FAST APPLE Presents: Guantanamo Baywatch @ Charlie’s Kitchen – 9PM – $5 – Portland’s garage surf punkers, Guantanamo Baywatch are hitting up Boston this Monday and speaking of which – word around the campfire is that they have a split 7″ coming out on Suicide Squeeze on December 3 with Natural Child! Several of Boston’s finest are opening this show: Fellow surf freaks, Beware the Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion!, psych monsters, CreaturoS, and one of KLYAM’s favorite noisemakers, Miami Doritos.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
pRIMORDIAL sOUNDS Presents: The Middlesex Lounge is hosting its weekly PS nights and this night features the likes of insane doo woppers SKIMASK, anarcho punks Ancient Filth, and Teacher Mother Secret Lover. 10 PM $3
Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9, 2013
Boston Hassle Fest 5! @ Cambridge Elks Lodge, Cantab Lounge, and Western Front and featuring wayyyy too many rad bands to mention, but if the names Lightning Bolt and The Beets mean anything to you then that alone should make you come out to Hassle Fest. More importantly, over 40 of New England’s greatest bands are playing this fantastic festival. Fat Creeps, SKIMASK, Nice Guys, Guerilla Toss, Free Pizza and so much more! 3PM $15 – $20 Sliding Scale.
Night Beats @ O’Brien’s Pub – 8PM – $10 – Seattle’s experimental garage rockers, Night Beats are returning to O’Brien’s for a fun ass rock ‘n’ roll show. Opening up is one of our local favorites The New Highway Hymnal as well as Thunderbloods and Gymshorts.
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If you think we missed any shows that a tru KLYAM gangsta would vant to see. Hit us up at KLYAMEMAIL@GMAIL.COM
ONE WEEK from today – Wednesday, October 23 – you will be going to The Sinclair to see the Orwells and FIDLAR AND our hometown Nice Guys – just added to the bill!
Remember that time Nice Guys opened for Orwells at TT The Bears? I do, well. It was sick.
Just before you thought it was safe to go back on KLYAM again… Nice Guys are here and they aren’t so nice this time around. Fire up thee olde bandcamp page for three feisty new tunes including a cover of Andy Kaufman’s “I Trusted You,” which has been a live favorite of mine since June 8th. That’s right, June 8th. Take that Joe Rogan.
Bands: Nice Guys, Fagettes, Moniker, Guillermo Sexo, CreaturoS, The New Highway Hymnal Date: Saturday, August 10, 2013 Venue: Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge, MA)
I’m not the right person to be writing about the Fuzztival… and I assure you no one else will make that claim right off the bat to you in any other “review.” I also assure you that no one else has the the right to review this show more than me either. Reviews are pointless to begin with, don’t listen to reviewers, nothing but trouble. Never done me any good. But, I am going to write about this show anyway because that’s how it goes, that’s how it’s always been. The Middle East Downstairs, fuck man, this brings back memories. No other venue compares. KLYAM attended shows at Mid East Down way before there even was a KLYAM! We saw Black Lips, No Age, The King Khan & BBQ Show, and Box Elders (opening for Black Lips) here. Here. These suckers, these fuckers, these icons were inches away from us; their saliva smoothly sailed down my beat up, gray Ramones shirt. The next day at school I would brag about what I saw, oh boy! “Girlfriends” would feign interest, it was a glorious time to be alive. But, the fun can only last so long. Soon I would realize that they just thought I was cool because I read Noam Chomsky and Malcolm X, and indeed those men are cool, but these femmes never wanted me, they never wanted us, they never wanted rock ‘n’ roll . They just saw my slick, leather jacket and assumed I was cool. KLYAM began on the concept that cool was death, we were anarchists, rebels, nerds, dorks, sociopaths, retards, reatards. Reatards. We didn’t know (and still don’t know) how things work. Late at night/ early in the morning, you could listen to Black Lips, Jay Reatard, King Khan & The Shrines, The King Khan & BBQ Show or even that psycho gorgeous band Deerhunter and for two seconds it made sense! The world was a fucked up place, but these dudes were fucked up too and they loved it and they drank their own piss and that was okay that gave us hope, honestly.
