Studio 52 is a community artist space located in the heart of Allston, and is proud to support the Boston music scene and local artist community.
Here in Boston, bands, students, and parties all come and go, but Allston is forever. And perhaps there is no greater delicacy of the neighborhood’s vibrant people quite like the burrito.
For many who have lived in Allston, the burrito remains a most trusted choice among the chaos of house shows, the Green Line, and the guy who asks for change every day outside the Tedeschi on Harvard and Brighton. For some, the burrito is the closest thing any of us will ever have to an actual human child. And for a select few, the burrito is loved more than that usually unwanted and unexpected baby.
For PowerSlut, the band who gave us the timeless (and literal) fuck-the-MBTA classic “Commuter Rail Me”, the idea of a burrito as child is no distant daydream, but a concept that has manifested itself in their new video for, well, “Burrito Baby”. A true love song for these selfishly hungry times, the track opens with perhaps one of the greatest lyrics to ever come out of our town: “Allston has fewer rats when she’s around/Jamaica Plain got twice as gay as it’s allowed.”
The subject of this love, is, of course, a burrito. We don’t know if this burrito is from Amelia’s Taqueria or Habanero Mexican Grill or even Anna’s just over that invisible wall crossing over into Brookline (eww), but that’s like wondering what hospital an adopted human child came from. Doesn’t really matter.
“The video follows a ‘mom’ and her burrito baby — played by Nancy, who none of us had even met before the shoot because the role was actually one of our Kickstarter rewards — going through a typical morning, doing typical baby things,” PowerSlut guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Linnea Herzog tells Vanyaland. “We wanted to highlight some of our favorite spots in Allston like Refuge Cafe and Ringer Park, because [of the lyrics]… In the final shots of the video, Nancy finds us playing in Ringer Park, and the burrito baby (initially a plushie that Nancy pushes around in a baby stroller) transforms into an actual burrito that gets devoured. Like many relationships, and the process of writing and performing songs about them, it’s messy.”
Herzog is quick to warn that “no people or burritos were actually tattooed during the video shoot.” No need to protest outside Stingray Body Art.
Watch the Roger Metcalf-produced “Burrito Baby” video below, and take advantage of two chances to take a bite out of PowerSlut this month: First at Porchfest in Somerville this Saturday (May 13), and then at Psychic Dog’s album release party May 26 at O’Brien’s in Allston.
Pre-party at your burrito joint of choice.
Powerslut featured video still courtesy of Ben Anderson.
