PREVIEW: Kids Like You And Me’s Rama Lama Ding Dong

by Seth Garcia

KLYAM RLDD

festival poster by Melanie Bernier

For Kids Like You And Me, it seems like things can’t be working out smoother. What started out as a blog run by Chris DeCarlo and Glen Maganzini as tribute to their favorite rock n’ roll acts has gradually morphed into an active presence in the Boston music scene. Kids Like You And Me now book shows and run their own record label.

Now, the two are trying their hands at a local festival. The Kids Like You And Me’s Rama Lama Ding Dong is a three-day event taking place this week from April 28-30. The name Rama Lama Ding Dong is a tribute to their love of 50’s doo-wap and rock n’ roll.

Inspired by an outing they had to Fuzzstival, the festival is the fleshed-out product of a list the two made of their dream bill.

“Glen and I always have a million ideas, and most of them never come to fruition.” DeCarlo said in a phone interview with Allston Pudding. “I have these fantasy show ideas… it can be almost impossible to make it the vision you have in your head. But that’s always sort of the goal.”

“We want to create a really positive atmosphere but also, in a personal way, I just love the idea [we’re] curating [our] ideal show.”

Names on the bill include locals like Black Beach, Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion!, and Nice Guys, but also include lesser-known regional acts like Scully and Mike Mountain. Also playing are bands such as Guerilla Toss, Littlefoot, Kal Marks, Ursula, and The Monsieurs.

“A huge inspiration for us is just a lot of the festivals coming up in the last few years,” DeCarlo stated, naming Boston Fuzzstival, Hassle Fest, BUFU Fest, and Fool’s Fest as some of his favorites.

“First and foremost, like all of our shows, we just want people to have a good time” said DeCarlo. “We want to create a positive atmosphere, have people feel like they’re included and that they can participate.”

KLYAM are hoping to give back to the Boston scene that they’ve found so welcoming over the years. Maganzini and Decarlo live just outside the city, so seeing shows has always been a commitment. They made this fest knowing others are taking the time to be there, maybe some strenuously so. They wanted Rama Lama Ding Dong to be worth it.

Though they seem to be getting more professional about their involvement, the two are still kids at heart. The fest is simply an invitation to party to some rock n’ roll. Check out the full lineup below.

Kids Like You And Me’s Rama Lama Ding Dong

Thursday 4/28 (Club Bohemia) 8PM – $8 – 21+

  • Funeral Cone
  • Second Becky
  • Andy California
  • Mike Mountain
  • G. Gordon Gritty

Friday 4/29 (Middle East Upstairs) 6PM – $12 – 18+

  • The Monsieurs
  • The Prefab Messiahs
  • Nice Guys
  • Littlefoot
  • Scully
  • Black Beach
  • Future Spa

Saturday 4/30 (Middle East Upstairs) 3PM – $14 – 18+

  • Guerilla Toss
  • Ursula
  • The Barbazons
  • Johnnies and the Foodmasters
  • Kal Marks
  • Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion!
  • Electric Street Queens

You can find the event page for the festival here, and purchase tickets here. Two-day passes are available for $20.