The list of acts performing at TT the Bears Sunday night in Cambridge made it seem like there would be an energetic pop punk show going on in the tiny venue. In reality, the rest of the band was missing from the stage. Front men Brian Marquis, Steve Soboslai, and Anthony Raneri took the stage to perform acoustic sets of their bands’ material, covers, and some of their own solo work.
Brian Marquis, former member of Therefore I Am, opened the show with a mellow acoustic set featuring songs from his new EP, Snow Damage, as well as covers like Bruce Springsteen’s “Terry’s Song.” Marquis commented that it was weird that the crowd was so quiet, but he accredited that to the fact that they weren’t drunk enough yet. Marquis also used to live in Allston for “too long,” he says, so he seemed to be used to that atmosphere.
After Marquis’ set, which featured violist accompaniment on a few songs, Steve Soboslai (pronounced SUB-OZ-LEE as his handy-dandy whiteboard pointed out), took the stage. Soboslai’s had a pretty crazy year so far, with his band Punchline’s EP reach number 1 on the iTunes Rock Charts, meeting the girl of his dreams for the first time on national television, and releasing some solo songs along the way. But none of that stuff gets to his head. He has a terrific sense of humor and really got the audience energized. He wasn’t alone on the stage either—he brought a plant with him to set the mood, complete with rope lights which he gracefully illuminated at the right moment during one of his songs. His whole set was enjoyable, even if you didn’t know any Punchline or Blue of Colors (his solo project’s name) songs.
Finally, Anthony Raneri, the lead singer of Bayside, took the stage. Being in an intimate venue like TT’s gives the performers a chance to connect with the audience more, and there was a lot of bantering going on between them, especially since people had the chance to get more drunk by this point. When Raneri has his full band behind him, the shows are loud, energetic, and powerful. When it’s just him and his guitar, the audience really picks up the slack. Every Bayside song he sang reverberated through the room thanks to the vocal assistance of the audience. Even the covers he did have become staples of his setlists by now, and everyone knew the words. Raneri just released his first solo EP, New Cathedrals, of which he played two songs last night. They are very different than Bayside songs, but that’s why he released the EP; to show what else he’s interested in as a musician.
While it may be uncertain how dedicated fans will react to new and solo material, the crowd last night seized the moment to show their appreciation for talented musicians regardless of under what name the music is released.
You can find out more about the artists here:
http://brianmarquis.tumblr.com/
http://stevesoboslai.tumblr.com/
Anthony Raneri Interview 04-29-12 by iktrs
By: Deanna Archetto