Simone Berk - Kid Gulliver

Got my motor running, headed up the highway and into Downtown Lowell at a small pub called Thirsty First to see four bands that gave the Mill City spectators, fans and the performers themselves a real jolt of intense, violent punk electricity with a little power pop and classic rock homages to somewhat temper that shock. Thirsty First’s Prohibition-era 1920s decor seemed a very unlikely setting for such reckless abandonment a century later, and speakeasy these bands did not do much of, but somehow tonight’s reveries gelled and gave us a cool night to remember.

Gnarnia

Openers Gnarnia hails from Providence, RI, which lately has been spawning a great little scene bursting with authentic, blue collar energy and creative thrust. Vocalist Simo, guitarist Scooter, bassist A. Virus and drummer Fmul3 lost no time getting right to the business at hand, ripping into originals like "Just a Fight", "Thin Ice", "Matunuck" and "Eat Love Prey" with an old school punk vengeance, complete with a spell of slam dancing from an overly enthusiastic patron, who duly knocked over drinks on the table and nearly came to blows with me! Such display of dangerous behavior ultimately got him ejected but it also served as a great reminder of the power of real punk to arouse action and shake up complacency in an all-too jaded, seen-it-all, done-it-all environment these days. Mics took a liberal amount of beating as well, and would continue to do so the rest of the evening!

Kid Gulliver

The outrage would abate considerably with the next band Kid Gulliver, who regaled us with their infectious but robust power pop. Notable was their bassist Andy Excuse, who displayed some sturdy, nimble chops that added urgency to lead singer/rhythm guitarist Simone Berk’s sweet melodies and lead guitarist David Armillotti’s jangly licks. Sometimes the powerful rhythm section (kudos to Andy and drummer Mark Enet) overwhelmed the vocals (the effects of mic abuse?) but their originals “I Wanna Be a Pop Star,” “Lila Dreams,” “All Because of You” and the darkly optimistic “Susie Survived Chemotherapy” shone through nicely.

Baabes

The ruckus would return with a vengeance with Baabes. Billing themselves as sleazy garage punk rock n roll, and featuring Johnny Brain Box (vocals), Frankie Sinn (guitar), Glen Deez (bass) and Pennywize (drums) they literally smashed into their depraved originals such as "Alien Love", "Soopastar" and "Before You’re Dead" with mics and mic stands taking one hell of a beating! Considering that vocal mixes were the weak point of tonight’s event, I suppose that made sense. This Boston act has been terrorizing their club scene for awhile and sure delivered their rein tonight!

The Only Things

The final act was a Lowell-based band called The Only Things. Donny McHale and Patrick Flaherty handled guitar and vocals while Eric Cline and Tom Southerton held it together with bass and drums. They were more old school ‘70s rock, with two originals “Kiss Fans” and “Eddie Money” making its point known. They're no mere cheap thrill, they brought the whole package deal with them and capped off this matinee with pure fun and fury.

Take that, Covid!! Onto the next gig!

Johnny Brain Box - Baabes

Andy Excuse - Kid Gulliver

Donny McHale - The Only Ones

Simo - Gnarnia

Patrick Flaherty - The Only Things