And with that lovely introduction, here are Nice Guys! Woooooo Nice Guys woooo. How many shows has it been? Fuck it, you been counting? Me neither (yeah right) have I, I don’t fucking know, calm down. NIce Guys are a funny band though they play this abrasive, semi-hardcore, quasi garage style of music that just makes the hairs on my testes jet up and dance, It’s fucking loud and fun and noisy. They shit out various hits y’all oughta know like “Herb Chambers,” “Cop Walk,” and “Burrito Boner,” which is a favorite among dental receptionists.
I’ve seen my fair share of Nice Guys sets, yeah yeah yeah yeah, and they typically rock, but this one is a comparatively exceptional rocker. Cam Slays on the drums, up on that little drum riser thing like a Greek God – must be new to the Mid East Down, cuz I’ve never seen it before. Jake, Matt, and, Alex jolt back and forth on the guitars, bashing into one another, crawling over their bandmates’ sweaty skin, tangling in wires and such. My favorite moment in the set is when Cam rushes up from his drum set and tackles Jake to the floor. That’s what I like to see, I love aggression, I guess I am just a sick guy. Nah, metal folk are sick, I am just having fun. Nice Guys are fun and sweet! http://niceguys666.bandcamp.com/
Set – List:
“Gary”
“Herb Chambers”
“Unholy Sacrifice”
“Free”
“Finale”
“Cop Walk”
“HD”
“MD”
“Burrito Boner”
Watch Nice Guys play “Draggins” at the Fuzzstival HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdqiUk8gGi0
Nice Guy Matt Garlick is back again in The Fagettes and he’s joined by Ryan, Melanie, Peaches, and Joe. Fagettes are a KLYAM fave, only a fool couldn’t tell you that. They lean toward the nastier side of rock and roll that we cherish. Besides delivering humorous and informative weather reports, they unleash many essentials including “My Girl Looks Like Johnny Thunders,” “On Drugs,” “Water, Tea, and Alcohol,” “Tsunami,” and “Gonna Die Out Here.” In addition to the gunky classics, the fivesome also bash out some new numbers with “Bad Catholic” being my top jam for this holy evening. I too was a bad catholic, drank the holy water, bopped the bishop, and licked plenty of peanut butter.
A cool breeze just splashed over me, it’s a sign that Fagettes are the future of American pop music OR a favorite band of mine, Either way the future looks bright. http://thefagettes.bandcamp.com/
Watch The Fagettes play “On Drugs” at the Fuzzstival HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jug1J4cAub0
Moniker – I catch flashes of Moniker’s set, I dig, but I need to hear more to judge. Find out for yo self here: http://whatsyourmoniker.bandcamp.com/
Now to Guillermo Sexo. Not as sexy as I would have thunk; not enough gunk punk in thee old junk. That’s okay though, I think some of y’all would dig them. For the first ten minutes or so, I’m feeling sexy, but then it just drags and my psyche yearns for some “Light Shines,” but that’s another band for another day, Ultimately, this is a decent band, just not exciting enough for my tastes. http://guillermosexo.bandcamp.com/
CreaturoS are a psych outfit that often pop up on local listings and rightfully so. While, I can’t say that they are the right kind of punk slime dish that I prefer, they do rock pretty hard, enough so to garner an onslaught of fuzzstivalers, friends, and fans up on stage moshing and boppin’ about. A killer way to conclude a set. http://creaturos.bandcamp.com/
During CreaturoS’ and Sexo’s sets, I”m clutching on to the monitors and dreaming about a three way between Betty Rubble, Wilma Flintstone, and myself. Gee whiz, that would be a swell time, but I must be at least a tad bit insane in the old membrane for me to conjure up such images. Ironically, The New Highway Hymnal put me in my place. Arguably, The NHH are the freakiest of the bands tonight and that works to their advantage. Vocalist/guiarist Hadden Stemp utters “Let’s give it up for CreaturoS,” receiving very little crowd response. “That sucked,” Stemp accurately asserts. He gives the Boston crowd one more chance and with a slight improvement we segue way into the New Highway Hymnal’s diabolic set. The trio, which includes Travis Hagan on drums and Amelia Gormley on bass and vocals, open with “Whispers,” the title track off their epic LP released last year on Vanya Records. The fuzziness continues with the grimy album opener “Through Stained Glass,” and then my memory is fuzzy after that (yes just a few hours later). I think there’s some new cuts tossed at us or just stuff that’s fresh to my ears. Last I remember is “Hey Kid” and then Hadden i s suddenly on the floor with us in the audience, jumpin’ around and what not, and then he’s back up on stage like a ninja. He’s quick and I’ve had too menty, a deadly combination. In any setting, listen to The New Highway Hymnal’s Whsipers LP here: http://thenewhighwayhymnal.bandcamp.com/releases
Bands: Nice Guys, Ex-Cult, OBN III’s, The Tampoffs Date: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 Venue: Great Scott [Allston]
Maybe I haven’t been looking hard enough, but I don’t think that I’ve seen a ‘stacked’ purely garage/punk bill at Great Scott in months. That changes on this Tuesday night as all of these bands are teeming with the kind of energy and showmanship that most bands I see live unfortunately lack.
