Slimedog’s 3Oth Birthday Party
Disaster Strikes / Reason To Fight / Mickey Rickshaw / Whoopi Sticks
Middle East (Up), Cambridge, MA 5/7/16
They always say, “It’s your birthday. Whattaya really want to do on your birthday?”
I want to be shot out of a cannon.
They used to do that at circus’s, I guess. Some dude would be shot out of an actual cannon and land in a net on the other side of the room, hundreds of feet away.
Well, that is what I wish to happen today.
Whoopi Sticks is first to play, and one of their members, the lovely and talented Lindsay Warning organized this birthday party. She sings, plays drums, writes songs and designs the stage clothes for the band. She is also my punk daughter and since I am thirty years old today, I can guarantee you, that she is the most amazing eleven year old you’ll ever meet.
And they play very original, creative, punk influenced music. One new song reminds me of Siouxsie & The Banshees, another The B-52’s, the abrupt rhythm changes indicates a Devo influence- but it all comes out as something unique, something you haven’t heard before.
And they play a very good set to start off my birthday show. (I’m wearing my birthday suit, as well, which is causing convulsions in some folks and miscarriages in others.) They have the convicted communist spy, Max, sitting in today on lead guitar, shortly before his execution later today for espionage. Which is a treat for me and is, in fact, his last request.
Check out the review of their great new EP on TNB- on-line and in-time, now.
Mickey Rickshaw is the next band to take the stage and they play celtic/punk. They have, roughly, twenty-seven members and play such instruments as mandolin, fife and glockenspiel. I believe this is my third time seeing them and as I’ve stated before, though celtic/punk is not my favorite style of music, they play with so much energy and skill that I enjoy them more each time I see them.
And one big reason is Chris, the drummer- who to me is “the man who can’t calm down, the man who can’t play slow.” It like he’s got biting red ants in his pants when he plays and he becomes a runaway rocket of reckless rhythm leading us blissfully off the cliff toward oblivion.
Blowfish of bostongroupienews.com (a great music website that covers the same bands as we do, only better) is in the crowd and I mention to him my not really being into celtic/punk. But then I tell him, with this much energy perhaps I should call it celtic/hardcore and from now on, I shall.
Reason To Fight is the next band to play. This is Andy Bang’s favorite heavy hardcore band and I can think of no one better. They’re lead by Mousey on vocals and Greg on bass guitar and they play intense, hard hitting, pulverizing hardcore that is often, not super fast but is always super heavy.
I can think of no better present than to be in their presence today. They do not disappoint and top of a great set with a cover of, who I think, is the best hardcore band of all time, Minor Threat- with their song “Betrayed.”
Now, I receive a wonderful present from Whoopi Sticks. It’s a booklet called “Changing” which is made to help young boys entering puberty. I learn a lot about girls and the importance of good grooming from it. Though the part about hair emerging on the body seems to lose me as mine is mostly falling out.
But no time to read anymore as Disaster Strikes!
No, they didn’t run out of beer at the bar- it’s the name of a politically based, hardcore band who I think, along with Opposition Rising, offers the best take on the politically aware, heavy hardcore style in Boston.
The singer J.R. Strikes is not shy to talk in-between songs about his political feelings. He rails against corporate greed, the lack of fair medical coverage and the importance of supporting unions and I couldn’t agree with him more.
But they’re, also, tons of fun to listen to. They have an excellent rhythm section and great hardcore songs to boot. And they end the show with a tremendous set.
It’s all set up.
The dynamite is packed, the wick is ready to be lit. The plan is I will be projected from the back of the club and land, hopefully, on the back of the stage, upon which I will be splattered.
Then people can queue up to play a sort of “pin the tail on the donkey” except now it will be “pin the tail on the scattered remains of Slimedog.”
It’s a sort of performance art piece, you see. And it seemed a good idea at the time, at least.
But when I think of how the end could’ve happened before on many days, in many different ways, years ago…
I’m fine with this ending.
(Slimedog)
