Merchandise is a band that has had some positive press about them (yes, P4k) and produces some good mellow numbers that have a sound all their own. So the question was: why did no one seem to care about their concert at the Great Scott?
zzones started off the evening with some whiny, feedback-laden rock ‘n’ roll. The Northampton four-piece played a short set for their “Boston debut”. Starting 45 minutes late—presumably because their follower Ukiah Drag ended up having to play after Merchandise—they brought the bar to life with some energetic jangly riffing. After the quick set, it was time for Merchandise to take the stage.
Frontman Carson Cox has always had a history of uncomfortable acceptance of his role as a frontman, and in person he was no different. When it came time to introduce band, Cox decided to go by some easily forgettable pseudonym for the night.
Frankly, this band would probably have been huge in the 80’s. They were tight, and played some slow-cookers with a distinct post-punk influence. Merchandise comes from a punk scene in Tampa, and those roots clearly came through in their style. Cox slurred out his lyrics in a faux-drunk manner lurching around his little spot on the stage.
The band’s last show was in Montreal. Cox made a joke that it’s pretty hard to be understood in French, and that he was glad to be back in the States. The sad part was, I think he was still misunderstood in English, only just in a different way.
I think the warm brew of 80’s pop and punk was a little off-putting for the audience. By the slightly confused looks on their faces and the uncomfortable head bobbing it didn’t look like like much of the crowd really got it. The only person there that seemed really into the show was some dude in a Tony Molina t-shirt.
Merchandise recently opened for Chelsea Light Moving, but the band probably would’ve been better received had they been opening for The Smiths. Cox’s wobbly baritone wasn’t too dissimilar from a certain dramatic animal-loving frontman. However, those smooth vocals were balanced by his other slurred and angry ones. Cox drooled out accusations like “it’s all your fault!” over and over like that drunken ex-boyfriend who shows up at your house at 3 a.m. That’s where Merchandise broke into their own territory—they incorporated much more of that post-punk anger into their edgy, synth drone sound.
Their new album After The End is out August 26th, and the band showcased a lot of the new material. Recently, Merchandise has been trying to reinvent themselves—now fully embracing their pop side—which might yield some better audience reception. Or you know, they could just run off and invent a time machine. 
