The show started with Miniature Tigers, a quirky 5-piece band from Arizona. They played synthy jams from their new album Mia Pharaoh, and began with “Female Doctor,” and continued with “Boomerang,” and “Sex on the Regular,” which has dance number potential. They also played some of their catchier old songs, “The Wolf” and “Cannibal Queen.” The singer, Charlie Brand, sings in a kind of monotone falsetto. It’s interesting, but not incredibly inspiring. Although, their songs did make me feel like I was on a beach or somewhere warm and fun like that, so I couldn’t complain.

After much anticipation by the crowd, Nate Ruess of Fun. appears with crazy energy. The set opened with a bang as the band pounded out “One Foot,” during which Ruess proceeded to jump all around the stage, clad in a Celtics jersey––a much appreciated display of Boston love. I wasn’t sure the songs from Some Nights would sound as good as they do on recording, but, with a few minor exceptions, I was wrong. They also played “Walking the Dog” off their old album Aim and Ignite, and then the slower jam “Why Am I the One.” They shifted between upbeat  and slower songs, keeping the audience in a constant state of emotional flux. Near the end, the band played their radio hit “We Are Young,” which was probably the most disappointing song of the set. It was heavily auto-tuned, which was pretty unpleasant. Their set officially ended with the Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” which suited Nate’s personality and voice quite well, though it was a weird song to end with. Of course, Fun. came out for an encore like the nice guys they are and played “Some Nights,” which was also tragically auto-tuned. Their final song was an underrated track from Aim and Ignite, “Take Your Time (Coming Home).”

Overall, I was extremely happy with this show. Although I had heard Fun. was good live, I wasn’t expecting such unbelievable energy. Fun. played a decent amount from their old album while playing all the best tracks off their new one. The one song I wish they would have played that they didn’t was “Be Calm,” my favorite song off of Aim and Ignite. I went into the show with relatively low expectations, despite my love for the band. Ruess infused each song with an energy that isn’t quite present in the recording, which is what a live performance should do, no? Fun. lived up to its name, as they were, indeed, a fun band to watch. Definitely a must-see band.

By: Carole Ann Vetter

Check out Speedy Ortiz’s page: http://www.facebook.com/speedyortiz

Check out Schist that ROCKS! page: http://www.facebook.com/SchistThatRocks

Walking through the doors to the lounge, I can already smell the beer; the air is humid and practically tastes like sweat as I enter the club for my first time. It’s definitely good to be at a punk show again, and it’s one of the few I’ve seen in Boston. Navigating through the crowd, my first sight is Dr. Know on guitar with blue-lit dreadlocks as the riffs to “Attitude” begin to punch through my chest. Moving towards the bar, the years of anticipation finally come to a screeching halt as I see the remaining members on stage: Hudson smashing on the drums, H.R. center-stage in a sort of trance on the mic, and Darryl with a cheshire-like grin playing bass. I didn’t get there early enough to see the opening band H20, due to traffic, but I heard they put on a good show (even throwing in a cover of Fugazi’s “Waiting Room”), which I am sorry to have missed.

Whether the good vibe in the club was from H20′s opening performance or the fact that Bad Brains had finally blessed the stage, it didn’t matter because everyone was hyped!  Fans were mostly older but showed respect for the younger punks like me and others. The music may not be as popular as it once was, but still lives! Since they first planted a seed in my brain at the age of 15, Bad Brains have opened my eyes to a purely original style of punk rock along with an attitude that had been preceded by other obvious legends like Black Flag and the Misfits. I consider them to be a permanent staple in my mind as well as that of countless others, influencing most American punk bands today. They have continued to tear the fabric of conventional punk and reggae for years, bringing raw attitude and pure soul to the scene as they merge punk rock and reggae beats with finesse from all the eclectic members, led by a manic front man bringing a style all his own to the stage.

