The Runouts / Garbage Point / The Martians / Satch
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 2/21/16
Today is a little different for me.
You say, “Whattya mean, Slimedog? A punk matinee at the Midway is like the morning paper and breakfast for you. Or, in your case, staying up drunk and oblivious till dawn is more like it.”
But today there is only one band out of the four bands that I’ve seen before.
Usually, I’ve seen all or most so this is a little different. Not sure how I’ll cope with the disturbance. You see, I’m a rather innocent lad, not used to unsettling changes. No experience with hard drugs or the more sordid sides of sex, or things I’ve experienced that you wouldn’t believe if I told you, but yes, they are true.
And now this is a new experience for me.
Satch is the first band today. I just heard them for the first time, this week, on the new “Bern The System” sampler so I know a little what to expect.
After hearing their song “Legal Separation” on that comp, my expectations are high. But my expectations are met and exceeded. This band is the real punk, meaning- The Angry Samoans, Germs kind of punk, meaning the- “I care enough not to give a fuck”- kind of punk.
Their music is not slick, but sick- and full of fury and passion, not hardcore but great- and maybe speed punk or skate punk if you need a tag.
The lead singer has a Whoopi Sticks t-shirt on, just like me, though he is nowhere near as handsome or debonair, but he is a terrific frontman and the band pummels the songs to death in grand display. I recognize their song from the compilation but every song sounds great and they play a wonderful set.
I love them more than life itself, but wait!- I regard life, itself, below the band Coldplay! Okay, okay- let’s say I like them more than beer. Okay, Wait!- not that much. Let’s leave it as- I like them as much as life, if life itself was beer.
The Martians are next, a fairly new band, and a band from our solar system, if not from our planet.
They’re so new to Earth that they think The Ramones and early English punk are the best things they ever heard. Come to think of it, I’ve been on this planet a couple of centuries and I don’t think they’re wrong!
The drummer, Christian, from Mickey Rickshaw is also playing guitar with them now. (Though I think a more appropriate name for him would be Satan.) So they have three guitarists now and I eagerly await their transformation to being a Lynard Skynard tribute band any time soon.
Come to think of it, this band isn’t slick either. And to think, I came hear hoping to hear a Berklee sampler of jazz fusion!
This band is sick, like Satch, and not slick and I don’t think we need to have any worries that they will ever be. But I think they will always be fun and exciting as they are now, today. And they’ll always be passionate because they have the germ of punk firmly embedded in their DNA.
Towards the end of their set they do a cover of The Ramones song “My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down,” and my brain is pogo-ing to the joy and passion and fun they generate. They may never be slick but, I think, they will always sound great.
Garbage Point is the next band to play and it’s my first time seeing them. They play pop/punk with a lot of multiple vocals and harmonies. They lead off their set with the first three songs that will be on their upcoming EP. They all sound good but I especially like the last one they play, a surf/punk number called “Out Of Space” or something similar. They dedicate the song to The Martians, and like them, they are out of this world.
The band turns in a very good set though, I think they’re still in the incubation stage. But I think, as they go along, they will probably turn out even better.
The RunOuts are the last band to play today. After a few songs I hear them tare into a tune and I think, “Do they realize they’re ripping off Tom Petty?” But it turns out they’re actually covering his song “I Need To Know,” and doing a hell-uva job at it.
This is the tightest band of the day and create a vibe that conjures up influences of Stiff Little Fingers/ The Jam/ The Clash. And, led by an excellent left-handed singer/guitarist they turn in a good, well polished set.
Though, I feel bad about myself, when I realize I recognize their reved-up cover of The Beach Boys, “Sloop John B.,”- because, not only do I recognize it but I know the name of it. And earlier I had to ask someone what was the name of The Ramones song!
Well, it seems like I handled this disruption to my regular, orderly way of life quite well today. I didn’t bust apart at the seems, all limbs seem still intact.
And I had a rather good time, at that. But then, I always do at these punk matinees.
Today was no different for me.
(Slimedog)
