video

Concert Review: Girls & Nobunny @ Paramount Theater (9/24/11)

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Artists: Girls, Nobunny, and Papa (we missed :( )
Venue: Paramount Theater @ Emerson College, Boston
Date: Saturday, September 24, 2011
Comments:

Act I (That KLYAM saw): Nobunny: Welly, welly, welly, well, look what we have here. That horrible monster, Nobunny is back in Boston, ready to burn the place to smithereens. And, he brought with him his co-conspirators Elvis Christ (on drums AND backing vocals) and Touchy Tony (on bass); he rocked on the gee tar himself. But y’all pussies don’t have to worry, before the set Mr.Bunny apologized to the city of Boston, assuring that he will not attempt to set it ablaze again. Despite, the absence of Danimal, the three piece still rocked hard, sounded better than ever and they have seriously come into their own as a full rock band, not just a backing band for Nobunny. For all involved this was a bizarre experience: seeing Nobunny in a rather large theater and in the balcony to boot! It seemed like the KLYAM and merely a few other devotees in the house were aware of the bunnyman and his music. To fuck with the people’s sense of rigt and wrong even further the band opened with “Your Mouth,” one of the creepiest (and sweetest too!) tunes in their catalog. The rest of the set consisted of various classics including “Nobunny Loves You,” “I Am a Girlfiend,” “Chuck Berry Holiday,” “Live It Up,” as well as two songs I had never seen live in previous Nobunny shows; First Blood (2010) essentials, “Ain’t It a Shame,” and “(Do the) Fuck Yourself.” The set also featured two incredible covers: Hunx and His Punx’s “U Don’t Like Rock and Roll” and the Sneaky Pinks’ (of which Nobunny has lineage) “Can’t Wait.”

Act II: Girls– I’m not sure which is freakier. Seeing Nobunny in a theater setting period or seeing Girls in the nosebleeds? Either way, like Nobunny, Girls sounded better than ever. I thought they were solid at the dise in April ’10, but they defintely have ameliorated their live show in the time since. Album (2009) stand outs included “Lust For Life,”- probably still my favorite Girls song, “Laura,” “Ghost Mouth,” and “Hellhole Ratrace,”- always a strong, epic live anthem. In general, with the new LP Father Son, Holy Ghost (2011), Girls have upped the ante, becoming more ambitious and adventerous. The music just hits you harder. This is certainly reflected in their live set and best represented in the new song, “Vomit,” especially when it gets really heavy. Live, this was exhilerating, Girls definitely impressed me beyond my expecatations. Other recent classcics from the new album included, “Honey Bunny,” “Magic,” and “Saying I love You,” amongst others. All in all, Girls have become a powerhouse live.

Grade: 8/10

Damn, I wish I had been this close!

Art, concert review, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, Punk, reviews, Video, Wavves

Concert Review: Wavves & Fucked Up @ Royale (9/23/11)

