This was a fun one. Headed up to MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston on May 17th with some friends who gave me the ticket. Wasn’t that nice of them? This was the last stop of the tour, so it should be a good one.
GANG! opened the show and they were a fun band. I didn’t know their songs, but they were cool. They started out with what I believe was a Tony Hawk game playing on a small screen (openers don’t get the large screen) and the singer coming out on a skateboard. They all wore green ski masks, hiding their identities, threw a blow-up doll (that was wearing a mask as well) into the crowd, wanted to be boo’d at, did lame stunts (falling of skateboard), faked a phone call from mom, came out for the lost song in neck brace and arm sling due to the fall. They even did a bit where the signer was going to play a song on his great great great great great grandmother’s guitar…before someone ran out and smashed it.
Good stuff! They were loud, had a punk vibe, with some rap/rock fusion. A bit like Rage Against the Machine as far as singing goes, but no political stuff and no crazy guitar work like Tom Morello. But it was a high energy good time.
The Home Team was next and had a bigger following than GANG! They definitely were having fun up there. The singer did some pretty goofy dancing, while the guitarist and bassist did some coordinated spinning dances. They ran around the stage throughout their set, keeping the energy high. They have an interesting sound. I wouldn’t call it unique because I feel like a lot of bands are starting to have this type of sound, but it’s different than I’m used to. They describe it as “heavy pop”, but it blends pop, punk, rock, and alternative rock with elements of metal and funk maybe? I didn’t know their stuff, but the crowd knew quite a bit. I did happen to catch their last song on video though, a little ditty called Worthy.
Bilmuri was the headliner and came out right around 9:00pm. I’m honestly not sure if Bilmuri is the band name, or the nickname/stage name of singer John Franck. It is pronounced “Bill Murray” though if you’re curious. So that can be nice and confusing especially when both Bilmuri and Bill Murray announced Boston shows around the same time. I guess we’ll say he’s Bilmuri. The die hards can prove me right or wrong if they care to. While I’m not a true fan who knows their lyrics, albums, history, etc., I do like the stuff I’ve listened to.
What I like about this band is their pretty unique sound. There’s a lot of saxophone in their music and they opened with the Halo Theme on sax. Kinda Hard (album and tour name as well) was the first song after the sax intro. They played other songs like Shyt Fyst, Absolutely Crankin My F’in Hog, A Hogman’s Delight (my fave), All Gas, Rock Bottom, and a bunch of others. For Always Let You Down, they brought out the singer from The Home Team. Many songs featured saxophone and flute, both played by Gabi Rose who also does a ton of singing. She’s a pretty crucial member of the band. They also had a banjo at times really creating a cool and unique experience.
He did plenty of talking and joking with the crowd which was cool. They all made good use of the stage where they could and had a pretty cool light and laser show. But surprisingly, even though it was the last night of the tour, the whole set was only about an hour and 15 minutes, with no encore.
As I was thinking about GANG!’s set and seeing them around the venue (maybe) afterward, it made me think. The dudes from GANG! could’ve sat right next to me and I wouldn’t have known. Also, a lot of bands have done and still do the mask thing. Slipknot, Mudvayne, Ghost, Sleep Token, Gwar, Buckethead, and others. Some have had more success than others with hiding their true identities as a result, even in the internet age. While some people have found out their identities, it’s not like they have noticeable faces to the masses. So, hear me out. Kurt Cobain wasn’t a fan of fame and the rock star life. What if the mask thing had worked for him? If his identity was mostly a secret, would his fate have been different? With that…see you at the next show.
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