The Tampoffs take the stage and word around the band’s fascist book page is that this is their second to last show. One can hope that isn’t really true as The Tampoffs have been a local R’n’R staple for a long time now. I’m not exactly in a position to talk about the time I saw them at the RAT – but I will say I first saw them open for Nobunny at Church a couple of years ago. All I can remember from that show is that some moshing erupted and the band was loud and forceful. Not sure what they’ve been up to between that show and now. I didn’t know they played Gonerfest 6. There’s YouTube footage. It’s great. What makes up for my lack of knowledge of their songs is the feeling of watching the closest thing to the Oblivians that isn’t actually the Oblivians. This is a compliment. Tight, fun, times. The song toward the end that the drummer sings stands out as my favorite.
OBN III’s step up onto the stage. I didn’t see this happen, but I know it did. As I’m making my way back towards the venue (after stepping outside), I hear the band playing. I’m missing out on some crucial action. I hope I didn’t miss out on much, but when I walk up to the front I see dudes and girls going wild. Familiar faces just really enjoying themselves. Several had seen OBN III’s before – I can tell – and several had not. Orville jumps into the audience, touches the heads of dudes like Joey Roach, all while shouting out instant jams like “Runnin on Fumes” and “You Wanna Bitch?”. I’m not even really familiar with OBN III’s, but I remember those really sticking out. So for people that know the band, I can imagine that these are incredible moments in show-going history and for others, it’s an equally satisfying performance. You can’t stand around the stage bored. You’ll get punched in the nose.
So after some pushing and shoving and falling to the ground, that kinda stuff doesn’t stop after Orville and crew finish. Of course, there’s the obligatory clearing of equipment and setting up of new stuff. Ex-Cult is cut from the same cloth as OBN III’s – energetic frontman included in the package. It’s all rock ‘n roll. I’d say Ex-Cult is more punchy, stompy, and darker than OBN. There’s more atmopsheric/cacophony guitar heroics. Swell Maps minus the Brit accent. I’m definitely won over as a fan. “Mister Fantasy,” their new single, is really good. Definitely a highlight. I’m fascinated by the antics of guitarist JB Horrell. Dude was making these crazy faces all throughout the set. Seemed like he was having a great time. They all were. We all were.
Some party poopers make a run for the doors after Ex-Cult. Not really sure what was going through their minds. Gotta stay for Nice Guys. Gotta miss trains for Nice Guys. I would think. Well the truest of rock ‘n rollers stuck around and I think we can all agree we were in for yet another treat. Nice Guys are a perfect fit for this bill as they pack in a lil bit of all the sweet qualities of the previous bands. It’s safe to say that “Cop Walk” is always a KLYAM favorite – it stirs things up and is memorable as can be. Of course there’s the perennial “Burrito Boner” and the specially dedicated “Free Slice” to Ryan from Fagettes. Good times all around. Add a dose of excitement to your night life and catch these guys always.
Bands: Bleeding Rainbow, Fat Creeps, Nice Guys Date: Tuesday, July 2, 2013 Venue: Great Scott (Allston, MA)
Nice Guys – When the show was just Fat Creeps and Bleeding Rainbow I was intensely anticipating this evening, but when Co – KLYAMER Glen informed me that Nice Guys were added to the bill, hot damn! Seriously, a great thing to hear when you’re sweating your balls off at work. Speaking of sweating balls off, Nice Guys consistently produce sweaty, screaming, clamorous (KLYAMorous!) sets that jostle the hairs on my sweaty testicles and tonight’s show fits in well with that description.
