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The BGN News Archive
We met The Fringe down at one of the C Note shows in October but never actually saw them play. We were impressed that a high school age band had it all together and turned heads at that show. Friday we headed to The Fringe show at Pinz in Kingston, where we saw Crimespree/Straight Eights/Worm in September. The place was buzzing with people doing all sorts of things. This entertainment complex is fun city; it’s got a bar, restaurant, bowling and games of all sorts. We knew from last time that the sound bounces all around the open space. You'd think it might throw the band but with The Fringe it didn’t seem to register, they had their set nailed down. They did covers with three originals. They had good taste in the covers with Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, and the Foo Fighters. One notable cover was “Ain’t That a Shame’ by Fats Domino. It sounded like it might have come via the Cheap Trick version. Nicely done in any case. Video below.
Before the set the band said that they are slowly working in originals. The three originals they do have show they have the knackfor it, and an indication they should keep going and work to get a whole set of originals. The band is tight with seamless segues. The lead guitarist has a classic Les Paul tone. The drummer is a standout. The singer has a voice that can soar over the instrumental din. It’s clear and he has control that he uses to twist the end of a melody line that often seals the song. During the set a guy handed the singer a business card. The man was obviously impressed and was looking to connect. You don’t have to be a genius to see the talent in The Fringe. They were getting a great response from the Pinz audience. We’ll be watching to see how they develop. We always are on the prowl for OC45 shows. Thus we were at O’Brien’s on Saturday where they played with Bundles (who we missed), Burn Burn Burn and The Coffin Salesmen.
Burn Burn Burn are from Seattle and are often tourmates with OC45. They are punk with a bit of Oi in there. Like OC45 they are about getting 100% of your attention. The singer alone was a show. He was off the stage in front and was, at times, a one man mosh pit. He had his own way of moving around. He would almost prance and if it wasn’t so intense it would be comedic. It did put a light hearted feel to the show. The two guitars were drilling away. There was some magic in the rhythm section. They created a low rumble that telegraphed an ominous excitement. It was like a volcano that was about to blow. The OC45 fans treated them with whooping approval. Check out their Bandcamp page How do you follow that? OC45 wasn’t louder or punkier but they were tighter. They were super tight. They put in twists and change ups that happened in a snap. When you hear their power controlled with precision you know you are in the hands of professionals.
The other thing is their songs; some stick out live and recorded. Their last album Happy Accidents (check it out on our CD review page) is full of songs with substance in the lyrics and hooks in the chorus. From that album they played the emotional "This Bottle’s Got Your Name On It” and the political, “Keep Your Guns” and “Trainwreck”.
“Trainwreck” was the highlight of the set. The chorus is the blunt, “Fuck the world”; maybe not eloquent but a common enough feeling. The band invited people up and that filled the stage with people joining in on the release. It was a wonderful moment and it was just part of the we-are-one feeling you get at all OC45 shows. If you like punk you should be at the OC45 shows too.
Now, The Coffin Salesman are a whole different thing, it’s the creation of Aria Rad. He was a member of the punk band Radicals but then took up just an acoustic guitar and did an album solo as Coffin Salesman. Since then he’s expanded into a band. The band has six members and includes a violin and keyboards. From the beginning he gained attention because his songwriting was full of sardonic humor. Saturday he showed a sold out O’Brien’s the strength of his new style. Sometimes the group was quiet and restrained and then they got loud and exuberant. But above all it was words, words, words. There were low key songs where the band just kept a steady and insistent beat as Aria spewed out fast paced lyrics that spilled out and piled on top of themselves. You couldn’t help but think of Bob Dylan and the violin in the mix did remind one of Dylan’s Rolling Thunder period.
On his Facebook page Aria says he’s “trying to manage existential dread through song” and you do get that idea of him bearing down on ideas like fate, hope and the human condition. That’s chewing off a lot but he managed it with clever word play and memorable phrases. So things didn’t get too ponderous, he had sections that brought some punk energy into the set. Aria is an interesting character and The Coffin Salesmen had the most people of the night giving their full attention and craning to see what was happening on stage. This was actually their CD release party. It’s available on Bandcamp. And in other news.....
