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The BGN News Archive
The heat slowed us down this week. It wasn’t till after the Fourth that we got out. It was Thursday at O’Brien’s where some bands sounded interesting online that perked our interest.
We saw just a bit of Kiss Concert. That’s got to be a bad name. They were very indie sounding but weren’t wimpy in any way. Their Bandcamp offerings sound like what we heard.
Kindling are from Easthampton, MA. They had a formula that worked. It was a Jesus and Mary Chain type bed of distortion with dreamy vocals on top. There were times when it was working like magic. They had some minimal colored lights shining from below that increased the mood. They didn’t have much to say but they didn’t have to as they spun their moody yet ragging tunes. The one drawback was the that the vocals were getting buried. That’s got to be a common problem with this sort of attack. Listening to their recorded music, it seems like they sometimes keep the vocals low there too. We say jack them up! The heat was getting to us by the time Late Bloomer from North Carolina got on stage. We didn’t last too long. They were a good fit for the bill with a loud roar underpinning their songs. Their album Waiting has some good songs. “I’ll Make it Go Away” on Bandcamp had us replaying it a few times. We now have that on our Top Ten now.
We took the opportunity to go to Great Scotts on Friday to catch up with Black Beach. The traffic was light and there was parking near the club because of the July 4th holiday week exodus and the students mostly gone. The first band, Numbers Have Names were a different sort of band. They were instrumental. They created atmosphere with heavy pedal use (even on the bass) and a small synth. Not in our purview but it signifies a healthy scene when you catch this sort of variety.
We saw the next band, Blood Built Empire, at their first show at O’Brien’s in April 2017. They were impressive even then. At Great Scott’s they did the same thing: both the bass and guitar pounded on a primal riff while the drums pumped it up. The riffs are drawn from metal but they don’t go too far that way. The lead singer infused rage into all the lyrics, which seem mostly about environmentalism. They capture an apocalyptic fever. Their Bandcamp page gratefully has the lyrics with the songs, there worth checking out. One song called Battering Ram, which could be the description of their sonic attack, captures what they do very well. This is a band worth catching!!
We’ve seen Black Beach many times and they were rocking as hard as ever at O’Brien’s. They go back to basics on the song structures. At times it seems like they wanted to see how little it takes to make a song. They hit a few notes that came with a rhythm and just pound on it. It worked every time. Years ago they would be a straight up garage band but they probably don’t know the classic garage bands. As a result they sound fresh. You could hear much psych and surf in the guitar solos which came a plenty. The solos never sounded gratuitous because the overall sound was always a group sound. You had three guys focused on the same thing and that gave the music its power. Really, they do this every time. You want to see what current Boston rock sounds like? This is one band to see!! Mark Davis has some photos from Once on Saturday night with Shepherdess. Click photo link below to see his page. And in other news ....
Here's a blast from the past - a 1978 news segment on the Sex Pistols tour in America. Here's some good shows coming up this week.....
July 12 (Thursday) Koffin Kats, The Goddamn Gallows, Viva Le Vox at The Middle East July 12 (Thursday) When Particles Collide, Bad Larry's, Whoopi Sticks, The OK Oks at Opus in Salem July 13 (Friday) Thigh Scrapers and CalCali Band are at Tavern at the end of the world. (The Last Ones are no longer on this bill.) July 13 (Friday) Fireking, The Grip Weeds, Watts, Modern Day Idols at Thunder Road -get tix here. July 13 (Friday) The Devil's Twins, Worshipper, Tigerman Woah, Heavy Necker at Once
July 13 (Friday) Morning Afters, The Brave Noise, Jason Bennett & Resistance at Ralph's in Worcester July 14 (Saturday) A Crash Course For The Ravers show 1pm to 4pm at and transmits on 91.5FM Medford. Special guests today is Anthony Kaczynski! July 14 (Saturday) il Mostro, Dug McCormack and the DB, The Laces, Jim Healey for a 4-8PM show at the Midway July 14 (Saturday) Zip-Tie Handcuffs, Thompson Springs, Jake Mckelvie And The Countertops, Tyler Berd at O'Brien's Pub July 14 (Saturday) The Billy Connors Project with The Last Ones and Kid Gulliver at Club Bohemia at the Cantab July 14 (Saturday) Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, Frenchy And The Punk, Radiator King at Once Ballroom
