Harpers Ferry Allston, MA
February 1, 2010
Harper's Ferry in Allston played host to a diverse group of bands on Monday night as four musically eclectic groups entertained the small crowd that had gathered at the venue. These four bands all performed a diverse array of music that suited the musical tastes of the concertgoers.
The first band that kicked off the evening was Beat Surrender. Beat Surrender played a rather lively show where the group perofrmed in shirt and ties with suspenders, evoking an old-school hipster mentality on stage. The songs they played were a combination of James Brown and Weezer, with the frontman's voice sounding like he's channeling Frank Sinatra, and giving the audience a energetic and diverse performance, and people responded very well to their stage presence.
Next up is Hello Ninja, an outfit that marries the sounds of The Strokes and The White Stripes into a more user accessible sound that allows the audience to take notice of the intricately crafted songwriting and strong musicianship that they evoked in their live performance, which therefore triggered a positive reaction from the crowd in attendance.
Third on the bill is The Okay Win, fronted by Stephen MacDonald who bring their blend of "folk inspired rock that tends to get way more aggressive" as Stephen quotes. The set kicked off with "Fiction", a full band version of a song that had previously appeared on Stephen's solo album. "Patience You" gave the audience a relaxing and mellow tune to bring the energy down from the bands that had performed earlier. "Could Gamble" really brought the energy up with drummer Matt Jones furious, drumstick-breaking beats and Ryan Ward's furious bass skills coming to light on this track. "Gone For Good" and "I'm Occupying" tied the whole performance together with a guest vocal appearance from Adam McElreath on the former track and guitarist JM Craven also lending a hand with his vocal chops on the song as well. Even though the set was short, the music cut straight to the point and really struck a chord with the crowd.
The last band that appeared on stage was Stalemate. This band brought an eclectic mix of classic rock with drastic changes in between songs and blending a host of other genres as well in the process. Frontman Matt DeMello brought unbridled enthusiasm to his performance with his maniacal stage presence and ear blasting screaming. A great way to let the night go out with a bang, literally, with 4 truly unique and dynamic bands presenting themselves on stage and letting the audience know who they are and what they'll bring to the table.
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