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2015 Rat Beach Patty The C Note October 10 and 11, 2015
The Rat Beach Party, in its third year, continues to be a little rock festival that could. This year's action moves down Nantasket Avenue from the Red Parrot - a place with its own set of charms - particularly the light - to the more made for rockin' C Note. The room is laid out well with a big bar, room to move and solid sound. Kudos to Greg from Hardwired at the board, not to mention Barbara at bar and Caesar on the door. Finally, double ditto to the genial man behind the curtain, Mike Weddle.
Over four nights and close to forty bands, Weddle manages to cobble together an eclectic, vibrant mix of experienced Rat related, dues paid, work-horse bar band regulars. Most of the musicians have carried the local rock torch loud and proud for years. The crowd, a mix of players and friends of players, made up with constant energy what it lacked in total mass. I caught the Saturday and most of the Sunday card. Blowfish covered most of the Sunday line-up in this week's BGN news post So, like he said. As for Saturday…
Charley Don’t Surf play hard and loose with the Clash catalog. If they played at 11 pm instead of 3 pm the place would have been chanting along and doing the punk rock boogie to that crazy Kasbah sound.
Moose and the Mudbugs still kill it with Moose’s wicked catchy off kilter originals. He is, as always, a creative and inspired front man with a tight, Ken Kaiser led band. His entourage got the dance up despite the afternoon light.
Climate Change is host Mike Weddle’s band. Interesting mix of genre’s: folk, politics, prog with a relatively restrained Matt Gilbert on guitar. Extra class points for having ultimate power and taking a late afternoon slot.
Melt has plenty of chops, interesting arrangements and a way talented and nuanced singer in Lindsey Kyte. They seem to be shooting for the suburban crowd rather than a Thursday night at Bohemia.
Robert Leger Band oh yeah. These guys bring it on everything. They jump on the backs of all the classic rock and roll forms and show the kids how it’s done. Bob’s set ending rave up on Lou’s Rock and Roll kicks all skinny white asses.
Pop Gun take their hard rawk serious. Big twin engine riffs and punch drunk bass and drums pound their viewpoint into your head. A new tune backs off on the pedal and sounds good in contrast. Finally hear the incendiary hard hooked Zombie Man live.
The Count’s Love and Flame did a mostly Lou Reed set. It sounds good on stage. His eminence John Macey sings Sweet Jane. The twin guitar and horn skronk fest in the middle of Waitin’ for the Man is full of ill intent.
Fox Pass funny when a band you’ve seen a few times suddenly clicks in your head. Forgive ysef. Fox Pass hit all the right buttons on the power pop juke box. And that was before Jim Melanson from Pop Gun joins them for a couple of Tom Dickie and the Desires numbers, Downtown Talk and Competition.
Liz Borden Band ups the indie ante. She leads the band through a slew of catchy rockers. The vocal harmonies enrich the tunes. She’s generous with her time. Mo Kavanaugh takes a couple of emotive lead vocals. Ditto for Seth Kellog’s sweet take on the Velvet’s Oh! Sweet Nuthin’.
Hardwired reward the hahd rock and metal aficionados. Nabil Ghosn’s hits the riffs while Steve Patricelli reels and squeals the fancy fret work and whammy bar. Mild mannered, and way helpful soundman for the day, Greg Campia sends his doppelganger up to lurch about stage and bark out the vocals. Jeff Clark on bass and Stephen Foresta on drums keep up the low end bpms.
Everyone is loose. There is an ocean out front. You can buy a thick clam chowder for short money next door. The Rat Beach Party and Weddle take a musical ragbag of odds and sods and assemble a rockin’ little thrift store steal. See ya next year.
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