July 14 (Saturday) Peterossi, Oberon Rose, The Maxims, Four Point Restraints at Koto in Salem And further out we have... July 16 (Monday) The Dirty Byrds, Blame It On Whitman, Mojo Rot at The Middle East Up July 18 (Wednesday) Thee Fightin' Fish,Wired Up & Captain Martini at Opus/Salem July 20 (Friday) Boston Massacre 2018 with the Straw Dogs, Mung, Jerry's Kids and more TBA at the Middle East July 20 (Friday) Crimespree, Noogy (TX), Secret Spirit & Straight Eights at Club Boho at theCantab July 20 (Friday) Crunchtime, Doug MacDonald, Highway Chapel at Sally O'Brien's
July 21 (Saturday) Kermit's Finger, The Grommets, The Only Things, The Instamatics 4-8PM at the Midway July 21 (Saturday) Hub City Stompers, Brunt Of It, Barfight Champs early show at 6:30PM at The Middle East Up July 21 (Saturday) The Monseiurs are playing Fenway Park with The Foo Fighters!! That should be interesting. Andy won't be able to walk into the crowd for his usual contact. July 21 (Saturday) It's O'Brien's' Grub Sweat and Beers weekend - Day 1- Saturday is Bible Of The Devil, Sasquatch, Sundrifter, Hey Zeus, Birnam Wood, Scaphism, The Northern Skulls, Labor Hex, The Humanoids, Test Meat, Red Mantis = 15 bucks starts at 3PM July 22 (Sunday) It's O'Brien's' Grub Sweat and Beers weekend -Day 2 Sunday - Wolfsmyth, Mollusk, The Rupert Selection, The Heave Ho, Witchkiss, Backwoods Payback, Set Fire, Diablogato, Freak On! Starts at 2Pm - 10 bucks
July 26 (Thursday) The Runouts, Sonic Libido, Mercury on Mars, KCUF at Club Boho at The Cantab July 26 (Thursday) Radium Girls, Thrust Club, Lonely Leesa and the Lost Cowboys, Yes Commander at Once Ballroom July 26 (Thursday) D.O.A 40th Anniversary Tour at The Middle East Up- doors are at 7PM July 27 (Friday) The F.U.'s, Grey Matter, Scare City at Ralph's Rock Diner, Worcester July 28 (Saturday) Punk Night at The Chit Chat with The Radiator Rattlers, Jonee Earthquake Band, Kermit's Finger, Wkeah, The Lipstick Boys at the Chit Chat Lounge Haverhill, MA July 28 (Saturday) Rockin' The Dune Tunes with Sport Shakes, Love Strangers, Carissa Johnson, Cordobas at Whitecrest Beach Wellfleet Cape Cod 5-9PM FB page July 29 (Sunday) Color Killer, State of the Union, The New Frustrations, The Stigmatics at The Midway for a Matinee Show 4-8PM August 3 (Friday) Carissa Johnson & The Cure-Alls, The Life Electric, Psychic Dog, The Appleyards at The Middle East Up August 3 (Friday) Bim Skala Bim, The Dogmatics & the World premiere of the film Chet's Last Call at Grumpy's Pub in Falmouth, MA FB page for more info
August 3 (Friday) PanzerBastard, Taxi Driver, Brix’n Mortar and The Downhauls at Opus in Salem August 4 (Saturday) Nervous Eaters, Jeremy and The Harlequins, Justine and The Unclean at The Middle East Up- early evening show- doors at 6:30 August 4 (Saturday) Muck and the Mires, Tiger Bomb, The Gala at Sally O'Brien's August 4 (Saturday) Descendents w/ A Wilhelm Scream & Pavers at State Theatre, Portland, Maine FB page August 5 (Sunday) Richie Parsons
presents a Sunday afternoon acoustic duo show! Featuring Martin-Morell
(Eric Martin of The Neats and Steve Morell of The Del Fuegos) August 8 (Wednesday) The Blasters come back to ONCE - according to Once this show IS happening. August 13 (Monday) Agent Orange, Fea, and more at Ralph's Diner in Worcester FB page August 15 (Wednesday) Agent Orange are at the Brighton Music Hall TIX! Silver Screams will be opening up for them. TIX here. August 16 (Thursday) Agent Orange w/ FEA, MOTO and Zero Holds at Alchemy in Provi, RI
August 17 (Friday) Wreckless Chords presents: Gang Green & The Dogmatics...with...Diablogato, Antibodies, Worm- at the C Note in Hull - start time is 7 PM August 17 (Friday) Richie Parsons Band, Tiger Bomb, Random Ideas at The Bayside Bowl in Postland, ME August 24 (Friday) Lyres, Glider, Pop Gun, Knock Ups at Koto in Salem August 25 (Saturday) Stop Calling Me Frank, Hi-End, The Stigmatics, The Legendary Cazbats at Club Boho at The Cantab August 26 (Sunday) Sunday Matinee with Reason To Fight, Abductors, BFC, Pint Killers at the Midway 4-8PM August 28 (Tuesday) In The Whale, Tied To A Bear, Blood Built Empire at O'Brien's Pub August 28 (Tuesday) FAVL (from Italy), Brix N' Mortar, The Martians, Union Boys at Opus in Salem August 28 (Tuesday) August 30th to September 2nd 6th Annual Rat Beach Party The C-Note on Nantasket Beach! More info to c ome later!!
