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George Harrison was legendary guitarist, singer-songwriter, and music revolutionist. Despite being the lead guitarist of the Beatles, Harrison was known as the “quiet one” in both the band and his family. He followed the lead of his brothers and dropped out of school, but found a new identity in his guitar and making music.

Right after turning 15 years old, Paul McCartney encouraged Harrison to audition for John Lennon’s band the Quarrymen, which would later be known as the Beatles. When Lennon saw Harrison’s incredible talent on the guitar, Harrison was accepted as the youngest member of the band.

As Beatlemania began to ensue throughout Europe and America, George Harrison made incredible advancements in music technology with the Beatles’ producer, George Martin. Back when music was recorded with tape, George Harrison pioneered the use of backward tapes, including a reversed guitar solo on “I’m Only Sleeping,” reverse sitar track on “Tomorrow Never Knows,” and backward vocals on Harrison’s “Blue Jay Way.”

The four members loved making music together, but Harrison was the first to grow tired of Beatlemania and touring. When the Beatles filmed and starred in the 1965 film 

, a sitar was used as a prop, which piqued Harrison’s interest. He bought a sitar and immersed himself in Indian music, taking a solo trip to India to meet sitar legend Ravi Shankar for sitar lessons. Fascinated with Indian culture and music, Harrison incorporated the sitar and Hindu influences into pop tracks after returning to the studio.

In 1997, nearly thirty years after the Beatles broke up, Harrison was diagnosed with throat cancer due to years of smoking. After years of operations in attempt to remove cancerous growth, Harrison passed away on November 29, 2001. Following Hindu tradition, Harrison’s family scattered his ashes in the Ganges River in India.

George Harrison was curious, spiritual, innovative, and inspirational. By redefining pop and rock music with his collaborative musical advancements, Harrison left a major impact on the music of today. Without him and the Beatles, music would not be the same.

As one of Northeastern’s largest philanthropic events, we are helping raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society at Northeastern’s Relay for Life on March 22, 2019. Our team of staff, DJs, writers, and music lovers, will be relaying and hosting a live radiothon over the air to remember and acknowledge those who have been affected by cancer. Help us reach our goal for this year and please consider donating. Your donation is hard at work funding cancer research to helping someone with their medical fees—every penny counts and means the world to people affected by cancer.

George Harrison’s Fight

On February 10, Paradise Rock Club actually felt like paradise amidst the cold winter of Boston. Long before doors opened to the sold-out show, a line of eager fans waiting to have their hands ‘X’ed in Sharpie stretched around the corner of the venue.

The show opened with Tessa Violet, who became famous from her YouTube videos in 2009 and gained huge traction with her hit single “Crush” in 2018. Along with a guitarist and drummer, Tessa Violet successfully warmed up the audience with her pop-beats and humble story-telling. During a transition into a couple of acoustic songs, she opened up to the audience about her struggles with anxiety and depression. She shared with the audience: “If you ever feel lost or are struggling with mental health, remember that you are important and that you are the first and last 

 that will ever exist.” While both Tessa Violet and COIN fall into the category of indie-pop, Tessa Violet was a refreshing balance to the high energy that would come from COIN.

Next, Chase Lawrence, Ryan Winnen, and Joe Memmel of COIN stormed the stage to the soundtrack of a venue full of screaming fans. They jumped right into “I Don’t Wanna Dance” off their latest album, 

. Ironically but appropriately, the entire venue was on their feet dancing. The set was filled with older hits like “Run” and “Growing Pains” off their debut self-titled album, newer singles “Simple Romance” and “I Want It All,” and topped it off with an unreleased song titled “Crash My Car.” Even with their newest single released a few weeks before the concert, the crowd proudly sang back every word to the band.

While the energy was consistently high and the fan-filled crowd enjoyed every song, my main criticism for the show was that the sets dynamic range was minimal. Granted, COIN’s entire discography is generally very similar to one another, filled with fast-paced drumming and guitar riffs. Even with the addition of a stripped-down version of “I Would” and the band’s token slower song, “Malibu 1992,” I kept thinking the concert needed more varying vibes and levels of energy. After all, a show that starts with high energy and maintains high energy is a show that can’t build in dynamics over the 1.5-hour set.

Nevertheless, Chase Lawrence won over the hearts of screaming fans, and the entire band filled the venue with nonstop energy. As COIN and Tessa Violet finish their tour, keep your eyes and ears out for new COIN releases leading up to their next album!

COIN maintains high energy during a long set at Paradise Rock Club

Austin Prince. Photo by Juliette Paige for WRBB

Every college student has gone through the “mid-college crisis” where you rethink every decision you’ve made and wonder if you’re on the right path towards what you want to do. Joshua Taylor, frontman of half•alive, went through this in film school when he decided to take a semester off to focus on his passion for music. His mentor at the time challenged Taylor to write 50 songs during his college hiatus, three of which became the first EP of his new project half•alive. It’s no surprise the band took off the way it did – from its infectiously groovy beats, relatable lyrics and beautifully filmed and choreographed music videos, it’s hard to not fall in love with the music of Joshua Taylor.

With only five songs released, half•alive managed to sell out Brighton Music Hall, which was mostly filled with excited high schoolers donning X’s on their hands. Oakland native Austin Prince, Josh Taylor’s cousin, took the stage first. Austin’s soul and hip-hop fusion vibe kicked the night off right, inviting the crowd to sing and dance to songs that were new to most.

