Brainrot / Whoopi Sticks / Trashawk / Child Ride
O’Briens Pub, Allston, MA 11/24/14
I’m the man that make his presence where no presence is felt. Like a ghost, my bearings are fleeting. I’m prone to go unnoticed ’cause that’s how I gather my information, my data, as you new ones like to call it.
But I’m there observing, not making judgement, just reporting- just laying down the facts as they may be.
I’m making my way to O’Brien’s Cocktail Lounge on the Allston side of the city. I’m a P.I., a private investigator. I go by the name of Samm Gunn.
The daily newspaper, Thrash N Bang, employed me today. Seems the Slimedog writer has deemed the headliner here- Brainrot- his best new band of the year.
Seems to me they got their name from looking inside Slimedog’s cranium. With such dubious recommendation, with Slimedog in and out of the drunk tank , I’m here to check out the facts myself.
I give my fedora and trench-coat to the coat check girl, buy some cigarettes from the passing cigarette girl and follow the maitre’d to a table left of the stage. I order a martini, light a cigarette, cross my legs and wait.
Child Ride is the first act to perform tonight. They’re a trio of long haired lads. They play loud songs with a lot of bass chords in them.
They do a nice cover of “Just The Girl” by Devo and the one hit the Butthole Surfers had, I think it was called “Pepper”? At least they do part of it, I think.
This is a fun band with a lot of energy but I wouldn’t call them a punk band. And for this there is no redemption (five cents) and for this there is no excuse (my two cents).
Trashawk is next to perform. Not sure how to classify this band or how to take them with their flippant remarks like, “It’s great to be back at Great Scott’s again.”
I’d call them speed punk but punk’n’roll would fit as well. They carry the feel of an eighties Boston punk band so it’s hard to say where they fall.
They throw what sounds like a fifties do-wop ballad into the middle of a fast punk song. And they turn in a set that is gritty and real, no frills, no bullshit. Hard and energetic and pure with passion as any band from the original punk scene, or one that recalls it, would.
Whoopi Sticks is the next combo to take the stage. Two girls and two guys led by Lindsey who sings and play drums and writes the songs ( all at once). To see her composing new songs with pen and sheet music while she performs on drums and sings is truly amazing.
Chunky and Dave play guitars, Jaymz plays bass, adds vocals and wears silly hats and together they create a sound that could be called experimental garage and punk in spirit.
Listening to them I would describe their music as young child throwing a tantrum and breaking things. But more accurately, I’ll describe them as a young band breaking the rules of formula music and being creative and fun.
Now it’s time for a new band, Brainrot, who’s debut album got picked in Slimedog’s top five of the year.
This is their first time playing Boston and I’m sure Slimedog would be excited seeing them if not for the fact that he’s probably passed out, outside somewhere, in a pool of vomit and piss, some of which is his and some of the more unfortunate.
I can tell right off that this band has that mix of punk, metal and hardcore that Slimedog’s been raving about. And they have an excellent drummer along with a forceful, intense singer. And, I must admit, this band is a cut above the rest of this style.
This is heavy hardcore, metal influenced, punk in attitude, hardcore vocals and as intense, passionate and pure, hard and true as what you’d want or really, even more than you’d expect or dream of.
This is first class stuff and they play a furiously, impressive set.
Just then Mitzi strolls in, seems like she’s missed all the festivities. She’s just a friend but is all that I aspire to. But all that’s been good tonight, which is almost all that’s transpired, is embodied in her.
She didn’t really have to be here for me to see it. But I see it in the way she holds herself, the way her head is poised, tilted to the side. The light beaming off in her eyes reassuring me that this is the place I should be and that this is all I ever wanted.
I light her cigarette. I offer her a ride.
(Samm Gunn)
