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Last week we met the bands. Now we meet the battles.
Yes, Boston, Rock And Roll Rumble season is in full swing.
Last night on 100.7 WZLX's Boston Emissions, host and Rumble curator Anngelle Wood selected the six preliminary week lineups for next month's "World Series of Boston Rock," which kicks off Sunday, April 2 at ONCE Ballroom in Somerville. Twenty-four bands will do battle over six preliminary nights, with a winner from each group moving on to one of two semi-finals. Two wild card bands -- one from Nights 1 to 3 and a second from Nights 4 to 6 -- will round out the prelim lineups. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.
We've long said the best part of the Rumble, a Boston institution since 1979, are these first preliminary nights, where four bands from across the music scene spectrum throw down in the name of friendly competition. It brings together bands that have likely never performed on the same bill as one another, and fans and friends who may never have partied in the same room. The lineups -- drawn at random by Wood live on Boston Emissions -- represent a cross-section of the music scene, and usually break down any sort of genre barrier.
It's a good time for all. So, how does the 2017 Rumble's preliminary week shake out? Scroll through the full list below, and get all ticket information, including Six Pack passes, through the official Rumble page at ONCE. [Note: All bios below pulled from the Rumble page at WZLX.com; featured photo of Tom Baker And The Snakes.
Thursday, April 6: Doors at 8 p.m., music at 9 p.m. [event page]
9:00 p.m.: Something Sneaky
Location: South Shore, MA. Bio: Boston band Something Sneaky formed as a trio in 2011. With the addition of guitarist Jesse George (ex-War Presidents, The Way Ways) a year later, they adapted their live performances to feature a fuller four-piece sound. Iacovino and George don’t fall into the typical lead/rhythm guitar roles, instead crafting complimentary melodic guitar parts that propel the music beyond their 90s-inspired roots. Releasing their second full-length album, Pictures, in early 2017, the record provides the listener with Something Sneaky’s most mature, well-constructed songs to date. The four musicians have found a collective voice that is powerful, compelling, and emotionally stimulating. The energy of these songs is only intensified in their live performance, making Something Sneaky an exciting and entertaining band to see and hear.
9:45 p.m.: Magen Tracy And The Missed Connections
Location: Boston, MA. Bio: Magen Tracy & the Missed Connections combine soulful vocals, poignant songwriting, and piano-driven pop-rock with a dash of sleazy swagger and alt-country twang. Magen, a veteran of the New England singer-songwriter circuit and a busy side player in the Boston rock scene, has been a part of several musical line-ups to include St. Helena, Parlour Bells, and Nate Leavitt and the Elevation. Where the name Missed Connections used to refer to the fact that each show featured a new set of musicians – people she had either played with on other projects, or had always wanted to – it’s now a fully-realized lineup (with occasional guest stars).
10:30 p.m.: Red Red Rockit
Location: Boston, MA. Bio: Red Red Rockit’s music is firmly rooted in the power trio days of yesteryear, yet manages to sound fresh as a daisy. One moment, you’ll hear a bluesy, dirty James Gang groove and the next, a tight, bouncy Beatles-esque melody – each song delivering hooks that are somehow simultaneously unexpected and familiar. Jonn Smith weaves bass lines under each song that are by turns stomping and melodic. In Jack Bruce fashion, Smith also handles lead vocal duties, his voice jumping octaves like Javier Sotomayor at the 1992 Olympics. Guitarist Jared Egan drops in Hendrix fuzz, Brian May phase, and gnarly riffs all his own, making one guitar sound like three. A.J. Locke lays down the beat, hitting the drums like they said something bad about his momma. Red Red Rockit are a finely tuned, no-nonsense, loud-as-frig rock ‘n’ roll band, whose live show will move your feet, shake your bones, and help you forget your own name.
11:15 p.m.: The Tenafly Vipers
Location: Boston, MA. Bio: The Tenafly Vipers are the storied tale of a middle school meeting in sixth period shop class. Building birdhouses sucked, but the Jeff and Johnny came to realize they shared other interests: cheap American beer and loud and obnoxious rock ‘n’ roll. Many afternoons were spent crushing cans of High Life while Jeff turned Johnny on to the Stooges and the Dictators and Johnny turned Jeff on to Black Flag and Bad Brains. Jeff taught Johnny some chords, two other high-functioning subnormals were recruited and the Tenafly Vipers were born. Some years later, the line-up finally solidified when longtime friend Eliahu joined on drums, soon followed by Nate on bass. The two not only brought a tight, dynamic low-end pulse, but also a new work ethic and a profound love of bad decisions and Satan. Since then the band has only gotten louder and sweatier, both in live shows and on recordings – Your Event Horizon (2010), Black Bandana and a Can of Gasoline (2011), and The Way of the Woods (2016). The Vipers’ latest release, Reverse Tilt Action, is due Spring 2017.
