When I arrived at the Middle East, I was more than a little dismayed to see the posted set times for the night’s acts: after doors opened at 8, Doomstar wouldn’t go on until 9:30, with Ben Butler and Mousepad following at 10:30, and Deerhoof at 11:30.  Though I understand a club’s need to be open and allow potentially-terrible bands to start off shows, I was a little ticked at how I might have to sit around for three hours before the band I wanted to see came on. Instead of disappointing me, the openers delivered a one-two punch of relief.  Doomstar, a Cambridge-based lo-fi rock group started things off with a bang.  They delivered their songs in a style reminiscent of other bands, but their influences were so diverse that their sound ended up entirely unique.  Sometimes jangly surf garage, sometimes pure power pop, Doomstar was punky bass meets indie drums meets retro Ricky Nelson-style rockabilly licks.  The product felt like a grittier, less polished Strokes or Vampire Weekend, complete with falsetto backing vocals, and with a hint of psychedelia.  Overall a great start to the show. Ben Butler and Mousepad took the stage next.  Deerhoof had taken the duo on tour after they released a remix of Deerhoof’s “Rrrrrrright”, and they were an excellent lead-in to the main act.  The two members, neither of whom is named Ben Butler, hail from Scotland and Germany and boast the vaguely foreign accents to match.  With one manning a vintage Korg synth and a laptop, and the other one absolutely thrashing on the drums like a super-talented, highly trained toddler on pots and pans (he broke through the snare head during the very first song), the group provided high-energy, twitchy dance prog to a highly pleased audience.  They sounded like chiptune
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Hey all, tomorrow the fantastic “Deerhoof” (they were ahead of the Deer-themed name curve by about ten years) is playing at the Middle East in Cambridge.  I’ll be there and you should too!  It’s gonna be a BLAST. I saw them at the Middle East way back in ’09, and it was one of the most intense, high-energy shows I’ve ever seen.  Now, with the band fresh off a new album that’s received great press, I’m sure this show will be similarly mind-blowing. In case you can’t make it, I’ll be writing up a review and posting it here on the blog, as well as reading it on my show (The Zig Zag Wanderer, Tuesdays 9-10 PM). Hope to see you there at this super awesome concert!

WRBB is holding a Battle of the Bands. This is the chance for your sadcore jazz fusion band to take off. Your folk acoustic grunge act has needed some time in the limelight, and that time is now. Folks, get your guitars strung and your drum machines out of the closet, it’s time to show us what you’ve got. Why? Simple. This first round, ten bands enter, five bands leave. Those five will play again in Round 2 in March, and the top …two from the final round will headline their own afterHOURS date in April with all the lights, sound and glory. But that’s not all. You’ll have been playing afterHOURS all along. The real prize? WRBB is planning a huge April show in Centennial. How huge? So huge that we can’t tell you who is playing. Just know that this is a show people will be talking about. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone around WRBB about the Block Party. The winner of the Battle will open that show. If you think your band can do it, send an email to battleofthebands@wrbbradio.org with the name of your band in the subject line. In the email, either send us a link to your music online, or attach an MP3 or two. We’ll let you know by February 15th what the final line-up is. How do I win, do you ask? Simple. Everyone that comes to the show will be given a ticket on their way in. On this ticket, they will indicate a band that they enjoy. Hopefully it’s your band because you invited them. But wait, what if you woo them with your sweet serenade to the beauty of Paul DiMilla? Don’t worry, they get another ticket on their way out; if they’ve changed their mind since they came
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