Keith Brooks Tribute Show
The Welch Boys / Refuse Resist / Blue Bloods / Cry Havoc / Barfight Champs / Sick Joke
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 5/21/16
Hey, did you know that the drummer for Sick Joke, Mike Mahoney, used to be in Blood For Blood, one of Keith’s favorite bands? And did you know that Mike and a couple of the other guys in Sick Joke were in Enemy Within?
Well, it’s true and tonight they lead off their first song with the spoken word intro to an Enemy Within tune.
I feel this band was a great choice to play this show as Keith loved Enemy Within and their style of heavy hardcore. And they continue that style in Sick Joke with the added dose of punk vocals and attitude from their new singer, Aaron Sickness.
They lead off with a great set, ending with my favorite song by them “Scrapin’ By” something they don’t have to do with their immense talents.
Barfight Champs is next and I know them as one of New England’s best Oi bands. I’m not sure of Keith’s take on Oi but I’d be surprised if it wasn’t positive. Keith was a real working class dude and Oi would seem to have fit him perfectly.
Lead by the hardcore vocals of Frankie Chairs this band turns in an honest, intense set. My favorite song by them contains the lyrics, “All we need is booze and friends” and I can’t disagree with that. As there are plenty of both here tonight and I feel good just like James Brown knew that I would now.
Cry Havoc starts their set while I’m outside sitting at the Cafe’s patio. When I come back lead singer Jonny Miller has already split his head open with the mike which is a customary occurrence at his performances.
Jonny contributed to TNB’s remembrances of Keith article and when they first met they had discussed Cry Havoc’s song “Sons Of Idiot Army.” It’s an anti-racist song and Keith believed in the lyrics of the song. And it was good to hear this story with Keith being from South Boston, a town that had that had a history of racism. Tonight Jonny dedicates that song to Keith and it’s also on the excellent 33 song double cd Keith Brooks tribute with most of the bands playing the benefits.
Cry Havoc is one of my favorite bands that we cover so it’s no surprise I’m blown away by their set. I make note that this will probably be the best set of the two shows today at the Midway.
After the set Jonny mention that he would like to go to the Keith tribute show tomorrow at the Firehouse but that he has to work.
I ask him not to tell me what his job is, because I have a mental image I don’t want him to alter. I picture him as some kind of customer service rep, say at a phone store. And I picture a middle-aged man approaching him with a question and as he turns around to answer there’s blood dripping down his forehead! And the middle-aged man looks aghast.
And talking about blood- it’s The Blue Bloods time! One of the more popular local bands and one of the best. They have a terrific front man, an excellent drummer and an all around explosive band full of guts, intensity and punk’n’roll.
My favorite song by them has the lyrics “left out in the cold” but they turn in one hot scorching set.
Refuse Resist was one of Boston’s best hardcore bands before singer Shawn moved to New York to follow his muse- the lovely, Lyz Red.
They tare into their set with such fury and fierceness that it makes me type “ferocious” in my phone’s notes.
(I’ve never taken notes before. I feel you should experience, then write. But with 21 bands in two day I feel I must to keep track!)
It’s hard to fathom why they sound so great but then I realize they played last night at the New York benefit making them all loosened up. They play all their favorites, like “Sunday Matinee” with Jay Genoa getting up for a song or two. And end up not only winning my set of the evening but for the whole weekend, as well.
The Welch Boys are up to take it out. They’re doing double duty also, playing the benefit last night, but they had to trek it up there and back. But there’s no fatigue on the energy they put out.
My favorite part is when they announce they’re going to play a Who cover and as I’m listening I realize it’s really The Anti-Nowhere League’s “Pete Townsend Is A Pervert.” They finish an awesome set on an awesome day as I’m watching promoter Viviam pouring a pitcher of water cascading into her mouth.
Most everyone knows Keith passed in January and I’ve heard conflicting reports on how he died and different theories.
To me it doesn’t matter because for me I figured he died in Afghanistan, it just took a little while longer for it to finish.
The Vietnam War ended, roughly, when I was fifteen. But if it had continued a few years longer I might be writing for a Montreal or Toronto website now. Some of my favorite folks in our community, like Ray Finkle, are very patriotic and I respect that. But I’m old enough to be the father of most of you and I would urge you not to go to war. Let the old men who want to send you, go themselves.
I tried talking to Keith to help him, sometimes I thought I was getting through. But towards the end I knew I wasn’t and I just hope he found some peace.
But the community he represented, the belief he had in the music and his friends, his love of the bands that inspired him and maybe helped him survive a little bit longer lives on- in the hearts and souls and minds of every band he ever booked. Everyone who went to his shows, everyone who came in contact with him and considered him a friend. The passion he felt, the integrity of his music and the goodness and greatness of his scene lives on.
I know you feel that Keith isn’t here with us anymore but all that made him great I see at every show. I see him in the bands that he loved, in the people that he loved and in the good and wild and crazy times I still experience.
He may be gone but I still see him in everyone of your hearts.
(Slimedog)
