Thursday March 28th 2024

Panzer Bastard / Agitator / The Abductors / Barfight Champs / The Straight Eights

ww

Panzer Bastard / Agitator / The Abductors / Barfight Champs / The Straight Eights
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA        8/28/16

 

“MALICIOUS MOSQUITO BITES BUTTOCKS OF ANNOYING ASSHOLE.”- The Daily Press headline.

Last night before I passed out, I mean, went to bed. I noticed a certain itching toward my rectum. No, it was not a stray hemorrhoid making a break for it, pray tell, but a mosquito bite on my bum.

I, immediately, placed an ice cube upon the afflicted area, as I do with all bites, to soothe the pain, quell the swelling, and as I relay this story to someone today here at the Midway I say, “It’s a shame I don’t take selfies. A picture with  me naked holding an ice cube to my butt, I’m sure  would have gone viral in a moment on the Internet.”

But now it’s time for all to put talk of mosquitos, rectums and ice cubes away. And partake of a musical offering less unsavory and hopefully more spiritually enriching.

The Straight Eights are the first band to play today. This is a trio that play rock’n’roll punk or punk’n’roll. They remind me of The McGunks in a way.

This is hardcore vocals and punk lyrics put to a rock’n’roll beat which I find, what some may conclude as enchanting- I’ll stick with very enjoyable. They end their set with a cover of a song by Twisted Sister that I believe is called “Shoot Them Down,” (Which, contrary to rumor, is not the adopted song of The National Police Association in dealing with black people.) Serious Note: I’m a big supporter of the police and Black Lives Matter, too.

And this band just played a great set to set a great start for the show.

Barfight Champs are next and they are one of the New England’s best Oi bands.

Unfortunately, singer Frankie Chairs is battling laryngitis today. He tries a rum and coke from the bar before he takes the stage to see if this will help. This is an Oi band with a metal influence. This is an Oi band with two guitars that is loud!

Try as he might Frankie’s voice can’t keep up with the volume, so they play an abbreviated set. But this is a potent band that I highly recommend and I’m sure the next time I see them it will be much better.

The Abductors take the stage next, a Connecticut hardcore band. I would describe them as a very energetic, very fun straight ahead hardcore band with a touch of Oi.

One of my favorite tunes by them is called “I’m A Failure,” but their set certainly succeeds with me and the crowd today. And I take them as a fine addition to the many great Connecticut bands we follow.

Agitator takes the stage and this is a New York, very heavy, hardcore band that is loud, intense and powerful. They have an able engaging front man and a superb female drummer and they turn out a fierce, metal influenced set.

I feel this band is closer to metal than hardcore but that’s just my take, and though, in a way, they’re too heavy for my tastes- in the end you couldn’t ask for a better band in this style and genre. My buddy Mike Dowd would probably love this band.

Now, Panzer Bastard has always been one of my favorite local metal bands since TNB’s inception. I do believe that singer/bassist Keith Bennett’s serious love for Motorhead may be a factor in this- but also, this is a hard hitting, fun band that is just not thrash metal but has many metal influences that induces some righteous, headbanging songs.

On stage, Keith is not one to hold his tongue and move shyly away from the microphone, a wallflower Keith will never be. Today Jim Morrison or The Doors gets his ire up, a personal favorite of mine but that’s okay. Now, if they had somehow surged into a cover of “Touch Me” that would have been perfect.

Instead they just press on full throttle with music containing molten metal madness- spewing lava of lascivious licks upon the village dwellers (patrons of The Midway.)

My buddy Swid’s on second guitar, I notice as well- he also plays in The Quiggs. During one song there’s a neat dual harmonic guitar lead that eventually turns subtly dissonant- a nice touch.

They play a powerful, thrashing, metallic set and end with an awesome Motorhead cover- “Iron Fist.”

This was a fun diverse show that I witnessed today. Kind a metal/Oi/punk/rock’n’roll type of show. But now it’s time for me to take my mosquito bitten ass on out of here. Maybe ice it down once more for good measure, and then get it ready for the next big show in town.

(Slimedog)

Related Tags:

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

More from category

8th Annual Thrash N Bang Xmas Punk Pizza Party
8th Annual Thrash N Bang Xmas Punk Pizza Party

8th Annual Thrash N Bang Xmas Punk Pizza Party Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA     12/15/19   Every holiday [Read More]

C.E. Skidmore / Losers’ Circle / The Runouts / Nick The Barbarian
C.E. Skidmore / Losers’ Circle / The Runouts / Nick The Barbarian

C.E. Skidmore / Losers’ Circle / The Runouts / Nick The Barbarian Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA     1/11/20 [Read More]

The Manglers / The New Frustrations / The Grommets / Kermit’s Finger / The Instamatics / The Unstables
The Manglers / The New Frustrations / The Grommets / Kermit’s Finger / The Instamatics / The Unstables

The Manglers / The New Frustrations / The Grommets / Kermit’s Finger / The Instamatics / The Unstables Jamaica [Read More]

The Old Edison / Coffin Salesman / Loser’s Circle / Time & Place
The Old Edison / Coffin Salesman / Loser’s Circle / Time & Place

The Old Edison / Coffin Salesman / Loser’s Circle / Time & Place Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA     [Read More]

Kermit’s Finger / Jerry’s Got Jokes / Cry Havoc / The Grommets / Jake Tringali (Jake The Poet)
Kermit’s Finger / Jerry’s Got Jokes / Cry Havoc / The Grommets / Jake Tringali (Jake The Poet)

Slimedog’s 22nd Birthday Punk Pizza Poetry Party Kermit’s Finger / Jerry’s Got Jokes / Cry Havoc / [Read More]

Insider

Archives