Thursday March 28th 2024

OC45 Two Show Tour Kickoff

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OC45 Two Show Tour Kickoff
The Members / OC45 / Greg Allen’s Fringe Religion
OC45 / The Snipes / Tensor / The Pity Whores
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 9/14/14

 

So today is gonna be a double header. A Sunday matinee followed by a Sunday evening show. You’re gonna get two for the price of one. Actually, since I have to do twice the work I’ve decided to put in half the effort. Born with only one ass cheek I’ve become accustomed to doing everything half-assed.

But what’s not half-assed is OC45’s work ethic where they go on the road for several months and play a slew of shows in about thirty states. Which is what they’re doing after today’s show and returning around Thanksgiving. And that sounds more ambitious to me than writing about two shows.

Those misguided misfits of Mongolian musical mayhem, The Pity Whores, those deranged disciples of the devil, those diabolical demons of disorientation are scheduled to perform first.

The only problem is their drummer has been delayed from re-entering the country from Mongolia, something about the bubonic plague- and the able drummer, Matt, from The Radicals has offered to lend his beat.

Actually, when I pulled into the parking lot I saw Wyatt, the singer/guitarist on his phone and he said he was trying to contact Matt. I then went into the club, saw Matt there and told him, “They’re looking for a drummer,” and to go out to the parking lot.

Wyatt actually took offense to me picking OC45 as my favorite pop/punk band but his bands style is a mash up of pop/punk, garage punk’n’roll and hardcore so that I consider them exempt from that category. Though as far as Mongolian metalcore goes- these guys are the tops!

Matt does a great job filling in and the band delivers it’s usual rowdy, exciting set of tunes and they set the day off right. It’s topped off by all three Radicals taking the stage and doing a new original called “Peter Frampton,” which, in a move that surprises even the band, Peter himself jumps onstage to join the band in their rendition and is, subsequently, pelted to death with PBR cans.

Tensor is next and in keeping with the flow, they are without a bass player. They have someone in mind, I guess, but for now this high octane, skate punk/hardcore band with high pitched almost black metal vocals will have to do without.

This is another great band with a lot of energy and tempo changes, ably handled by the former drummer of Get The Fear. And though they apologize for being bass less, their concern is baseless as they turn in a great, fun set.

The Snipes are next who I’ve only seen once before but I remember them as a ska/punk band. Today the ska is toned down with only one heavily ska tune played as most of the songs are in the street punk style, much like The Street Dogs.

This they do very well and the crowd seems to enjoy them also. Good songs, great playing and a thumbs up from me.

Now, it’s time for the last band OC45. Oh, I forgot this is only going to be half over!

OC45, the hardest working band in show business is next and this is their going away party for their tour. They play “Waiting For The Bullet” my favorite song by them as their second song of the set. We’ve followed this band since they’ve started. about the same time we started, and they just seem to keep getting better and better (while we slowly sink into decline, sadly going down the tubes).

They play a great set to a lot of family and friends and I look forward to hopefully, seeing them again real soon.

Now as the sun goes down and the lights come on- it’s time for the second show.

Greg Allen’s Fringe Religion is the first band of the evening. They’re not a punk band, this is a more normal rock band but I do hear a little AC/DC and garage rock influence in their style.

They have an excellent rhythm section and though, this is not my thing, they do a very good job.

OC45 takes the stage next and I’m so glad that my wish to see them again has been so quickly answered. And instead of repeating their set, which would’ve been okay with me, they do a completely different one.

This is a more loose set with a lot of covers. They do “Minor Threat” by Minor Threat, they do an Operation Ivy song. Though it’s a more loose atmosphere the band actually sounds tighter, probably from playing earlier, and they deliver a set that is even more enjoyable than the earlier one.

(Maybe if I wish again they’ll play a third set!)

Now it’s time for The Members, a band that goes back to the early eighties in England. Of course they are three older British blokes, easy to spot as they dress more conservatively than Americans- no t-shirts or jeans for them.

They play their big hit “(This is) The Sounds Of The Suburbs,” and mention “Dedham” in it (they looked up a local suburb to Jamaica Plain). And play a totally, authentic sounding early punk UK sound a bit more on the pop side which is an honor and fun to observe. I only wish they had a bigger turnout.

But it’s been a fun day for me and the hours just flew by as fast as a hardcore song where the moments move as fast as the notes spiraling off a punk rock guitar. Cheers to The Members and to all the bands and especially good luck to OC45 on their tour, triumphantly returning to play Saturday November 22nd at The Workshop.

I’ll see you there!

 

(Slimedog)

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