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Artists: Wavves & Fucked Up
Venue: Royale, Boston, MA
Date: Friday, September 23, 2011
Comments:
Act I: Wavves– Anyone that has shared a room with me for at least a few days can name at least one or two Wavves songs. If you’re Chris’s roommate you will be inundated with a plethora of Wavves and other Punk Slimers. So yeah for KLYAM, seeing Wavves is like Opening Day of the Baseball Season (seeing Black Lips is our Super Bowl X 100), big stuff, big stuff. The boys, with new addition, Alex Gates (Boston Chinks, Barbaras, Magic Kids), bring their best game yet.  The set begins with the Wavves (2009) classic “Beach Demon,” a terrific choice for opener, but sadly the crowd seems unenthusiastic.  The band sounded great and with BD being one of my top Wavves tunes, I was quite excited, but my awe apparently was not shared with the other attendees, until the next song…  “Idiot,” one of King of the Beach’s (2010)  strongest tracks . Perhaps, the kiddies did not recognize  BD? but when Idiot kicked in the crowd exploded per usual, and everything was right again in the KLYAM- Wavves universe.  Idiot truly is one of the quintessential Wavves songs. Just perfect Wavves, in every sense. I often think of what song I would use to introduce the unconverted, and definitely Idiot is in the top three. In general, the group is probably the biggest youthful anthem oriented band of our generation, like Nirvana, The Replacements, Cheap Trick, The Who, and Chuck Berry in generations past. Now, I know to most reading this you must have a look on your face like I interrupted your birthday party, hopped up on the table, and in front of you and all your disgusted friends and family members, I took a massive dump right on your precious cake. Well, that may be so, but if you look at Wavves, not just their music, but their fans, it is like a mirror of this generation, good or bad.  That is what I noticed at the Royale, the few times I was able to stand on my two feet.  The sweaty crowd enjoyed all of the various Wavves numbers on display for the evening. And that is certainly one of the greatest treats of seeing Wavves live: hit after hit. They play all the classic songs a die hard fan (or even casual fan for that matter) would want them to play.  Songs from the first Wave (insert the obnoxious laughter that appears before the track “Idiot”) a la “So Bored,” Kingdabeech era, and lastly 4/6 of the new EP Life Sux.  Can you dig it? It is dug, son.  Honestly, one of the few bands that have consistently satsified that element of a great concert for me. Actually the only band really.  The second major aspect of what makes Wavves stand out is the nice little touches, they, particularly, singer/guitarist, Nathan Williams, sprinkle into the songs.  One of my favorite moments was when they started playing “To the Dregs,”- a song that makes me hard on a regular basis, and Nathan is just calmly strummin’ the guitar and softly singing the “wooooooooooo” vocals, indicating that it is in fact Dregs and seriously pumping me up for the song. “In the Sand,” was another major stand out, and when Nathan sings the lines “Say what you wanted to sayyyy…” you can see in his eyes that he even he knows he is the shit.  Alright, well I’ve sucked his dong long enough now, and that’s not my job, that job is for another Bratty B.

Set List (from album to album):

Wavves (2008):
“Wavves”

Wavvves (2009):
“Beach Demon”
“To the Dregs”
“So Bored”
“No Hope Kids”

“Friends Were Gone”

King of the Beach (2010):
“King of the Beach”
“Super Soaker”
“Idiot”
“Post Acid”
“Take On the World”
“Green Eyes”
“Linus Spacehead”

Life Sux (2011):
“Bug”
“I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl”
“Nodding Off”
“In the Sand”

Act II: Fucked Up– I have to admit I came for Wavves; I often come for Wavves, but Fucked Up has been on the KLYAM back burner for a couple of years. I am at best a casual FU fan, but nontheless I do dabble in their work and I appreciate it. Seeing them live enhances that appreciation for sure. They sounded great and while I cannot say I recognized any of the songs, I was massively entertained by the showmanship of frontman Damian Abraham aka Pink Eyes. This dude serioulsy appreciates his fans; interacting with the audience the whole time, even going so far as to hop off stage into the sea of fans and literally, with mic in hand, strolling all the way to the very back of the club to sing along and “bro down” with anyone in sight. Everyone was having a gay olde time, until there was some unexpected commotion that briefly dettered the evening’s momentum.  Long story short, an enraged stage diver got into a physical altercation with a body guard- he swung his fist at the guard, the guard swung back and his cronies joined in, a field day ensued, leading to his excommunication.  Damian settled the score, explaining how he saw the confrontation go down. He affirmed that despite this little disturbance, everyone else can still have fun. And we did. We all lived happily ever after. The End.

Grade: 9/10- Wavves always kicks ass and Fucked Up was pretty sick too!

** THIS WAS THE MOST HOMOEROTIC REVIEW SINCE HUNX!**

Art, Box Elders, concert review, Honorary KLAYMERS, Hunx and His Punx, Jay Reatard, Music, Nobunny, pictures, Punk, reviews, Tours, Video

Two Years Ago Today….

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Two years ago today was one of the most incredible days of my life. Jay Reatard and his Shattered Records Tour came to town and being a huge creep I was naturally in attendance. At the time, I had never heard of any of the supporting bands: Useless Eaters (a Jay side project), Box Elders, Hunx and His Punx, and Nobunny. This show served as the perfect introduction to those bands and the last three have gone on to become some of my all time favorite artists. Jay put on an amazing show (sadly, one of his last as most of you know), the best I saw from him and one of the greatest performances I have ever seen. I can honestly say I have never experienced anything like the Shattered Records show before or since.

This video is a terrific example of what made Jay a unique live experience and on top of that this interview nicely illustrates his attitude toward live shows.

