Bands: Fat Creeps, Thick Shakes, Royal Wedding, TRiPLE ThiCK Date: Saturday, July 7, 2012 Venue: Precinct (Somerville, MA)
Act One: Fat Creeps – Following an introduction from Tim Cushing of Bundles of Joy (a Dazed and Confused movie reference), the Fat Creeps emerged on-stage. Tonight — more so than the other Fat Creeps performances I’ve witnessed –there seems to be a greater audience appreciation for the band. I could tell from the various people dancing, the joyous clapping at the end of each song, and stuff like that. The Fat Creeps have dedicated fans and for that we can thank the group’s musical ingenuity. They opened the set with a cover of “Sex Beat” before diving into their own original greats and another cover, Devo’s “Gates of Steel”. The band was in tip-top form. Not sure if I’m the only one who noticed, but Jim seemed to be bashing the shit out of the drums harder than ever (as witnessed by his broken stick during closer “Horoscope”), Gracie’s guitar effects/playing were louder and generally more amazing (most especially on “Leave Her Alone”) as were her vocals and harmony with Mariam on “700 Parts,” which to my excitement will be coming to the masses in some recorded form soon. I’d say one of the many fine moments of a Fat Creeps show is “Cherry,” which has a groovy bass line and cool/different vocals! Check out the new video for that. I’m convinced that Fat Creeps are the most intriguing band I’ve heard in the past six months or so. It’s fascinating because all of their songs stick out and make a lasting impression in a less-is-more kind of way that’s hard not to love.
Act Two:Thick Shakes – The last time I saw the Thick Shakes was February 2011 about six feet underground in a hazy basement setting – the Dirty Douglas of Lowell. I don’t remember much from that night, but I surely recall the Thick Shakes energy. Their rock and roll attack is a frenetic blend of blasted organ, crazy rhythym, and sustained fun. Members of the crowd sure seemed to appreciate what was going on before their eyes as they reacted with unrelenting head bobbing and creative dance moves. The Shakes themselves were most surely into it as well. They played a couple of brand new tunes — some of which appear on the just released cassette French Dyppe (Aurora 7 Records). They won me over during their set and I’d say that was the case for a lot of folks…if they weren’t already won over!
Act Three:Royal Wedding – If I’m sticking with the superlative route of describing this show, I might as well say that Royal Wedding was the most psychedelic. The guys battled through the elements (a malfunctioning bass head) in the way of delivering music for our curious selves. Vocals were full of reverb, guitar full of effects, and the end result was similar to a possessed take on rockabilly and old time rock and roll. I never felt like I knew what the guitarist/singer was about to do and I’ve come to the conclusion that is what made Royal Wedding real likable. I’m not sure I understood more than a few words either; this mystery coupled with the other things I’ve said makes it cool to imagine Royal Wedding as a futuristic band that’s come to let everyone know that the possibilities of rock and roll are far-reaching and not something that can easily be grasped or judged.
Our Band Of The Week is the always adorable Fat Creeps! Recently they have become a favorite of ours and we try to see them live every chance we get. Here are some of their upcoming shows: Monday, June 18 @ The Middle East ZuZu also with KLYAM fave SARALEE Sunday, July 1 @ 119 Gallery (Lowell) with The Migs! Saturday, July 7 @ Precinct Monday, July 23 @ Great Scott
Lastly, below is an excellent video of the Fat Creeps playing several classics and giving an amusing and informative interview on Cambridge Community Television. Enjoy.
