At last, we are here. I remember being away on vacation last July, when I received a message from Trip Thompson about doing a potential collaboration with Burger Records in releasing The Prefab Messiahs’ first material in over 30 years. I hit play and was serenaded by those Eastern influenced guitar licks on the opening track “SsydarthurR.” It’s eight months later and I’m still spinning or screaming. That screaming sound is probably me or you or kids like you and me. Ahh, see what I did there? Ahh.
But yes, us kids are collaborating with Fullerton, CA’s Burger Records to bring you The Prefab Messiahs’ Maxi-EP “Keep Your Stupid Dreams Alive” and the record release show is tonight, March 19th, at the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, MA. The Prefabs will be joined by next KLYAM Records releasers, The Barbazons (formerly known as The Fagettes), Secret Lover, and Fedavees. Fedavess go on first at 9. Be there early! 18+ $10. Presented by Illegally Blind & Kids Like You & Me.
UPDATE: Given the conditions, we’ve decided to cancel tonight’s show, damn!!!!!!!!! We were really looking forward to showing Fire Retarded what’s good and seeing them perform. Be sure to check them out if you have not already! We plan on rescheduling this show with Rad Castle for sometime in March so please stay a float for those announcements! Thanks everyone, stay warm!
Holy snow Batman! We need to all come together and get all close and fuzzy. This is just the place. Next Monday, February 9th, exactly a week from today Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) & Rad Castle bring you a fine ass show at Middle East’s ZuZu featuring Madison, Wisconsin’s Fire Retarded! Joining them are some of KLYAM’s favorite people: The Fagettes, Miami Doritos, and Gangbang Gordon. Show starts at 10 PM, 21+ :( sorry kids. Oh and did I mention that this show is FREE! That’s right FREE.
Even though, it’s free please spare some extra $$$ for Fire Retarded as they are on tour from Wisconsin!
Yo what up fuckers, the week is almost over and I bet you’re pretty excited, well here’s another reason to be excited, so excited you’re going to burst into flames of excitement… the latest music video from local yokels Black Beach. It’s called “Rats” and it’s sure to please the eyes, the ears, the hips, and the soul. It’s kooky ass kool fun for the whole family. Wavy colors and footage from last month’s record release show at Mid East Up. Eat it uppp: http://blackbeachma.bandcamp.com/
I know this sounds like bullshit and I do say it every year, but each year gets better. I’d be lying if I said 2014 was the best year of my life, but as far as KLYAM goes it was definitely the best year for KLYAM. Every year does get better, just look at our label. We put out three more releases that we’re very proud of – Nice Guys/Miami Doritos Splifft 7″, Back Pages – Singles 13, and The Electric Street Queens – Live From Your Dreams, We’re The… and we have more on the way. Just look at our calendar, we went to more shows than ever this year. I counted 85 shows I attended this year, I know for some people that’s nothing, but considering I’m not in a band, I don’t have a car, I’m broke, and don’t live in the city, I’d say that’s pretty good. But hey, it’s not quantity, it’s quality (though we got both!), so here’s my top ten favorite shows from 2014:
10) The Orwells & Twin Peaks @ Great Scott (3/4) – Our dudes, The Orwells always put on a fantastic show and we saw them three times this year, but the Great Scott set was by far the best. Right up against the stage where the action is, no douchebag security guys or broseph stalins, just straight up fun. Oh and who could forget Mario hucking the mic stand into the crowd. Classic. KLYAM Review: https://klyam.com/2014/04/05/review-the-orwells-twin-peaks-great-scott-3414/
9) TIE: Nice Guys & Miami Doritos Tour Kick Off w/ Malportardo Kids and Grave Ideas & Nice Guys, Free Pizza, Ladybones, Dinoczar, both @ Thieves Grotto (2/28 & 11/21, respectively) – This is just one big shout out to the Grotto and Nice Guys. Nice Guys are honorary klyamers and so are Miami Doritos, and we love Free Pizza, we’ll miss those Miami boys. Ahh so much Miami! Guys, pizza, doritos. All the bands are named after food! Haha, but ya Thieves Grotto throws the most insane basement shows and it’s always a party. I wish every show was like these shows. KLYAM Review (2/28): https://klyam.com/2014/03/22/review-nice-guys-miami-doritos-tour-kick-off-thieves-grotto-22814/ & (11/21): https://klyam.com/2014/11/26/nice-guys-free-pizza-thieves-grotto-112114/
