"It's That Time of Year Again..." The Bosstones 8th Annual Hometown Throwdown, December 15, 2001
Dec 16 '01 (Updated Dec 17 '03)
The Bottom Line ...
Preamble: My nature is not to be violent. I just want to make that clear before you read this review.
INTRO
For the past 8 years, Boston's own hometown heroes the Mighty Mighty Bosstones have staged a series of 5 shows in a local club as a thank you to their loyal Boston brethren. Dubbed the Hometown Throwdown, it's the one "can't miss" show of the year in the Boston punk/ska community. Last night, I returned for my 6th Throwdown experience (missed it in 97 and 98, ironically the years where the Bosstones were at their biggest), and I was excited as could be. Not only was I going to see the Bosstones for the 45th time (no, I'm not joking), but after over a year of waiting and missing other local appearances, I was going to see Catch 22 again.
Opening Band #1, The Worried
With all due respect to Bim Skala Bim and the Lost City Angels, I have to say the Bosstones have outdone themselves in picking shi*ty opening acts when they chose this 4 piece punk band from Cranston, Rhode Island. Their lead guitarist looked to be about my age at the oldest. However, he was stuck in a band that had a 40 something bass player/lead singer, a balding 35 year old rhythm guitarist, and a rather bored looking thirty-something drummer. The audience didn't even give them sympathy applause, and not even Bosstone drummer Joe Sirois coming out to play for a song could get the crowd into this incredibly bad opening act. When they announced one of their last songs as being titled We're Gonna Murderize Ya (no, I can't make stuff that good up), I don't know if there were many audience members who weren't laughing. My girlfriend had it right when she said she'd rather have listened to Rudolph the Red Nosed Raindeer, which was being pumped through on the PA system as this band was setting up.
Opening Band #2, Catch 22
Ah, my band. I was worried that the loss of lead vocalist Jeff Davidson earlier this year would kill this band, especially since two members of their horn section are taking over lead vocal duties until they find a permanent singer. However, I was wrong and they sounded excellent. There were a LOT of Catch 22 fans in the audience, and the sing-alongs were very audible. Must have made the Bosstones feel like asses for making us sit through The Worried. Catch 22 rocked through songs from all 3 of their albums, including Kristina, She Don't Know I Exist and a fiery American Pie cover.
Mighty Mighty...Boss-tones!
With the chant going strong, the black Santa set up side stage (sorry, no one is going to tell me that having a black Santa Claus prop on stage isn't awesome), the Christmas lights in full effect, the Bosstones ran on stage, looking dapper as usual in their suits and ties. "Hello Boston, for those of you here for the first time, we are the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and it's that time of year again...are you ready to Throwdown?" asked lead singer Dicky Barrett. Stupid question obviously, but no Throwdown is complete without that question.
Showing immediately that the band had something different in mind for the setlist, Noise Brigade started things off perfectly, and the atmosphere was no joke the best I have seen at any of the last 3 Throwdowns I've been to. A lot of pushing and shoving in the pit, but nothing that you don't expect anyways.
After a perfect Kinder Words, the first true setlist gem of the night spurted free, A Sad Silence, a song from 1994's Question the Answers album that I thought had long been forgotten. This is essentially the pre-cursor to Numbered Days from the Let's Face It LP, but I think it's much better written, much more open to interpretation.
The band kept it going, playing crowd favorites Hope I Never Lose My Wallet and Dr. D before inviting 3 lucky fans onstage to take part in their new game. It seems Dicky's voice isn't holding up as well over the course of the Throwdown as it used to, so he asked each of the 3 lucky guys to take a verse of Where'd You Go. The first guy rocked, he was in full plaid (the sign of a true old school fan) and nailed every word perfectly. The second guy didn't know any of the words, and the crowd let him know what they thought of him. The third guy had the most difficult task, as the rapid fire third verse could tongue tie even the most die-hard of Tones fans at any time. He nailed it though. Once the song ended, Dicky took an audience poll of who should win an autographed album and the ties the band wore on stage earlier in the week. Number 3 won, although I thought number 1 should have won just for the plaid.
The band played two brand new songs, neither of which do I have titles for. One started out very pop/punk sounding, until all of a sudden trombonist Christopher Rhodes stepped up to his mic and delivered this bada*s hardcore vocal delivery that made me think of the good ole days of ska-core. The other new song, played to open the encore, was a reggae/ska number that has a great lyrical hook.
Li'l Bit Ugly
During the playing of Li'l Bit Ugly, some ugliness happened that involved me. There I was, about a row back from the barricade up front, where I always am, singing along with the band, skanking it up, letting out 3 weeks worth of school related stress, when all of a sudden some fat f*ck crowd surfer came right over the top of me, landing right on me where my neck and back meet. Not fun. I was knocked to the ground, as was he. It took me a minute to tell myself I was ok, but the crowd surfer was still there. My rule: you crowd surf and dropkick me in the back of the head, I break your ankle if I get my hands on you. This rule resulted from a Bosstones show back in 97. Well I had my hands on this guy and all I had to do was pull his leg closer to me so I could get the necessary leverage. I was pis*ed off and I wanted to make sure he wasn't going to walk out of the club. Just as I started to twist on the guy's ankle, two guys next to me pulled me up off the ground. To their credit, that's what they're supposed to do: in a pit, you see someone down, you pick em up. But I was still pi*sed off and in major pain (for that matter, my neck and back still hurt as I write this the next morning). And unlike that chick at the Everclear show a few years ago, I'm not gonna sue the band because of what some dumba*s did. But I will say this: IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO CROWD SURF, OR IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE CROWD SURFING, GET OUT OF THE PIT!!! YOU DO NOT THROW PEOPLE FORWARD!!!!
The Rest of the Show
Needless to say, I wasn't in a very good mood for the rest of the show. Luckily there wasn't much left. The band closed with a rollicking version of They Came to Boston, a song about confused Boston tourists that is just as insightful now as it was 10 years ago.
The setlist last night was terrific. After hearing it at every show I've been to since 1996, I FINALLY got a show where the band left off The Impression That I Get from the set. They didn't play Someday I Suppose either. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for the band. They seem to rely on 12-13 songs over and over, mixing in 7-9 new ones each tour they do. It was a good show, but I left more pi*sed off than when I went in there. I'll just say this: that kid who drop kicked me better hope I never run across him at a show again.
Out of order setlist for 12/15/01
Noise Brigade
Kinder Words
A Sad Silence
Allow Them
Dr D
You Gotta Go (new song #1, title courtesy of setlist straight from the stage)
Toxic Toast (via request)
She Just Happened
Where'd You Go
Rascal King
Devil's Night Out
1,2,8
Simmer Down
Hell of a Hat
Hope I Never Lose My Wallet
Li'l Bit Ugly
Encore:
To Be a King (new song #2)
They Came to Boston
Final Addendum
The band did not play their new Christmas/Throwdown song, This Time of Year. When I say Throwdown song, I mean it's more about the Throwdown than it is about the Holidays. A limited edition single was being given away for a $5 raffle donation. These were only going to be available at the Throwdown, so if you're a Bosstones collector, you might want to try Ebay.
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Member: Matt Aucoin
Location: South Berwick, ME
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Gonna be a daddy, April 2010!
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