Punk rock is a slippery genre. Musically, there’s precious little in the way of limitations and boundaries to what can be called punk. While this can be a source of frustration for those who like categorization and neat little boxes, it’s also produced a cornucopia of beautifully hyphenated subgenres. Wednesday night’s show at O’Brien’s in Allston put some of those unholy marriages on display, with a five band bill that saw no two groups fill the same niche in the punk ecosystem.
First up was Coffin Salesman, a duo featuring acoustic guitar and accordion. Their edgy take on the folk-punk songwriter genre helped warm up show-goers just in from the cold on Harvard Ave. Vocalist Aria Rad was sharp-dressed in a suit and sharp-tongued as well, with biting lyrics taking direct aim at bigots and conservatives.
Continuing in the folk-punk vibe were Attleboro’s Cactus Attack, with a bluegrass-based assault that pulled in elements of classic rock and punk. These guys may have won the prize for best beards on a night when it was in serious contention, but even more than that they won over the audience with their rollicking sound and pure energy. No band looked like they were having more fun than these guys.
Up next, and making a hell of a beautiful racket for a three-piece, were Art Thieves. Guitar, bass, and drums were all these guys needed to crank out some badass garage-punk tunes. Their intensity and attitude made you want to sing along whether you knew the words or not, just to be part of it.
Haverhill’s The Radiator Rattlers are definitively the only punk band I have ever seen to utilize a washboard, and they used it to great effect. Their jaunty syncopation and gruff harmonies had my head bobbing and my toe tapping with the beat, and I wasn’t alone. Their cowpunk stylings had the crowd moving and dancing even late into this Wednesday night.
Boston scene veterans Stray Bullets closed things out on a high note with furious ska-punk fervor. Notably, Wednesday night was their first show at O’Brien’s in 13 years. According to vocalist Jon Cauztik, that previous show ended up with a fistfight and a fired drummer. I’m happy to say they fared much better on their long-awaited return, and played some truly inspired punk rock. Personal favorites were the working class political anthem “Peace Signs” and the extremely catchy “Long Ride Home”.
On this night in Allston, ska, folk, bluegrass, garage, and punk all blended together to create a show that displayed the variety and talent that makes the Boston punk scene so vibrant.
Boston Punk Rumblings 