|
Fri. Dec. 29 and Sat. Dec. 30 If you’re unsure as to whether the Mighty Mighty Bosstones still exist, don't feel out too of the loop. They do exist. They’re just not that visible, not like they used to be. But they spring back to around Christmas and this year play their 14th Annual Hometown Throwdown at House of Blues. This year's skein is less a skein I suppose than a two-night stand, Saturday Dec. 29 and Sunday Dec. 30. "Christmas really is about people getting together and knowing what you have  and, more importantly, who you have in your life," Barrett told me. "For the Bosstones, we’re all there because of the people that supported us, people that said, ‘You guys are good enough.’ That’s the most important thing to us and that’s what brings us together every year. If we don’t do anything else, doing this is extremely important. It’s not a like a show in Flint, Michigan in the middle of the year. This is the Hometown Throwdown. This is Boston." "There’s a unity in that band that’s pretty unmatched. It’s more of a family thing than a band, really. When we shut it down in 2003 - when we were choosing not to play and perform - it was a mutual decision. We knew we would play again. When we started playing [in 1983], no one gave a shit. When we reformed, if no one gave a shit we would have been fine with that. We just wanted to do it. We had a burning desire to get in front of people." And last year the guys put out an album, "The Magic of Youth" - consecutive albums in consecutive years! - which means they're still (sort of), but not like they used to be in the '90s. It is not a full time pursuit for any of the eight members. “That’s what makes the Bosstones thing still amazing,” says bassist Joe Gittleman. “That it still can be there. We’re treating it like it deserves to be treated. This isn’t weekend bowling night. We’re putting a lot of energy and effort into it and we work hard rehearsing before our shows.”
“I love the band and the way we've been operating,” adds singer Dicky Barrett, in a separate interview. “Everything we do now is not watered down or sluggish. A fistful of really great shows a year, is better than lots of mediocre ones.”
Two years ago, they released “Pin Points and Gin Joints.”
“We have worked as hard on this as any other,” says Gittleman. Barrett “and I have been writing songs for a year and a half.”
Gittleman says they caught the buzz while doing the 2007 Hometown Throwdown.
“That got our gears going,’” says Gittleman. “Then, Dick and I were back living in L.A. and started working on songs. Dick writes all the lyrics and they seem fairly personal and reflective. He can get creative and paint some pictures with stories and characters. We’ve written 30 complete tunes at this point and we’re going through it. We’ve got all the other guys on board. We really want to make a fun, upbeat record with a lot of cool ska uff. Songs I look forward to playing at shows.”
Barrett explained one of those songs "Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah." “I wrote it like I always do from my head, and from my heart,” says Barrett. “My skewed and slightly distorted look at our world and life in general.”
The Bosstones two main songwriters are Barrett and Gittleman. Barrett is most noticeable, these days, as he announcer for “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” And Gittleman will be following a family path into education. He teaches at Lyndon State College in Lyndon, Vt in the Music Business and Industry Department.
“ I have been through 25 years of up, down and sideways,” says Gilttleman, “and I was lucky to have crossed paths with a Department Head that values this hard-fought, hands-on experience. It's going to be fun sharing what I have learned and I hope to instill a healthy dose of the Boston DIY spirit me and my friends had when we started.”
Barrett's fave rockin' Xmas songs: "I think Springsteen’s "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is really good. The one U2 does, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," their version of the Darlene Love song. The way Bono rocks it at the end he’s almost crying. "Fairytale of New York" is insanely good. "2000 Miles’ is pretty emotional. The Kinks’ "Father Christmas" is unbelievable." I was at one of the Bosstones' shows a year ago, covering for the Herald. Here's what I came back with: Sometimes, you gotta fight for your right to party. On Sunday, in the midst of the final Blizzard of 2010, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones opened their annual Hometown Throwdown, a three-date stretch of shows at House of Blues. It was technically a sellout, and while the club was not packed to the gills many more people than you might have expected braved the horizontal snowstorm. The House of Blues became the House of Refuge. "Thank you for coming out tonight," said Barrett before their third song "Doctor D." Quickly realizing the rock cliché he’d just uttered, Barrett added that was "as honestly and sincerely as I’ve ever said anything. This is awesome." And it was. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are most often on hiatus, but the Hometown Throwdown – this was No. 13 - is something hard-wired into this octet’s DNA. They do it for us. We go there for them. It’s the same band-crowd synergy that has propelled and sustained Dropkick Murphys. A five-person chorus serenaded the audience with "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" before the Bosstones hit the stage. As they did, a big wall of plastic Santas lit up behind them – four rows, 20 Santas each – and they tore into "I Want My City Back." It was about missing the gritty Kenmore Square that used to be, back when the Bosstones were a young, scruffy hardcore ska-punk band. Much of what the Bosstones do today has to do with their history or legacy. Most of their 85-minute set was a trip down memory lane. High marks were hit during "The Rascal King," "Don’t Worry Desmond Dekker" and "The Impression That I Get." The first encore was the instrumental and band introduction, the theme to "A Charlie Brown Christmas." It began on solo piano by auxiliary Bosstone John Goetchius, and brought us back to watching that cartoon on TV as kids. Trombonist Chris Rhodes snapped his head to-and-fro like Snoopy. The second encore song was a wistful and melancholic cover, Pretenders’ "2000 Miles." (The chorale quintet joined them.) During the final tune, "Bad News and Bad Breaks," Barrett sang, "It’s not sunny every day/There are bumps on every road," and then "Toss in one more dumb cliché/Like life can be a heavy load." The Bosstones’ strength remains in marrying peppy upbeat ska-punk rhythms and melodies to barking vocals that can tell a rougher tale. Their music is all about nodding in that direction, and then – like their dancer Ben Carr – just letting loose and letting go. I asked Barrett if he could imagine a Throwdown in 2020. I’d have to say no. What you imagine for yourself ten years later is probably different than what it’s actually gonna be. Could be much better, could be much worse. And who knows? I imagined I was gonna be talking out of my throat at this age, and now I’m announcing on late night television. Would I do it if people wanted me to do it? In a heartbeat if the guys said, "Let’s get together." How about if you were in a wheelchair? (laughs) The stage dive would be awesome. I would motorize that thing and supercharge it up! Expect Friday's show to start at 7 and Sunday's at 9. Tickets: $50-$25. Support will likely come from veteran punk and ska bands.
15 Lansdowne St., 617-693-BLUE www.houseofblues.com
|
