For a 19-year-old folk wonder-kid, viagra sale you’d think Jake Bugg would have an elephantine ego, unhealthy and you’d be right. Fresh off the release of his sophomore release, Shangri La, Bugg stopped by Boston this past weekend.
If it wasn’t enough that he was headlining the 2,400 capped venue before being able to drink in this country, Bugg was supported by a musician he surely rocked out to walking to school in his (even) younger years. I’m talking about The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. Additionally supported by The Skins, a rock outfit from Brooklyn who’s bio simply reads, “We go hard.”
While not the type of opening act I would expect Bugg to tour with, am I sure glad he did. I tend to stress the importance of showing up for the openers because they are put there for a reason and The Skins prove just that. Fronting the group is Bayli Mckeithan, her vocals are raw and soulful. It’s no surprise that Kaya on bass dominated the stage against her male counterparts because her last name is also Mckeithan. The sisters have a confidence and natural stage presence that could only lead to that “Oh! Of course they are related!”-moment.
It seems like just yesterday that Albert Hammond Jr. headlined a gig at Brighton Music Hall, but here he is back in the Hub filling the second supporting slot. Hammond played a varied set ranging from bare bones guitar to more full bodied Strokes-esque energy. Let’s just say that I’m looking forward to seeing him with the rest of the Strokes crew at Governors Ball.
At last, Jake Bugg took center stage. He seemed humbled looking out into the house that was packed to the brim on a rainy Saturday night. He showed a dynamic range throughout the night from slow acoustic tracks like “Pine Trees” and an emotional rendition of “Broken.” While the acoustic tracks showed off his pipes, Bugg also got to show off his rock n’ roll edge.
At the very end of the night the House of Blues was treated to a tricked up version of the song that launched Bugg last year, “Lightning Bolt.” I always wonder if artists get tired of playing the song that put them on the radar, but I suppose the only alternative would be ditching it and consequently dealing with a disgruntled crowd. If Bugg is bored with “Lightning Bolt” – he’s damn good at hiding it. The famed track followed a cover of Neil Young’s “My My, Hey Hey.” There was something about seeing a 19-year-old hitting those chords and singing, “rock and roll will never die” that left me with a satisfied smirk.
So while Bugg is technically touring in support of Shangri La, I have to say, I don’t love it. Lucky for fans who are still in love with the debut like me, we got a good dose of earlier cuts like “Seen It All,” “Taste It,” and my all-time favorite, “Two Fingers.”
Highlight of the night? Watching dozens of fans put up peace signs (rather than the British bird) all throughout “Two Fingers.” He’s from England, turn those palms inward, ya twats.