September 8 (Saturday) The Queers on a boat!! doing the Rock On! Concert Cruise FB page for tix etc September 9 (Sunday) The Queers, The Prozacs, CityState, Color Killer, Wretched Hive at the Waterfront Tavern Holyoke MA FB page doors at 7Pm September 11 (Tuesday) Killing Joke on their 40th Anniversary Tour at the Paradise FB page September 12 (Wednesday) Cheetah Chrome's new Dead Boys, The Ghost Wolves at Sonia. September 13 (Thursday) MC50 presents Kick Out The Jams - The 50th Anniversary Tour - whoa!! This is Wayne Kramer celebrating the 50th Anniveresary of the MC5...with special guests!! At the Paradise. FB page September 13 (Thursday) Fall-Fest 5 Day 1: featuring The Avengers! also on the bill - Silver Screams, Boot Rot, City Problems and a bunch more bands. It’s at Alchemy. Music starts at 8PM Here's the FB page September 13 (Thursday) Hudson Falcons, Genuine Rust, Sonic Libido and more TBA at This is an ALL AGES Matinee! at Thirsty First: Tavern & Grill, Lowell. September 18 (Tuesday) Cheetah Chrome's "Dead Boys" with The Ghost Wolves are at Sonia September 18 (Tuesday) ALL AGES MATINEE- 1-6PM : Hudson Falcons, Genuine Rust, Sonic Libido, Losers Circle at the Thirsty First Tavern in Lowell.
October 12 (Friday) Salem Horror Fest After Party with Diablogato, Gray Bouchard and the Dedications and Petty Morals at Opus in Salem October 15 (Monday) Jagger Holly, Mongorellis, Prozacs, Jimmy Jacked, Color Killer at Opus Salem October 18 (Thursday) The Proletariat, Savageheads, Silver Screams at Sonia October 20 (Saturday) Nervous Eaters, Indonesian Junk, Duck & Cover at the Middle East Up October 27 (Saturday) Lyres, GLiDER, the modifierS at The Middle East Up- Early show doors at 6:30PM October 27 (Saturday) The Descendents w/ Teenage Bottlerocket at The Palladium in Worcester FB page for tix etc November 2 (Friday) Roky Erikson at Once. Tix here. November 10 (Saturday) The FUs, GLiDER, Classic Ruins and Screw Cart at Club Boho @ The Cantab. This is show 1 in a series called The Rosebud Rocks...remembering and celebrating our beloved Rosebud in Davis Square that was sold 4 years ago. CONTACT US AT....misslynbgn@yahoo.com Send us your gig listings, your news and anything else ya got!! You want your CD reviewed?? Contact us for that too.
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Once is giving everyone a scare this week by announcing
that they'll close for a while. They feel it's time to change their
infrastructure while also doing a bit of renovation to the spaces. There
is still a general fear that they may not reopen. Once
has been such a great venue and we really hope they will be able to
continue. Some booked shows are going on for example the Roky Erickson
in November. Here you can read 
July 11 (Wednesday) The Goddamn
Gallows, The Koffin Kats, Viva Le Vox at Alchemy in Provi, RI 
July 13 (Friday) The Gala, Frantic
Endeavor, Skytigers, Thunderosa at Opus in Salem
July 14 (Saturday) Revilers, The Von Traps,
LEWD, Pint Killers and Foul Fellows at the Hotel Vernon
in Worcester
July 20 (Friday)
Kid Gulliver, OTP, The Knock-Ups & The
Surprise Party at KOTO/Salem
July 26 (Thursday) Distressor,
Offside, Psychic Weight, DNZL at O'Brien's
August 16 (Thursday) Michael Kane
& The MAs, Reverand Dan, Volstead Act, Jonee Earthquake at the 13th
Floor Music Lounge -JJs Tavern Florence, MA
September 8 (Saturday) Richard
Mirsky's CD Release Party at the Midway (night show)
September 28 (Friday) Stop Calling
Me Frank, Soraia, Hambone Skinny & The Connection
at Sally O'Brien's
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