Cursive Burst and Bloom at the Middle East

It's a strange revelation when you realize that you have never seen one of your favorite bands live before. Such was the case when I saw that Cursive was coming to Boston with Cymbals Eat Guitars and Conduits. As much as Cursive's albums have meant to me, I had yet to catch a live performance by them. That was remedied when I saw them perform on April 2nd at the Middle East downstairs. It was to be my 3rd show in a row but I was still ready to rock. The night before I was seeing one of my other high school favorites, Converge, and I was looking to continue to ride that same wave of nostalgia with Cursive.

Marnie Stern Brings Joy to The Middle East

The queen of perplexing finger-tagging guitar magic, Marnie Stern, once again stopped by The Middle East Upstairs on September 30th to astonish an audience of adoring fans. This time around, she brought up-and-coming shoegazers No Joy along for the ride. This was an intriguing combination as No Joy would provide a steady entrancing groove in contrast Marnie Stern’s controlled chaos. For those unfamiliar, Stern is not only the premier female guitar virtuoso but she can also outplay anyone currently making their rounds through the music circuit.

Japandroids Spark Fire at The Middle East

In my opinion, Japandroids and Bass Drum of Death is an unbeatable combination of garage rock prowess. Knowing this, I really had no excuse for not getting a ticket in advance to their show at The Middle East yesterday. It was the day of the show and I was scrambling to find a ticket. Thankfully, they released some in the afternoon and I hopped on the opportunity to get one. Japandroids’ previous shows in Boston were among the more memorable I have seen and I was not about to miss this one.

Torche Mean Business at The Middle East

I feel like solid metal shows are getting fewer and fewer in Boston these days. That’s why I jumped on the opportunity to see Helms Alee, Big Business, and Torche when they came to the Middle East in Cambridge, MA on July 21, 2010. All three bands are all signed to Hydra Head, a label that has a never-ending streak of releasing the most creative records in heavy music. I have written about Torche on this website numerous times and they never disappoint. Helms Alee and Big Business both have new releases that have more than exceeded my expectations. Together, these bands put on a memorable show of earsplitting goodness.

Marnie Stern and Tera Melos Finger Tap Their Way Through The Middle East

On March 6, I had the privilege to see one of my favorite modern guitarists when the lovely and talented Marnie Stern played The Middle East Upstairs alongside Boston up-and-comers Drummers and insane technical wizards Tera Melos. It was to be a night of mind-blowing guitar wielding and complex musical arrangements. This was not one to see if you were looking for a typical show or accessible music. Most of what was presented that night would probably make the casual listener uneasy but it sounded ideal to my ears.

Maps & Atlases are on Solid Ground at The Middle East

In my Mid-Year Report, I mentioned that Maps & Atlases had one of the most impressive full-length debuts to come out in 2010. I also mentioned that the lists featured were going to dramatically change. With the performances I witnessed by Russian Circles, Cave In, and Boris, I knew that my list of best shows had already changed. However, an unexpected entry has emerged into the top 5 shows I’ve seen this year. This one is brought about by the compelling performance I witnessed by Maps & Atlases at The Middle East upstairs on August 11, 2010.

Boris Invades The Middle East

If you are a fan of progressive metal of any kind, I hope you were at the show on August 7, 2010 at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. The lineup consisting of Russian Circles, Cave In, and Boris covered much of the metal landscape. Russian Circles impressed with their mathy post-rock onslaught; Cave In mesmerized everyone with their mix of space rock and technical metal; and Boris brought their distinctive noise rock and sludge from Japan.

Frog Eyes See The Middle East

Frog Eyes are one of those bands I've always wanted to see live but I never got around to it. I've praised Carey Mercer's manic delivery endlessly and their guitar tones are among the best in indie rock today. Their latest release, Paul's Tomb, shows that they are only gaining strength with age. The record spins with a consistent intensity that begins with a 9-minute sonic wave of guitars and refreshingly dynamic songwriting. On June 18, 2010, I took my chance to see if this translated to the stage when I caught them with up-and-comers Beach Fossils at the Middle East.

Hymn to the Immortal Mono

It's not every day that you get to see a band from Scotland or one from Japan. I got to see both when I caught Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad with Japanese post-rockers Mono at the Middle East on May 28, 2010. These are two bands that I have wanted to see for quite some time. They both have original, distinctive sounds and have made the cut for many of the mixtapes I've made over the years.

No Sleeping at the Middle East

My forth show in six days, I was starting to wear down when I decided to check out For Sleeping or Jumping at the Middle East Upstairs on April 5, 2010. It was also my third in this period that took place at the Middle East. Perhaps they'll give me a room there or at least a frequent buyers card? Either way, I was still excited to see a different brand of noise at the show. Its been a while since I got to witness some music of the heavier variety but For Sleeping or Jumping aptly filled the void with their performance.

Bells and Lazers in the Middle East

I may not seem or look like the type of guy, but sometimes I crave a big dance party when I go to a show. That's exactly what I got when I caught Major Lazer at their sold out performance at the Middle East on April 4, 2010. It wasn't just any show. It was one of those rare circumstances where I liked every band on the bill so I made sure to get there on time to catch the openers. I was really hoping that the show lived up to my expectations since I didn't spend Easter with my family because of it as I traditionally do. Sorry, parents! As you'll soon read, I was not letdown.