Next to take the stage was indie synth-pop duo joan. Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas, joan’s music makes you feel like you’re in ninth grade at a 1980’s prom, as they described in their WRBB 

. Their music is borderline cheesy, but fully nostalgic. Unfortunately, vocalist and guitarist Steven Rutherford was under the weather and wasn’t able to match the energy their music needed to perform. Luckily, the songs are simple enough that the crowd sang along to bring the energy up. Joan performed all their popular songs like “love somebody like you,” as well as new tracks like “drive all night” and “lose your mind.”

Half•alive’s set began with a screen and video projection, highlighting the artistic side of the band and their music. While they struggled with many technical difficulties, including a guitar connection issue and imprecise levels that didn’t bring Taylor’s vocals out, their show was nothing short of impressive. The band consists of vocalist Josh Taylor, drummer Brett Kramer and J Taylor Johnson on bass and synths. They also brought two dancers along on tour who incorporated the same choreography style that is littered throughout their music videos. It is safe to say that Joshua Taylor is just as talented a dancer as he is a singer. Their set included all five of their released songs, a couple new tracks, and a medley of Alicia Key’s “If I Ain’t Got You” and Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud.”

While I’m typically not a fan of concerts that are filled with a significantly younger crowd, half•alive put on a show that was enjoyable for anyone. They were infectiously energetic and passionate, and I cannot wait to see how their music and band grows.

With only five songs out, half•alive still manages to dominate a sold-out Brighton Music Hall

WRBB’s Juliette Paige chatted with Alan Thomas and Steven Rutherford of joan before they hit the road with half•alive on tour.

, last year and for this upcoming tour with half•alive! I came across your music a few months ago and I remember thinking “wow, these guys literally have a physical aesthetic to their music!” Your sound, album art, and even the band’s font has this retro vibe to it. If you could 

 describe yourself as a band, what would it be?

Alan Thomas: That’s the first time we’ve ever been asked that. To us, 

, at least, we were going for what that feeling would be in ninth grade in a 1980s prom. That feeling when you asked that girl to hold your hand at the prom and take that first dance – like a John Hughes film…I think you’re totally on point to pick out the retro thing. We both grew up listening to Prince and Michael Jackson, all these things that our parents listened to. We wanted to take those feelings that we get listening to this music and embody it with a modern twist. And Steven brings that out physically in our graphics.

So you guys do your own album art and typography?

AT: Yeah, anything graphics and visuals we do ourselves.

On that note, I wanted to talk about your “

 I saw you filmed all of them on a Sony Handicap, and they’re all really subtle and ring true with the physical aesthetic you just described. What’s the story behind it?

Steven Rutherford: We decided we wanted to make something you could watch while listening to the music, but that wouldn’t take away from the music. We wanted it to enhance the experience of the EP. For the “I loved you first” visual, we ended up using the backdrop in the album art to try to tie everything together. We were really pleased with how it came out.

You’re now on tour with half•alive, and I know you’ve toured with some really awesome acts like COIN, MisterWives, Phangs, and courtship. What have you learned from performing for such different audiences and with such different bands?

AT: With COIN, they have such contagious energy when they perform live. Chase [Lawrence] is all over the stage and the entire band is so energetic. It was cool to be able to witness that because that was our 

tour. That was kind of our first thing to strive for as a band in terms of energy. I think we had a decent idea of what we wanted to be at that point, but it’s inspiring to see someone who’s been doing what you want to do for a little longer than you have. And they’re doing it super well.

What do you guys like to do for yourselves when you’re not on stage?

SR: We’re pretty boring on tour! We all have Nintendo Switches, and we’ll go straight to the hotel after every show and just play Fortnite or Zelda or something. Sleep’s really important, too.

AT: Every morning, Steven makes himself and me a pour over coffee. That’s an everyday thing we do.

SR: Yeah, no we’re not the partying rock star guys at all.

January and February are packed with shows for you, and I notice you have a couple of festivals lined up too! What’s a 2019 New Year’s resolution or goal for your music?

SR: I think we’re going to play more shows this year than we ever have. We’re getting to play new songs live and see how different audiences react to them. That gives us a pretty good gauge on what hits with people. We already have some songs that we’re planning to release in the next couple of months. Our plan is to release as many songs as possible and play as many shows as possible.

AT: We’re trying to take everything up a level – songwriting, production, all of that. 

 was a certain vibe, and we’re trying to explore different vibes with our new songs. These new songs feel more fresh. My personal resolution for us is to really tend to joan and grow our seed. I want to grow our little joan plant. [laughs] That’s a weird analogy, write that down.

I actually felt that with your newest single, “all the way.” It definitely had your usual retro vibe, but I also hear more influences of modern pop. How would you describe your evolution of sound?

SR: We’re both pop heads; we love both old and new pop. We’re always trying to figure out how to be influenced by pop without selling out or letting it completely overtake our sound. We don’t want to be 

That’s awesome, thank you so much for sharing all of that and for taking the time to chat! I can’t wait to see you at 

Brighton Music Hall on Friday, January 25

Q&A with joan

This past March, I was in my room procrastinating doing my homework and scrolling through my Facebook timeline, when I found a 

 shared by dozens of my friends. The video, titled “Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers – 2018 NPR Tiny Desk Contest (Peach Scone)” had already racked over a million views since its recent posting – and for good reason. At first sight, you see Hobo Johnson (whose real name is Frank Lopes Jr.) as a white dude with an afro and a blunt in his hand. He’s surrounded by his band (The LoveMakers), all comfortably dressed in the similar aesthetic of “I don’t give a sh*t about how I look.” I was initially confused about how the video went viral, Lopes’ style dances between rap and spoken-word poetry, and he is occasionally joined by his band screaming ends of lines. But by the end of the video where Lopes raps about confessing his love for a girl who is already in a relationship and compares her to a peach scone, I was hooked, and the video was on repeat for the rest of the night.