Speaking of stage presence, the band’s performance was still trademark Bad Brains like in the early days. They show no signs of age (save a few more grey-locks and H.R.’s occasional mumbling), and still put on a magnetic performance, with major passion coming both from the fans and the members themselves. No more crazy back-flips from H.R., unfortunately, and his trademark screeches have turned into more of a dull roar with sometimes inaudible lyrics.  But he is still just as captivating on stage with more of a spiritual-type vibe now. As for the other members, Dr. Know was still shredding on guitar; Darryl Jenifer looked like he still really loved playing bass; and Hudson surely didn’t miss a beat while still bouncing around the stage.  The band looked to be having fun, smiling and joking around during the set. At the end of the classic “Pay to Cum,” H.R. crept off the stage almost cat-like with a smirk on his face as if he was plotting something. Sure enough, they came back under the lights with a righteous encore performance of “I Against I” that was truly epic.

The crowd was totally involved throughout the show, as were the Bad Brains. It is good to know that they still evoke such emotion from their fans, and newcomers alike. Though their age is slowly creeping up on them, the sound was still good and the passion in the air triumphed over everything else. In short, they will forever be legends in my mind, and I can only hope others will see them in the same light that I have.

SETLIST:  Attitude, Right Brigade, Sailin’ On, The Regulator, Jah Love, Give Thanks and Praises, Universal Peace, F.V.K., I & I Survive, Banned in D.C., Soul Craft, I Luv I Jah, At the Movies, Re-Ignition, Pay to Cum

ENCORE:  I Against I, People Make the World Go Round

http://www.badbrains.com

By: Matthew Rosati

Jesse Ruben opened the show with only him and his acoustic guitar. And no, he was “not the guy from Boy Meets World,” as many people mistake him for, but he is a self-professed “Stupid American Guy.” That song came from a personal experience involving a French girl and his loathing for art museums and it was really honest and catchy.  He went to Berklee College of Music to study and not do much else, he told the audience in his song about staying in most nights while everyone else went out to party.  His songs were funny and heartwarming.  As he puts it, “When you get a white dude and a guitar, you get a lot of ‘she doesn’t love me’ songs,” but Jesse Ruben draws on his personal experiences, his friends, and then he just makes stuff up, too.

When Josiah Leming took the stage, he launched right into a song without any introduction.  He released so much emotion on his electric guitar and keyboard that by the end of his set, his suspenders couldn’t handle it any more.  Although he looks about sixteen years old, he’s been through enough experience to make him an old man. He told the audience about he left his Tennessee home at seventeen years old and has been travelling around since then. That might be how he picked up his slightly British accent when he sings.  His voice also struggles to release those inner struggles, with outbursts of raw throaty notes and his spastic movements while playing his songs.  He has so much passion behind his music and his fans are just as passionate about him.

Ron Pope rounded out this early evening show with a full band on stage, including a multi-instrumentalist who could play the banjo and slide guitar among other things.  Pope opened up by complimenting the audience on how attractive they were.  After all the shows I’ve been to in Boston, I think audiences here are getting more attractive lately according to the bands.  I’ll take that as a compliment.  Besides that, Pope had a great personality and kept the audience enthralled throughout his set, even while playing a lot of new songs.

The second to last song he played was in honor of Levon Helm, the drummer from The Band who passed away earlier that day.  Leming and Ruben joined him on stage to play a powerful version of Helm’s song “The Weight.”  The set could have ended there, but Pope decided to play one acoustic song by himself on stage before calling it a night…at an early 8:30pm. The Middle East packs in their shows and had another one on stage after this one, but all three acts stayed around to meet their fans and make new ones.

You can find out more about each act by checking out their websites below:

Jesse Ruben: http://jesseruben.com/jesseruben/

Josiah Leming: http://josiahleming.com/

Ron Pope: http://ronpopemusic.com

For more pictures, check out the WTBU gallery.

By: Deanna Archetto

The two openers were Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Imagine Dragons. Leftwich’s voice was laden with John Mayer and could charm any girl over the radio, but he lacked a stage presence. Imagine Dragons however, took the cake. I happened to be standing next to a group from the University of Maine who had traveled four hours to see them. Four hours just to see the opener! Imagine Dragons played On Top of the World, Radioactive and It’s Time (which they released on MTV as their first music video on Tuesday). Imagine Dragons’ genre lies in the indie pop and alternative land of Fun. and Young the Giant. Drummer Daniel Plantzman was captivating as he struck each piece of his set with passion and Dan Reynolds could not have made a better impression as he led the band with each bang of his singular large bass drum. The lack of audience enthusiasm did not damper a phenomenal performance.