8) Cumstain, Free Pizza, Gangbang Gordon (BUFU Tape Release), White Pages @ JP Drive In (8/24) – I still haven’t gotten over this show, not even just the show itself, but the very fact that it happened. Call me crazy, call me wild, call me a cocksucker, I don’t give a fuck. I’ve been waiting to see this band for four years now, I still can’t believe it. It was awesome to finally meet the stains themselves as well. This show is also significant because it was the first KLYAM Presents show in nearly a year and it was my homie, Gangbang Gordon’s BUFU tape release show. Cheers buddy. KLYAM Review: https://klyam.com/2014/09/20/review-cumstain-free-pizza-gangbang-gordon-tape-release-white-pages-jp-drive-in-82414/
7) Nobunny, The Hussy, The Fagettes, Banditas, Gangbang Gordon @ Middle East Upstairs (2/4) – NO NO needs NO introduction. It’s always a blast seeing the bunnyman in action, especially in front of a rowdy, sold out Boston crowd filled with tons of my friends. Solid set of openers including one of my favorites, The Hussy, whom made both their Boston and KLYAM debut. A highly memorable show that brought us some joy and warmth in the middle of a shivering, cold ass winter. KLYAM Review: https://klyam.com/2014/02/15/review-nobunny-the-hussy-fagettes-banditas-gangbang-gordon-mid-east-upstairs-2414/
6) Black Lips & Natural Child @ Paradise (4/19) – Of course, my favorite band, Black Lips, of course you’d see them here and you’ll see them again my friends. At last, I can finally put them on my year end lists again; we haven’t seen the flower punkers live since 2011. WHATT?! This was also my first time seeing Natural Child, yet another band I’ve been anticipating seeing for years. KLYAM Review: https://klyam.com/2014/05/31/review-black-lips-natural-child-paradise-41914/
5) Black Lips, The King Khan & BBQ Show, Coke Weed @ Port City Music Hall (9/27) – I always love seeing a show at a venue I’ve never been to before, even if it’s a traditional music hall, it’s still new to me. I haven’t been in Portland (Maine) for a while, so that’s an added bonus. More importantly, this is a KLYAMER’s wet dream bill. Two giants of contemporary garage slime, straight up Rock ‘n’ Roll all in one night. Definitely some of best I’ve seen from the Lips and KKBBQ in years. No KLYAM Review, because my dog ate it. Do kids still say that?
4) Ty Segall, La Luz, Boytoy @ Great Scott (9/19) – At this point in his career, Ty Segall can and will sell out large clubs, but that wasn’t the case this time. The show was sold out, of course, but it was at Great Scott, a relatively small venue. This is Ty here. I never thought I’d see him on that small stage. It was nuts. A vicious set with tunes from all over his career. Why can’t all my favorites just stop here? No bigger clubs (except Middle East). Ty’s the face of our rock ‘n’ roll and this show is a testament that Boston loves him. KLYAM Review: https://klyam.com/2014/10/06/review-ty-segall-la-luz-boytoy-great-scott-91914/
3) Black Lips, The King Khan & BBQ Show, The Kominas @ Paradise (9/28) – Christ, what a Black Lips whore. You knew what you were getting into when you started reading this. Night II of my Black Lips/KKBBQ Rock ‘n’ Roll Weekend and as you can probably tell the superior of the two nights. In particular, the Lips shined through cranking out golden oldies such as “I’ve Got A Knife” and “Ain’t No Deal” among other classics from all over their fifteen year reign of terror. These Atlantans were as feisty as ever (including newcummer/oldcummer Jack Hines, welcome back Jack!). Speaking of bodily fluids, never thought I’d see Cole peeing in his mouth again, damn I thought that was over after 2006 haha. Best of all, the Lips and KKBBQ merged as one and performed as the gospel supergroup, The Almighty Defenders. I SAW THE LIGHT. Oh and we got to enjoy a beer with some of the guys backstage, also something I’d never expect at the Paradise. I told Jared that I lost my virginity while The Spooks were playing in the background, which is true, he said “Well, cheers to that!” Yes, cheers.
