Kind of Like Spitting

On Monday, remedy July 7th at Great Scott, Lemuria ,the indie/pop rock trio from Buffalo, NY, kicked off a short tour with Kind of Like Spitting. Lemuria has occupied a warm, meaningful place in my music catalog since I first became mildly obsessed with Sheena Ozzella (vocals/guitar), Alex Kerns (drums/vocals), and Max Gregor (bass) during my freshman year of college. Back then, a close friend of mine, and host of the Allston Pudding Radio Show on WTBU, introduced me to Ozzella’s deeply personal yet universally felt lyrics that illuminate the feelings of fleeting love, loss, and those butterflies one gets upon seeing her crush from across the room. The trio (although Gregor joined Lemuria in 2010, and did not record on 2011’s Pebble) have always been able to hit the target that stands between 90’s pop punk, heartbreak, and sweet dance-ready indie melodies. I dare you to listen to “Brilliant Dancer” or “Pants,” and not hum the tune under your breath for the next ever. Monday’s show with Fucko (Manchester, NH) and the legendary Kind of Like Spitting reminded me why my Lemuria love runs so deep.

I arrived a few songs into Fucko’s set, and they had filled up a good three quarters of Great Scott’s dance floor. A driving, simple, reverb-heavy bass line drew me in with a sound reminiscent of early 90’s era alt-rock groups like The Breeders. After finishing her first song, vocalist and guitarist, Sarah, wore a smile bigger than her face and said, “Hey! Kind of Like Spitting is up next then Lemuria. We’re Fucko from Manchester, NH, and I have no idea how we ended up on this show tonight!” I don’t know how you all did it either, but I’m glad Fucko opened up the night with some grungey punk.

On stage, Fucko seemed a little nervous, and the band didn’t bring the energy necessary to liven up their stage presence. But, Fucko made up for their subdued stage presence with energetic tunes that should have launched Great Scott into a good ol’ fashioned pit. Fucko’s vocalist was easily the highlight of the band’s set, as she sang with the fluted, modulated voice of an experienced singer. Kind of Like Spitting took the stage after Fucko’s quick set, and the crowd greeted them with the fanfare worthy of a band that was on hiatus for five years.

Kind of Like Spitting has been led by Ben Barnett since 1996, and in 2006 KoLS might have been left behind in the annals of indie/alt/emo-rock history. But, Barnett reformed KoLS in 2012, released some new material, went on tour, and smiled his way back into his fans’ hearts. Actually though, Barnett glowed with positivity during KoLS’s set. I don’t think he stopped smiling for longer than 30 seconds for over the course of 40 minutes, and his infectious energy lit up the now clearly sold out Great Scott. Barnett and his three piece band looked like they were gleefully shitfaced on the sheer excitement of playing live music, which sincerely warmed my heart.

KoLS’s positive energy is a little ironic considering a lot of their set evoked an angsty rage through distortion-laden songs. Barring a few technical missteps and song transitions that took a good twenty to thirty seconds, KoLS seemed polished, and the rest of their tour with Lemuria will be fantastic if they keep their passion flowing. Although I genuinely enjoyed KoLS, Lemuria couldn’t assume the stage quickly enough.

I became a giddy school girl for a split second when Ozzella, Kerns and Gregor took the stage. When Ozzella began plucking through the opening notes of “Brilliant Dancer” the crowd and I let loose a cheer that could have rattled windows. Frankly, Lemuria sounded tighter live than recorded. Kern’s solid, consistent drumming shined on songs like “Paint the Youth” and “Lipstick.”

And, Gregor brought an amiable stage presence to accompany his bass lines that dominated Great Scott’s sound system. All three members of Lemuria created a friendly, energetic atmosphere that invited the crowd to hop, dance, and pit around. Recently, Alex Kerns mentioned in an interview with Allston Pudding that his favorite songs to play are those where all three members get to flex their vocal skills, like “Oahu, Hawaii,” and “Paint the Youth.” Ozzella, Kerns, and Gregor harmonized brilliantly on those on songs on stage. Although ostensibly touring in support of 2013’s The Distance is So Big, Lemuria gave equal attention to songs from their first two albums Get Better (2008) and Pebble (2011).
Lemuria sounded fantastic on Monday evening and left me grinning like my crush had just asked me to dance.

*On a side note I have seen seven people in the last four days wearing Lemuria shirts, which seems serendipitous. Rep that Buffalo love <3

scribscrubz is a feature where Allston Pudding captures your favorite local and national acts by putting pen to paper. If you see a hand furiously sketching in a crowd, that might be us, come say hi (we’re nice, I think!).

Ben Barnett of Kind of Like Spitting

Lemuria