Here is thee original review: https://klyam.com/2009/10/03/no-reatardation-jay-reatard-concert-review/

Art, concert review, Music, Punk, reviews, Video

Concert Review: Fat History Month, Kitchen’s Floor, New Highway Hymnal @ Ant Cellar (9/1/11)

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Artists: Fat History Month, Kitchen’s Floor, and The New Highway Hymnal
Venue: Ant Cellar (Lowell, MA)
Date:  Thursday, September 1, 2011

Comments:
Act I: Fat History Month– These fly cats are the real deal. You know when people say read between the lines, well Fat History Month is what lies between those lines. The band consists of one dude on vocals and guitar and his comrade working the drums. Together they create a mess of noises often drifting from completely fucked up, off kilter ramblings in the traditions of The Shaggs, Captain Beefheart, The Moldy Peaches, The Beets, The Maine Coons to garagey, instrumental jammin a la Vivian Girls- at least to this kid’s ears. In fact, if I had to pick just one band to compare FHM to, I’d pick the Coons, at least in terms of their personality. While the latter are far more pop based, FHM has moments of pop brilliance, but they often delve int the more sinister regions of the musical landscape. I will make note of the fact that this duo has made the rare feat of conquering my mental divide in terms of getting turned on to new music. I rarely see a band and think YESS I need to listen to this! Which is not to say I don’t come across good bands, more often than not I see quality acts, but they simply do not demand my attention like say these guys do. From the opening chords, I felt something, not necessarily good or bad, but it was something special and unique, it reminded me of the first time I saw the Box Elders- wow, I’m getting hard just thinking about that right now. An almost instantaneous wavelength. The Box Elders went on to become one of my favorite bands, now I can’t say that yet about Fat History Month, it’s only been one date, but perhaps we’ll get more intimate in the future. My friend said I have a good feeling about this. As, Lorraine Baines (McFly) says after her first kiss/dance with George McFly toward the end of Back to the Future (1985), “I have a feeling too.” In any case, I hope to see Fat History Month again in this time zone or any other.

Act II: Kitchen’s Floor– Next in line are some Aussies, making a nice little pit stop in Lowell to treat us kids to some sweet tunes. I got some great Punk vibes, especially old school, first wave shit of the Stiff Little Fingers, Adverts variety. I can’t say I was head over heels about these guys, but all in all a fun, tight set. Kitchen’s Floor is on tour right now (with none other than Fat History Month!!!)- be sure to catch these pilgrams when they roll into your town.

Act III: The New Highway Hymnal: Before I saw them play, I heard a healthy chunk of accolades and admiration for this band, some people even directly saying to me that I would like them based on their gauge of my tastes in music. It turns out these brothers and sisters were correct. I really dug their short, but sweet set, particularly the bass- well at least I could hear that the best. But, what I noticed about The New Highway Hymnal, more than the other acts that night was that they had the finest interaction with the audience. Some nice showmanship, in the vein of Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth. Just brtualitizing guitars as if you caught them laying naked in your band with both your mother and your girlfriend at the same time. No Fun. This was further complemented by the sonic influence of Sonic Youth, no pun intended. I have to admit, I knew going into their performance that at least one of the members was a massive Sonic Youth lunatic, but frankly having this knowledge ahead of time was irrelevent, I’m positive I would have come to that conclusion anyway. Definitely KLYAM recommended.

Art, concert review, Handsome Furs, Music, reviews

Concert Review: Handsome Furs & Earthquake Party @ Brighton Music Hall (8/17/11)

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Artists: Handsome Furs, Earthquake Party
Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Venue: Brighton Music Hall, Allston, MA
Comments:
Act I: Earthquake Party– Wow, I have to say I was really impressed with this local trio. I am surprised that up until this point I have never heard of them, I suppose I am not the best at keeping up with local acts. In some ways, I wish I had know them before so I could get into the songs more, because I could tell they had some sweet songs beneath their electrifying showmanship. So, due to my unfamiliarity with their material I focused more on the sonic aspect of their performance, which was nothing short of pure, noisy entertainment. I mean noisy in the good sense, I felt like there was a nice wall of jostling noise. At the end of the day, despite my feelings of enjoyment,  I don’t know how much time I will devote to getting familiar with their work, but I will keep an eye out for their shows in the future. KLYAM recommend for sure.