2) Atlantic Thrills (Album Release), Ravi Shavi, Gymshorts, Littlefoot @ Dusk (2/1) – Providence consistently dishes out the wildest shows and this was total debauchery, one of the craziest shows I’ve ever seen. While, I don’t think anyone was hurt (though I had several bruises) I do mean crazy. The word gets tossed around all too often, but this one is up there. Pandemonium. At the very least, just good old fashioned fun. Whether it was all the nudity, moshing, silly string, beer flying, or simply singing along to all the songs we’ve come to know and love, it was a special little feeling you don’t get often and if I could trap it in a bottle and sell it to all of ya’ll, I’d be a billionaire. And we KLYAMERS have really been waiting for this record to come out, three years now. An epic show with stellar opening sets might I add. What we call in my line of work a “stacked line up.” Keep up the craziness in 2015 and beyond. KLYAM Review: https://klyam.com/2014/02/10/review-atlantic-thrills-album-release-show-w-ravi-shavi-gymshorts-littlefoot-dusk-2114/
1) BUFU Fest @ Cambridge Elks Lodge (4/25 & 4/26) – I’ve been to a few local music festivals now, but this one tops them all. Easily the closest to what a KLYAM Fest would look like (Fuzzstival is a close second though). A wide variety of acts being thrust in your face. One moment you’re rocking out to the Nice Guys, the next you’re singing along to ACLU Benefit’s one man show, then the next minute you’re shouting about “living in Boston, Massachusetts” with Free Pizza or you’re caught in a mosh with Guerrilla Toss. I’m ready to do it all over again this year. KLYAM Review: https://klyam.com/2014/06/14/bufu-fest-recap-425-2614/
So, that’s that. As I said before, there were a ton of excellent shows I/we attended this year, I could make an honorable mentions list, but the list would go on and on. At the very least, here’s a list of my favorite bands I saw for the first time in 2014 in chronological order: Littlefoot, The Hussy, The Sulk Scouts, Buttercup, Tacocat, Durt Dog The Band, Natural Child, Juan Wauters, ACLU Benefit, The Ar-Kaics, Beach Toys, Robot Death Kites, Black Beach, The Lemons, Cumstain, (New England) Patriots, Ben Katzman’s DeGreaser, Good Nature (formerly known as Phaze), Ausmuteants, Ursula, Show Me The Body, Buck Gooter, Big Buck Hunter, and Feral Jenny.