Artists: Fat Creeps, The Migs, Spook Houses, Bad Sound Date: Monday, June 4, 2012 Venue: Wilder Zangcraft (Lowell, MA) Comments: Act I: Fat Creeps– In the past couple of months Fat Creeps have slowly risen to the status of KLYAM faves, ever since we saw them play one helluva show with Fat History Month, Big Mess, and Onslo at O’Brien’s Pub back in April. After that show I started listening to the Fat Creeps on a regular basis. Just last Thursday, Glen and I saw them open for The Coathangers at Great Scott, and it was mind blowing. Tonight, I get to see the trio in a small, intimate setting: the Wilder Zangcraft, the premiere basement venue in Lowell. Zangcraft is a cozy, little space, perfect for the catchy, easy to sing along to style of the Fat Creeps songs. Tonight the group is comparatively underdressed, though vocalist/guitarist Gracie Jackson is rocking a sweet, blue poncho, a wise choice on this rainy evening. I love pretty much all of the Fat Creeps songs and they rock through all the classics, so I am a happy camper. The Fat Creeps open with “Horoscope,” which they actually closed with last week at the Great Scott; it is good to switch things up, keep it fresh. “Horoscope” is a strong opener and sets the mood for the rest of the performance. I adore Gracie’s singing, reminds me of Kim Gordon, but the best is when fellow singer/bassist Mariam Saleh’s vocals also come in and they sing simultaneously. In general, I think I appreciate that aspect of their music the most. And of course, cannot forget about Jim Leonard on drums! Solid job dude. This song also features a special guest appearance from a cute, little dog that ran around the Fat Creeps as they rocked out. That dog has some good taste in music. “Leave Her Alone” and “Nancy Drew” are awesome as usual. The latter is one of the best/catchiest songs I have heard all year. The lyrics are hilarious and always get stuck in my head. Live, the song is definitely amplified and I am always excited when they rock into the “Do do do doo, hey Nancy Drew.” The guitars are simple, but effective and the way they repeat the line several times and then again at the end of the song just reinforces its memorabe quality. “Kerry” is a favorite of mine as well. I don’t know what it is, but I find this song to be quite amusing and I can picture my brother awkwardly dancing to it in his hilarious Justin way. I know this means nothing to most people, but fellow KLYAM administrator/co- conspirator, Glen knows exactly what I am talking about! Anyway, it is a nice little ditty. Gracie’s vocals on “700 Parts” is another stand out for me personally. All the songs are sound, it is funny because when I see them live it feels more like a band playing all of their “hits” from throughout their discography, not just singles and demos. I cannot wait to hear a full length LP from these guys. KLYAM Luvs You!
To any readers I am sure you will love them too: http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/
Act II: The Migs– The Migs, everybody’s favorite New Hampshire based garage rock band! The Migs are kind of like KLYAM buddies Atlantic Thrills (RI): pure, no bullshit, rock and roll. Last (and the only) time I saw the Migs was here at the Wilder Zangcraft, the 420 show, which proved to be a spectacular show. On that great evening and tonight, Migs bring out their best and destroy. This time around, New Highway Hymnal’s Lukas Goudreault is a full time member and he kills it on bass. The band opens with their signature “We Are Da Migs” and everything gets off on the right foot. The Migs are all about having fun, which is what true rock and roll is about anyway. The music of the Migs reminds me of why I love most of the music that is near and dear to me in the first place, because it is FUN! During the Migs set, singer/guitarist, Kevin Lareau and bassist Lukas spend most of the performance rocking through the crowd, getting people exicted and encouraging eveyrone to dance their asses off. At one point Kevin’s pants even fall down, but he does not seem to give a flying fuck whatsoever, the right attitude bro. This is what I love about the Migs, their enthusiasm; their devotion to communicating the joy of rock and roll through their music to the audience. Towards the end of the show, fellow New Highway Hymnal member, Travis Hagan (drums) joins in on tambourine. Gotta love that guy! My favorite Migs tune is a slow ballad known as “You and Me.” Folks seem to respond the best to this number with lots of kids dancing in all sorts of unique ways. Indeed, the kids like you and me. I just had to toss in a horrible joke, it would not be a show review without it. In both Migs shows I have seen now I feel like 2012 is thown out the window for a half hour or more and it is 1965 again. An intoxicating and rare feeling.
