The day of the Lucy Rose, see Ariel and the Undertow, and Chris North show had, of course, the worst weather I’d ever experienced since I’ve been in Boston. It was raining, or snowing, or sleeting, or something. I hesitated a bit, but decided that a bit of rain shouldn’t stop me. So I got myself over to the Middle East around 7 pm, just when the doors were opening. I’d only heard a few of the songs from each of the groups that were set to play that night, so I really had no idea what to expect. Nevertheless, as I walked into the venue, I was ready to see something great.
But when I walked into the Middle East, I seriously questioned the magnitude of the show I was about to see. This place is the definition of intimate–it probably couldn’t have packed in more than 150 people. There were a few people lingering, a few high school girls chatting behind me, a few men drinking beer, nothing much to see. I watched a guy light a few candles around the venue and make sure the guitars were all where they’re meant to be. A few people came in and out, someone was setting up the merch table, and everything was pretty calm.
Then I see Chris North come onstage, and he picks up his guitar and starts playing nonchalantly. The guy was a fantastic guitarist, and he automatically commands the attention of the crowd. A few more people trickled in as he got on through his set. He makes his way about halfway through his set before he starts to talk between any songs. His voice was fantastic and he stuck to a single acoustic guitar. This simple set did not lack anything- it was truly beautiful. When he did start talking between songs, he was hilarious. He began by talking about one song of his, “Stone Wall,” and about the moment he decided to play the song again in his apartment. He told us a story about how, when he began to play the song in his room, he broke down crying. All he could worry about was whether or not his roommates could hear. Later on, he talked about dolphins, Qdoba, and his favourite group, Magnolia Electric Company.
Chris North was a joy to see live. He’s got a calm, soothing sound, a great sense of humor, and strong crowd interaction. With sounds similar to Kevin Devine and Ben Howard, Chris is someone you turn on when it’s raining outside; you light some candles and decide to stay in bed all day. I also got to speak to him after his set, and he was one of the nicest people I’ve met in a while. His respect for other artists resonates, and he stays true to his own sound and genre as closely as possible.
The next group that made their way up on stage was Ariel and the Undertow. After the Chris North set, I expected the night to be a calm, quiet, cuddly sort of night. The weather outside called for it; I was shocked at the number of people who were huddled in the basement. But when Ariel and the Undertow took the stage, they literally blew the roof of the place. They had a loud sound, a sick attitude and a unique vibe. They were absolutely fantastic.
Ariel gets up on stage wearing red lipstick, all black, her hair adorably framing her face, and you can’t imagine her singing louder or heavier than Prince, but man, this girl opened her mouth and belted out Adele-level heaviness. They opened with a jazzy rock number that lead into a few more rock songs. Two that specifically stood out to me was “I Have No Music” and “Take Me Home.” Ariel has a fantastic voice and they have such a unique sound, you can’t help but dance. On top of that, when I talked to her after her set, she was so adorable. I want to be best friends with her, I want her to teach me how to sing, and I want her to do my hair.
Ariel’s band’s overall sound is hard to get a hold of. Sometimes they have a frisky little sound like Panic At the Disco, but at other times, they sound like the Ramones–I swear I heard them start to play “My Sharona” before they broke off and played “Take Me Home.” It makes for an interesting set that really keeps the crowd on their toes.
The final group to get on stage was Lucy Rose and her band. The crowd was clearly waiting for this one, as everyone snapped to attention and closed in on the stage. Lucy Rose has a beautiful accent–straight from England. I felt right at home with them. They began playing and ran into a few problems, but after a few technical difficulties, which were handled very professionally, Lucy Rose was on her way to a fantastic set with her big band.
Lucy and her band were awesome to watch. I felt like I was back in high school, in my friend’s basement, jammin’ out to a band that was just as into it as we were. The band was dancing just as much as the crowd was, which amped up the energy in the place. What made it even more hilarious, though, was the group of guys standing at the front of the room who were singing along to every song that Lucy pumped out. They even hit the high notes, and I’m talking about a group of 25-year-old guys.
Overall, the show was fantastic, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a fun night. All of the groups I saw were fun, entertaining, and the ones I was able to speak to were genuinely great people.
Photo Credit: Jon Gaffney