Stray Bullets / Black Cheers / Loser’s Circle / Coffin Salesman / Blame It On Whitman
Benefit For Toys For Tots
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 12/8/18
Recently, Andy and I were lucky enough to see this great show for a great cause that raised $700 and collected 59 toys.
Andy, serving hard time for our crimes against Facebook, broke out from his Kentucky prison, undetected, just to see this show.
He was scheduled for furlough for our Annual Xmas Punk Pizza Party that will take place here, Sunday December 23rd. But that conflicted with his prison’s Xmas party which Andy always partakes of, dressed and acting, as Santa Claus.
And this consists of his fellow inmates sitting on his lap and explaining how naughty or nice they’ve been throughout the year.
Then it’s Andy’s duty to hand out presents, or deal out punishments, if they have been bad. And, from what I hear, he is rather a merciless Santa to those prisoners that have been bad, indeed.
So with all this alluding to sordid S&M prison practices, I hope we’ve put you all into the Xmas spirit. Join us in imbibing many Xmas spirits, as well, as we enter the holiest form of music reviewing, namely- dual texting.
Slimedog- So you broke out of prison just for this show?
Andy- I had to. I heard the show was gonna have two of my favorite things. Beer and toys.
Slimedog- Well, we have been accused of beings rejects from a toy factory before. BTW I don’t think that prison shiv you brought as a a toy donation was very appropriate.
Andy- I just thought the children might like to learn about the kind of toys we play with in prison.
Slimedog- I see, educational, so to speak. Seems you’re very popular in prison, playing Santa Claus for all the inmates.
Andy- We drew straws and I lost. I guess I shouldn’t complain though. It allowed me to sneak out to this show. Just walked out with Rudolph and Hermey.
Slimedog- Oh, acquaintances of yours?
Andy- Well Hermey’s my dentist and Rudolph’s thinks he’s my bitch, but I just keep him around as a spare flashlight.
Slimedog- Oh, how nice! So very festive keeping in with the Holiday spirit! Well, Blame It On Whitman is playing, what do you think about them?
Andy- They sound cool. Lots of good energy.
Slimedog- Yes, but they get too fancy for me, at times. Like when the Ramones added that fifth chord to their music or sixth word to their lyrics.
Andy- Ya, I never could understand why Marky had so many drums?
Slimedog- He was pretty drunk most of the time, so perhaps it was to buffer him in case he passed out. Aria, from The Radicals, new band is next- Coffin Salesman.
Andy- Ah, OK. Interesting. Is there such a thing as folk punk?
Slimedog- Of course, though I’d say this is more a mix of folk, Celtic punk and thrash. BTW Aria said that he could get me a great deal on a casket.
Andy- Cool. Ya never know when you might need one. It’s always good to be ready.
Slimedog- I turned him down. Gonna go with the more traditional – placed in a giant bologna wrapper and slowly, lowered by a crane into the sea. Aria is a great songwriter and my favorite lyricist I write about.
Andy- He also plays with a lot of intensity. Very entertaining. I’m gonna go the cremation route. Gasoline and a bic lighter.
Slimedog- While “Burn, Baby, Burn (Disco Inferno)” is playing. Loser’s Circle is up next and they’re such a great band. They’re last album, and their performances are so good in the melodic punk style, that they hardly make me miss Refuse Resist, the great hardcore band they originated from.
Andy- Agreed. They always play a consistently good show.
Slimedog- And I believe Big Jaime, the bassist, organized this show.
Andy- Cool. I may be hallucinating, but it seems like some guys are playing in multiple bands.
Slimedog- Yes, you are correct with so many of our young men fighting overseas, musicians have to play in multiple combos.
Andy- Wow, it’s fantastic so many fine young musicians have a compulsion to fight for their country. In the old days musicians were the first to rally against war.
Slimedog- Yes, though it is somewhat disconcerting that it’s not organized military action- our young men are going to, say France, and starting fist fights in the streets but it’s still very valiant, just the same. And I just got confused with what band is playing now because Scotty, the drummer, played in the last two bands!
Andy- Perhaps now would be a good time to do our Xmas shot. It might clear out thinking. Whomever they are, they’re quite an awesome band. I believe its The Black Cheers.
Slimedog- Yes- Cheers to The Black Cheers! I believe their first song is an instrumental version of “Breakdown” off of the Buzzcocks very first EP, “Spiral Scratch.”
Andy- No doubt a tribute to the late great Pete Shelley.
Slimedog- Yes, they just played a scorching set, my favorite of the afternoon. And now it’s time for the popular ska/punk band Stray Bullets.
Andy- I’m not that partial to ska, punk or otherwise, but these guys are keeping the show rolling quite nicely with good energy.
Slimedog- Yes, a great ending to a great show. Well, I hope you have a nice Xmas party at the prison.
Andy- I’m sure it won’t be too bad since I get to sit down through most of it. It’s only when I need to bend over to get an Xmas gift that things get a bit dicey. At any rate, I surely will miss the TNB annual event as it will be the first time that I will be absent. Please send my regards to all in attendance.
Slimedog- Actually, I think I’ll be attending your prison party instead!