We will be freezing our asses off in February, but at least we’ll have plenty of rock ‘n’ roll to heat us up haha! Enter Madison, Wisconsin’s FIRE RETARDED, a demonic, boisterous crew of lads (featuring Bobby Hussy of The Hussy) that are hitting up the East Coast and South this Winter! We’re especially excited for their show on Monday, February 9th @ Middle East’s ZuZu in Cambridge w/ The Fagettes, Miami Doritos, and Gangbang Gordon! . It’s a KLYAM Presents affair and we’re teaming up with weekly Monday night ZuZu hosts, Rad Castle. For everyone else, check out the dates below…
Tour Dates:
Wednesday 2/4 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
w/ Rat Hammer, The Sueves
Thursday 2/5 – Indianapolis, IN @ Sexxx Mansion / House
Friday 2/6 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory
w/ Growing Pains
Saturday 2/7 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class
w/ New Planet Trampoline, Brent Collins, Ancestral Pearls
Sunday 2/8 – Buffalo, NY @ TBA Monday 2/9 – Boston, MA @ ZuZu w/ The Fagettes, Gangbang Gordon, Miami Doritos
Tuesday 2/10 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Palisades
w/ Sharkmuffin
Wednesday 2/11 – Baltimore, MD @ The Windup
Thursday 2/12 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
Friday 2/13 – Wilmington, NC @ Reggies 42nd Club
w/ Deadly Lo-Fi
Saturday 2/14 – Atlanta, GA @ 529
Sunday 2/15 – New Orleans, LA @ Saturn Bar
w/ Buck Biloxi, Trampoline Team
Monday 2/16 – Austin, TX @ The Grand
w/ A Giant Dog
Tuesday 2/17 – Fort Worth, TX @ TBA
Wednesday 2/18 – Memphis, TN @ Buccaneer
w/ Manateees
Thursday 2/19 – Springfield, MO @ TBA
Friday 2/20 – Kansas City, KS @ Minibar
w/ Lazy, Wet Ones, Kool 100s
Saturday 2/21 – Omaha, NE @ O’Leavers
Monday 2/23 – Madison, WI @ Mickey’s Tavern
w/ Human Kindness
Facialbook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/571864246183387/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
Hello to all you handsome devils and dominatrices out there. We the KLYAM have cooked up some spicy, sassy KLYAM Presents shows for y’all in January and February. Just oozing punk slime, the way we like it…
Friday, January 16th – The TeleVibes, Future Spa, Ben Tan, and 1 MORE TBA @ Cantab Lounge (basement) in Cambridge.$8, 21+, sorry kiddies :( 8 PM. Check out the slick flyer above from Future Spa’s own Cody Pettengil. https://www.facebook.com/events/375101495991229/
Saturday, January 24th – The Monsieurs, Atlantic Thrills, Feral Jenny, ACLU Benefit @ Lilypad in Cambridge. $7-10 Sliding Scale, ALL AGES!, 10PM-1AM. Flyer coming soon. FB EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/813886121991254/
Monday, February 9th – KLYAM Presents w/ RAD CASTLE: Fire Retarded (Wisconsin, members of The Hussy), The Fagettes, Miami Doritos, Gangbang Gordon @ ZuZu (Middle East) in Cambridge – FREE! (donations are accepted for the touring band) 21+, sorry kiddies :( 10 PM. Flyer and FB event page coming soon.
COME OUT TO ALL OF THESE! YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED. THREE NIGHTS OF BARE BONES ROCK ‘N’ ROLL AT ITS FINEST.
Date: Saturday, August 2, 2014 Venue: Middle East Upstairs and Downstairs (Cambridge, MA) Bands: Dinoczar, Black Beach, Gymshorts, The TeleVibes, Beware The Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion!, CreaturoS, Atlantic Thrills, Abadabad, Magic Shoppe, 28 Degrees Taurus, The Fagettes, Fat Creeps, Doug Tuttle, Ghost Box Orchestra, The New Highway Hymnal
Once again, here’s another show review in spectacularly late fashion! Ahh at least last year’s review was completed merely hours after leaving the show. Can’t win em’ all, but we live to fight again or something like that. Anywho, here’s some fond recollections of my favorite bands’ performances at this year’s Fuzzstival…. oh and a lengthy introduction as to cap it all off. You didn’t think you would escape one of my lengthy introductions now did you??? Haha.
We love going to shows. You don’t need me to tell you that unless you assumed we were masochists this whole time. It’s all been our great displeasure seeing all of your bands perform live year after year. It’s been ever so painful. Though, if it’s painful for a masochist isn’t it also pleasurable? You got me. We’re actually not masochists, we’re sadists. We spew filth and fury. Hate us on facebook.
Festivals are simply shows on steroids or better yet shows in the midst of a nasty coke binge. One band and then another and then another and then another and then another. Sensory overload. All senses are fuzzed up by the end of this shindig. All senses. The Lysergic Factory Lightshow, Video Joe Turner, and Wax House A/V scrape the mucus off your brain, Emma’s Pizza deliver mouth watering slices, and fifteen of New England’s feistiest tear through what’s left of your withering eardrums. I think that covers all the senses. Ahh well, you get the gist.
