Benefit For Bueno: friends playing songs for a friend
(A benefit to support Will Good)
People who know me know I never shake hands.
It comes from working almost two decades at the front desk of a Boston YMCA where all the young, black men had such interesting handshakes. Where they grasped hands and then, semi-hugged or pounded fists- and the later is what I chose.
So friends my age know I don’t shake hands, I fist pump. All my young friends, sometimes expecting a handshake, have learned the same.
But Will Good, who this benefit is for, would never accept my fist pump. Instead, he would seriously look me in the eye, and extend his hand for me to shake. And laughingly, I would do so each time.
I took it as a young fellow who didn’t want to disrespect tradition.
So I don’t know if this counts as a handshake, a pat on the back or a simple wish of good will to Will Good- get it?
But I want to extend my fist to him once again and then switch it up to my hand and wish him good luck and Godspeed.
This compilation is a for Will who is the leader, lead singer and composer for The Old Edison. A local folk/hood/punk band from South Boston.
A band that when I first saw them, I despised, I detested, I desecrated their name across the holy shrines of existence.
I mean- C’mon! A band with a banjo? A violin? No drums?
But each time I saw them play I liked them better every time. I noticed the lyrics were down to earth, realistic and often angry. In other words- punk lyrics. And then I realized, that even if their songs were slow, they were delivered with a wild, punk energy.
And then about this time- I realized I was indeed, an idiot.
Because though lacking pounding drums and shrieking guitars they were truly punk and shortly after, I got a little smarter The Old Edison became one of my favorite local bands.
So Will was, unfortunately, in a car accident and is recovering but also incurring medical bills. So this, and a recent matinee show at the Midway, is to help him out.
And though this comp is not my style- folk/punk, there is a lot of great music here going towards an even better cause.
Let’s check out a few numbers:
The Radicals were one of the best Boston hardcore/punk bands that I’ve covered in the last ten years. Here they contribute “Hail Thundercunt” that starts out at moderately but is soon jetting off to a rockin’ beat with a call and response vocal full of emotion, guts and passion, that only reinforces why I liked this band so much. “There’s the right way and there’s ours.” This song is righter than right.
Loser’s Circle is my favorite melodic punk band and “Pack A Day” begins as an amicable country tune before a shouted, “1,2,3,4!” barges in while we’re rocketing away. “I had too much to drink last night, went straight to my head. I’m gonna smoke some cigarettes and then go back to bed … the bitter life I live is sure to take its toll. I wake up with daily headaches and an empty pack of smokes.” There’s a wonderful, simple guitar lead in the midst of all this bacchanal activity, that sounds like a cover of an Old Edison tune but I could be wrong, but I know I’m correct in stating how truly great this song and performance is.
C.O.B.’s “One Drink Away” is one full blast of melodic punk plastered fully up in your face and ears- full of energy, emotion and exuberance, expressed in each and every excellent way.
“Dead Vulture Hurricane” by Derek, Jared and Ken is a cover of an Old Edison tune that is very folksy in style until the chorus arrives and states, “Yeah, you can go fuck yourself.” Perhaps this is the song that first
convinced me that Old Edison was a punk band! Not sure, but I do know that along with “RPM” these are my two favorite songs by Old Edison and this is a great version. And if you somehow cannot embrace my
enthusiasm for this song- Well, feel free to embrace the chorus.
“Deck Of The Absurd” sounds like an outtake from Coffin Salesman’s great release of last year “The Birth Of Flies.” That’s Aria Rad’s project who was in The Radicals, and that release was one of favorites of last year. This song is gothic, morose, depressing and morbid and is so splendidly perfect, so strange and so startling superb.
C.E. Skidmore is one of the most talented singer/songwriters that I write about and here she does a cover of “RPM” that as I’ve noted, is one of my favorite Old Edison songs. I love this version and I love the low key, lo-fi production that makes me recall Mazzy Star and I love this song.
Yes, this is music played by bands in the current local Boston punk scene.
But that tells so little of the full story.
What it’s really about is people, about a community- not something you need to intellectualize about too much, as I’m doing now.
But a music community reaching out and taking care of one that is in need that they wish to lend a helping hand.
So I wouldn’t necessarily call this a folk/punk compilation though I guess that would be accurate.
But let’s call it what it really is- Love, respect, a community caring, with guts, emotion and truth involved-
Also camaraderie, joy, fun and excitement and expression- plus acceptance, exuberant exhibition of oneself and a celebration and a belief in yourself and all the people of this community, who you are close to, who are your true brothers and sisters, your true family, your blood, your heart, your joy, your tears.
Those who you believe in more than anything, more than life, more than the sun coming up tomorrow, more than the sun going down at night.
More than everything and anything.
I believe in Will Good and everyone who believes in him, too.
And I believe you will do good and support him.
(Slimedog)