So when Hobo Johnson announced the “Bring Your Mom Tour” dates and locations, it was no surprise that Boston sold out Paradise Rock Club so quickly that the concert was moved to the House of Blues. The crowd ranged from high schoolers to college students who 

 brought their mom to the tour, but the energy within the crowd was constant: everyone was ready to scream their lungs out to Lopes’ lyrics of anxiety and the pains of familial and romantic love.

Jeffrey Lewis. Photo by Juliette Paige for WRBB.

First to take the stage was NYC-based musician Jeffrey Lewis and his backing band, Los Bolts. His sound is scratchy anti-folk mixed with a lot of drugs: an act so unconventional that it really could only work at a Hobo Johnson concert. Lewis announced that he was a comic book artist just as much as he was a musician and showcased his illustrations in a projected slideshow as he sang his songs. The first slideshow/song/story was about a Creeping Brain who took over the world and the second was about the history of the Mayflower. The audience appeared to be confused and a bit disturbed by the storylines, but we welcomed the new art form with open arms.

Oliver Tree. Photo by Juliette Paige for WRBB.

The second opener was rapper Oliver Tree, known for rocking a bowl cut he’s had since he was 9. My jaw dropped and stayed down when he stormed the stage in a Razor scooter and proceeded to strip off his jacket and JNCO pants to reveal his head-to-toe Solo Jazz Pattern outfit set. In fact, his drummer and keyboardist all had matching outfit sets, wild 90’s hairstyles and slim sunglasses. Oliver Tree was all over the stage, busting moves that came straight out of a Zumba class, often letting his 

 guide him to his next location and ended every song in a dab. The set was a great energy boost before Hobo Johnson’s set.

Hobo Johnson. Photo by Juliette Paige for WRBB.

At long last, Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers stormed the stage, and you could tell from the initial looks on their faces that they were excited and humbled to be there. Since the band is still new to touring and fame, witnessing them perform for people who 

They started their set with the nostalgic track ‘See You Again,’ which begins with a soulful and raspy verse from the band’s keyboardist, Jmsey. Lopes jumped in with his entrancing rap and the band came together in beautiful harmony. All members of the LoveMakers shone in their own light and stayed true to their “I don’t give a sh*t about how I look” aesthetic. I’m talking the bassist not wearing pants and the band having an old couch on stage where members would have a beer when they weren’t playing.

The set wasn’t perfect: Lopes often choked up on lines or couldn’t focus on the song, but it was largely due to the crowd’s unconditional and overwhelming support. Seeing an entire venue losing themselves to the lyrics of tracks like ‘Romeo & Juliet’ and ‘Father,’ which are rooted in themes of anxiety and depression, was an overwhelming experience for myself. Thirteen bras (yes, 

) were thrown on the stage, voices were lost from screaming, and Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers successfully found a way to make the House of Blues into an intimate venue where everything was going to be okay. If this is how strong the band is when they’re just starting out, I can’t wait to see them grow as artists and individuals.

Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers transform the House of Blues into an intimate setting

It’s June 1, 1967: The Summer of Love. The Beatles released arguably the most important album to change rock history and pop culture. 

 was a concept album filled with revolutionary songwriting collaborations within the band, powerful stories of family members and strangers, and innovative instrumentations that pushed music technology to a new level. Fans anxiously waited for what The Beatles had next…because how can a band follow an album like 

Flash forward eighteen months: The Beatles came back to feed their hungry fans with 

, a two-record set that lived inside a gatefold sleeve. Even though the record was uninspiringly named 

, fans ignored its simplicity and renamed the album after its plain design: The White Album.

 exuded collaboration and cohesion, The White Album acted as its rival. The album’s four sides contained thirty tracks: twelve written by John Lennon, twelve written by Paul McCartney, one written by John and Yoko, four written by George Harrison, and one written by Ringo Starr. Every track on the album, with the exception of ‘Good Night,’ was sung by the Beatle who wrote the track. As for sequencing, there are no two songs sung by the same singer in a row; there is one song by George on each side of the record and then one song by Ringo on each record. The album’s structure alone tells the story of the disintegration of The Beatles: the formulaic order of songs suggests the album being one of politics and negotiation rather collaboration.

The White Album was arguably not a Beatles album. In John Lennon’s words, “each track is an individual track. It’s John and the band, Paul and the band, George and the band, like that.” In the months of recording, John Lennon spent every second of the day with Yoko Ono, destroying any potential for Paul to write and collaborate with John.

This disarray of a backstory sheds a beautiful light that became The White Album. This was the beginning of each member’s creation of self-identity as they were given the opportunity to express their individual emotions towards the band and their musical journey.

Paul did what he does best and made light, carefree tracks like ‘Ob-La-DI, Ob-La-Da,’ which is championed by a perky piano, and ‘Martha My Dear,’ a typical uncomplicated Paul McCartney love song. With the lack of collaboration with John, though, Paul explored a new side to his usual cheerful songwriting with tracks like ‘Blackbird,’ a beautifully solemn song that dances between happiness and sorrow.

John took full advantage of this individuality with tracks that revealed his honest and raw emotions. In ‘Julia,’ John pays respect to his mother whom he saw killed in a car accident as a child. ‘I’m So Tired’ was John’s outcry while spending weeks meditating in India with the Maharishi. It was in this song where John confesses his obsession for Yoko, even though John was with his wife Cynthia in India.