Main Act: Handsome Furs-  Ahh yes the Handsome Furs, a longtime KLYAM favorite of sorts.  One of the first concerts we (meaning Glen, though both of us were in attendance) reviewed for this site (July 2009). And just like then, we were both greatly impressed with their set. In fact, this time around they were even better.  The Furs hit the stage and were gretted with an unprecedented amount of crowd response. The couple displayed immense apprecation for their audience’s enthusiasm; seriously I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much fan-performer love. In terms of the sound, it was one of the finest sonic experiences I’ve had at the Brighton Music Hall/Harpers Ferry. Since, I’m not a huge fan of the group (Glen is the big Furs KLYAM guy) I only knew  a few songs, but I enjoyed all of them. Classics that I recognized included 2009’s  Face Control cuts- “All We Want Baby Is Everything” and “Legal Tender.” As far as showmanship goes, the duo were outstanding. A great moment in particular came when Dan hopped intot he crowd and placed his arms around his many, excited fans, and pogoed- all involved singing along to the Furs’ pop magic. Dan can definitely get a crowd roaring, but Alexi is even better. The way she dances and thrusts with such force is nothing short of spectacular; if this was the 1950s, she would be executed as a Communist spy- God that’s so damn hot! But it’s truly a nice sight, and of course there’s a healthy amount of eroticism in the mix and when you mesh that with the dance rock/electronica of the Furs it just creates an all the more sensuous experience.   Speaking of erotic tendencies, there’s plenty of casual sexual play between Dan and Alexi, which teeters back and forth betwen a display of affection and unabashed steamy interactions. Don’t worry, nothing past PG-13 hahaha.  All in all, a fine performance, highly recommended.

Grade: 7/10- if I was a bigger fan, this would probably be an 8, so this is a real strong 7 fellas.

Black Lips, concert review, Music

Concert Review: Black Lips @ Bowery Ballroom (7/29/11)

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Bands: DJ Christopher Roberts, Night Beats, Black Lips
Venue: Bowery Ballroom, New York City
Date: Friday, July 29, 2011

DJ Christopher Roberts: I thought this was the Black Lips manager. Stupid mistake, this guy is actually a Vice Records guy. I recognized him from an interview he did with Nobunny. Anyway, I must say, the music that he played was excellent. A little Dirtbombs, some Carbonas, some rock n roll oldies, and maybe even a little Mark Sultan. Great non-traditional warm-up to bands.

Night Beats: I thought these guys were some random band. They actually messaged me a while back about a potential collaboration. I overlooked it, but I maybe I shouldn’t have. Their psychedelic guitar-heavy set was powerful. They were complex and heavy…like a much more powerful Fugazi or something. This energy culminated when Ian St. Pe hopped on guitar. He brought his distinct style to the group’s finale, which was of epic proportions. Band members stage diving, broken bottles being smashed and used as slide guitar items, and a general craziness that was transmitted to the audience. It was like the Black Lips ending on “Juvenile,” except it was the Night Beats.

Black Lips: I’ve seen Black Lips plenty of times and have reviewed their performances. For all the introductory bullshit that is needed for a Black Lips concert review 101 class, please check out my other show reviews. Getting to this show, it was the best of them. I’ve said that six times before and that’s because the band keeps topping itself. The first time was characterized by this odd euphoric feeling. It was the best I had ever seen by far. This time was almost no different in that exact feeling. I get that feeling everytime. It’s usually a point in the show where I show stop paying attention to the music, turn around and look at the audience, and then say to myself, damn this is why these guys are the shit. It’s only a moment of disconnect, but I find myself instantly drawn back into the performance. Pure raw rock n roll that’s not pure by any mean. Anything can happen. The band always says it. They aren’t puppets and they don’t script their shows. Nudity-flamethrowing-electric toys…this is all bullshit. Has it happened? Sure. Will it again, we don’t know. Neither do the lips. They didn’t play their best set of songs on this Friday night. What was the best part of the early part of the show was the addition of a saxophone player for the first two numbers: “Sea of Blasphemy” and “Family Tree”. This was sensational. That guy is a keeper and added something entirely new to the songs that we’ve never heard in a live setting. What stood out more in this show was audience participation. Everyone was screaming off the top of their lungs and bonds were made while the band was still playing. Where else besides a sports game do you see people high fiving each other after a superb play (song)? It makes me long for the next Black Lips show. I’ll have to wait, though. I’m still happy from the effect of this show. I remember it was around this time one week ago that I sat down at the Queens Motor Inn after a semi-exhausting drive from Boston and said damn, this is going to a great day. And it was, of course. The show capped off another fun-filled trip to New York.

