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Due to taking a wrong turn that had us driving through Boston for a half hour and the bands starting early that I thought, I missed World/Inferno Friendship Society. That was a pretty big disappointment because I was really looking forward to checking out their live show: especially with all the different instrumentation (not to mention great songs).
Instead, we walked in as Whole Wheat Bread were playing. They sounded like a mixture of Rancid and The Transplants, but with more pop punk elements, and a singer who sounded like a black Tim Armstrong. They got the crowd involved by saying "Whole Wheat" and having them chant "Bread." They also did a great cover of "Maxwell Murder," with a spot on bass solo. Whole Wheat Bread were better overall than I anticipated, though I wouldn't buy their album.
By getting the first two bands off the stage within the first hour, Street Dogs were able to play a 45 minute set, which made the Boston crowd extremely happy. "Man in Black" played as an intro before they took to the stage like a tornado. They had great stage presence to match their incredible songs; not to mention having arguably one of the greatest frontmen in punk rock in Mike McColgan. His voice is so damn powerful, something that I feel I have to mention in every review I write about this band.
They played a few new songs, which sounded right on par with their previous mid tempo high energy melodic punk songs. They are a lot of fun to listen to, and a lot of fun to watch, a fact the crowd made obvious by singing along. The highlight of their set came from a cover song. I got damn excited when McColgan was talking about his old band (Dropkick Murphys), and had an ear to ear grin when they started playing "Get Out." It was great hearing McColgan's voice over a Dropkick song again; very reminscent of the old days.
Speaking of the old days, I have seen the Bouncing Souls probably more than any other band in my life, and I still get as excited before each show as I did back on a snowy day in 1996 when I saw them for the first time (playing with Swingin' Utters and The Descendents). This show was no different, as I could feel my heart start to race as the crowd started chanting the opening to "Ole." The lights eventually dimmed and they broke into "The Gold Song," and pretty much didn't stop until they finished "Gone," took a brief break before coming back with a four song encore. There wasn't much talking in between songs, which made way for a 27 song set (the most songs I've ever seen them play-see setlist below). I had a great time singing along to nearly every word with a smile on my face like I did almost ten years ago. Its good to know that some things never change.
SET LIST:
The Gold Song
Private Radio
That Song
Hopeless Romantic
Lean on Sheena
Kid
The Something Special
E.C.F.U.
No Rules
Better Things
K8 is Great
True Believers
Moon Over Asbury
So Jersey
Sing Along Forever
Here We Go
Argyle
Fight to Live
The Pizza Song
Born Free
Letters From Iraq
Quick Check Girl
Gone
Say Anything (Acoustic)
Kids and Heroes
Lamar Vannoy
For All the Unheard
Written by: RF