George shook the world with what is arguably the strongest track on the album, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps.’ His poetic lyrics are perfectly weaved into his guitar playing, and he addresses the audience on a personal and emotional level: “I look at you all see the love there that’s sleeping / While my guitar gently weeps.” With the increased turmoil between the four members, it is argued that George, being the youngest and shyest of the members, uses this song to express the conflict and destruction within the Beatles.

Then there’s Ringo who, after nine albums, finally gets his big break with his first written track on an album. Simple and slightly cliché, ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ is often underestimated compared to the stronger tracks on the album, but it sure is catchy.

While often seen as a disorderly album where entropy prevails, The White Album was a necessary collection of tracks for the Beatles to further understand who they were as artists. It may have been filled with oddball and failing tracks, but it allowed the Beatles to dive deep into their emotions and inspirations. The White Album was a monumental album that pushed them to redefine themselves from a unified band to four talented individuals, all of whom would continue to shape rock history.

‘The White Album’ turns 50

On the way back home from work, the green line train did what the green line does best: broke down. Cold and frustrated, I slowly trekked back to my apartment to grab my camera and then headed to the House of Blues for The Wombats concert.

As I passed the Prudential building, I passed a man in a pink hoodie looking down walking in the opposite direction. After a triple-take, I said “Murph?,” and the lead singer of The Wombats turned around. I couldn’t help but notice how 

he looked. It was nearing the end of their tour and Matthew Murphy wasn’t with the rest of the band, so it was in that moment that I realized how valuable alone time is when you’re touring the world and performing every night. I said my good-bye’s, immediately went through a daze from meeting one of my favorite singers, then made my way over to the House of Blues.

I bring this story up because despite the exhaustion Murph may have been feeling, the energy throughout the night was overwhelming. The show opened with English singer and songwriter, Barns Courtney, who entered in a godly fashion, dressed in a loose long-sleeved white shirt that glowed in the stage light. Best known for his viral singles ‘Fire’ and ‘Glitter & Gold,’ Courtney owned the stage between his powerful vocals and guitar, dancing with his band members, and crowd surfing on top of his fans and soon-to-be fans. It’s safe to the say the audience was warmed up by the end of his set.

As the anticipation grew between acts, the lights went out and Matthew Murphy, Tord Øverland-Knudsen, and Dan Haggis entered a venue full of enthusiastic, screaming fans (myself included, of course). What I love about The Wombats’ performances is the energy between the three members. For a band that’s been around since 2003, all three have the stage energy of middle schoolers who have had just a little too much sugar.

They kicked off the night with ‘Cheetah Tongue,’ the opening track of their newest album, and Tord’s feet were arguably in the air longer than they were on the floor. Dan aggressively exudes passion when he sings and harmonizes while doing duty on the drums. Murph brings new meaning and life to his lyrics and guitar riffs when he performs live. Watching any member alone is an experience itself, but seeing the members perform both in their own bubble and with each other is remarkable.

While a bit anticlimactic for new fans and casual listeners, The Wombats catered their setlist to older fans by including songs that spanned back to their first LP, 

Proudly Present… A Guide To Love, Lost, & Desperation

. In addition to playing their most popular tracks like ‘Moving To New York’ and ‘Jump Into The Fog,’ they treated old listeners with tracks they hadn’t played in the past tour like ‘Patricia The Stripper’ (which yes, is about falling in love with a stripper).

The band finished the main set with their most popular song, ‘Let’s Dance To Joy Division,’ which opened with a crisp guitar riff from Murph before the rest of the band jumped in. Halfway through the song, four people in wombat costumes joined the stage and danced through the end as the audience sang along to the repeating line, “So happy! And we’re so happy!”

Even though a majority of their tracks are about heartbreak, depression, and anxiety, The Wombats find a way to make their songs deceivingly happy. I’m sure the members were exhausted from touring for months, but I have to thank them for creating an empowering atmosphere with their honest music. When I see them live, it’s a beautiful reminder in the air that we all go through our own troubles and carry our own luggage, but there’s a sense of unity with the people around us. We’re going to make it out okay.

The Wombats combat their exhaustion in final days of tour at House of Blues

As the temperature drops in Boston, I find myself seeking out sunnier tracks to remind myself that there is light at the end of the seasonal depression tunnel. As I entered the dimly lit Brighton Music Hall, I felt like I was welcomed into someone’s house. There was casual chatting and mingling as fans convened near the stage, and there was a feeling of 

First to the stage was Tipling Rock, a beach pop/indie rock band that started off in the dorms of Northeastern University (go Huskies!). Their set showcased their talents and different sounds with bouncy tracks like ‘Low Tide Love’ and ‘Staring’ that had everyone on their feet as well as slower tracks like ‘Love Without a Reason’ that had everyone’s heart melting. They threw in an incredible rock-heavy instrumental cover of The Black Eyed Peas’ ‘Pump It’ that got the crowd’s blood pumping and warmed up for the rest of the night.

Next on the list was Wilderado, a band that now holds a very special piece of my heart. Hailing from Tulsa, OK, Wilderado sounds as if The Lumineers and Pearl Jam had a baby – take beautiful and evocative harmonies and mix it with powerful rock melodies and riffs. Frontman Maxim Rainer blew me away with his emotionally-rich voice, and the band filled the venue with huge guitars, drums, and vocals while still sounding 

. Their set covered tracks from their three released EP’s, including ‘You Don’t Love Me,’ a slow-building, climatic rock track and ‘Sorrow,’ a powerful and full-bodied track about being flawed and imperfect humans. The set ended with my favorite track of the night, ‘Siren,’ and Rainer thanked the audience and mentioned how blessed he felt to have people listen to their music.

