With their first show being at a house party on New Year’s Eve back in 2012, Providence punk band Gavage have come a long way in a short time. Their talents exude a vibe that’s reminiscent of vintage B-52’s and Gang Of Four, guaranteeing to start a party wherever they play. The fourpiece will be officially unveiling their long-awaited debut album, released dually via POP Records and 75orLess Records, on sexy hot pink vinyl during the first-annual Providence Garage Fest at AS220, which lands this Saturday. Taking their name from the French term to administer food or drugs by force, when you blast this bad boy through your record player, you’ll keep on wanting more.
Frontman Kevin Toth’s crazed style of storytelling on the mic sets the mood for each track. Christopher Fragale on guitar absolutely rips everything to pieces with his electrifying riffs and raw tones. Drummer David Simeone keeps everything at a feverish pace while John Hoder gives a jazzy vibe on bass. What makes the album something special has to be Downtown Boys’ saxophonist Adrienne Berry guesting on the entire record. Her immense skills on sax make the whole album seem as if it’s a soundtrack for a ’50s crime noir flick filled with endless action and intense car chase scenes.
The legendary Jay Berndt (who you might know from ’90s metal band Kilgore) produced the album at his studio Moto Destructo in Providence. You can tell that he wanted to capture Gavage’s rawness during the recording process. A fan favorite, “(Downtown) Where The Killers Are” is an ode to the danger that goes with being out at night. The song is bound to stick in your head for days once you give it a listen. Hoder starts the groove on bass in “Small Actors” and then the intensity gets raised when Berry joins in with her sax and Toth takes hold on vocals. The most energetic track is “Wheelwell”, from start to finish lyrically and musically it’s a perfect examination of the famous lifestyle of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
The Providence Garage Fest is going to be one of the most insane times of the year in the Creative Capital, props to the “Shybluespaceman” John White for organizing such an extravaganza. Along with Gavage you also have Attleboro surf-punk dynamos Neutrinos, Middleboro fuzzheads Black Beach, Providence riff masters Party Pigs, Philadelphia psychedelic soul act St. James & The Apostles and many more. Also worth noting is that Friday night’s Providence Garage Fest Kick-off And Pizza Party at Dusk is sponsored by Caserta Pizzeria (which means: FREE PIZZA!!).
Get ready to have a blast, stream Gavage’s new album below, and indulge in all the details after you press “play.” (Featured Gavage photo by Lisa Gourley.)
Providence Garage Fest Kick-off And Pizza Party
November 13 at Dusk (301 Harris Ave.)
Six Star General
Sonic Grifters
Junior Beat
6 p.m., 18-plus, $5.
The Providence Garage Fest
November 14 at AS220 (115 Empire St. in Providence)
Eric & The Nothing
The Nebulas
Future Spa
Neutrinos
Gavage
The Worried
Black Beach
Party Pigs
Midriffs
The Sugar Cones
St James & The Apostles
5 p.m., all ages, $12 in advance and $15 day of show
The Providence Garage Fest Post-Party
November 15 at The Parlour (1119 North Main St. in Providence)
Rumble Party
Less Than A Felony
Hope Anchor
Beware The Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion!
Salem Wolves
VaVaBlume
7 p.m., 21-plus, $7.
