Jay Genoa’s New Blood Showcase
Capital Radio / Fast Times / The Shitbirds / Silver Screams / Jaymz Purtle
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 5/10/14
So I saunter into Jay Genoa’s New Blood Showcase which I’ve been led to believe is a vampire themed show with new goth bands and the Twilight show and young, virgin bands being accosted by older bands sucking their vital creative juices out of them and leaving discarded drained bodies behind the Midway.
Seems I’m wrong- just a new punk band showcase, which is more than all right by me.
But today is May 10th and that’s Barbie Doll’s birthday- she cuts my hair, she’s a hairdresser and she cuts a sight to behold. She is gorgeous and the reason I’m gorgeous as well.
So first up I see Jaymz Purtle the drummer of Hope & The Husbands and Hobo Chili. Today he is singing solo and playing his ukulele. He play the “Spiderman Theme,” he plays “Faith” by George Michael. He sings in a low voice that recalls Iggy Pop at his most mellow and he is the best ukulele player I know, notwithstanding, that he is the only one I know who does this.
He ends with “Strutter” by Kiss and for that alone can we acclaim him and still the accolades will feel incomplete.
Silver Screams is next. This is a trio ably manned by Niff , formerly of By The Throat and currently with the great new metal/hardcore band Arctic Horror.
They play a mixture of punk and post/punk and do a nice version of Joy Division’s “She Lost Control.” The rhythm section players are very able and they turn in an energetic set.
The Shitbirds are next and this is my second time seeing them. They have the guitarist of the great Quincy band, The Trash Killers in this band. Here he trades off vocals with another guitarist and they sound a bit like if Iggy & The Stooges and Minor Threat joined forces.
This is perfect, imperfect skate punk/garage rock and I feel that is just what the doctor ordered though it’s the band that is sick! ( I believe that means good).
I saw this band on New Years Eve and my only resolution is to see this band more often.
Next is Fast Times- Cape Cod’s finest punk band with an impeccable rhythm section and still this doesn’t hold them down! Nick, who was once swimming inside the ball sack of the guitar player from the Nervous Eaters, (the first band that I saw at the Rat back in 1977 or 1947, I can’t remember), sings and plays guitar terribly just to make the rhythm section look better. What a great guy!
They rock the house. They burn the house down. I’ve seen many sets by these guys and this, seriously, is their best one yet. Purtle makes them do “Taco Time,” as an encore and for that I can only be glad but you should be glad, also, for having punk bands around here as good as these guys.
Capital Radio is the last band. They’re a band that claims to mix traditional punk with eighties hardcore along with a melodic lead singer. Sounds like a potent mix of something I’d like to imbibe on.
The problem is though the music is solid high energy rock with an awesome rhythm section not once do I feel like I’m listening to a punk band. It’s too slick, too formulated for me.
No Tox is the tightest band around town but every second of their set screams out punk to me. And I hear bands often who don’t even play punk but every note screams punk to me- The Old Edison, for one.
This band didn’t do it for me but are very good at what they do, so check them out and perhaps you’ll disagree with me.
Thank you to Jay for putting on this show and more to follow- it’s a great idea! And coming soon, Slimedog’s Showcase for New Puppet Shows- New Wood!
(Slimedog)
