Somos' "First Day Back" Record Release Show (Concert Review)

On the evening of March 3^rd, 2016, I had the unexpected pleasure of attending the First Day Back LP release show for Boston’s own Somos. My girlfriend sought my company due to her fondness for one of the opening acts so I figured I would tag along for a completely unbiased concert going experience.

The record release event took place in the upstairs room at the Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub in Cambridge, MA, consisting of 194 maximum capacity (contrary to the downstairs room’s 575 capacity). 

I am a frequent attendee at the Middle East’s many events so I am all too familiar with the laid back atmosphere, cheap drink menu, and surprisingly superior acoustics of the upstairs room. The one issue I have had with the venue in particular (regarding the upstairs room only) has been the sheer impossibility to adequately view a band’s performance from the bar, but all things considered it is an excellent venue for smaller acts to share their art with the public.

Photograph taken by Scott Cornell Photography

Animal Flag (4/5)

A local act under the name of Animal Flag kicked the concert off around 7:30pm. Each member displayed their own equal contribution of sharp instrumentation and enthusiastic stage presence performing what I consider to be the tightest set of the evening. There were some serious Thrice and Brand New vibes emanating from this young, vibrant four piece balancing abrasive chord progressions with clean, well-structured post-rock-esque buildups. This group stole the show for me and served as a strong reminder to always show up early and catch opening acts because not only do they need more support than headliners, but they may pleasantly surprise you. I will be sure to post a “Local LookOut” piece on these guys at some point. 

The Superweaks (2/5)

Philadelphia’s Superweaks stormed the stage around 8:15 with a five piece ensemble of three guitarists, bassist, drummer, and a synthesizer in sight. There was not a single moment throughout the band’s half hour set in which I proved successful in grasping the band’s desired sound, and thus the performance’s conclusion left me with an aftertaste of utter confusion. The group was all over the place stylistically ranging from Weezer to Melvins worship and the only hint at what they were trying to do was a brief mentioning of a previous show at the venue opening for Reggie & The Full Effect. This hatched in my brain the possibility they are a joke band and the true point grazed over my head entirely, but minus a few cool sludgey moments that got me banging my head, I felt “Superweak” was the only term that came to mind regarding this set. 

Petal (3.5/5)

Scranton, PA’s Petal took their turn serenading the audience with some soothing jams at 9:00 sharp. Equipped with a smooth floral aesthetic, tight setlist, and frontwoman Kiley Lotz’s adorably humble stage banter, Petal’s performance proved to be both a charming and delightful experience. Lotz’s vocalwork served as the set’s fulcrum laced with passion, emotion, and skill. The lone complaint I had dealt with the bassist’s apparent apathy concerning even being there but such can be easily ignored when Lotz reminded the audience on more than one occasion that Petal is her solo project and that not only did the live band consist of her friends filling in and supporting her, but that a vital member was not present due to reasons not explained. 

Somos (3.5/5)

Last but not least, Boston's own Somos took the stage to wrap up the evening. I have previously seen the band open for larger national tour packages so having the opportunity to watch them headline their own show and have such enthusiastic and high-energy crowd participation was a treat. The performance was tight regarding both musicianship (specifically the drumwork) as well as a high energy stage presence. The more recent tracks I was unfamilar with brought to mind “Peripheral Vision” era Turnover stripped of the gloss and dreamy atmosphere in favor of a more upbeat and poppy approach. Fans belted the lyrics loudly and proudly and stagedove until the set's conclusion which was met with a loud encore. After a fun evening of live music, Somos the evening right. Be sure to check out "First Day Back" out now on Hopeless Records.