The DJ at Bayside Bowl can't stop playing the Pixies' Bossanova. Not that anyone's complaining. People must think it's a sensible record to bowl to. There are no real hits or infectious sing-a-longs, no riotous Mexican hardcore songs, and the sequence is awkwardly uneven (one side is much noisier than the other). It's abrasive and simply melodic; cultish without inciting an in-crowd karaoke. It thrashes a little, rides a few pretty choruses; people listen or they don't, and then it's over.
Which is to say that if the two modest sets last Friday could fit onto a single live record, it would work out just fine. While HUAK are more politically charged and polyrhythmic than the Pixies ever were, they're more interesting as the noisier band on the bill. Bassist Stefan Hanson and drummer Mike Cunnane are getting better at anchoring Jake's Jehu-riffs and Joel's strat stabs, and their "breakdowns" have a lot more energy contained before the explosion. We are truly glad this band exists.
METAL FEATHERS' set was ho-hum awesome. It's been a while since seeing them, and some of their newer songs do wonderful tricks with what first appear to be dumb, wanky riffs. Sometimes bands need to experience a Doolittle before they realize they don't need constant hooks to be catchy. Jay occasionally extracted hideous sounds from his guitar; everything still sounded fine.
As if one-upping Empire for use of the "dine and dance" claim, the big wooden picnic tables on the dance floor at Bayside Bowl make for a pretty literal interpretation. They're like land mines. This poses no problems for people bobbing heads to the 4/4 MF songs, but those who were dancing to the herky-jerk of Huak were already contorting their bodies pretty oddly. Good thing nobody tried to bossanova.
Related:
Photos: Built To Spill at the Paradise Rock Club, Honk! Fest blasts back into Providence, Photos: Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie at Rock & Shock, More 
- Photos: Built To Spill at the Paradise Rock Club
Built To Spill perform live at the Paradise Rock Club on September 30, 2010.
- Honk! Fest blasts back into Providence
The third annual "Providence Honk! Fest" (aka "Pronk!") rounds up 10 brass marching bands from Texas to Chicago to New York for a great big hootenanny in Providence on Monday, October 11.
- Photos: Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie at Rock & Shock
Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie perform at the Rock & Shock Horror Convention at the DCU Center on October 16, 2010.
- Scarlett is the new Black
Olneyville's finest post-punk/goth/sludge metal outfit went missing for the better part of 2010, but we're ecstatic to report that Lolita Black has returned with a new lead singer in Ms. Scarlett Delgado.
- Photos: Hey Monday at Showcase Live
Hey Monday perform live at Showcase Live on November 2, 2010.
- Review: CiB's strong finish
The personal is apolitical. With this simple inversion of an old cliché, you'll discover why Covered in Bees (who disbanded in September) were so important.
- Photos: A.K.A.C.O.D. at the Plough & Stars
A.K.A.C.O.D. perform live at the Plough and Stars on December 8, 2010.
- Six Star General kick up some serious sludge on Six
"The wah is dead," Six Star General guitarist Kyle Jackson acknowledges early on during the first of two CD release shows last weekend at the Apartment.
- Photos: Motherboar at Great Scott
Motherboar perform at Great Scott on January 22, 2011.
- Photos: Bright Eyes at the House of Blues
Bright Eyes and the Mynabirds perform live at the House of Blues on March 11, 2011.
- Photos: Pogues at House of Blues
The Pogues perform live at the House of Blues on March 12, 2011.
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Topics:
New England Music News
, Music, rock, Pixies, More
, Music, rock, Pixies, Pixies, Empire, Empire, concerts, Metal Feathers, Metal Feathers, bands, Less
