Crazy Jay Genoa’s Third New Blood Showcase
Machine Gun Etiquette / Get The Fear / Tensor / Red Tape / Jaymz Purtle
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 8/26/2012
This is Jay Genoa’s Third New Band Showcase at the Midway and all three have been covered by TNB. And the day before was his 30th Birthday bash and that fun show will be covered here, as well. Actually, I’ve noticed that these shows are a mixture of new bands and bands that have been around for a while, and today is no exception.
Jaymz Purtle, the drummer for Red Line Rebels and Hope & The Husbands, is the first act. He sings and plays covers of pop songs using his ukulele. He has a very low voice, similar to Iggy Pop at his most mellow. So if you can picture Iggy Pop, alone, with a ukulele, crooning “Faith” by George Michael, you get the idea. Sometimes, as in this case, you can see how insipid the lyrics of pop songs really are when it’s laid bare without the big production. That song and one from Monty Python’s movie, “The Meaning Of Life,” are standouts for me. Half sincere, half tongue in cheek this is certainly a unique and fun performance.
After Jaymz is a brand new band, Red Tape, playing their very first show. They are a trio and look very young and very fresh. While I’m sitting at the bar with a couple of guys who, like me, do not look so young and fresh, we start talking about old bands like Jerry’s Kids, The FU’s and Lou Miami. I figure out that these are dads of a couple of the guys in the band. Red Tape kicks off with a rockin’, high energy number that I believe is called, “I’m Fucked Up.” (I assured the dads this wasn’t the title, that it was, in fact, a song about a snobby girl and is called, “I’m Stuck Up.”) These young guys sound more like an old-school Rat band than a current hardcore band which is fine with me and it’s a style they do very well. Sure, they play some songs that sound like Irish punk or hardcore; but I think high energy garage rock is their strong suit and they should stick with it. And special notice to the drummer laying down the surf and garage beats. I could see Jay was quite taken with this band and we’ll probably see them again soon.
Up next is Tensor, a band I caught once before. They’re also a bunch of young guys with a more hardcore sound along with a big traditional punk influence, as well. Actually, the music is more hardcore while the vocals which are more punk and snarly, somewhat in the style of Frankie Sinn from The Stretchers. The singer exudes a lot of punk attitude making me think of Lee Ving from the band Fear. They have very good songs and this is a very fun band to see live. I would love to catch them more often.
Get The Fear is not a new band, in fact this is supposed to be their last show. (Afterward, I heard that there will be one more final one). It’s too bad because I’ve seen them a few times now and I’ve seen them improve. Though a hardcore band they have many twists and turns in their music with progressive elements at times or funk/rock like Rage Against The Machine. They lead off today with an able cover of “California Uber Alles,” and impress resident solo artist/ bartender Lenny Lashley enough for him to compliment them after their set. I agree, and TNB will miss you guys.
Machine Gun Etiquette is last and the last time I saw them they were opening up first, at the show of the year, TNB’s Anniversary party. They were great then, holding their own on a great bill, and they don’t disappoint today. They are a trio that fit into the hardcore description but doesn’t sound or look like a typical hardcore band. They’re unique in that the vocals sound almost melodic at times and things happen in the music that doesn’t usually happen in this type of band. Anyways, they put on a good set and a good ending to another good show.
Well, it’s the end of the day, another fun showcase. I’m hanging outside and one of Get The Fear’s fans is a Jewish girl. Now, I’ve known Jewish punk girls before but none with a voice that sounds like they’re from Long Island (she sounds like Fran Drescher from “The Nanny.”) This inspires me to make a joke up, on the spot. “What do you call Jewish punk music?” I ask her. “What?” she inquires. “Oi Vey Music.” (Oh, the pain.)
(Slimedog)