As the set changed for the much-anticipated Sure Sure set, I noticed the stage was filled with the most unconventional items: flowers around the stage, a plastic pig toy on the drums, a hammer carefully placed on the floor by the keyboard, etc. After 

 the band, it made sense that the four members (who all live together in LA) would wholesomely make the stage feel like their own home by decorating it with trinkets and objects that probably have some backstory or inside joke. Instead of a little music hall in rainy Boston, it was like we were at an intimate house show in sunny LA.

The band entered with the biggest smiles on each of their faces – it was contagious. They jumped right into the first track of their self-titled LP, ‘Giants,’ and everyone was on their feet dancing along with the band as they got lost in their own music. The energy the band had as they jammed and joked with each other made it evident that they were more than just a band, but best friends too.

The set continued with tracks off their LP like ‘Friends,’ which is about one of the guys getting dumped at a Baja Fresh, as well as their Talking Heads cover of ‘This Must Be The Place,’ which was one of the tracks that put Sure Sure on the map. The highlight of the show was their last song of the set, ‘Hands Up Heads Down,’ when Charlie explained step-by-step how to do the accompanying dance: “Put your hands up in the air. Then drop your head. Then do a bouncing move… kind of like a zombie.” As silly as it sounds, the band poured their heart into this bass-heavy track and the venue was immediately filled with zombie fans.

The entire night was filled with such talented and humble musicians; I was smiling the entire night (and I’ve had all three bands on repeat all week). While discussing the show, it was funny that my two friends and I all had different favorite acts of the night, and I think that’s a sure sign of a solid concert. And after a night of beach and sunny jams, I braved the cold weather just a little easier.

Sure Sure bring infectious energy to Brighton Music Hall

Internet sensation and parody rapper Froggy Fresh, formerly known as Krispy Kreme, is finishing his final tour as Froggy Fresh before moving on to a more serious rapping career under his real name, Tyler Cassidy. Froggy Fresh rose to fame in 2012 with the release of a music video for his original track, ‘The Baddest.’ The video was comprised of shaky shots of him and his best friend, Money Make Mike, holding guns and rapping about being “the baddest of them all.” Scared? Don’t be. Froggy Fresh’s origins were not explicit and had the most harmless lyrics: “I beat you sleep with a nightlight / ‘Cause you’re scared of the dark / And you stink like a fart / Well I’ll light your fart of fire with my rhymes.”

When I arrived at Fete Music Hall in Providence, I was shocked to see the rather large music venue filled with only 40 middle-aged folk, college students with piercings and wearing flannel, and families with matching Froggy Fresh shirts. In that moment, I realized that everyone had their own specific reason to be there at the concert – that is, no one casually goes to a Froggy Fresh concert.

After the two openers, Fury (Leathal Wreckords) and Sky Swamp Orange, Froggy Fresh stormed the stage in black basketball shorts, a black shirt, and a backpack. Appropriately, he opened his set with ‘The Baddest’, and I couldn’t stop laughing in the hook when all five-foot-three of him rapped the lines “Y’all think I don’t get girls ‘cause I ain’t very tall.” While Froggy Fresh performed his older music, a projector played the corresponding music videos on a screen beyond him. Audience members naturally followed Froggy’s motions from the videos as if it were a choreographed dance.

Despite how dedicated his fans were to his performance and music, Froggy struggled with stage presence and confidence. He struggled to maintain eye contact with the audience and walked in circles on the stage throughout the entire set, occasionally stopping to give a ten-year old a high-five. His best friend, Money Maker Mike, who’s a fixture in Froggy Fresh’s music videos, appeared on stage for several songs. However, Mike only sat or stood in the corner of the stage and interacted with Froggy very briefly.

After performing his parody hits, Froggy invited his guitarist on stage to perform three new songs as Tyler Cassidy: ‘Along for the Ride,’ ‘Junkie,’ and ‘Boyfriend.’ I was extremely curious to hear his new music, but the songs fell flat from their overly played out lyrics and how his raspy voice didn’t blend well with the acoustic guitar. I honestly preferred his parody work because his ridiculous lyrics and presence became something the entire audience could shamelessly laugh and jam to.

Regardless of the lower points in the show, it was really great and heartwarming to see a majority of the audience­ know all the words to his songs. Seeing families (I’m talking mom and dad with their elementary school children) all singing and dancing along with Froggy Fresh was a really refreshing experience since I’m usually in Boston venues filled with college students. The concert was weird, hilarious, and uncomfortable all at the same time, and now I can say that I saw the baddest of them all in person.

Froggy Fresh stuns an all-ages crowd at Fete Music Hall

Say their name without smiling, I dare you.

Hailing from Boone, North Carolina, Rainbow Kitten Surprise blessed Providence with an energetic show on their second leg of the 

 tour on October 6. This was RKS’s first time in Providence, and fans ranging from middle schoolers to folks in their 60’s all crowded in the Strand (formally known as Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel) to welcome the band. Since they began writing music in college in 2013, RKS has never been able to fit into a genre, and for good reason. Their sound is rooted in folk and country, floats within alternative and indie rock, and is influenced by hip-hop and R&B.