Even after receiving a warmer reaction from the audience, The Jezabels couldn’t top the genius that is Imagine Dragons. All wore jet black clothes and Hayley Mary’s salt and pepper bob dropped down past the bridge of her nose. The only semblance of color on the stage was her coral lipstick. The set began with Mace Spray and continued through Cherry Pie and Easy to Love. Hayley moved mechanically in time with the music, barely smiling. Her voice rang like crystal through the sound system, and each note sounded identical to the record track.

Aside from this, I got the vibe that I was at an emo punk concert and not indie rock. Their image differed immensely from the one they project on their album covers. I don’t know if this is an Australian thing, but Hayley only cracked a smile once during the show. Aside from her talent, I found the show lacked the soul I expected from each one of The Jezabels’ moving songs. After Hurt Me the crowd cheered, the band ran off stage, the crowed jeered, and the band came back. They proceeded to announce that Nikolas Kaloper’s neck was bleeding, but the hell with it! They were going to finish the show. So Nik banged out Little Piece on the drums while the rusty red blotch on his neck got larger. I’m not sure if I should label that dedication or insanity, but Little Piece delivered what the audience wanted: a cold attitude and a lack of passion for the music. I’d drive for hours for Imagine Dragons, but not more than 10 minutes to see The Jezabels. They sound great on CDs, EPs and records, but seeing them live isn’t any better than you get on a piece of plastic. Imagine Dragons made my $15 worth it.

The Jezabels and Imagine Dragons part ways on April 21st in Minneapolis when the Jezabels continue their North American tour in Canada and the northwestern US.

By Moira Poje

PAX always features the best and nerdiest in video game culture, including the musicians that celebrate it. Their concerts this weekend were performed in front of an audience of thousands, but bands like The Protomen and MC Frontalot thought that wasn’t enough, so Monday night, they put together a show at the Middle East Club to keep the party going.

These artists are wildly different in just about every aspect, except for their fan bases.  MC Frontalot is a nerdcore rapper from Brooklyn who has toured the US and UK playing to huge crowds with support from his band. He rhymes about things geeky people can relate to: reaching the final boss in a video game, Star Wars conventions, and pop culture spoilers.

Frontalot put on a similar show to the one he did this past November in the upstairs room at the Middle East so his fans were pleased. He ended his set with “Goth Girls,” a personal anecdote about being unable to hook up with the goth chicks who go to his shows. Don’t knock it—it’s a great jam that gets stuck in my head all the time.

The Protomen closed the show with a different set than the one they played at PAX East this weekend where they performed their entire second album, Act II, with the help of an orchestra quintet in front of thousands of people. Last night, a few hundred people were there and they got to hear a little bit of everything.

The Protomen make music inspired by the video game Mega Man, which is where their nerd crowd comes from, but I didn’t know that about them the first time I saw them perform last November at the Middle East Upstairs. Their rock music is also largely inspired by early rock with an operatic feel –think good Styx with dark synth and hard rock influences.

The crowd for The Protomen blew me away again that night. Fists were thrust into the air ready to fight the good fight. A small mosh pit even broke out in the middle of their set. It was the hardest I’ve seen nerdy people rock out probably ever.

They covered a few songs at the end of their set, including “Under Pressure,” by Queen and David Bowie, which will be part of a Queen cover album they are releasing in the future.  The show went past midnight, but that was something PAX East attendees and performers are use to: The Protomen performed their set this weekend at 12:30 AM to a room that was still packed with dedicated fans.

The sudden surge in nerdcore music may or may not be something you’ve noticed, but it’s certainly out there. The great part is that there are actually incredibly talented artists behind the songs about video games and comic books.

The Protomen can be found at http://www.protomen.com

MC Frontalot can be found at http://www.frontalot.com

By: Deanna Archetto