Flyer by Freak Flag
Bands: Smarty, White Fang, Colleen Green, The Memories, Ronnie Nordac’s Crying Lessons
Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Venue: Bathaus (Jamaica Plain, MA)

Ronnie Nordac’s Crying Lessons – Damn son, has it been six months already? April 25th was the first time I saw Ronnie Nordac and the original Crying Lessons and the last time I saw Colleen Green. Six months go by fast, but not as fast as the ultra speedy songs that comprise a Crying Lessons’ set. I guess that’s how they make you cry… they want to keep you crying for more. I’ve been seeing them a lot lately, so it’s working. Doo Wop, bubblegum pop, rock, they got you covered. It’s all heavenly. “Like” them on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CryingLessons

The Memories – Going into this show I had never listened to The Memories and only knew of them through their association with White Fang. I’m kicking myself now for not checking them out before, since they are one of the best live bands I have ever seen. The whole band is awesome, but much of this admiration is directed towards frontman Erik Gage.  Erik’s got that natural pizzaz to him, he’s all over the place and in your face, and best of all he and his bandmates got the music to back it up.

The Memories play slow, jam/psych fused garage pop.  All of the songs are super short, straight to the point and utterly hilarious. The Memories’ personality genuinely shines through in all of these colorful tunes. There are songs about fornicating with significant others while the rents are away, handing femmes your own prized art work only to  have them hand it back to you (what a bitch!), getting high and not going to work tomorrow (wish I could say the same), and a little something something that all of us need from time to time: “You Need a Big Man.” All of these absurd tunes remind me of Frank Zappa (especially in Erik’s vocals) and Ween  – the songs are goofy and not to be taken too seriously, but at the  same time they are well crafted and truly admirable.

Now, The Memories aren’t just a bunch of jokers. They also write important songs with serious subject matters. Erik introduces one of the set’s final numbers as their “most serious song.” This of course is “Go Down On You.” Listen to it here and giggle like the little school girl you are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTaR2Im0OHk
Listen to more here: http://thememories.bandcamp.com/

Colleen Green – Although I really dig White Fang and now The Memories, tonight I am mainly making the trek out to JP to see Colleen Green. I’ve seen Colleen a few times now and each time has been fairly different from the last. I’ve seen her play in bars, art galleries, and now basements. This seems to be a more natural setting for Colleen and her mellow music. It’s just Colleen, her guitar, and her drum machine. In my previous experiences, Colleen was accompanied with a full band (Plateaus) or her friend Marissa on guitar. So, just seeing her all by her lonesome is a departure, yet it feels closer to her recordings.

Colleen opens with “Only One” from her most recent release Sock It to Me (Hardly Art) and the packed basement’s attendees start to move and shake and twist and turn a little bit. She goes on to perform other CG classics such as “Dance the Night Away,” “I Wanna Be Degraded,” and “Worship You.”

As a whole, I wouldn’t say this is the most memorable Colleen Green show under my belt, but it’s still pretty sick and overall I can’t complain. If you haven’t heard Colleen Green yet, I urge you to check her stuff out RIGHT NOW. If you dig Ramones, Blink 182, Descendants, and all that spazz, then you oughta dig Colleen or I oughta knock yer lights out! http://colleengreen.bandcamp.com/

White Fang – I first heard White Fang earlier this June roughly around 11 AM at a bar known as Eugene O’Neil’s in Jamaica Plain. When you’re a KLYAMER no time is too early for a beer; we’re night owls and early risers at the same time. We’re everywhere and we’re growing each day. Beware. But, back to White Fang. A local peep by the name of Jeff Somers was working the bar at the time and he introduced Glen and I to the almighty White Fang. We were vibin’ to their infectious grooves alright, all night. You could say we were late to the White Fang hysteria, given the fact that these dudes have been around for years. Bradford Cox even wrote about them on the Deerhunter blog in 2008; he’s always ahead of the game, gotta love that dude.

So, yeah White Fang rules and most of the band comprises of members of The Memories including singer, Erik Gage. In similar fashion, White Fang is all fuzzed out with their gnar pop and chop. White Fang tends to be heavier though, and they get the crowd all riled up. There’s some quasi moshing during their set and everyone is having a gay olde time. Gay as a fox.

One of White Fang’s most memorable joints is a little ditty known as “Can’t Deal With Being Real” and it’s dedicated to all the (not so) kewl cats that aren’t in attendance tonight.  Here’s to White Fang for keeping it real, hope you last forever. http://whitefang420.bandcamp.com/

Unfortunately, we missed Smarty :(

The masterminds we call Freak Flag put on this holy show and they deserve a big shout and lots of love! Check out their blog here: http://www.freakflagboston.com/ They also host various DJ nights in the Boston area and publish a mind bending newsletter/quarterly that will make your head spin in all its awesomeness.