Opening the night was Caroline Rose and her band, who brought a bizarre and ridiculously fun energy to the Strand. They played a number of tracks from her newly released album 

 like ‘More of The Same’ and ‘Soul No. 5,’ as well as an eccentric cover of Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic.’ The set was filled with priceless and entertaining moments, including a two-minute kazoo solo of Aerosmith’s ‘Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing’ and a mid-set beer chug (which included Caroline crushing her beer can on her head).

Rainbow Kitten Surprise took the stage next, and it was so refreshing to see every member excited and enthusiastic to be there. Each member could have easily stolen the show by themselves: Jess Haney pounding his kit and smiling for every second of the set, Ethan Goodpaster jumping from the stage to a bar table during one of his solos, Darrick “Bozzy” Keller being a dad in his tucked-in collared shirt and acting out scenes while singing with Sam, Charlie Holt rocking his sheer tank top and letting the music consume and live through him, and Sam Melo pouring out his heart in his lyrics and dancing on every square inch of the stage. All five of them constantly exchanged energy with each other as they played through a 16-song setlist that covered tracks from all three of their albums.

The set was perfectly curated for the whole audience, too. They brought the energy up with popular tracks like ‘Cocaine Jesus’ and ‘Devil Like Me,’ which had old and new fans singing along to lyrics like “Is the devil so bad if he cries in his sleep while the earth turns / And his kids learned to say ‘f*ck you’ / they don’t love.” RKS also played a number of tracks from their newest album, which explores more improvisational speak-rap, and personally called out fans in the audience who knew all the words to complex songs like ‘Moody Orange’ and ‘It’s Called: Freefall.’

A highlight of the night was RKS’s performance of ‘Hide,’ a song written by Sam about his experiences of coming out as gay and hiding his sexuality from loved ones. He started the song by saying “love who you want to love,” and a unanimous supporting energy filled the venue as fans cheered and showed love for the band. Personally, hearing the song come to life was emotional and beautiful to me.

The band came back for an encore of ‘Run,’ which blew the energy through the roof. Everyone on stage and in the audience was on their feet dancing and my adrenaline was pumping. I left the venue smiling, refreshed, and ready for the next Rainbow Kitten Surprise show.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise brings infectious energy to The Strand

, follows a “natural sonic evolution” of music as they explore experimental avenues outside of their classic acoustic folk sound.

Tall Heights, made up of Paul Wright and Tim Harrington, started their music career busking in Boston spots like Faneuil Hall. They’ve just finished a US 

 with CAKE and Ben Folds, and now they’re making Boston proud with their third LP, 

. Famous for their singles ‘Spirit Cold’ and ‘Horse to Water,’ Tall Heights has stayed consistent with their acoustic, folk sound that revolves around vocals, guitar and cello. That consistency ends with this year’s release.

 Paul Wright, he commented on how Tall Heights is following a “natural sonic evolution” of music. By moving into electronic percussions and synths, 

 presents a much-needed, refreshing twist to Wright and Harrington’s beautiful harmonies and raw sound. The album has two distinct vibes, making it Tall Heights’ most experimental record to date.

The first vibe is an ethereal Bon Iver-esque sound, but with less of an emotional commitment. While Bon Iver’s music is something that can consume your entire mindspace, Tall Heights’ songs like ‘Gold,’ ‘Not Like It Was,’ and ‘Roanoke’ are delicate but also easy to listen to. These are the tracks where the two members shine with impressive harmonies and falsettos. My favorite track on the album is ‘Over Now,’ which opens with an entrancing drone and is supported with orchestral instrumentation and chilling harmonies over the lyrics “I’m waking up to empty space ‘cause / I turned my pockets out / It’s all too much and face-to-face so / Lower the coffin down.”

The second sound comes straight out of a Broadway musical. Many songs on the album seem to be telling stories or setting up a visual scene for the listener. ‘House on Fire’ opens with a bright, cheery saxophone and leads into danceable tune about working a tiring job to be able to do what you want outside of work. It feels like the song could fall easily into a zero-to-hero musical about a guy who decides to take a leap of faith and leave his tedious job to follow his dreams. Then there’s a track like ‘Red Bird’ that pays tribute to their home in Massachusetts and tells the homesick story of going to unfamiliar places – a perfect track after our protagonist quits his job and moves to a new city. While these musical-esque tracks may come off unexpected and sometimes borderline cringe-worthy, the songs eventually earn their place on the record.

Having two extremely different moods to the album is experimental and helps evolve Tall Heights’ sound. However, the two sounds ultimately have trouble intermingling throughout the record. The abrupt changes between fast-paced, energetic songs to slower, darker songs make the record ambiguous in tone even though it is filled with very strong and well produced singles. 

 has a song for every mood, and it showcases the beautiful growth of the band as they discover their potential.

Tall Heights experiment on third LP ‘Pretty Colors For Your Actions’

Let’s get this out of the way– If you’re here for shirtless photos of Jesse Rutherford, then sorry, you’re in the wrong place. (I only shot photos for the first three songs, and he took off his shirt in the fourth).

Now let’s dive into it: high school me would have freaked out if she knew she’d be shooting for the Neighbourhood six years later. The band played a huge part in my teenage angst years and my college career, as I was a big fan of their debut EPs in 2012 and 2013. You can relate if you ever screamed, “it’s too cooooold for you here, so let me hoooold both your hands in the holes of my sweater” in the shower. While their popularity declined throughout the years, that didn’t stop die hard fans (or “hoodlums,” as the kids call it) from waiting in a line that went around Fenway Park in the rain to get into the concert.