Bands: Fat Creeps, SKIMASK, The Coathangers, Casanovas In Heat Date: Thursday, May 31, 2012 Venue: Great Scott (Allston, MA)
Pre-Show: The pre-show was lengthy due to the late arrival of scheduled headliners The Coathangers and openers Casanovas In Heat. Ultimately it was decided that Casanovas would play last instead of first. It’s too bad we couldn’t stay to see Casanovas (unfortunately). Sometime soon.
Fat Creeps: Fat Creeps are quickly becoming a local favorite and actually they’d be right up there in the rankings even if they weren’t from around this way. There’s a lot to like about Fat Creeps: the aesthetic (on this night it was multi-instrumentalist Mariam Saleh dressed in black raiment [first use of that word since 11th grade English] and multi-instrumentalist Gracie Jackson wearing all white. Thematically speaking, I’ve seen/heard Plymouth Plantation and Titantic tossed around from spectators. Either way, it was an interesting sight. Let’s not leave out drummer Jim Leonard. He was in casual attire. They got the show rolling with “Secrets,” a relatively new track that exemplifies the vocal harmony that you might have read about in the Metro. I really dig how they play so casually..just let the music do the talking. I realized very quickly that what I was witnessing was something special and actually was way more satisfying than Best Coast or Vivian Girls. There’s this charm of outward simplicity under the guise of inner complexity. Know what I mean? The rest of the set featured all of the hits, namely “Leave Her Alone” — great solo and bass line, “700 Parts” — the ending “ooo-ooo–aahh-aahh” is superb,” and closer “Horoscope,” which I think Calvin Johnson would enjoy immensely. I’m not sure what Fat Creeps plans are, but I see they are already developing a strong local fan base. Pretty soon they’ll be headlining Great Scott like the Vivs have. I predict. They should.
Setlist:
Secrets
Leave Her Alone
Fooled
“Sex Beat” [Cover]
Kerry
Nancy Drew
700 Parts
Horoscope
SKIMASK:”This is one of the strangest and most entertaining bands I’ve ever seen live.” And YouTube commenter hits the nail on the head! If you haven’t seen SKIMASK, you probably haven’t seen anything like SKIMASK. Fronted by the great social commentator and Swiz Beatnik poet Prof$t Mohamed, SKIMASK is in the red with energy and explosiveness. They activate the inner primal side in people according to one devotee. And it rings true. The crowd doesn’t really know what is going on, yet the pit remains quite active and not one person seems bored. Vocals, drums, and vocal effects. Spontaneous antics by the Prof$t, including but not limited to jumping around [to an elementary phys ed teacher’s delight] and sitting down in front of the crowd. What tickles my fancy the most of all is this song: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIaaEmO3hPc&feature=related). SKIMASK — kept alive by the spirit of Cory on drums and Dominic on effects/vocal — were about to conclude with that. But keep playing insisted members of The Coathangers. And they did. And it was wonderful. They are outer-worldly you could say, but it’s them just spinning the rock and roll wheel their own way. Folks in New York and New Jersey, brace yourselves, as the skimask is coming to get u back opening for JEFF The Brotherhood soon. Boston area locals: brace yourselves as well.
The Coathangers: The Coathangers from Atlanta, Georgia! None other. Faced with the burden of no sound check, ahh who needs that?, they blitzkrieged right into their set. And they came hard and displayed no regard for the typical. No need for the typical on a night like tonight. I’m basically talking about their switching of instruments and the infectious bursts of punk rock that came a plenty. The front-woman was a revolving cast of ‘hangers and each brought their own variety to the table. The crowd was loving it and you could tell the band was having just as much fun. Now now now. Here it comes. I’m not extremely knowledgable in the arena of Coathangers material BUT I’ve got their set below. So this means that I will be. I can’t quite describe their set in terms of individual songs; I think I gave a decent gist of the experience. That’s what counts?