Grade: A+

Set List Suckas!:
Sea of Blasphemy- Let It Bloom (2005)
Family Tree- Arabia Mountain (2011)
Not a Problem- LIB
Dirty Hands- LIB
O Katrina!- Good Bad Not Evil (2007)
Make It- Non LP track
Hippie Hippie Hoorah- LIB
Modern Art- AM
Ghetto Cross- We Did Not Know The Forest Spirit Made The Flowers Grow (2004)
New Direction- AM
Lock and Key- GBNE
Go Out and Get It- AM
Boomerang- LIB
Dumpster Dive- AM
Fairy Stories- LIB
Bad Kids- GBNE
MIA- WDN
****Encore****
Bow Down and Die (Almighty Defenders)
Too Much Monkey Business (Chuck Berry)

 

Footage of “Family Tree”!

Art, concert review, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews, Video

Concert Review: The Beets, Briliant Colors, Honeysuck @ Problem House (6/16/11)

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*My apologies for the extremely late arrival of this review. Better late than never!*

Artists: Honeysuck, The Beets, Brilliant Colors, Libyans (missed- next time!)
Location: The Problem House (Allston, MA)
Date: Thursday, June 16, 2011
Comments:

Act I: Honeysuck– Honeysuck was a real treat. They played a brief, but energetic set filled with frenzied, classic hardcore punk styled songs- a nice way to kick off the evening. They were kinda mellow in terms of their performance, but musicially they were really loud and as I said earlier energetic. I tend to not like current bands that play in the style (at least to me) of the old school hardcore stuff, but Honeysuck is an exception. I’ll keep my eye on them in the future.

Act II: The Beets– Ahh The Beets, one of Queens’ finest, just the guys we were looking for. These cats can really tap into some truly demented psychedelia. Shit makes you wanna float around all day on acid and move to another groove. They’re so laid back in their approach, yet the music is enticing. One of my favorites of the evening was “Flower Girl”- one of the sweetest in The Beets’ catalog. When I heard that quintessential line “All is good when I’m with you, I cut my balls off, gave them to ya, I don’t need them as long as I got you!” my eyes lit up. I mean that line sold me from the beginning. Just that line makes them a more qualified group than just about any other schmuck with an acoustic guitar. There’s this great, “I don’t give a fuck, whatever” quality to The Beets, and yet at the same time they offer thee utmost sincerity in their delivery and as evidence here their lyrics. It’s hilarious, but at the same time, what a better way to say I love you then telling your significant other that you could exterminate your manhood and it would not matter because you have them by your side. Oustanding. Then the biggest highlight of the night came when the guys played (at my request!) my Beets fave- “Broken English.” That song simply evokes complete euphoria in me and it was just as good live. Beets need to come back soon. From Boston with love.

Act III: Brilliant Colors – I honestly can’t really remember too much about Brilliant Colors. I remember thinking they were decent, but I don’t remember them being spectacular either. This could also have to do with the fact that for their performance I was closer to the back of the room, so all I saw were bodies in front of me. Typically, I need to see the band perform for it to really kick in.

Here’s a great video of The Beets.

Art, concert review, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, Nobunny, pictures, Punk, reviews, Video

Concert Review: Nobunny, TRiPLE THiCK, Tampoffs, Party Pigs @ Church (6/30/11)

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Artists: Nobunny, The Tampoffs, TRiPLE THiCK and The Party Pigs.
Date: Thursday, June 30, 2011
Location: Church aka Church of Boston
Comments:

Act I: The Party Pigs– Alright, alright I like what I see here. Party Pigs are a two piece- drummer/singer, guitarist/singer, you know the deal. It’s like the gah ridge (Mark Ronson for “garage”) version of No Age you could say. Volume was key to this band, for they were quite loud, but not in an obnoxious way, the “noise” complemented their playing; I wouldn’t call them a noise band though. The vocals were screamed in a sort of a drill sargent esque manner, which was pretty cool. The songs didn’t totally come through to me, but their set was tight and highly entertaining, I felt Needy Visions vibes. Like NV, their joy for performing music was extremely apparent. Solid opener, the best for the evening as far as I’m concerned (in terms of opening acts).

