No Tox / Beartrap / Honest John / Laughing Stock
Roggie’s, Brighton, MA 5/23/14
I arrive much too early for the bands. I arrive much too early to pay the cover charge. Good things come to those who wait…or don’t.
Viviam has made it; Keith, too. Lindsey’s GPS has taken her to Cleveland instead of Cleveland Circle. Oh well, the show must go on.
Laughing Stock is the first band. Is this band not a rip roaring full throttle attack on our senses and genitals and all we hold dear?
I wouldn’t call this hardcore- I’d say this is more traditional punk or skate punk. This band is just songs played way too fast which is more than all right by me. This band has a great front man, exciting music and great tunes. This is one hell of a great way to open a show and I hope I can catch them again- soon.
Honest John is next. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them many times now. I have the pleasure once again tonight. I recommend you see them if you haven’t already. Intense hardcore with an experimental edge, hardcore that doesn’t want to be “color by the numbers”, hardcore that doesn’t want to be predictable and relaxed. It is hardcore that does want to challenge, push the boundaries so to speak.
Do they succeed in this endeavor? Very much so and the audience and moshers seem to agree. This is uncompromising, in your face music; arty without being pretentious, hard hitting in the gut and mind as well.
Beartrap is next and they’re a trio backing a singer. They’re a hardcore band that borders on being experimental music at times with their sometimes odd time signatures and abrasive vocals. The front man puts his heart into the performance and the band backs him ably as well. I don’t feel they succeed as much as Honest John does but this is uncompromising hardcore, as well, and I judge them as a promising band.
No Tox is the final band tonight and they feature musicians who played in Toxic Narcotic. Will on guitar trades vocals with Pat an bass while Sam on drums sets the bar for all drummers to follow. This is proficiently played hardcore with enough balls and abrasiveness to make you forget how awesome the musicians really play.
The guitarist and bassist trade off vocals, the bassist with the slightly lower vocals, the drummer just hits things with sticks as those of his ilk are wont to do. This is hardcore at its most potent and powerful and this show is one of the best attended, for a small venue, with one of the wildest mosh pits that I think I’ve ever witnessed.
At this time the show had to be stopped because of the ridiculous curfew rule for all ages shows in Boston, shows have to be over by ten-thirty. (Believe me this is gonna change in the future and I hope to help this happen).
Anyway I see this as an opportunity to redeem myself and the puppet show community, and my puppets and their families as well, from my earlier debacle debut recently at the Midway.
I rush to get my puppets, momentarily delayed by slipping on a pizza slice right outside the door, falling slightly.
Oh, this is my night (I can feel my redemption in my veins!) This is the night my artistic inspiration will shine so brightly, as brightly as the lights on Broadway.
I start putting on my puppet show as what I hope will be a crowd pleasing reenactment of Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney’s song “Ebony And Ivory,” a beautiful song about different races living in harmony much like how the black and white keys harmonize on the piano in music.
Much to my dismay the puppets take control of the show. They don skinhead attire and try to turn it into a White Power rally with Skrewdriver songs. To makes things worse, at this point Michael Vick leads a dog onstage that piddles on my leg.
The people, once again, are throwing excrement and debris towards me and the stage, as well they should. But now I feel no shame or abasement, only an acceptance, a slight recognition that this is now my life, how I will live the rest of my mortal days. Full of excrement, debris and White Power puppets. And in one flick of a moment, I turn away from the crowd and one clear tear flows freely down my cheek.
Otherwise, this was a great show!
(Slimedog)