Setlist:
Smother
Johnny
Hurricane
Gettin Sick
Call
Arthritis
Jay
Sex
Nestle In My Boobies
Pussy
Cheap
Dims
Artists: Fat History Month, ONSLO, Big Mess, Fat Creeps Date: Friday, April 13, 2012 Venue: O’Brien’s Pub (Allston, MA) Comments:
Seeing a show at O’Brien’s Pub has been on the KLYAM to do list for roughly two years now. Yes, it is true, this is our first time at O’Brien’s tonight as I imagine it sounds like blasphemy to some of you. Well as Glen always points out, there is a first for everything. Before even entering OBs I did a little research which translates into me looking at the site’s archives. I’m an archives aficionado, so I literally read every event from the present all the way back until the first show documented at OBs back in 2006. Over the past six years, this Allston venue has been committed to both local (and national)independent music and various KLYAM favorites have graced the pub with their prescence: Box Elders (3 times in ’09!), Maine Coons, Colleen Green, Growlers, Mika Miko, and tonight’s headliner Fat History Month (with shows dating as far back as ’07). The venue is small, but there is plenty of room. Upon entrance we meet Chett, who checks our IDs, and gives us those little hand stamps. Per usual Glen has his barrage of questions, and to a lesser extent so do I, which Chett happily answers. We discuss the ins and outs of booking and promoting shows, and the prospect of a Kid Like You & Me Presents! show at OBs, which will hopefully happen in the near future as soon as we get everything straightened out, cool. Doug, the “sound guy,” tells us a little more about his plesant experience at OB’s, playing in and booking local bands, and just a general overview of how things work in such settings. This is not all new to us, but it is certainly helpful. Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated. By this point, I am knocking back a few PBRs, thanks Jim! and I am ready to hear some fine rock and roll music. Just like you are probably wondering why I have not said anything yet about the music, if you have made it this far. Well, back to what I said earlier, we have had our eye on O’Brien’s Pub as a notable host for excellent, KLYAM oriented bands, for about two years now, and for various reasons (mainly us being underage until recently) we have not had a chance to see any of the shows we have recommened on KLYAM, but now is our time. April 13, 2012, I am going to go out on a limb and say this is the best Friday the 13th I have ever had. Fat History and Big Mess, my two local favorites, on a bill with two other, highly visible, Boston bands (Fat Creeps and Onslo) for six bucks in a self-described “cozy” bar in Allston, I’ll take it. So, finally let’s get to the show.
Act I: Fat Creeps– “When I walked in it looked like something out of a Quentin Tarantino movie,”- Cory Bell from SKIMASK, a band you should check out if you have not already. That might be parphrasing, but that is the gist of Mr. Bell’s sentiments. And, I agree with him. Though, I myself do not instantly conjure up an image related to a Tarantino flick, I think I know what he means. There is something visually striking about the Fat Creeps. Green hair aside, they are kinda weird and their music and overall presentation seems to distinguish itself from other bands. This is the first time I have seen the Fat Creeps and I honestly never checked out their music until a few hours before the show, but I have noticed that their name has popped up a lot recently in local listings and recommendations. So, going into this performance I am excited. They have a new drummer and he is pretty tight, almost a contrast to the other two members. But, I don’t mean that in any negative way. I think their lack of musicianship (if you want to call it that) is part of their charm. It is the Fat Creeps’s imperfections that make them unique. For example, when the band begins their set they have a few false starts, but when they get it right, they kill it. The songs are great, the riffs are simple, but strong and definitely catchy. And the vocals, damn! Probably my favorite part of their music is the vocals. Sometimes they sound whiny, almost cranky, but it fits perfectly with their music. I remember Cole Alexander from the Black Lips once said that kids need to hear NOT American Idol voices in music. Kids need to hear Fat Creeps! Their energy and attitude is always present. I recognize some of the songs, which I want to point out as another trait that separates Fat Creeps from most bands I see: their songs are easily recognizable. I only had to hear some of the songs once for me to remember them tonight, a rare quality indeed. I will definitely pay attention to Fat Creeps from now on and I plan on seeing them again the next time I get a chance. Check out their band camp page! http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/