We at KLYAM typically cover the fuzzy variety – garage spunk psychaholics. So, it’s an absolute pleasure to have an entire festival dedicated to this “style” of music. Big thanks to Jason Trefts/Illegally Blind for doing what must be done. We thoroughly enjoyed last year’s Fuzzstival, but the line up this year is even superior: many of our own local favorites and on top of it all, the party takes place at our favorite venue, Middle East.
———— UPSTAIRS ————-
Gymshorts – We scurry into the Middle East, fretting that we may have missed our Providence dawgs in Gymshorts. As we slime into the Mid East Up, I notice a crowded room and Gymshorts setting up to play and I realize I haven’t missed anything. An awesome relief washes over me. Per usual they launch into “Scumdog” I WANNA GET HIGHHHH AND I WANNA GET STONEDDDD” ya you know. They shred the usual No Backsies jams then things come to a halt briefly when one of their strings breaks. Hey, rock ‘n’ roll ain’t perfect. They bounce back with an apropos tune for the moment in “Oh Brother.” Catch these shorts on a giant ass tour all across these here United States: https://www.facebook.com/events/250069071850157/ Bandcamp: http://gymshorts.bandcamp.com/
The TeleVibes – Dude, these vibes get right under your skin and crawl around for a few days/weeks at a time. You’ll be telling all your friends and loved ones about how awesome The TeleVibes were at the Fuzzstival. Fuck, your grandchildren.
The Tellies are fuzztastic, but they got a little more than just grit in their wee bellies. They possess a tenacious affection for mind melting psych noise that’s dripping garage snot rockets all over the place. Guitar riffs coming straight from the bowels of hell. That’s old Charlie Northin’ there and old Scott Lorin’. And old brother Christian Hardy packing heat and smacking away on the skins. Sounds like these young men have spent entirely too much alone time with Mr. Dwyer and Mr. Segall. So, I guess then that’s not alone time, ahh well it’s too late to go back now. The past is the past and we’re living in a modern world, whatever that means.
I’ve seen The Tellies in the past, but prior to this Fuzzstival, it’s been about seven months (HOLY SHIT I know, I was shocked as well) and they sincerely sound better than ever. Actually, my favorite band at the Fuzzstival. Dig it. It’s dug. These Tellies be vibin’ so hard. They slap me in the face like a bag of wet dicks. Each guitar lick is a new slap to the face and I suppose the masochist in me wants more. More More More, no wait, wrong fuzz band. Forgive me or not, whichever works. I’ll be seeing The TeleVibes again and again, in my head and in my bed, now that I got me my very own Washed Up EP on cassette! LISTEN to it HERE: http://thetelevibesofficial.bandcamp.com/
Beware The Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion! – Listen up, you little freaks. Here’s one band you’re not going to FUCK with… ladies and gentlemen, Beware The Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion!
I’ve been seeing these fine gents a lot lately. Starlab Fest, Black Lodge, and now here at the Fuzzstival. Beware is the premiere Boston surf rock band, a surf nut’s wet dream. They lean hard towards the nuttier side of the surf realm, fitting in perfectly within this fuzz fest as my friend Dylan likes to call it.
As always Beware puts on a fun, frenzied show, constantly hoppin’ and boppin’ around the stage, leaving the audience on the edge/over the edge. Definitely a band to catch in the flesh sooner than later. Their recordings sound just as demonic though, check them out here: http://ghostscorpion.bandcamp.com/
CreaturoS – Local psych juggernauts, CreaturoS headline the first half of Fuzzstival, being the last band to play at the Middle East Upstairs tonight. The group (as with most of the bands playing this thang) thank Jason Trefts for hosting such an epic event. They rip through an earache inducing set of psych pop that Boston fans have come to know and love.