I have seen a healthy chunk of Nice Guys sets now and most of them have been in DIY settings that tend to lend themselves to looser, wilder behavior. These nice dudes however, don’t let the typical rock venue, performer/crowd barrier get in the way of a good time and they put on one of their most entertaining sets thus far. Guitarists Alex Alexson and Matt Garlick even hop off stage into the crowd at one point during the set.
The foursome play several familiar tunes such as boneshakin’ essentials like “Drunk As Fuck, Stoned As Fuck,” (aren’t we all guys? aren’t we all?) “Pizza Bong,” and my favorite “Cop Walk.” I’ve sucked Cop Walk’s sonic dick (sonic dick, ooohhh I smell a band name!) long enough now, but you know what? I think I’m going for seconds or should I say fifths or sixths, I lost count. When Cop Walker hits those violent bolts of guitar fuzz and sledgehammer drums it’s like those little, involuntary spasms a dude’s dick gets before an orgasm is achieved. Well, the orgasm is achieved tonight at Great Scott. Jesus Christ.
Set – List:
“Free”
“Herb Chambers”
“Unholy”
“New” as in a new, untitled song.
“HD”
“Cop Walk”
“Drunk As Fucked, Stoned As Fuck”
“Pizza Bong”
“Pilgrim”
“Finale”
Make it your life mission to listen to these bad boys, errr I mean Nice Guys right here and for all eternity: http://niceguys666.bandcamp.com/
Fat Creeps – Local outlaw Ben Tan has created a drinking game in my name in which one of the rules is every time Chris DeCarlo name drops Fat Creeps in a review you take a drink. I would advise you not to play this drinking game, for I see various lawsuits against KLYAM in the near future. Point being, Fat Creeps have been a household name on this site for over a year now and I am proud to say our first release (10″ Vinyl EP) on KLYAM Records! So, it is exciting to catch the band live at Great Scott in the middle of their first major tour ( https://klyam.com/2013/06/19/fat-creeps-bleeding-rainbow-summer-tour/) with Bleeding Rainbow. Congrats guys!!!
The trio kicks things off right with Creeps classics such as “Nancy Drew” and “700 Parts,” which are often, if not always played side by side. The former is an upbeat, jangly pop number while the latter is a slow, murky ballad – both are immediate and showcase the band’s talents better than anything else in their catalog.
The band continues with some songs introduced in 2013 including “Blue” and “He Comes In Loudly.” It’s funny, I always mistake “Blue” for “He Comes In Loudly” until they play “He Comes In Loudly” and I don’t realize it until they sing “he comes in loudly.” Wow, that’s a lot of he comes in loudlys. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many he comes in loudlys jam packed into one regular sized paragraph ever before in my life. Now, I’m curious exactly how he comes in loudly.
In addition to Fat Creeps (you know I be pluggin’ that 10″ EP YO!) gems like the surfy hits “Fooled” and “Leave Her Alone,” and one of my favorite album openers “Secrets,” the band also performs a new song entitled, “Having So Much Fun.” I’m not exactly sure how it goes or what it sounds like, but I’m going to keep my eyes and ears open for this newbie at future Creeps shows.
After nearly two weeks of shows, Fat Creeps are still kicking it and sounding fresh as ever, without a single hint of weary. Their lively and fun filled performance is well appreciated as Great Scott attendees sway and bop back and forth to the Creeps’ light noise pop; a sweet soundtrack for a sweet Summer night, brings me back to last Summer when I first started actively listening and seeing these guys on a regular basis. Fittingly, they close their set with a heavy, headbanger known as “Going to the Party!”
Got me another set list!
“Nancy Drew”
“700 Parts”
“Blue”
“He Comes In Loudly”
“Leave Her Alone”
“Fooled”
“Having So Much Fun”
“Secrets”
“Going to the Party!”
Bleeding Rainbow – I don’t know a whole lot about Philadelphia’s Bleeding Rainbow other than checking out a couple of songs before the show, so I am going in with an open mind, expecting to hear some sweet, chill tunes and while I can’t say I am in love with the band, I do enjoy myself. At this point in the evening, I am pretty sauced and Bleeding Rainbow is a smooth, dreamy soundtrack to my intoxicated state of mind. The only song I recognize is “Waking Dream,” that guitar riff is pretty neat!