Act II: TRiPLE THiCK– These guys shared the same energy as The Party Pigs, but didn’t nearly thrill me as the first act. I think this was more of a case of my personal tastes because I could tell several others around me were really into TT and thought they were awesome. I definitely enjoyed their performance, but I was just left with a feeling of wanting more.

Act III: The Tampoffs– Perhaps the opening band that garnered the most attention… thee audience interaction was taken up a few notches when The Tampoffs hit the stage. A nice mosh pit erupted when they started playing, which is always fun. Naturally, their music was a bit heavier and faster than the other bands and the moshing was a reaction to this… OR… there were a lot of Tampoffs fans in the audience, or maybe it was just time to mosh. In any case, as much I love slamdancing to use a term I don’t seem to hear as often anymore, one drawback is that I can’t really pay attention to the band on stage and what their set is like, instead their music is just a soundtrack to the moshing. That’s fine though beacuse I didn’t know The Tampoffs, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Alas, I really don’t know how I feel about their music/set, but from what I can gather it was decent.

Act IV: NOBUNNY!!!– Aww man, Nobunny has some really excellent Boston fans, I should know! But seriously, I see a lot of bands in this circuit, if you will, of underground music and a healthy chunk of concert attendees at these shows tend to be of the hipster variety or just seeing a show for fuck’s sake ane not necessarily coming out to support their favorite band. Which is fine, I’m not going to comment on that here, that’s just an observation, or at the very least a perception. But with Nobunny it’s a totally different story… at least in Boston. The crowd at the Church knew their Nobunny and seemed to know it well. I mean even if you don’t know the words, you can easily tag along, that’s one of the great things about Nobunny. Though I never really recongnized how awesome these tunes are to sing a long to, very anthemic in a way. The show kicked off with the bunnyman himself in the crowd banging on the stage as his bandmates (guitar- Jason “Elvis Christ” Testasecca, bass- Touchy Tony, drums- Danaheim ) hopped aboard. Ready to Rock and Roll, the crew launched into the always euphoric “Nobunny Loves You.” Just like at home with my speakers or earphones, whenever I hear those first few chords I’m sent into an anticipating frenzy. Without any hesitation the crowd started movin’ and shakin’ and singing along to the immortal “Nobody But Me” esque chants: “NO NO NO, NO NO NO, NO NO NO!”-except Nobunny’s version is way cooler. For the first few songs Nobunny rocked on the guitar, then he placed his axe down to get a little bit more intimate with his audience, especially the ladies. For cuts like “It’s True,” our hero got down on his knees and lowered the mic with him to sing the special song for a cute honeybunny in the first row. I’d have to say this was some of his best showmanship, at least from what I’ve seen and he really interacted well with the fans. Of course, the fans’ participation was key. It really energized all involved. People were really into the songs and the whole time there was a great deal of stage diving including some from Mr. Nobunny himself, which is always a treat. In terms of the songs, well what can you say, it’s Nobunny, they speak for themselves! In particular, I enjoyed ” I Am a Girlfriend,”(“I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” interlude and all), “Chuck Berry Holiday, “Live It Up,” and “Not That Good.” Best of all, however, was a rendition of Hunx and Punx’s “U Don’t like Rock and Roll.” A neat little surprise indeed, especially since I adore the music of Hunx. And of course anytime I get a chance to ask U2 fans “what the fuck is wrong with you?!” is a good time. My one gripe is that I wish the show was longer, but timing aside, it was one of the best shows I have experienced. Can’t wait to see Nobunny and the guys again! BOSTON LOVES YOU!

Grade: 9/10

Set List (in no particular order):

Non Album Cuts:
I Cant Wait (Sneaky Pinks)
U Dont Like Rock n Roll (Hunx and His Punx)

Love Visions:
Nobunny Loves You
I Am a Girlfriend
Not That Good
It’s True
Mess Me Up
Chuck Berry Holiday

First Blood:
Live It Up
Gone for Good
Blow Dumb
Motorhead With Me

Raw Romance:
Hippy Witch