The Real Kids LP 18:28:39 plus download card, and the Nervous Eaters CD Hot Steel and Acid are both available as of Saturday 11/3 at Newbury Comics. Hot Steel and Acid is also available on iTunes, Spotify and Amazon.com with more platforms to follow. The Real Kids 18:28:39 will be available on the various Digital sites next week. Still in the Halloween mode? Give a listen to ”Cry of the Banshee” by Witches Tears. It’s the newest release from Mikke Worm’s Wreckless Wreckchords. Rum Bar Records is literally giving away the bar with 20% off 'back by popular demand' Black Friday Deal running Today through December 1, 2018: Everything and anything on the Rum Bar Records Bandcamp page is 20% off with deal code: blackfriday2019. https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/ Here's some good shows coming up this week.....
November 5 (Monday) Dead Bars, Rebuilder, Pity Party, Weathered Friends at Charlie's Kitchen November 5 (Monday) Parasites with Lucky United and The McGunks at The News Cafe in Pawtucket, RI November 5 (Monday) The Only Things, Surprise Party, Knock-Ups, PNDB at The Worthen Attic in Lowell. November 6 (Tuesday) Rock and Roll Trivia w/ Erin and Brett at Sinclair -starts at 8PM November 9 (Friday) The Only Things, Surprise Party, Knock-Ups, PNDB at The Worthen Attic in Lowell, MA November 9 (Friday) More Beer Please, The Natty D’s, Standard Issue (from CA.), Oziem at Thirsty First Tavern Lowell, MA November 10 (Saturday) Rockin Bob Punk Band, Smartyr, Banshee, Raw Radar War at The Midway 4-8PM
November 10 (Saturday) Keith Brooks Memorial Veterans Day Show #1: The Welch Boys, Pint Killers, Abductors, Step 13, Barfight Champs at The Midway 9PM show November 10 (Saturday) Boys From Nowhere with Nervous Eaters & Unnatural Axe at The Cabot Theater Beverly FB page November 10 (Saturday) Wolf Whistle, Regional Justice Center, Fixation, Hairspray Queen at AS220 Provi RI November 11 (Sunday) Keith Brooks Memorial Veterans Day Show #2: Colin of Arabia , Zero Hour, Cry Havoc, Neighborhood Shit, xForgiveness Deniedx, Foulfellows at The Midway 3-8PM show November 11 (Sunday) Save the date!! Brian Coleman who has published the much talked about Buy Me Boston book will be having a slideshow and panel discussion (including our very own Paul Blowfish Lovell and David Bieber) to promote the book. It's at The Brattle Theater - more info as it becomes available. And further out we have......
November 16 (Friday) Ey Oh Let's Go Cover Night at the Greek Club Bow St Union Square with Ramones by GLiDER, The Clash & Social Distortion by Pop Gun, UFO by QFO, Velvet Underground by Club Linehan A Go Go and Boston Punk by Drunken Uncle November 16 (Friday) Justine and the Unclean, Tad Overbaugh EP Release Party at Sally O'Brien's November 16 (Friday) The Melatonins, Ringtail, Stars Like Ours, Five Foot Shakers at O'Brien's Pub November 16 (Friday) Corolla DeVille, CalCali Band, Mimsey Mack at Opus,Salem November 17 (Saturday) Brian Young's A Crash Course For The Ravers featuring The Gala!!! One of our favorite bands!! November 17 (Saturday) Post Punk
1977-87 Cover Night at Sally O'Brien's - 3 super groups will be covering
songs from 1977-87. (punk, new wave, synth pop etc) November 17 (Saturday) Jittery Jack, Miss Amy Griffin, Whiskey Kill & DJ Easy Ed at Sally O'Brien's November 17 (Saturday) Sccorpio Rising with Thrust Club, Boston Cream, Baluchitherium and KARAOKE! at O'Brien's Allston November 17 (Saturday) Scissorfight, Welch Boys, Taxi Driver, Watching It Burn, COB at Maggy's in Quincy FB page November 19 (Monday) Trick Wallace, Corin Ashley, Chris Wagner, Gene Dante: all doing Acoustic! at The MIdway
November 21 (Wednesday) Far Above the Ground, Thee Midnight Society, The New Frustration, Lightnin' Lyford and the Procrastinators at PINZ in Kingston, MA FB page November 21 (Wednesday)
3rd Annual Morning Afters Thanksgiving Eve Show
*FREE* at Raolph's Diner Worcester with Michael Kane & The Morning Afters,
November 24 (Saturday) Friendsgiving Punk Rock and Roll! at O'Brien's with Arctic Horror, The Skeleton Beats, The Von Traps, The Downhauls- 8-Midnite November 24 (Saturday) Jittery Jack, Miss Amy Griffin, Whiskey Kill & DJ Easy Ed at Sally O'Brien's November 24 (Saturday) Paraffin, Tiger Bomb, Fireking, Scotty Saints & True Believers at The Bayside Bowl in Portland, ME December 1 (Saturday) A Crash Course For The Ravers 1pm to 4pm at http://www.wmfo.org/popout_player.php?bitrate=256 and transmits on 91.5FM Medford. This week Brian Young hosts have Charlie Don't Surf!