Bleeding Rainbow don’t fuck around and they are most likely hitting up your city some time in the not so distant future. Check em’ out: http://bleedingrainbow.bandcamp.com/
Bands: Fat Creeps, Headband, Nice Guys Date: Saturday, June 8, 2013 Venue: Discovery Zone (Allston, MA)
As soon as Glen and I enter the Discovery Zone, Allston’s Nice Guys are already kicking out the jams, just inches away from us. The nice dudes are decked out in their beach garb: short shorts and pasty whites and what have ya.
Nice Guys are a truly fun group and they provide some comical on stage (floor) back to back banter. This aspect of the group brings to mind early Smith Westerns (1st album) and early Black Lips, not to mention their garage punk tendencies. There’s something charming about them, like young male bonding or some shit like that, I don’t know anymore, I’ve been doing this for too long (says the twenty something). I have notes, I came prepared I swear, they just never seem to make it to the reviews. ANYWAY…
They appear to be at home in the Discovery Zone space, after all they have played several shows here before. It’s best to see this foursome in an underground setting such as this as opposed to a club, and this has to be the best set I have seen from the guys. It’s loud, fast, and fuzzy, reminding me to invest in some serious ear plugs in the not so distant future.
Nice Guys certainly have a sharp sound that rattles my bones and mangles my teeth, uh huh, but I feel like the songs could be stronger. They are fun for sure, but they could use more character/personality to fully bring those pizzas, boners, and bongs to life as if they were being placed in my lap. With that being said, “Cop Walk” is a juicy beast and I never get sick of it’s factory like guitar riffage at the beginning and how it just bursts into heavy, spastic jolts of primal rock ‘n’ roll. Up close and personal (I wouldn’t have it any other way), I can feel Jake Gilbertson’s hollering vocals vibrate down my spine, a feature of the band I had overlooked in the past. Dude can scream.
I should also mention that drummer Cam Smithers hops on the mic (mike?) for what is apparently a cover of an Andy Kaufman song. I didn’t know that Andy Kaufman made music…
Towards the end of the set, Jake and Alex shake things up a bit, rushing into the crowd with their guitars, even breaking a fan in the process. Just to clarify, when I say fan I mean the kind that provides cool air for all of us, not a human body. After all, these are Nice Guys.
And Matt Garlick is also the man. I just realized that he was the only Nice Guy (and Fagette!) I haven’t mentioned yet. I don’t want him to feel left out, because he is a pimp, and pimpin’ ain’t easy. http://niceguys666.bandcamp.com/
The rockin’ and rollin’ grande times ramble on with Headband – a Boston mainstay. To quote one, Jake Gilbertson, “There was a Headband before I could even spell Headband.” Jake isn’t letting his mind run wild; Headband has existed since 1996, damn that’s quite a feat! Most bands don’t last more than a mentos, let alone two decades. Beyond being impressed with their longevity, I am genuinely impressed with some of their music. At times it reminds me of the strange, cave pop of the Box Elders and then at other times, I feel like the music drags or never takes off. They have a wealth of material on their bandcamp. Knock yourself out. http://buzzardrock.bandcamp.com/
Fat Creeps are the last band to play tonight and their performance is nothing short of thrilling. Twenty one Creeps shows deep, I can safely say this is one of their best yet, and that appears to be a popular sentiment among tonight’s attendees. Straight up, being one half of the people that put out the band’s 10″ EP on KLYAM Records, naturally I am an ecstatic fan of the trio, but I don’t bullshit when I write about bands, even ones on my label, so when I say this is one of their best, I mean it. Oddly enough, it’s kind of hard to articulate exactly why this show is finer than most I have experienced in the past. I am going to attribute the high quality of this gig to two features: set and setting. Much like a psychedelic experience, the Fat Creeps evoke an altered state of consciousness in me, one that I feel is shared with everyone in the room.
The set, that is the mindset, as one Dr. Leary labeled it, is a young band performing in front of a sea of familiar faces – a collective group of friends and fans alike, an audience that has grown to know and love the songs that the band has mastered over the past couple of years.
