Jo & Jakes Going Away Party & Siobahn’s Birthday Celebration
Patriot / Beantown Boozehounds / El Escapado / Lucky United / Deranged Youth / Bad Movies
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 7/12/15
“Jo made cupcakes and they’re at the bar so help yourselves. We got a lot of great music to come. We got El Escapado, they’re a country western band from Nashville and Boston’s finest straight edge band, the Beantown Boozehounds coming up soon.”
This is a show that I wanted to set up for Jo & Jake, two great people and two great fans, before they move in Auguest to La LA Land. You might not know Jo, but if you’ve been to a few Midway matinees you’ve probably seen her. She has a small pink/purple Mohawk and an accordion tattoo on her head. Very supportive of the scene and, along with her roommate Carolyn, often allowed traveling bands food and a place to stay.
Siobahn is more notorious with the gang she hangs around with, namely- The Taxi Drivettes! A group of female hell-cats that can frequently be seen at Taxi Driver shows and other hardcore events. Siobahn’s big wish, on her 30th Birthday, was to vomit in the mens room, much like her good friend Jannelle did during the last Beantown Boozetown show at the Midway last St. Patrick’s Day.
Alas, it was not to be but there was a big turnout, all parties involved had a great time and the show was a success.
First band up is a band Jo and Jake picked and I would pick them for my going away party, too (not L.A.,more likely to heaven). Bad Movies play punk music like it’s supposed to be, not slick or polished but raw and passionate and wild. Headed by a female vocalist, Linn, (who I almost didn’t recognize ’cause she was without her Mohawk do today), who sings in a voice that combines the polish of a pop singer with the grit of a punk singer as the band ably plays along.
Think of a combination Gwen Stefani/ Courtney Love fronting a band made up of The Germs/ Circle Jerks and you may have an idea what to expect from them. On a special note, I thought the drummer was fooling when he said he had the set list written on his back- but it turned out he did!
I always expect a great set from them and today I’m not disappointed. They been on “hiatus” lately and no- that does not mean they’ve been incarcerated. In fact, they’re working on a new album and I eagerly await that as I eagerly await to see them live again soon.
Next up is a band that is young and deranged and coincidentally, are named Deranged Youth. They play a kind of hardcore that to my ears have a lot of experimental influence but they see themselves more as a mix of metal and punk.
They’re a young band from Manchester New Hampshire and play a powerful, abrasive set ending with a particularly strong number. My favorite part of their set, though, is at the beginning when the singer offers real dollar bills to the young moshers if they promise to stay ringside during their set.
About five or six young guys take them up on it and I wonder if the band knows about how the classic punk band Fear used to do something similar where their guitarist gave people a dollar from the stage if they “would be his friend.”
Next up is another pick from Jo & Jake and this could easily been from me, as well, as Lucky United is a trio fronted by my favorite local songwriter, Jenn Lombari.
As she heads towards the stage she asks me to kiss her cheek for luck and as she slips down her jeans a bit, I proceed to do so.
This bands plays more gutsy rock’n’roll or punk’n’roll than hardcore. I always say they’re a combination of Joan Jett, The Ramones and Eddie Cochran and to me, that’s more the essence of punk than a heavy New York hardcore band.
She does a solo folk act as well but today it’s all a bash of brash, rockin’ tunes full of energy, passion and emotions- stripped bare honesty. They do all my favorites and some new tunes, too, and here’s another band I feel is overdue for a new album.
El Escapado is next to take the stage, a touring band from Nashville which I learn is kind of a super-group of sorts made form different bands in that area. They are very good players with a lot of metal/thrash influence on their hardcore material.
I would say their style is a mix of pop punk/ skate punk and thrash done in a hardcore setting. They have a lot of humorous songs, a lot of amusing intro spoken parts and a particularly fabulous hardcore rendition of “I Shot The Sherrif” by punk hero Eric Clapton.
They put on a great show and I’d just like to say- “You all come back here, ya- hear?”
Party favorites Beantown Boozehounds are next, another choice selection from punk connoisseurs Jo & Jake. The Beantown’s do a short set, due to time restraints but still prove they’re still one of the most fun bands to see live.
They do lots of rowdy drinking song, “Me & The Boys” my current favorite, much like The McGunks, though they don’t get to do “D.U.I” they do an entertaining set that also features Jake playing guitar for one tune. And I could be wrong but that might have been his first time on stage!
But now we have a surprise visit from promoter Ray Finkle showing up with a touring Oi band called Patriot, who the last two nights played New Hampshire and Providence. They look more like they’re from London than the South and play two songs that sound great- then they’re off to see the Stiff Little Fingers show in Cambridge.
An inspiration for this show was when I moved to California in 2007, a going away party was thrown for me at the Abbey and it was the best time I ever had at a club. And the person who’s idea it was and helped organize it was Joe Zippo, the leader of Zippo Raid, who, when he broke up that band, reassembled as Beantown Boozehounds ( a nice coincidence).
And Joe was the man who invited me into the current scene, who along with Andy, is why I’m doing what I’m doing right now. And he was and will always be, the nicest person I’ve known in the punk scene. And when I talk about him, as I was with Ray today, I get a little choked up, because he’s only with us in spirit, now. But he is still much beloved as a memoriam show goes on for him every year along with a charity fund.
So here’s to three great new friends Jo & Jake and Siobahn, and old friend Joe, we remember you too, your kindness and craziness.
It would seem that everyone had a great time today and that’s what it’s all about.
Cheers.
(Slimedog)
