By Ben Brondsky, intern for the Fleshy Fresh
Do you ever think the BU staff intentionally coincide midterms with the week leading up to Halloween? It’s pretty smart; make sure the kids take all of their tests before they get too wild on Halloweekend. But, because of all the added stress students have to take it out somewhere. My way of relaxing was by going to three concerts in a week. Ra Ra Riot, Portugal. The Man, and New Found Glory all played in Boston within the given week.
I saw Ra Ra Riot on Thursday, October 20th at the Paradise Rock Club (I’m slowing becoming a regular there). They had two opening acts that were surprisingly both different and good. I forget both of their names but they deserve a small mention. The first band had three members but they’re usage of loops and different instruments made it seem like they were a band of six of seven. The second band rarely sang and was like an MGMT-jam band. Both were entertaining and got the crowd ready for Ra Ra Riot. Ra Ra Riot came on at around 11 pm and started the show off well. Ra Ra Riot consists of: a singer, bassist, guitarist, drummer, violinist, and cellist. The violinist’s bedazzled violin had me memorized for a good five minutes. The songs were tight and band seemed comfortable with the crowd and each other. The concert was sold out so it was a big crowd and people were into it but they weren’t doing any crazy dances. Ra Ra Riot’s music is indie-chilled-out-rock so I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t see anyone dancing. The crowd was definitely a bunch of “young professionals”. Ra Ra Riot mixed in songs from The Rhumb Line as well as The Orchard and came back for an encore. However, they didn’t come out to sign autographs or pose for pictures, which is understandable, but Motion City Soundtrack is the only band I’ve seen do that so far. It was a good concert for a Thursday night; relaxing, easy-going, and fun.
I saw Portugal. The Man a few days later, also at the Paradise, on Saturday. Don’t ask me why their name is Portugal. The Man. I’ve been wondering that for years and Microsoft Word continually yells at me for the misspelling. They’ve been a band since 2004 but their first LP came out in 2006, Waiter: “You Vultures!”. Since 2006, Portugal. The Man has released an album every year. That’s six albums in six years. Think about that; no one does that anymore. The last bands I remember doing that? The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. I arrived late to their concert so I missed the opening act but I got there just in time for Portugal. The Man. They had brought their own light-bulb contraptions that connected to each other and were above the band while they played and flashed different lights. They had a really good accompanying light show. They played songs stretching from their six albums and they would transition most of the songs into each other so it was almost like one big song. I really enjoyed that because there was a good amount of jamming that went on. The singer’s uniquely high voice sounds exactly the same in person which I was happy about. They also came out for an encore and were overall really good.
On Thursday, October 27th I saw New Found Glory on their Pop-Punk’s Not Dead Tour at the House of Blues. The House of Blues is a lot bigger and more strict than The Paradise. I interviewed the lead singer from NFG, Jordan Pundik, and one of the guitarists, Steve Klein. Both of them were nice and made me feel relaxed and welcome. The interview should be coming soon!
The House of Blues has three levels with the second and third containing seats. NFG brought four bands on their tour and all of them are in the pop-punk scene. This Time Next Year, Man Overboard, The Wonder Years, and Set Your Goals. I had heard of both Set Your Goals and The Wonder Years and liked both. The crowd at this concert was a lot bigger and crazier than either of the crowds at the Paradise concerts. There were mosh pits, tons of crowd surfing, and a lot of people falling. My friend (who shall remain unnamed) got kicked in the face, the stomach, and pretty much everywhere else and had to sit out for NFG (she’s still a trooper though). New Found Glory came on and was very energetic. They made the crowd even wilder, which I didn’t think was possible. Their songs ranged from Sticks and Stones to their newest album Radiology. There were a lot of moments when they let the crowd sing or told the crowd to jump and do this or that. Jordan’s voice was the same as on the record, though at times he seemed a little out of breath from all of the running around he did. With their guitars super crunchy and their pants super tight they rocked the HoB. That night is also special because it was the first snowfall of the year! Yay upcoming winter.
On an aside note, I’ve always hated while at a ska or punk concerts when people would mosh or even just push and shove each other. I’ve never understood why that was fun or why people did that. People at the House of Blues were getting knocked down, kicked, and punched. I saw kids with bloody noses and there was almost a fight. Yes, when people got knocked down strangers would help them up, but it could have easily been avoided if that kind of stuff wasn’t done in the first place. Maybe I’m not meant for that “scene” or maybe I’m just smarter than all of those kids who have to get their anger out on random strangers. Happy No-Shave November!