December 1 (Saturday) the second and final Red Invasion show - with Funeral Cone and Brix N' Mortar and one more TBA. @ The Middle East Upstairs This is an early show- doors are at 6:30 NOTE!!! This show has been moved to Dec 14 at OBrien's instead. (see below) December 1 (Saturday) America's Hardcore Fest: W/ Ecostrike, Abuse of Power, Fiddlehead, Magnitude, Restraining Order, Deflect, Sleight of Hand, Dominant Force, Result of Choice this show starts at Noon. Middle east Up December 1 (Saturday) Cherie Currie and Flight of Fire (She's A Badass Release Show) Lizzie Borden & The Axes final reunion show. at Once December 1 (Saturday) The Feldons, Tiger Bomb, Justine & The Unclean, Thee Sonomatics at Ralph's Rock Diner in Worcester. December 8 (Saturday) A Crash Course for the Ravers on WMFO 91.50 1-4PM has Stop Calling Me Frank. December 8 (Saturday) 2nd Annual Tunes For Tots show with Stray Bullets, Loser’s Circle, The Black Cheers, Coffin Salesman, Blame It On Whitman for a 4-8PM matinee show. And then there's..... December 8 (Saturday) Pinkerton Thugs, Oc45, MK & Morning Afters , the Lot at The Midway
December 14 (Friday) Red Invasion with Funeral Cone and Brix N' Mortar and EVERT at O'Brien's December 14 (Friday) Street Dogs: 13th Annual Wreck The Halls at Brighton Music Hall December 15 (Saturday) Duck & Cover, Stop Calling Me Frank (Album Release), State of The Union, The Angel Martins Early Show 4-8PM at The Midway December 22 (Saturday) Greg Allen's Fringe Religion, Classic Ruins, 1.4.5, Fireking - Early Show 4-8 at The Midway December 22 (Saturday) Hardcore Stadium presents The A-Team w/ Last In Line, Down But Not Out, Rampage, MFP, Restraining Order at an early show at Middle East Up 4:30 doors January 4 (Friday) OC45, The Dents, Duck & Cover, Blame It On Whitman at O'Brien's Pub January 12 (Saturday) IL Mostro (CD release) w/ Cortez, Scuzzy Yeti & Wrought Iron Hex at O'Brien's January 12 (Saturday) Restraining Order, Envision, Antagonize, Brother, Pummel at AS220 Provi RI January 17 (Thursday) Boston Emissions presents: PowerSlut, Stars Like Ours, Dark Wheels at Once Somerville. 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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Chris Doherty of Gang Green has had a stroke.
Everyone is concerned for him and wishing the best. And we do too! We send positive
thoughts for a FULL recovery Chris!! 
November 5 (Monday) Rea, Musical
Mandalas, Binge Magick, Sternman at The Midway
November 10 (Saturday) Kurt Baker
is coming to Boston!! One show only at Sally O'Brien's Nov 10. with Muck
and the Mires, Stop Calling Me Frank and Kris Rodgers and the
Dirty Gems
November 14 (Wednesday) The Alarm, The
Gobshites at Brighton Music Hall
November 17 (Saturday) It's HIXXGIVING!!
The joyous return of the annual celebration of white trash culture and
redneck vittles. This year they'll have newcomers - Alice Highland,
New Jersey's Sex Zombies, Your hosts- HIXX
and the formidable Screw Cart. This will, no doubt,
be off the hook! The buffet will be provided by the bands. Hixx asks
that you bring non perishable food items, as always, for a local woman's
shelter. This is an early evening show from 4 to 8 pm
at The Midway
November 21 (Wednesday) 1476, Coffin
Salesman, Darker Days at UnchARTed in Lowell. 
December 9 (Sunday) Trusty Sidekick,
Stigmatics, Crunchtime. Dick Pics do a Matinee 4-8 show at The Midway
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