“How’s everybody’s um, no rx snowy Sunday?”
Lead singer of Allston based band Orca Orca, Jimmy Hewitt, mumbled this into the microphone on the disgustingly slushy night upon which his band as well as Beach Fossils illuminated the stage at TT The Bears.
Orca Orca live can be accurately described as Brand New gone indie: all of the girl troubles and the need for escapism, without any of the emotionally charged screamo. Everything about Orca Orca was bedroom punk done correctly, from the stirring drums, the guitarist wearing a too-tight button collared shirt with his face pressed to his guitar, and of course the ever affected chorus of, “You can’t wait to leave this place,” faded out with “Woah-oah-oah.” A bit different from the lighter dream-poppy sound that they achieve on record, but that just made their set all the more interesting.
After much anticipation, in which the skater bro population of the crowd dissolved into impatient whale-like moans (think Dory speaking whale in Finding Nemo, or the beginning of ‘Airplanes’ by Local Natives), Beach Fossils took the stage. Dustin Payseur’s baby face was illuminated under the spotlight, and his soft spoken voice which calmly asked the crowd if they were ready to get rowdy, remained soft for the songs. At the time, I was slightly disappointed by this, but in retrospect, the lesser importance of the vocals further emphasized the grandeur of the truly fantastic – and while I consider this word to be quite cringeworthy, nothing else quite suffices – jamming of the accompanying band. Beach Fossils performed songs off of their latest album, Clash The Truth, while in audio format is dreamy and relaxed indie rock, the songs become electrified when performed live. The instrumental choruses are a gorgeous harmony of low scratchy bass, chilled guitar riffs and light, pulsing drums; the resulting combination is not just lovely music, but a blooming feeling.
Though I have aged and left my Vans slip ons back at my parent’s house, I’ve learned that that feeling of teenage rebellion is timeless. Beach Fossils and Orca Orca reminded me that though I did not have the unfairness of my parent’s curfew to propel me to lose myself in guitar riffs, there is still much in life that can be dealt with the with the fighting spirit of a great punk song. A special shoutout to my redhead pixie cut guardian angel who finally directed me in the correct direction of the hipster hideaway of TT The Bears after trapezing up and down Massachusetts Avenue for embarrassingly long, for without her I wouldn’t have been able to relive my the stresses of my week the good old Allston way – by being jostled and shoved in waves of people, until you eventually surrender to the mosh and the sound.
Photo Credit: Ben Stas