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Concerts, November - December 2002
The Boss Martians
live at the Bug Jar, Rochester, NY November 9th, 2002
The Boss Martians- Evan (vocals / guitar), Nick (keys, and survivor of my music-geek piano conversation "So... how long have you been playing?" It's bad, kids. Bad.), Mike (drums), and Brandon (bass)- according to all print, hail from way
across the country in Washington State, and play lean mean
r 'n' r with the 'we've been doing this for years and actually
dig the scene' attitude and asthetic that so many bands out t
here just don't put forth very well. The Boss Martians
specialize in tight, hip, and downright tasty ear tunes that
combine elements of retro-mod garage, Cheap Trick era power
pop, and Ramones bubblegum all in one hot little serving. How
can you go wrong? I say you can't. With their fiercely cool
presentation and a drummer (Mike) who can probably run circles
around you anytime, anywhere, the Boss Martians will get you
ranting and raving, or in my case, land you on your ass (gotta
love those 'ravers'). I guess I really fell head over heels for
the band.
Word has it the Boss Martians are playing at that hip little dinner club, the Montage Grille, on April 11th
with the Priests and the Bamboo Kids. Get hip to it.
Count the Stars
at the University of Rochester, December 12th 2002
For once, I actually went to a show where there were a lot of
people my own age! Give me a medal! I actually went because I
had seen that Liar's Academy was playing, and me being the
good little music director, decided that I should go see a band
that had done well at the station. So I got all indie-ed up and
headed on over to the show. Only to find out that Liar's Academy
had cancelled. No problem though. The show still rocked.
Count the Stars were the 'fill-in' band of the evening, and
basically won me over. I'm still going on about them like the
show was yesterday. It's straight up indie
punk- the kind that's cool, not tacky and popular- for these
four lads from Albany, NY, and it's great to see it pulled off
so energetically and effortlessly. Running, jumping, and
basically doing everything BUT destroying their instruments,
Adam, Clarke, and Dave were the perfect counterparts to vocals
(courtsey of Chris) that were equally as entertaining and
driven. Put it all together and you've got one hell of a stage
show. Visually and asthetically pleasing indeed. Check them
out and try to turn cool. Count the Stars returns to Rochester
on Thursday, February 6th, at the Penny Arcade with Nobody
Cares, Seven Head Division, and Madcap. Check out
Enterprise Hardcore
for more information.
Breaking Pangaea
at the University of Rochester, December 12th 2002
Breaking Pangaea were also featured on this bill, one of the
original bands who was booked and showed up. The three-piece
band is based out of the Philadelphia area and has much more
of a history and following that I know about, so this is going
to be fairly dumbed-down, sorry. I found an interview
online in which Fred (lead vox, guitar) discribes the
band's music as, "super rocked out melodic soulful punk", and
I don't think that anyone writing from the outside could have
said it as well. At first riff, the music has a fairly strong
mid-tempo edge to it, but when the vocals come in- fairly
low-key and introspective- the music takes on a whole new
territory that is fairly unexpected. Breaking Pangaea is
definitely not a band out there playing their music for
kicks- sure they rock out with the best of them at times, but
who doesn't- they go out and play because it's what they DO.
Confusing, yes, but ever so rewarding. If you don't get it,
you just don't. Breaking Pangaea heads back to the area on
February 14th at the Continental in Buffalo NY with Hey
Mercedes. Take your Valentine.
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