P.S. they are pretty easy on the eyes ;)
Act II: Big Mess– I listen to Big Mess a lot these days, so it is always a pleasure of mine to see the band in action. In fact when they begin playing I start to realize how much I miss seeing them live; it has been about five weeks and I am going through withdrawal. The recordings are sound, but Big Mess live is a whole other beast. The songs focus heavily on volume and since they are instrumental you pay attention more to the sonic side of music or at least I do because I typically do not listen to strictly instrumental music. Live, the songs hit you harder, and well come alive. Having seen them several time now, I know their set, but with this performance they really switch it up and play around with their songs, while still unleashing the classics. They open with a nice little jam before smoothly kicking into “The Hook.” It just gets me more pumped up for the song and their entire set even more than usual. Also, on this evening bassist Josh Tracy provides some sick vocals, which is new to me. If you have not seen Big Mess yet, then you FAIL AT LIFE. They have been together since 1993! You’ve had your whole FUCKING life to think things over. You can redeem yourself by listening to their Band Camp page. Do it! http://bigmessma.bandcamp.com/album/big-mess
Act III: ONSLO– Onslo keep the energy high with a fun, loud, rocking performance. All of the members look like they are having a lot of fun, laughing amongst each other and cracking jokes about the lack of females in the audience, at some moments as little as three! Overall, Onslo is a decent band, but they just don’t do a whole lot for me. I really cannot put my finger on it, but I guess for my money they are not as distinguishable as the other three bands this evening. But, don’t take my word for it, see for yourself. Here’s their band camp page: http://onslo.bandcamp.com/
Act IV: Fat History Month-When Fat History Month hit the stage more people come up front, practically standing over the band, making it feel more like a show at a basement venue, which is where I usually see Fat History Month. The band opens with Fucking Despair classic “No Safe,” which has a great Pavement flavor to it. Short, but sweet and gets me pumped up for the rest of their performance. Fat History are one of the finest live acts I have seen in the past year and their performances are always intimate. I honestly cannot imagine seeing them on a big stage, that would be a real buzzkill. I love standing inches away from Mark’s drum kit. Mark (not Jeff contrary to popular opinion) is a steady drummer, always keeping his head low and keeping in touch with the music. The duo quickly run through Fat History anthems “Old Lady Smokers” and “Things I Enjoy,” which always bring a smile to my face. I think these particular songs sound better on record, because the “hooks” are not quite translated live. But, that’s the thing, Fat History is not the kind of band that gives you what you expect or perform the songs as they sound on the record. And I am glad for that, that would be boring, after all. They are performed well live, let’s not mince words here, but it is certainly different. With that being said, if you saw them live and have not listened to their music, seriously pick up Fucking Despair and/or watch some of their amusing music videos. They also play some new material or perahps old material I have not heard yet? They close the set, asking the audience what they want to hear. It seems like most (including myself) want to hear “Nature,” especially the ladies (the very few of them!). They play “Nature,” and as always it is invigorating. I love the build up from the repeated line “It gets better” to “and then it gets WORSE.” There is something really cathartic about that line, especially hearing it live. Five Fat History Month shows deep, for me it never gets worse. http://fathistorymonth.bandcamp.com/ Check out Fucking Despair as well as their other releases Gorilla and the Safe and Sound 7″
Fat Creeps are a sweet band from Boston I saw Friday night at O’brien’s Pub. It appears they have been making a name for themselves and playing numerous shows around these parts, including one with Bundles of Joy, a band with Wakefield roots (Wakefield, MA is KLYAM’s hometown!) Fat Creeps are not the most conventional rock band, but they crank out some really catchy, inspiring tunes. I highly recommend this band to fans of unique pop music that places a stronger emphasis on passion over musicianship; so basically good music.
Here’s a video of the Fat Creeps playing at the Dirty Douglas in Lowell on Novermber 22, 2011. I’m kicking myself now for not attending this show. I procastinated as usual and had to write a Psychology and Women research paper. The irony is that Fat Creeps would have fit perfectly with my researach on women in music!
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 