Ubiquitous long hair and an earnest rock & roll spirit characterize Mikal Cronin and his band on stage. The foursome offers up a no-frills show that’s light on the chatter but heavy on the shameless rock-out moments. They recently topped off a killer bill at Great Scott which also included The Migs, advice Roomrunner and Shannon & the Clams, drug uniting multiple genre throwbacks with modern twists in a front-to-back solid night of music.
Semi-local garage rockers The Migs took the stage first, reminding the crowd that “we are The Migs and we love you very much” more times than I could count. Their jangly tunes were delivered with a charming, sunny sort of optimism. Baltimore’s Roomrunner downshifted the mood in the room, but their intense set might have been the evening’s best. The band tore through 30 minutes of post-hardcore as filtered through thick shoegaze guitar tones at a bracing volume. At times, their sound was reminiscent of an angrier and more despondent version of Boston’s once-resident Swirlies. Roomrunner put on a pretty gripping show.
Shannon & the Clams lightened things up once more with a bit of retro flair. The trio played a set of catchy tunes that pulled doo-wop and surf rock into the garage and emerged with a creation that was at once familiar and refreshing. Complete with matching pinstripe shirts and gold-sequined shoes, they also performed in style.
It was nearly midnight before Mikal Cronin took the stage, and by then the room was reportedly sold out. Hot on the heels of May’s sophomore record MCII, which earned him universal acclaim and a coveted Best New Music from Pitchfork, Cronin is evidently building quite a buzz for himself. Though he’s often mentioned in tandem with compatriot rocker Ty Segall, with whom he’s toured as a bassist, Cronin is very much a capable songwriter and performer in his own right.
Armed with a 12-string guitar and tie-dyed shirt, Cronin played songs from his new record and his 2011 self-titled with just the right amount of added muscle. Though he plays most everything himself on record, Cronin was joined by a solid backing band on stage who pulled everything together quite nicely. They didn’t have much to say, but Cronin’s fairly direct songwriting was more than capable of speaking for itself. Sometimes it’s best to let a great set of songs work their magic that way.