At one point this dude climbs on stage and awkwardly stands up there with the band for a few seconds. I even think he’s a friend of the band for a minute. You know how sometimes bands pull up their comrades to sing or play along to a song. Not in this instance. The band smirks and kindly escorts the man off the stage. Perhaps he thought there would be a stage invasion like last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTFptrZH5Mc.
So, that’s the end of the first half of the fest. Oh and check out CreaturoS on bandcamp: http://creaturos.bandcamp.com/
———– DOWNSTAIRS ————
Atlantic Thrills – Providence dawgs Atlantic Thrills are kicking things off right for the second half of the Fuzz. Seeing the Thrillz up on stage here brings me back to the first time I saw them live about three years ago at this very same location opening for Those Darlins. Damn, and many more shows followed!
The crowd is still building up, but those of us that are present are devouring all the punk slime and saliva these maniacs have to offer. My favorite tonight is “Day At The Beach,” a great Summer jam or as Dan Tanner puts it “this song is about drugs and the beach.” Reckless abandon. For mo’ Atlantic Thrills: http://atlanticthrills.com/
The Fagettes – Illegally Blind seriously rolls out the upper crust of local fuzz and Fagettes is a prime example of that. The group (featuring Nice Guy Jake Gilbertson on bass) pounds through a rockin’ set of gettes classics such as “On Drugs,” “Gonna Die Out Here,” and a bunch of others my fuzzed out dome is missing.
The crowd moves and shakes a bit more during their set, but are still too motionless for my tastes. That’s one of my few qualms about the Fuzzstival. Lack of significant crowd participation/dancing/moshing. Everything else is tip top A ok.
Ryan Fagette is as feisty as ever, prowling around the stage, fighting off some technical difficulties with his guitar. He gives a fiery performance during “I Wanna Feel Good” as he makes his way to the crowd, standing tall above everyone. He fervently shouts I WANNA FEEL GOOD directly into various patron’s eyes. He even messes around with the Lysergic Factory’s light show, making a mess out of all dem pretty colors. http://thefagettes.bandcamp.com/
Fat Creeps – FC is fresh off a two week tour with The Lentils. A friend of mine observed that bands always sound tighter when they have just come back from tour and I think that’s true in this instance. It’s like everything else, if you keep persistent, you naturally get better. I’m just happy to finally see the band perform at my favorite above ground venue; I believe this is their first time playing at the Middle East Downstairs. Anyway, definitely one of the better shows I’ve seen from the trio recently. No hesitation, kick out the jams, and raise some hell. Some hell.
I’m at the point now where I don’t really have much more to say about this band, I’ve seen them over 30 times and it’s always been a pleasure. I dig some of the audio assault in the “new” songs from Must Be Nice such as “Party” and “Having So Much Fun,” but I’ll always have a place in my heart for the oldies like “Nancy Drew” and “700 Parts.” It’s all good. http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/
We missed The New Highway Hymnal :( but, if I had seen them, they surely would appear in this article. Check them out regardless: http://thenewhighwayhymnal.bandcamp.com/
So, that’s my recollections. One big final shout out again to Jason Trefts/Illegally Blind. Like, follow, share, support, do whatever you do on the fascist book, just most importantly GO to the fine ass shows he’s constantly putting on around Boston. https://www.facebook.com/IllegallyBlindPresents
Y’all know our favorite singer from Queens? Of course you do. Juan Wauters (one of the dudes in The Beets, duh) is the man of the hour and he will be breaking hearts and crushing souls this month opening for The Crystal Stilts and slaying at NXNE. Check the dates below. Sadly, no Boston dates, though he is playing in New Salem, MA!
