Friday March 29th 2024

Color Killer / State Of The Union / The New Frustrations / The Stigmatics

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Color Killer / State Of The Union / The New Frustrations / The Stigmatics
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA     7/29/18

 

I walk into the Midway and The Stigmatics are well into their set.

Actually, I almost turn around as I see that Blowfish and Miss Lyn from Boston Groupie News, our competition, is here.

But I, amiably, take my seat next to them in the press box and offer my utmost, insincere delight in seeing them.

Actually, they are our inspiration as they were the original Boston fanzine, which is what we are based upon.

And likewise, Blowfish says we are “their perspiration.” And when I ask him to elaborate on that he proclaims, “It’s because you stink!”

But after a short scuffle with him, I notice The Stigmatics don’t stink!

They describe themselves as “garage rock, proto-punk” and I feel that’s pretty accurate. As I think of them as eighties Boston punk, rooted in garage rock.

They also play a couple of country/rock numbers- not like the lame-o Eagles, more like the cool Stones.

And though I only catch half their set, I wholly like them.

About this time I go to give Sandy, the drummer for State Of The Union, a hug and when she turns around in her chair she’s unaware I’m holding a root beer soda in my hands (straight-edger that I am,) and it proceeds to spill across the immaculate, Midway floor.

Make note this is the second time in a row that I’ve spilt a beverage at the Midway.

Last week I spilt a nearly full Bud Light bottle across the floor. (Okay, maybe I’m not straight edge- closer to functioning alcoholic.)

That week Jill, the electrical bartenderess, kindly gave me another beer. I promptly emptied that one intentionally, onto the floor and immediately demanded another.

At first she refused, but when I promised not to spill it she granted my request.

Of course, I emptied that onto to the floor, also…this recurred for quite a while.

But with the root beer that Sandy so kindly bought me, I turn my attention to the stage.

The band starts to thank The Instamatics for playing, apologize for their mistake, as I vow to write about them as The New Flatulentions!

Though they’re really The New Frustrations and play in a style rooted and beered in eighties melodic/punk.

They start out strong with two of their best originals, “Radio Generation” and “Right As Rain” and follow with “Somebody Got Murdered” by The Clash, a song that Blowfish tries to convince me, he wrote and gave to Joe Strummer.

During the aforementioned “Right As Rain,” I get goose bumps on my arms. I recently read that only about a half to two-thirds of people have this reaction, though I’m guessing it’s almost everyone reading these words.

They play a Ramones cover, “We Got The Airways” that happens to have a line taken from a Doors song- “We want the world and we want it now.” Much like those lame-o Eagles used a line from a Doors song in “Hotel California”- “You are caught in a prison of your own demise.”

But I’m thoroughly enjoying this band while juggling my numerous beverages in dexterous display.

And today as they end their great set with “Bastards Of Young,” I’m thinking they’re a cross between Cheap Trick and The Replacements

Next is State Of The Union, another band with a heavy eighties influence but a bit more heavier take on it.

The bands consists of two blokes named Joe, who sing and play guitar and bass, respectively, with Sandy bashing away on the drums aggressively and ably.

They start out with their song “Bombs For Boston” which deals with the Boston Marathon bombing and Boston’s resilience and shortly after are playing “Fast Cars” by Agent Orange. And a bit later “No Place Like Home” by Boston’s own The Neighborhoods.

Their originals are always melodic, but intense and hard hitting, too.

Though their songs are energetic my favorite is the nearly hardcore in pace, “Taking A Ride,” which I feel must be a great journey.

And they end their great set with a great cover of The Ramones, “Beat On The Brat.”

Color Killer is up to close it out. This is a band of musical veterans whose combined experience on stage tally’s at 52 years!

Wait…it appears my notes are wrong…turns out that’s how long the four of them have been alive, consisting of two twelve-year olds along with one who’s ten and one who’s eight!

Before the set I see the eight or ten year old lead singer/lead guitarist sitting in his mother’s lap and I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen a punk singer do that before.

But no matter what their ages these guys kick ass! I say to a member of a band who played earlier today, “Take your eyes off the stage or imagine you’re still outside and haven’t entered- would you say to yourself, there’s a bunch of kids playing inside?”

He readily agrees you wouldn’t.

I reiterate my take on, “This is the one band I cover that definitely has roadies as, no way can they lift their amps.” Blowfish adds, “They’ll all quit when they’re older and find out that’s not part of the deal!”

I note their cover of The Dead Kennedy’s “Holiday In Cambodia” is much better than any other band I’ve seen cover it. I note their drummer twirling his sticks during the stops in “American Idiot” by Green Day.

And I note that in early punk times, guitarist and bassist used to sling their instruments low to their waists to look cool, but these guys guitars are down by their knees!

They do a mix of covers and originals- didn’t everyone do that today? And prove that you’re never too young and never too old to play punk.

They end with a slammin’ version of The Ramones “Blitzkreig Bop.” The third band in a row to play a Ramones cover.

I predict The Ramones are gonna be special.

Just like Color Killer already is.

(Slimedog)

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