Japandroids Are Back in Town

It's time to catch up on my show reviews after falling waaay behind. How could I have fallen so far behind in my show reviews? I'm glad you asked. Over the period of my disappearance, my computer had a mystifying accident with some water. You're probably thinking, "What kind of idiot blogger spills water on his computer?" Well, I didn't exactly spill the water. In fact, I don't really know what happened. I woke up to the sight of water underneath my computer; something no man should ever have to witness. With no glass in sight and an apparently ruined hard drive full of potentially timeless writing such as this, I was quite baffled. The only explanation I could come up with was that my computer processed my writing and then proceeded to take its own life - but who knows, I may be speculating for ages. Onward to the reviews, the first of which is a look back at my second time witnessing the two man spectacle known as Japandroids.

If a band puts on a great performance, you will make sure to get tickets every time they come back into town. Japandroids hooked me when I saw them on October 5, 2009 at Great Scott. That show was one of the more memorable performances that I saw last year. With that said, when I heard they were bringing their anthemic garage rock to The Middle East on March 31, 2010, I had to jump on the opportunity to see them in a larger venue.

We Were Promised Valentine’s Day

There's no sappy Valentine's Day drivel here. Instead of spending money on some girl by purchasing questionable gifts that most likely give no indication as to how I feel, I bought a ticket to see We Were Promised Jetpacks at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. While everyone wanted me to sulk in the vast vortex of loneliness that is my life (damn you media/Hallmark holiday/co-workers/friends!), I spent my February 14, 2010 seeing some great bands and having fun. Take that corporations who don't want me to be single because I only spend money on beer and concerts!

Delta Spirit Soars at the Middle East

Typically, Mondays aren't too kind to me. I usually spend my weekends gallivanting around Boston instead of catching up on sleep and I always feel that I need more time to settle back into the work week. I knew I had a decent workload ahead of me and I was running on fumes but somehow my Monday turned out quite well on February 1, 2010.

Thursday on a Saturday

Freelance journalism isn't exactly the most glamorous work. Most articles and reviews that you read on webzines and blogs are written by people purely out of the passion of doing so. Sometimes there are small perks like free passes to shows or advanced records but for the most part, it is a thankless job. I went to see Thursday for the first time since I was in high school under the pretense that I was going to be on the guest list and could take photos. Evidently, these things don't often work out as planned. I took the journey to the Middle East in order to see them perform with opener Dillinger Escape Plan on December 19, 2009 but was met with myriad problems.

The Middle East Experiences Cave In

I took the image above in 2003 when Cave In played the second stage of the Lollapalooza tour in support of their RCA major label debut Antenna. Since then, the band had been dropped from RCA, denounced Antenna, and went on hiatus. Fortunately for those of us who are familiar with the band, they have returned in prime form releasing the Planets of Old EP and performing a few shows for lucky audiences. In my previous post, I mentions how psyched I was to see the band on their November 22, 2009 date at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. Now that my ears have finally recovered, I can recall the glorious return of one of my favorite bands of all time.

Junior Boys at the Middle East

I hadn't been too familiar with Junior Boys aside from their pivotal electropop album So This is Goodbye released in 2006. Therefore, I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I went to see them on November 2, 2009 at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. What I got was an unexpectedly enticing mix of chill yet danceable electronic indie rock. I know that's a lot of adjectives being thrown your way but it aptly describes the group's unique sound.

The Middle East: A Place to Bury Strangers

Don't be fooled. The title isn't advice. On October 30, 2009, I subjected my eardrums to the unrelenting torrent of noise that is A Place to Bury Strangers. For those unfamiliar with the band, it is fronted by Oliver Ackermann who creates his own effects pedals and sells them under the name Death by Audio, a very appropriate name for some of the loudest pedals available. A Place to Bury Strangers is often known as "the loudest band in New York" and for rightful reasons. They decided to bring that loudness to the Middle East in Cambridge, MA and I'm very thankful that they did.

Built to Spill at the Middle East Night 3

On October 11, 2009, I caught the third night of Built to Spill's three night run at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. I've seen a lot of concerts this year and have spoken highly about many of them but this is the one that will probably go down as my favorite. I hate to use the old cliché but seeing Built to Spill live is the closest a concert is going to come to a religious experience. The band's triple-guitar attack on indie rock is tailor-made for the stage and should be witnessed by anyone who considers themselves a fan of guitar-centric rock and roll. It could easily make a believer of even the most jaded music critic. To top things off, this particular night was the night to see if you were a long time Built to Spill fan. It was chocked full of my personal favorites as well as well known classics. The set lists for all three dates can be found at Setlists.fm.

Local Spotlight: Roman Traffic at the Middle East

On August 28, 2009, I had the pleasure of catching Roman Traffic (formally Gravehaven) at the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, MA. I had known the guys in the band for awhile and while it is strange to think of them as anything but Gravehaven, the music is quality nonetheless. I first met the group when I did a review of their debut EP Perceptions for the Colorblind for Decoymusic which you can read here. After that I was fortunately enough to produce a track with them called "Breach" as a recording project for a class I took at Northeastern University. The guys were super nice as well as easy to work with and I am proud to say that the track came out great. As a little shameless promotion, I am including a link to it below. Be gentle, it was my first attempt at producing.