Tour Dates:
06/14 – Washington, DC – Rock and Roll Hotel^
06/15 – Baltimore, MD – OttoBar^
06/16 – Pittsburgh, PA – Cattivo^
06/17 – Lakewood, OH – Mahall’s^
06/18 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle^
06/19 – Toronto, ON – NXNE @ The Garrison
06/20 – Toronto, ON – NXNE @ The Smiling Buddha
06/21 – Toronto, ON – NXNE @The Smiling Buddha
06/22 – Hudson, NY – The Half Moon
07/06 – Oakland, CA – Burger Boogaloo
07/07 – Santa Rosa, CA – Arlene Francis Center
07/08 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall *
07/09 – Los Angeles, CA – Los Globos
07/10 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Wayfarer
07/12 – New York, NY – 4Knots Festival 08/02 – New Salem, MA – 1794 Meetinghouse
Bands: Beware The Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion!, Sun Lions, Soft Pyramids, Whiskey Warpath Date: Saturday, March 22, 2014 Venue: Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge, MA)
We missed Whiskey Warpath and Soft Pyramids. Damn, next time!
Sun Lions – I have mixed feelings about this band. They are pleasant in some respects, especially in a live setting, but I’m not going bonkers over them either. It’s just too clean and proper for my savage tastes. I need an extra kick in the gut to loosen me up a little bit. This set feels like it lasts forever too. http://thesunlions.bandcamp.com/
Beware The Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion! – Now, here is a band more to my liking. BTDOAGS is a trippy, all instrumental surf rock outfit, a surf nut’s wet dream, if you will.
Staying true to their name, the guys bear an air of mystery to them. Dressed in black shirts and blue jeans and wearing bandannas that cover most of their faces, they never verbally interact with their audience, not once. Instead, they communicate with their music.
I am always biased when it comes to surf music. I find it hard not to enjoy it, even if it is extremely generic. Frankly, it actually all sounds the same to me, but that’s just it, it’s a sound and one that I never get tired of hearing. Still, BTDOAGS picks it up a notch with their sinister, horror punk take on the genre. Anyway you look at it, it’s fun.
Overall, a strong set, but I’ve seen better from the band. The venue is mostly filled and the crowd is digging the band, rightfully so, but I’d rather see at least one of the members leap off the stage and dance around with the audience or entice them to move more as I have seen in the past. Regardless, always a pleasure to see these dudes. BTDOAGS in a basement/underground setting, now that is something I need to see next. http://ghostscorpion.bandcamp.com/
Bands: The TeleVibes, Atlantic Thrills, Vundabar, Kid/Astro Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 Venue: Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge, MA)
Kid/Astro – Originally, The Guru was slated to play this show, but unfortunately they couldn’t make it. No need to worry, Kid/Astro steps in as a last minute replacement and I can already hear them blasting away as I scuttle my way through the Middle East restaurant. By the time I make it to the upstairs venue space, the band’s set is nearly finished; at least, I’m able to catch a couple of tunes. They have a noise pop quality to them, reminding me of No Age and early Wavves. I’ll keep an eye out for them in the future. http://yokidastro.bandcamp.com/
Vundabar – This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Vundabar, but it feels like this is the first time I’ve seen Vundabar. I actually first saw the band perform at the Wilder Zangcraft in Lowell (The TeleVibes and Atlantic Thrills were on that bill too, y’all run with good crowds!) and that was way back in August, so my memory is a bit blurry. The second time I saw the dudes was in fact just last Saturday at O’Brien’s Pub. But, brother, boy ohh boy, I don’t have the foggiest….
In spite of my wayward shenanigans, oddly enough, when the Vundabars play I recognize most of their tunes. This is astonishing to me, because it usually takes me a while to remember how a song goes and the funny thing is I’ve never actually looked up their music on bandcamp or whatever. It’s like the group’s songs pitched a tent and camped out in the bowels of my subconscious, finally rising to the surface tonight at the Middle East. This is a rare feat and is a testament to the band’s ability to write a strong, distinct pop song.
With all that being said, I’d prefer it if the jams were sloppier and rougher. It’s too clean for my tastes; I liken them to Interpol, Editors, and The Walkmen – and those are all great bands, so if you dig that stuff you may just want to gobble up a Vundabar. All in all, a solid band/show. http://vundabar.bandcamp.com/
Atlantic Thrills – Don’t even get me fucking started here. You think I need to tell you about Atlantic Thrills again? Well, apparently I do. I don’t know where you have been this whole time, but that’s okay. At least you’re here now. Last Summer, you should have spent a day at the beach with Dan Tanner, dropping acid and feeling titties while his song was on the radio. I know, you missed out. Again, it’s okay. You’re just in time for Atlantic Thrills s/t debut via Almost Ready Records. And I assure you, there will be plenty of acid and titties, more than your little mind’s eye can imagine.