Maryland rapper IDK opened the show with a short set filled with energy-inducing and sentimental songs. Near the end of the set, he searched the audience for someone to join him on stage and freestyle. Incredibly enough, a security guard form the House of Blues confidently bolted on stage and performed a two-minute freestyle 

. It was a fantastic reminder that talent is literally everywhere.

Soon after, the Neighbourhood entered in their baggy, monochrome clothes, and gifted day-one fans with ‘How,’ a dramatic opening track from their first LP in 2013 that questions our own existence–a very appropriate track to travel back in time to the angsty years. With little to no breaks between songs, the band pounded through a dense setlist of rock-heavy songs like ‘Wires’ and ‘R.I.P 2 My Youth,’ as well as newer songs that dove deeper into pop-rap and R&B like ‘Void’ and ‘Paradise.’

Because the band’s music is generally melancholic and homogeneous, the real energy from the show came from frontman Jesse Rutherford. It was so amusing to watch Rutherford obviously cater his performance towards his mostly-female crowd. From overtly stripping off his shirt to swinging across the stage from a long chain that hung an old-school microphone, he happily flaunted his looks for the attention.

Toward the end of their set, the band built up the energy with a dramatic freestyle jam, and Rutherford (without much warning) front-flip dived into the audience of high school and college girls. After a moment of fear for everyone’s safety, Rutherford’s shoes appeared in the crowd of screaming girls, and he managed to crowd surf back to the stage to finish off the set with ‘Sweater Weather’ and ‘Stuck With Me.’

The night was energetic, lacked safety, and was extremely angsty–so it was basically everything I’d want from a Neighbourhood concert.

The Neighbourhood caters to their day-one fans at House of Blues

WRBB’s Juliette Paige caught up with Sure Sure on the phone while they ate avocado toast. You know, LA things.

Sure Sure will be at Brighton Music Hall with Wilderado 

Congrats on your debut LP release earlier in the year, as well as another single that came out last month! You all live together and record in your house instead of a studio. How has this recording process shaped Sure Sure as a band?

Charlie: We get to have unlimited experimentation time and never feel pressured to record something. You have songs on the album like ‘Foreign Room’ and ‘Information Machine’ that are more acoustic and lo-fi, then you have super computer-y songs like ‘Hands Up Head Down.’ We like both sounds and we have time to explore different ways of recording. That also makes it hard to finish a song. Sometimes we spend way too much time on one thing and end up killing the song. A lot of songs we’ll be releasing next year are revived old tunes that we needed space from.

The first time you all toured was with Hippo Campus, then you did a headlining tour. What did you learn from the past two tours that you’ll apply for this next tour coming up with Wilderado?

Kevin: Pack a day bag. You have your big suitcase with all your stuff for the month. But what you 

 need is a bag for 1-3 days so you don’t have to go into the big suitcase. It’s like a 

Chris: It’s good to go on a run or just do pushups at a gas station. It’s important to stay somewhat physically engaged so you don’t become one big gooey blob that just sits in the van all day.

One of my favorite songs of yours is ‘Friends,’ and it comes with such a fun, personality-filled lyric 

. What’s the process and collaboration behind making the videos?

Charlie: For those videos, we worked with a good friend named Zach Bell. He had the idea of writing lyrics on a see-through surface.

Charlie: Yes! We used it for a lot of things. We wrote on the sunroof of a car for the ‘Friends’ window, we wrote on a car’s side window for ‘

’ with a projector flashing light onto a wall. It was mostly just us and Zach having a good time. Like for the ‘Koreatown’ video, we were just speeding around in LA.

Kevin: I can’t believe we did that. We’re good, cautious drivers, but… [laughs]

Your newest single, ‘Lie Lie Lie’ is super groovy and honest. What’s the story behind it?

Charlie: We wrote that right when we got back from our headlining tour in the spring. We gathered around the piano and we had the lyrics “it’s just something you have to do sometimes.” We just couldn’t figure out 

 it was you have to do. Chris was singing “La La La.” I just thought, let’s make that “Lie Lie Lie” and it all came together.

Kevin: Yeah, we’re all a bunch of liars!

You all have a landline phone number (323-739-0630) that you’ve publicly posted for fans to call. What gave you the idea to do that?

Charlie: We were paying ten bucks a month for a landline even though we never had a phone. So Mike and I decided to stop by Staples and buy an actual telephone. It’s been great, we got invited to a party once and we gave relationship advice.

Charlie: It’s funny, we were telling her she should really talk to this guy and to not let the situation pester, but then we found out she didn’t do anything when she came to one of our shows. I’m sure they worked it out by now.

Kevin: You gotta talk to people. That’s how you keep human relationships alive and healthy.

What’s the short term and long term goals for you all personally and for the band?

Charlie: I think one of my goals is to just make a really rad album. We want to make new music that’s very different from the first one… but it’ll still be us.

Kevin: Short term goal is to make sure this tour is as good as possible. We’ve been practicing and doing as much as we can to prepare. Long term goal is to cozy up and write new music.

Charlie: There’s gonna be an album next year. Maybe an EP in the spring. And more tours. And a music video for our new song… we actually shot it at an animal sanctuary! There’s cows and a goat named Arthur who really stole the show.

Alright well I have one more wholesome question for you: Sure Sure started out of college, so what life advice would you give yourself back when you were a student?

Charlie: Don’t put too much faith in what other people promise you. You have to have an intrinsic faith in everything you’re doing, even if there’s no external validation. It takes a while to develop that mindset, and I’m still working on it myself.

