SURF NIGHT REVIEW - December 20, 2003, Somerville, MA
Surf Night at the Kirkland Cafe in Somerville - what a lovely gift from Mickey Bliss!
Last Saturday night's "Surfin' Santa Safari" festivities were a warm reminder of summer days and tiki torch nights around a beach bonfire. The
night started with the Beach Boy-esque charm of the Come
Arounds. This 3-piece combo with their pop-py 60's sound and look were a fine way to
start the evening - and their charm didn't end there. After their set ended it was a round of
candy canes for everyone and a special holiday gift for yours truly, a 2-song demo CD containing
"North Shore" and "All of the Time", which I have enjoyed listening to. Thanks, Guys.
Next up were The Clams, a very high-energy combo, with their red
sequined go-go dancers, the Clam Diggers. (I know that some members of the audience were dreaming of finding these two in their stocking
Christmas morning). But I digress - back to the music. A definite highlight of the Clams set was their rendition of "Batclam", when Wanda Clam joined
them on saxophone. This was a first for the Clams and for Wanda. You go Wanda! Other favorites that night were
"Micro Jammers", "Quahog Wild", and "Crustacean". They had a special guest performing with
them when Mike Rosado, founder of both 9th Wave and NESMA, got up to play
"Spy Clam Chase" (a clam-my version of 9th Wave's "Spy Man Chase") and
"Miserlou". "Miserlou" got everyone up dancing, including Vinnie O from
Surf Squad, who got up to shake and stomp with the Clam Diggers. This was the Clams first time performing in Boston, but I'll bet you 6 clams (the cost
of a Clams CD - pick on up if you don't have it already) it won't be the last!
Spooky surfers, Gein and the Graverobbers (Henry Lee, Kemper, and
Myra) served the 3rd round of surf up. This was the first band to get me up off my chair and moving to the psycho-sounds of their hard-driving surf.
Very little talking, as the songs flowed one into the other. This band just gets better every time I hear them and I could listen to them for hours.
Notable tunes that evening were "Cryptkeeper's Holiday", "London after
Midnight", and a song off their new CD, simply titled "M". I think "M" had to
be my favorite of their set, perhaps because it was "M"acabre and "M"elodious at the same time. They ended in spectacular fashion doing an
old Iron Maiden cover, "Transylvania", followed by the amazing Myra on the
maracas as the band played "Camp Blood". Great set and if you want to
catch Gein, Myra, Henry Lee, and Kemper in action before next year, head out to Ralph's Diner, Worcester, MA THIS Saturday, Dec. 27th. I'll be there
too.
The final band of the night was worth waiting for, Connecticut's own Surf
Squad. I know that this is a Dick Dale tribute band, but they are fantastic musicians in their own right. Vinnie and his crew cranked the volume up
with an explosive version of "Nitro", "Taco Wagon", and
"Shredded Heat". By the third song not a soul was sitting down and the floors were a' shakin'.
The band's easy raport with the audience is a definite enhancement to this particular style of surf. Vinnie tells great stories and never fails to recognize
the fellow musicians, friends, and surf music aficionados in the audience. Just over half way through the set
Sandy Clam gave Vinnie the gift of her Santa hat to wear during "Let's' Go Trippin'". He kept his festive chapeau on until
the set finally ended with a beautiful rendition of "3rd Stone from the Sun", a breath-taking piece of music and I must say, Surf Squad certainly does it
justice. I expect to see these guys doing many more shows in 2004.
In a final note, many thanks to Chuck Edwards from The Undertows for
showing up and taking so many pictures. It was nice to see him and I look forward to hearing his band at Surf Night at the Kirkland Cafe on
February 7th, 2004 when they'll be sharing the stage with 9th Wave and
The Serfs. And another thank you to Mickey Bliss. He is a gracious host and can cook
a delicious turkey. Mickey had laid out a buffet for not only the bands, but also all the patrons in the club.
Surf, turkey, and dancing - what more do you need?
Aloha.
Review by Blue Sting Raye, official
NESMA show reviewer
