Rumble Night Four Coverage
Live Impressions
by Nick Parker
by Nick Parker
Photos
by Chris March
Night 4 - April 5th, 2012 -
For my first rumble experience of 2012, I arrived very early, and a little timidly, to prop up the bar while the bands readied themselves around me. I was feeling rather like an outsider to the event to begin with, but I had forgotten how close-knit this community of musicians and music fans really is, and how irresistible the pull is to feel at home with them.
Cask Mouse
Cask Mouse had perhaps the most difficult task at the outset: to launch their part of the show with enough energy to absorb a crowd still pouring in at the door, and yet keep the delicacy that underlies their sound. For all the rumble bands though, this balancing act is perhaps the biggest challenge of the night. It must be tempting, I guess, to try to blast your audience (in volume but also in bluster) with the music you care so much about, in the name of giving your all.
The risk though, is that a playful musical rumble becomes an all-out musical brawl, where only the bombastic survive. Genres like country and folk (both of which Cask Mouse would use to describe themselves I'm sure) have a precarious course to steer between losing themselves and losing the battle. The band seemed unperturbed by these challenges though. "Time to Breathe" was a stand-out example of the kind of subtle and warm music the band executed so well. It was perhaps such deft handling of a difficult situation that led to their victory on the night.
No one could complain that there wasn't a diverse range of talent during this night of The Rumble. Never Got Caught played a set of metal tracks that showed them to be easily the tightest band of the night. Serious and committed, their eyes often down as they fought with their massive sustain, they made fast friends of many in the audience.
Never Got Caught
Parlour Bells were perhaps the most talked about band going into this night of the preliminaries. With a theatricality that was reminiscent of last year's excellent semi-finalists Sidewalk Driver, Parlour Bells were clearly in serious contention from the start of their set, as singer Glenn di Benedetto's confidence as a performer made many feel the night could be theirs.
Parlour Bells
The evening changed direction dramatically again as four piece The Fagettes came on stage (cardboard robot in tow) and began to furiously career through one garage punk track after another, augmented with a beautifully overdriven organ behind vocalist Ryan's screech.
The Fagettes
It was a night of many twists and turns then, but Cask Mouse were worthy winners. Congratulations to all four. You are all doing your part to invigorate this music scene – to make Boston music something bigger than any one band, whoever goes on to take the crown.
RSL STREAMING PHOTO ALBUM
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