The setting is an intimate, cozy living room space and when combined with the aforementioned set, it creates a serene feeling, an aura if you will. It’s as if everyone is simultaneously appreciating the music of the Fat Creeps all as one consciousness. From the first chords of “Horoscope” the crowd is hooked and the Creeps never let go. Besides playing an outstanding set, part of my joy is simply observing the reactions of others in attendance; seeing kids’ faces light up in anticipation for the do do do doos in “Nancy Drew” or getting pumped for Mariam’s belting line “COME CLOSER I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” in “Secrets.”
The Discovery Zone setting itself is an impressionable one. I always get a kick out of the ubiquitous, random barrage of bizarre films being projected behind the bands while they play. During the Creeps set however, the video material is familiar, but equally enticing. There is an outburst of cheers as a clip of Beavis and Butthead comes on. This is followed by a Wendy’s commercial during the haunting ballad “700 Parts.” That’s trippy.
Even better order the Fat Creeps 10″ EP (VINYL) on Coke Bottle Clear and/or White from KLYAM Records! http://klyam.bigcartel.com/ ORRR pick up a copy at one of the following Boston area record stores:
Brothers and sisters, don’t stop there! Fat Creeps are currently on a big ass tour with Bleeding Rainbow (http://bleedingrainbow.bandcamp.com/) and they may just be hitting your town any day now. Here are the remaining dates. Boston peeps, they’re hitting up Great Scott on Tuesday July 2!
Fri – June 28: Toronto, ON The Drake Hotel
Sat – June 29: Montreal, QC il motore
Mon – July 1: Winooski, VT The Monkey House
Tue – July 2: Boston, MA Great Scott
Wed – July 3: New Haven, CT BAR 254 Crown St.
Fri – July 5: NEW YORK Mercury Lounge https://www.facebook.com/events/121765888020343/
In the immortal words of The Doors “The time to hesitate is through.”
Bands: Nice Guys, Teenanger, The Soupcans, Thigh Masters Date: Friday, April 12, 2013 Venue: Discovery Zone (Allston, MA)
Thigh Masters – Correct name? I hope so. Thigh Masters aka Kurt opens the festivities with some mind bending one mon noise. Noise – kind of a vague term, but I think noise enthusiasts would dig this. It certainly is loud, so I will call it noise to make it easy for all of us. Kurt Thigh Masters plays guitar and I believe he is accompanied by a drum machine. He also wears a mask and within this mask is a microphone attached to Kurt’s mouth a la Lightning Bolt/Black Pus. I’ve never seen this set up before, so that’s a plus. With that being said, I feel like I’ve seen this performance before and I’ll see it again, just different names. That isn’t to say it’s bad. Kurt Thigh Masters is cool and any local venue/DIY space would be happy to have him.
Soupcans – I’ve always loved Canada. Only been there once and like a good, little American I watched pornography on late night television and ate McDonalds every day. I also bought a present for my grandmother. Soupcans are from Toronto and they are tall, kind-hearted gentlemen. They too enjoy icy cold beers, rock ‘n’ roll music, and perhaps late night pornography and fast food. They will shotgun a beer with your brother, make love to your sister, but when they come home at night they’ll kiss their mothers, and I’m positive that when they are away they buy gifts for their grandmothers.
Fine gentlemen, who aggressively knock your ass out cold on the dance floor with their punk rock music that just greeted my ears in recent weeks. The nicest guy in Allston, Matt Garlick (shake his hand, buy him a drink, give him a high five) introduced me to the mighty Soupcans at approximately 9 P.M. on Friday, March 15, 2013. Fresh off a Nice Guys/Fagettes tour himself, Garlick spoke of a band heading on tour to Boston in the following month. Not usually one for band recommendations, I didn’t know what to expect. I know the guy that recommends bands all of the time doesn’t like band recs, Slutever. What happened next, however, was “a great moment in rock ‘n’ roll history.” Only hearing half of what Garlick said, I was instantly hooked when he mentioned that one of the Soupcans (at this point I thought he was saying “suit cans” too) sings through a beer can! And then when I found out that they were Canadian, my God, that’s it. No more descriptions needed. Perfect band rec. Most kids will tell you something along the lines of “they’re post-punk fused with psych garage punk.” No! We all do it though. But, beer guzzling, swinging, rowdy, Canadian nuts is all I need. It planted an image in my head of the almighty Soupcans. Bandcamped it up and here I am now. Ready to rock ‘n’ roll and you can’t erase those words from history.
