The Stretchers / The Black Cheers / Bobbie Peru / The Manglers / Drunk Robb & The Shots
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 6/15/2012
Another Friday night at the Majestic Midway and Drunk Robb & The Shots are supposed to lead off the night even though they also have a show later that night in Providence. Seems they got here early and “The Hippie Hour,” which is a Greatful Dead type band that plays six to eight thirty was still playing and scared them off. Goddamn hippies! Can’t someone put some rat poison in their marijuana, for chrissakes?
So, up first is The Manglers, a cover band that does lots of Johnny Thunders, Dictators, Dead Boys and songs of that ilk but will do “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Mustang Sally “upon request. Lead singer, Brian, does a great job, especially when you consider he goes from The Dead Boys to AC/DC to Cheap Trick. “Surrender” by Cheap Trick brings the one remaining hippie to the front of the stage to prance like a pony while, I guess, his LSD fades away. Always a fun band to see and afterward, I mention to Brian how good Johnny Thunder’s song are and wouldn’t it be great if every band everywhere was required to play his songs and nothing else. I don’t think I’d mind one bit.
Next is Bobbie Peru and talking with Javier Cansales, their bassist, before the set he tells me their name is from a character in the movie, “Wild At Heart.” It clicks and I figure it’s from one of my favorite movies that also came from a book written by someone, namely Barry Gifford, who eventually became one of my favorite writers.
But enough of that, let’s describe the drummer, who is a dude, and is wearing a white flowered woman’s house dress, shaved head and sporting a dark beard. Kind of suggests to me what Abe Lincoln would look like as a transvestite. But it’s all good, you’ll probably think I’m kidding but in 1980, as a bass player in a Fifties show band that did skits, I wore a similar dress.
But enough of that, let’s describe the music. They’re a trio and Javier I’ve known as an excellent guitarist in other bands but here he also shines as a bassist because he knows what not to play as much as what to play. The guitarist/lead singer has lots of atmospheric effects that at first put me off but then I realize they sound like some cool, quirky new wave band. All three display excellent musicianship that can’t be ignored, even by a room full of punks, but in a musical non-showy way. Though this band is not punk or metal they have great songs and are fun to watch and hear.
Around this time one of the musicians in one of the bands tonight tells me about how, recently, he drank three large bottles of Mad Dog wine and woke up the next day in a laundry room. I told him to leave the Mad Dog for the winos because, for them, waking up in a laundry room is actually, a good thing.
Been hearing lots of good thing about The Black Cheers so I was anxious to check them out. I knew that their lead singer, Dan O’Halloran, was from Darkbuster but it was only a few days before that I found out Chris and Swid, from The Acro-brats amongst other bands, were playing guitar and bass here, respectively. They don’t disappoint as they play a style of garage and rock’n’roll that is anthemic and loud. The singer sings in a raspy voice that recalls Lemmy, from Motorhead; the drummer keeps a strong, straight ahead, steady beat and Chris and Swid ably provide the sweet noise around it.
Now, it’s time for The Stretchers who I’ve recently, unfortunately, become aware of. For some reason this band returns to the influence of the original English punk bands like The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Buzzcocks along with all those other bands that had no respect for music, society and all that we hold dear. They take a negative view to all we value, play too loud, do not follow the conventions of music and have a total disregard of all the wondrous musical innovations that bands like Creed, Matchbox 60 and Nickleback have introduced to the masses.
But, for some reason that is inexplicable, I find myself being drawn to their irresponsible debauchery. This band is fun, irreverent, un-politically correct and reminds us of what started the ball rolling while being a ball to hear or see live. Check out their cd review here–
Well, now it’s time to take our leave from this fortress of mirth and merriment known as Midway manor. I, as is my duty, aid assistance to Brian Mangler as his head cold it having devastating affects upon his equilibrium once again.
As we steer through the quaint streets of Jamaica Plain and Roxbury with it’s odd collage of interesting, frivolous characters muttering to themselves as they shuffle down side streets to escape into the shadows. Dawn’s light is but moments from us and who knows what chance happenings will bestow our ramblings. We can only take refuge in the knowledge and promise that to these steps of our beloved musical home we will once more reside in again.
(Slimedog)
