Stray Bullets / Lost In Society / OC45 / Redbush / The Radicals
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 2/21/14
So usually its Saturday afternoon that I’m here at the Midway Cabaret except now it’s Friday night; but that’s okay, any times a good time to be at the Midway as far as I’m concerned.
The only problem with Friday nights is you can’t arrive too early. Now I know The Radicals are going on first and I want to catch them so I got to time it right.
You see, “Hippie Hour” goes on every Friday and just like a stoned hippie jam it goes on for too long (6- 8:30 pm) and they usually go over their allotted time. Nothing I like worse than old, tired Greatful Dead licks shot up into the new millennium of Phish and Dave Matthews. I’d rather listen to Katy Perry sing about fucking Justin Timberlake’s dog. Now wouldn’t that be precious?
It’s always fun when a punk show follows the hippie tripe. I say to Jill, the drink dominatrix that it would be like having a fundamentalist Christian meeting on Thursday before the lesbian queer-e-oke night takes place. Anyways, I like the young hippies but the hippies my age…let’s get to the music, Slimedog.
So The Radicals start blaring and it’s a fine sight to see all the scraggly, flea bitten hippies fleeing the Midway like rats from a burning ship. The Radicals are a trio that combines the wild abandon of hardcore with the melodic elements of pop/punk along with the aggressiveness and sing along bellowing of Oi or street punk.
They are led by bassist Aria but lead vocals are spread around the whole band and they play a set that is a very good start for the night coming from a very good band. They end with their nod to existentialist fatalism with the song “Six Feet Serenade” where the phrase, “And we all end up six feet underground” is repeated sixty-seven times.
Next up is Redbush from Laramie, Wyoming. I drove across the country before, and the strangest looking state I saw was Wyoming. With big craters and strangely colored mountain terrain it made me feel like I was driving on the surface of the moon.
Even though this trio leads off with a couple of high energy numbers it’s pretty evident that they’re not a punk band. The vocals, which have that high theatrical tone that makes me think of Deep Purple and Uriah Heep is a big clue. And when they pull out a cover by Oingo Boingo, a progressive new wave eighties band, the case is closed. Still not a bad band for what they do and I bet in Wyoming they’re considered pretty cutting-edge.
OC45 play next and I was surprised to learn tonight that they formed one month after we started (May 2011). We’ve seen them grow greatly as a band and were proud of how dedicated they are to their music and touring.
This happens to be their 200th show and it is 200 times better than the first one, I would bet.
This band is pop/punk adrenalin running headlong into hardcore anger creating an explosive body of pure, punk fury. When they go into “Waiting For The Bullet” on their third song or so, (my favorite tune by them), I can feel the energy generating from the stage and I know they’re gonna play a great set.
My feelings are confirmed and we also have an interview with them on-line as you read this.
Lost In Society take the stage who are from Ashbury Park, New Jersey. Though very competent at what they do- I’m not feeling it. When I checked their facebook page I see that they call themselves “alternative/punk,” which only confuses me more. To me they sound like Green Day but only at their most poppiness. But I also read that the Bouncing Souls, who I do like, are big fans of them so maybe you shouldn’t listen to me.
Stray Bullets are the last band up to take the night out and though I know they’re hugely popular I’ve never been a big fan. I guess because I’m not a big fan of ska/punk even though they’re more in the reggae/punk style.
Two things I do notice is that the reggae influence is (two) toned down tonight and I recognize the drummer, Scotty, is from a band I really like- The Black Cheers. I think he’s one of the best drummers on our site and he’s really making the band kick ass tonight. I can’t say if he was playing with them the other two times I’ve seen them but I can say this was the most enjoyable show I’ve seen them put on.
So if the Hippie Hour is two and a half hours would that make the punk hour about fifteen minutes?
Sounds about right.
(Slimedog)
