Jason Bennett / Chestnut Hullabaloo / Will Good / Barroom Heroes
President’s Club, Quincy, MA 6/9/13
This is my first time at the President’s Club in Quincy as this club was first formed and frequented by President John Quincy Adams and since that time has been attended by every American President up to and including Barack Obama. So obviously I feel honored to be in its confines.
I’m also honored to be at a show set up by Carrie Bell Ford, daughter of President Gerald Ford, of course and is royalty, a Queen, in the local punk scene. Well, at least to me.
And when I talk about redhead royalty one must mention Lyz Red, Brooklyn based promoter and a sweetheart, also- she being the concubine of Shawn Refuse, he being formerly of the great hardcore band Refuse Resist and now of the equally great, Done With You.
Did I mention this is a benefit for Candy Apple Promotions which is Lyz’s company and is putting on, in two weeks’ time, “Punk Island” which will have ninety-four bands, many from Boston and ones we write about? Well, now there- I did!
And I could continue to write about the beautiful glamorous redheads I know but I think its music time. You know there’s always something!
The BarRoom Heroes are leading off this show and you must know by now that they are juvenile delinquents of the worst sort, two of them being children of Carrie. But when they’re not breaking windows with rocks at their local middle school or stealing hubcaps of neighborhood cars, they’re laying down some pretty good pure true punk for the people.
Of course, I do feel a little sorry for the lads, in their threadbare clothes, eating pieces of half eaten pizza left by other patrons, when Carrie pulls up in her chauffeured limousine and mink stole. But, of course, these are events I see but keep to myself. Who am I to judge?
They have their first CD out- we have a review. The album is very, very good- much better than this review in my opinion. Davey, their excellent drummer needs to leave early so he can catch a famous metal band with his dad who also happens to have backstage passes. No problemo, Chestnut Hullabaloo pops in and plays drums with them for a couple of songs. They end with my two favorite tunes of theirs “Ginger Ale” and “Nate” and are soon off to back the Dropkick Murphy’s on some upcoming shows.
And Chestnut is actually the next performer. And not with his usual popular Swaggerin’ Growlers- he’s left with just his acoustic guitar and his voice. But he easily commands the stage and turns in a great set. A cover of a song by Rancid stands out as well as a song he ends with, “Storming Beacon Hill.”. Some awesome songs and good drumming as well!
Seems like we’re settling into an acoustic night and though usually, folk music bores me out of my mind we have a pretty good crew tonight.
Will Good is next, son of Johnny B. and singer/songwriter of the band The Old Edison. I happen to think of him as probably the best lyric writer on our site and when you see him with his band, though I do love them, it’s more like walking into some surprise drunk birthday party at 3 am. which is not a bad thing to me, at all. But here the party element is stripped away, just the songs and words ring true and the haunting, somber tone is what you’re left with. I enjoyed the set a lot and I remember one song that tells about his friends warning him about smoking and drinking but up in heaven they have overflowing ashtrays and empty bottles galore.
Jason Bennett is up next to take out this acoustic jamboree, he being of Jason Bennett & The Resistance, a very good band. He holds his own very well with the strong, stellar group of songwriters before him. Towards the end he does a passionate version of the Clash tune, “White Man In Hammersmith Palais”. It’s more a reggae song than punk one but makes for a great sing-a-long and he is joined by some of the singers before him. A fitting finish to a fun show.
Looking at this review now I see it reads like some Bob Dylan/ Joan Baez hootenanny and I’m really worried about it. Goddamn it, I gotta turn it into the editor (Andy Bang) now. What kind of punk concert is this? This will never fly. I’m sure you’ll never read the words I just wrote.
Naw, I can pull it off. Did I mention the redheads there?
(Slimedog)