Kevin: I used to get stressed in college when it was graduation time and everyone had fancy investment or tech jobs. I was thinking it’s crazy that all these people are going to make a lot of money and it stressed me out comparing myself to them. I felt pressure that I had to go down that path too, but I really don’t. It’ll all work out.

And you’re doing music and killing it! Thank you so much for all of your time, I can’t wait to see you in Boston on October 23 at Brighton Music Hall!

Q&A with Sure Sure

Two years after releasing their debut LP, 

 British electro-pop duo HONNE (Andy Clutterbuck and James Hatcher) return with a second LP that explores the balance between the ups and downs of love – and I mean that quite literally. 

 is an LP consisting of twelve songs; the names of the first six tracks end with a ◑ sign, and the tracks are all about the exhilaration and beautiful spontaneity of love. The names of the last six tracks end with a ◐ sign, and the tracks are about heartbreak and pain.

If that sounds formulaic to you, I can assure you it most definitely is. The duo 

 that the concept of the album stemmed from the Japanese philosophy of two halves – how one side can’t exist without the other. On vinyl, one side is named 

, on ode to vinyl lovers who can choose what side to listen to depending on their mood.

Unfortunately, despite the hype of their single releases (where they would release two at a time, one from each side of their record), the album fell short of my expectations from their debut album. When I listened to the LP for the first time, I found that the tracks were indistinct from each other. The 47 minutes passed by without me noticing a definite change in mood or sound, even at the album’s halfway point.

While there were a few songs that managed to get stuck in my head for their catchy tunes and witty lyrics, namely ‘Me & You’ and ‘Location Unknown,’ this album took me by surprise with its weak and borderline misogynistic lyrics that oversexualize Asian culture. My concern began when I saw their album art for the first time, which depicts a hand holding a mirror and a reflection of a Japanese woman.

The first track begins with Andy Clutterbuck confessing that he wishes he could fake his own death to live in Tokyo and inviting a girl to be with him. Alright, that could be a simple love song, but the track that makes me cringe the most is ‘306,’ where the lyrics go, “Now I know there is an age gap / But I’m pretty sure that we can see past that […] you could guzzle down that juice and never wake up / But I know deep down you wanna make me happy / It’s all you ever wanna do.”

There are lyrics like this sprinkled throughout the album, and some of their 

 revolve around Asian culture, which ultimately makes me question if there’s some sort of Asian fetish going on here. If you’re looking for clever lyrics and experimental production, this isn’t the album for you. But if you’re looking for an album that’s easy to listen to and poppy, definitely give 

a try. But sorry HONNE, it’s a “love me not” for me.

HONNE falls short with second LP ‘Love Me / Love Me Not’

August 13th, 2018 at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion

When the forecasts say 100% chance of rain and thunder, the logical thing to do would be to stay indoors for a calm night, but five thousand people thought otherwise and gathered at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion to see Cake, Ben Folds, and Tall Heights perform. Thankfully, the venue was covered, and the sound of the downpour actually made the sets even more epic and dramatic.

Boston locals Paul Wright (cello/vocals) and Tim Harrington (guitar/vocals) are the duo known as Tall Heights, a band that started by literally busking the streets on Faneuil Hall. Over five years after their humble beginnings, they’re on tour and performing at one of Boston’s biggest venues. Tim Harrington started the set by informing the audience of their roots, and the audience gave a very warm welcome to the Boston locals.

While the audience was clearly filled with Ben Folds and Cake fans, it was evident that the listeners were blown away by the musicianship of the band. In an 

 I had with Paul before the show, he mentioned that he and Tim learned how to sing and perform with each other during the long hours performing on the streets, so it was incredible to experience how tuned they were to each other. Their harmonies were so powerful, both in older songs like ‘Spirit Cold’ and in new songs like ‘Fire Escape.’

Tall Heights ended their set with one of their newest singles, ‘The Deep End,’ and humbly thanked the audience for coming out to the show. They later returned to the stage to support Ben Folds as his backing band. Their performance set the bar high for the rest of the night, and the band did a spectacular job for a venue that was still filling up at that time. I do recommend seeing Tall Heights in concert, but I would have loved to see them at a much more intimate venue. Blue Hills was far too big to have been able to fully connect with their music. Luckily, Tall Heights will be releasing their newest LP on October 3 and will be (appropriately) ending their own headlining tour at 

. Definitely keep an eye out for their album 

 and don’t miss them when they come back to Boston!

Tall Heights @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion

WRBB’s Juliette Paige chatted with Paul Wright from Tall Heights to speak on his upcoming album,

 at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in support of Ben Folds and Cake.

Congratulations on your forthcoming album, 

, which is coming out October 3! In the meantime, you have a crazy year ahead of you. You’re about to start a tour with Cake and Ben Folds, which appropriately starts at Blue Hills Pavilion this Monday. How are you feeling about getting on the road?

We’re really excited! We’ve toured with Ben before, but this is the first time we’re not only doing our opening set, but then playing in his band as well! We don’t get to do that very often, so it’ll be fun for us to play with someone as amazing as Ben.

I know both you and Tim are Boston/Massachusetts locals, and Tall Heights started by literally busking the streets of Boston with a guitar and a cello. How did starting in Boston affect the way you approach your music?

We started off with playing the streets in Boston and we’d play Faneuil Hall all the time. That’s where Tim and I learned how to perform and sing together. Since Faneuil is such a touristy area, we realized that people began to define Boston with the band and we were a product of our city.