Jumping back to this evening, Soupcans open with “Shocked,” a pulsing slammer that shows off the trio’s (classic guitar, bass, and drums y’all) ability to produce fast, pummeling, difficult to describe, but undeniably catchy, raw, punk. Punk in the purest sense. Bestial, no nonsense, straight to the point, simple, but not dumb. No fancy smanchcy bullshit, but not sloppy either, you’re gonna wanna kiss and tell after seeing this band. Lead singer Dave’s vocals are monotone, reminding me of hardcore punk legends, DOA and Joey Shithead’s vocals – also Canadian! Low, baritone, monotone but simultaneously chaotic, exciting – shouts and screams that captivate my heart. The guitars smoothly roar like a serial killer that poetically hacks his victims to death. Right up in your face – raw – but calculated like the work of Jay Reatard in just about all of his bands. The drums are equally frenetic, drummer Gideon slams his kit with extreme precision, kind of feels like my attempts at playing drums, the thrill of hearing the stick smack the snare drum like a slap across the face, except this guy actually knows what he is doing and can control his destruction.
Soupcans play a sound show and they bash out some of my favorites from their LP Good Feelingshttp://thesoupcans.bandcamp.com/releases including “Shocked,” “Outlander,” and “Deadbeat.” Great to meet the dudes, especially chatting about other sick Canadian bands like The King Khan & BBQ Show and Vomit Squad. Nick knows his Alice Cooper too haha! Great performance, but I wish more people would move and mosh and what not, but still a fun show. Next time will be a wild, drunken, Soupcans riot.
Teenanger – I’ve been calling them Teenager this whole time! What a waste of breath. Ahh well, in the line for the bathroom I notice a bald dude wearing a yellow Suburban Lawns shirt. I vaguely know who they are, late 70s punk band I think. I ask the dude if this is correct and he confirms this. At the time, not knowing much about Teenanger other than the name, which I fucked up anyway, I do not realize who this man is. Moments later, I notice he is singing with his band Teenanger. They blast through a fast, 70’s punkish set. Their music fits very well on a bill with Soupcans and Nice Guys. The singer is enthusiastic, prowling around, hopping into the crowd, making use of the living room space around him. I dig it, but Glen seriously digs it, even more than Soupcans. Speaking of Soupcans, Teenanger also hails from Toronto, Canada. https://soundcloud.com/teenanger
Nice Guys – Nice guys, eh? Just how nice are these guyz you may ask. Sweethearts. Pizza punks from Bawlston – proudly reppin’ the Boston underground. Tonight, the foursome celebrate one of the best first years I have seen for any band. I thought they had been around for a few years. Over the past twelve months, these pizza punks have played many a show, toured twice, and won over the hearts of Kids Like You & Me, in the process making a name for themselves around town.
Nice Guys are like The Beatles. Four Beatles, four Nice Guys, and everyone’s got their favorite. Ahh, I like them all: Drummer Cam (rhymes with Jam, easy enough), Alex “sick moustache dude” Alexson on guitar, Matt Garlick on guitar – hey isn’t that the guy from Fagettes?!, and Jake Gilbertson – vocals/bass. He reminds me of a young Jared Swilley (Black Lips). Hopping and bopping about, right slab in the middle. He and his bandmates get the crowd moving a little bit with their Germsian take on sludgey garage punk. Alas, we KLYAMERS, have to make it to that damn train station, so we only catch the first few tunes. I want to say I hear “Pizza Bong,” one can only hope. You can hear it and all the jaw droppingly exquisite Nice Guys numbers here: http://niceguys666.bandcamp.com/album/mean-songs-demo
Here’s a big shout out to some of the kewl cats we ran into tonight. So Onam/ Fast Apple (who put on the show! like their page – https://www.facebook.com/fastapplebooking?fref=ts), Jen Knight – really nice to meet you!, DJ John Freeman, always spinning the classics like Vivian Girls, Daniel Johnston, George Baker, Tina Turner, you name it. Tim, if you’re reading this, keep drinking those 40s son. Then, my boy Ian, you and your acid tales. You represent the youth of America, the wave of the future. And of course, the Prof$t, who is always lurkin in the shadows at the best shows.
Here’s a video from this show of the nice dudes playing my favorite NG song, “Cop Walk.”
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 