Black Beach's "Shallow Creatures" LP Release Show (Concert Review)

On the evening of March 5th, 2016, I attended Black Beach's release show for their debut LP Shallow Creatures at the Middle East Upstairs. I have observed these three hard-working, young men evolve from their humble Blink 182-covering beginnings into the explosive and unique punk-driven garage rock project they are now so attending this landmark event was a no-brainer.

The Mardi Kings (1.5/5)

The evening was filled with bizarre acts, but The Mardi Kings easily claimed the prize for excelling the most in this category. The stage seemingly overflowed with oddly dressed instrumentalists jamming to an "interesting" take on pop-influenced garage rock, but the standout qualities stemmed from the dual vocalist's peculiar stage presence. A cape-sporting female songstress belted her high pitched shouts as if directing a marching band whilst the other dad-like frontman appeared to be undergoing a vicious drug trip leading him to believe he was David Yow. It was brought to my attention The Mardi Kings are a supergroup of well-established, influential acts of the Boston garage rock scene. Despite the street credentials and entertainingly awkward stage antics, the music itself proved to be irritating to my eardrum and left me disinterested in pursuing their discography's offerings.

Steep Leans (3.7/5)

Philadelphia’s Steep Leans took the stage next with a strong performance of entrancing, dreamy psychedelia. Frontman Jeffrey Grey Somers ushered the audience into his world of swirling distortion matched with a captivating vocal performance that brought the likes of Nick Cave to mind. The set prompted me to spin their debut LP which surprisingly managed to succeed in capturing the vibrant energy of their live show. Check out Grips On Heat out now on Ghost Ramp Records.

Dent (3.8/5)

Boston’s Dent stood out to me as the most unique and entertaining act on the bill. The female fronted four piece’s take on psych rock utilized a mammoth range of influences including sludge, noise, punk, math rock, and many more. Frontwoman Lan Shi Dent’s sporadic stage presence and high pitched wales served as an instrument in itself matching the chaotic, skill-driven instrumentation exhibited by her fellow bandmates. As the set reached its winding finale, it became clear Dent’s overall presentation of stylistic range proved void of any dull moments.

Black Beach (3.7/5)

I have seen the Middleborough garage rock trio known as Black Beach countless times over the span of four years and they have yet to disappoint in a live setting. This particular gig proved to be no different and managed to steal the evening of terms of energy and crowd participation.

From the moment the opening riff of “Self Potrait” kicked in, the three piece was met with a wildly enthusiastic reaction of wild fans tossing their beer in the air with glee. The party-like intensity of the group’s performance was unmatched as one fan even served as a real life “wacky-arm-waving-inflatable-flailing-tube-man” vibing onstage front and center the entirety of the set.

The setlist itself was brilliantly structured beginning with Side A of the new record, utilizing the intermission for older fan favorites, winding down with Side B, and then wrapping up the events of the evening by encoring with a humorously animated cover of Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird.”

Make sure you take the opportunity to party with Black Beach in an intimate environment before they skyrocket into the successful state they deserve. Be sure to pick up their debut LP Shallow Creatures.