Midway Cafe Jamaica Plain MA- BARROM HEROES / BY THE THROAT / SCRAPES / F.U.’s / Blake Estates Senior Pizza Party Hyde Park MA / Electric Rich’s Daughters 17th Birthday Party Hyde Park MA / Rosebud Somerville, MA THE BLUE BLOODS / THE SPOILERS / Nicole Tammaro’s Book Release Party 4/11
So I’m off to do, hopefully, two bangin’ interviews with bands today for this lovely “internet site” but first I gotta drop mom of at her boyfriend’s senior housing complex for a pizza party. I’m heading from there to an afternoon punk show at the lovely Midway and I’m soon hangin’ with Chris Dimwit and the lovely and charming Allie, the Monkee aficionado/librarian.
By The Throat is playing today but first I see a trio called Barroom Heroes which consists of 12 and 13 year old boys. They do punk covers ranging from The Stooges, The Ramones to more current ones. “Rise Above” by Black Flag is poignant as they are much shorter than everyone here. It seems unbelievable but they’ve been a band for three years and all the proud parents are videotaping away. They sound not bad for kids so young.
It’s a tough act to follow but By The Throat is up 2 and 4 the challenge and provide their modern take on classic hardcore. They start with three numbers without taking a pause that leaves the crowd stunned and mesmerized. This band is intense and not for the weak at heart. They’re energetic, rhythmically diverse and aptly named, maybe By The Balls would fit also! After their set I interview them in the “bowels” of the Midway (appropriate if you read their interview with their profile on this site).
I miss half the set of The Scrapes, featuring the lovely and talented Walter of Ganggreen on drums (my favorite Boston rock drummer of all time). But I’ve seen them before and they put on a great show mixing influences of Irish punk and hardcore into their hard hitting style. The great historic F.U’s are next but I’ve got things to go, places to do.
Pick mom up at the Blake Estates and she says the party was fly, no music, “But for five dollars you got a couple of slices of pizza and soda.” Sounds lovely. Drop her home and then it’s off to Electric Rich’s home (he’s an electrician) for his daughters Raychel’s 17th birthday party. She’s lovely, petite and smart but also likes to beat up opposing players while playing on the school’s girl soccer team. Eat some much needed food and stay for the cake. The potato salad was fantastic!
But gotta go, visit the lovely Rosebud for the first time. Catch The Blue Bloods which I guess have been around for awhile and they seem to be very adept at laying down the punk rock. Favorite song of the night by them I figure out later is a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m Going Down”, which they do much better than him. I liked them very much.
Before and during the beginning of the Blue Bloods set I’m lucky enough to interview The Spoilers. Unfortunately for the ladies in the band it took place in the mens room while patrons sauntered in and out. The lovely interview is with their profile on this site. The Spoilers play and still pull off a great show in spite of the trauma. I hear three or four new tunes in the batch and “The Oi Song” makes a welcome return. A great cover of the Runaways version of the Velvet Undergrounds tune “Rock N Roll” makes me smile.
For authentic punk rock no band in Boston is better for me; they’ve spoiled me for other bands.
Before I pass out I gotta mention that this show was for a photography book release by Nicole Tammaro. She is Boston’s best rock photographer and this is her book taking pictures of Boston punk rock bands (for some odd reason the book it’s called “Boston Punk”). She’s an unsurpassed supporter of Boston punk bands and takes great photos of great bands (including some mentioned in this review). And you should buy this book much like I have.
Anyways, senior citizen pizza parties, 12 and 13 year old punk rock bands, sordid interviews in men’s rooms, photography book release parties, female soccer beating seventeen year olds and yes, potato salad. We got it all here, sometimes even at the same time, here at the Trash’n’ Bang.
(Jim Slimedog)
