Urban Waste / No Tox / Progress / Honest John / Insidious
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 2/21/15
This has been a hell of a winter. But then you know that. Not only the snowiest but does it have to be the coldest, too? This show is taking place a week before March begins and I can’t wait as it gives me hope. This show is also taking place during the few days without, or directly preceding, a blizzard. But enough of this weather crap- Let’s rock.
Insidious is the first band today and I know I like them having seen them a few times before. I hear they have a new lead singer and I must admit, he doesn’t look familiar to me. I hear they also have a new EP or CD, which will be reviewed shortly or longly, if it’s an LP (long player).
The band is a bunch of young guys who do serious sounding hardcore. They have short, hard intense songs and the music is brutal and sharp. In this they remind me a little of Crystal Methodist but Insidious is a little darker in tone.
But both I see as good, uncompromising and upcoming bands. And this is a great way, next to Bloody Mary’s or Mimosas, to start the day.
Honest John is the next band to stalk the stage. They have a new bassist who sounds good and looks like he’s happy to be on board. As well he should, because this is a great band whose style mixes doom, metal and experimental but always lands in hardcore. With their occasional doom-y tempos and minor key or dissonant music I’m tempted to claim them as if Black Sabbath became a hardcore band.
I’ll refrain from this as the lead singer sounds nothing like Ozzy at all; though he does have a peculiar habit of continually biting the heads off of live bats while he performs.
Honest John turn in another honest day of work along with a great set.
After T.J., the sound man, sweeps away the bat guts cluttered in front of the stage, Progress is ready to play.
Progress comes from the land of great hardcore bands, namely Connecticut, and we’ve seen them a few times before and agree that, here’s another one. They seem to be a fairly young band and describe themselves as “melodic hardcore.” Normally, that would make me leery that wimpy songs are on flight. But they are more attuned towards the heavy New York hardcore which is certainly an influence.
With an excellent drummer, a great front man and an overall tight sound they turn in a great set.
No Tox, formerly Toxic Narcotic, is next. And they have a new bassist as well, Joe Packard, who while not only being adept on his instrument is also, one of the most animated bassists in Boston. He used to have long hair and play with Crosby, Still & Nash but now he’s happy to be in one of Boston best hardcore bands. And he should be happy, playing with the best local hardcore drummer, Sam Jodrey.
They play a set of crushing crust and hurricane speed hardcore tunes with social commentary lyrics that are stinging and ring true. It’s all music faster than a speeding locomotive.
If they can get the leaping buildings in a single bound down this band will be unable to beat.
Urban Waste is the last band to play today and as most of you know, this is a legendary New York band that goes way back to the eighties. Unlike some other older bands living off their notoriety, Urban Waste just humbly plays regular shows but deliver the goods probably more than others more acclaimed.
They’re an interesting looking band. A large black, dread-locked singer, Josh Waste. A small, Asian female bass player, a small white male guitar player with slightly long hair- and tonight, filling in on drums, New Hampshire’s own Tino Valpa, member of The Cryptics and The Nasty.
Someone asks me, with a surprised tone, about how well Tino did and I agree, but I wasn’t at all surprised that he’d do great. Nor was I surprised with the superb set the band played. This is New York heavy hardcore, a little light on the metal influence and more strong on the original punk vibe.
They do “Havana Affair” by The Ramones late in the set which has Jay Genoa, former lead singer of Red Line Rebels, on stage singing along.
This was an excellent show with a great turnout (almost sold out) with Jo, Karl, Mike and the Neighborhood Shit contingent, Jay’s stunning and statuesque wife, Stephanie and many more in attendance.
Winter needs to thaw the fuck out. I need to shut up. With shows as hot as this we’ll get there, in a blink of an eye.
(Slimedog)