It is a real exciting time for Providence’s finest. With a full- length album on the cusp of it’s official release and a month long tour (including a trip to SXSW) on the horizon, it seems anything is possible for the Thrillz. Fourteen shows deep for this guy and I can safely say it’s not enough! Glen and I have really grown to love and appreciate these songs over the years.
Tonight’s set is splattered with nearly all album cuts, those very songs we have held so close to us since 2011/2012. I can remember standing in this very spot, in front of the stage at the Middle East Up and being stoned out of mind as I first heard the 60’s slow dance ballad, “Foreign Lands” and thinking it sounded like Against Me!’s “Baby, I’m An Anarchist.” Or better yet hearing my favorite Thrilz number, “Lie to Me” (or “Lies” as we traditionally know it) and feeling like someone took the Black Lips and the King Khan & BBQ Show and hucked them in a blender. So yes, I’ve been to my fair share of Thrillz shows and this is one of the best, from the band and the crowd. Though, these dudes always kill it, but the crowd response varies in the sense of movement anyway. For this show, there’s plenty of dancing and some fun moshing, especially during set closer, “Acid Rain,” yeah that dirty one will do the dirty trick.
P.S. I love Dan’s Back to the Future reference! YOU KNOW THAT NEW SOUND YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR, WELL LISTEN TO THIS! http://www.atlanticthrills.com/
Set-List:
“Problems”
“On My Mind”
“Light Shines”
“Give It Back”
“Lie to Me”
“Drugs In It”
“Day At the Beach”
“Boozin’ All Night”
“Foreign Lands”
“So Long”
“Holy Mountain”
“Mind’s Eye”
“Acid Rain”
The TeleVibes – You vibin’ hard or hardly vibin’ at all? Well, The TeleVibes (or The Tellies as I like to call them, no band is safe from my obnoxious nick names!) will take care of you, fix you up real nice. Perhaps, a hot towel, some reading material, and their brand spankin’ new EP Washed Up available on cassette via 456 Records.
Yes sir, these kids are busting out heavy, psych POP with a knack for savage SURF ROCK. It just makes my cold blood tingle and my ass jiggle. That kind of rhymes, ehhh…. I can’t help but feel sorry for anyone that hasn’t heard this band yet. We see a lot of bands, but there’s only so many that make us want to keep coming back for more and more, until we are completely stuffed and barfing all the way down Central Square, terrifying uptight, working class hipsters that want to remain clean, what a little puss. The TeleVibes are rock ‘n’ roll done right or wrong, which makes it right or wrong, I don’t know, I lost myself at vibin’.
A big shout out goes to the trippy, multicolored beast known as the Lysergic Factory Light Show, making everything look pretty and far out for all the bands, making them look even prettier. This is especially true for the Tellies, adding more flavor to their joyous rock ‘n’ roll show. My favorite moment is when Scott Loring (bass) and Charlie Northern (guitar/vocals) hop off the stage and onto the floor to rock out with the crowd of demented moshers. Good times. Meanwhile, Christian Hardy bashes away at the skins like they said something derogatory about his mother.
Favorite song? The titular “Washed Up” is my pick. Damn, that bastard will haunt you. That fucking guitar riff is priceless, it will creep up on you like a spider that crawls all around your balls sack, sliming it’s way into your asshole. All you can do is twitch and moan, twist and shout “GET HIM OFF ME! GET HIM OFF ME!” If you’re not vibin’ by now, I’m gonna have to sick that damn spider on you. Listen up: http://thetelevibesofficial.bandcamp.com/
Last big shout out to Jason Trefts/ Illegally Blind, you put on some fine ass shows sir!
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 