S Top 10 Providence Shows of 2015,Top 20 Albums of 2015
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Rob’s Top 10 Providence Shows of 2015 St. Vincent; Photo Credit: Kendra Whitcomb Another year in our wonderful little city of Providence has passed and it has been a great year for live music in The Creative Capital. A few shows happened in a few unlikely spots, some big names had their first ever shows in Providence and local acts showed that they could still put on a party. I wasn’t able to make it out to every show going on, but there are a good number that I got to check out in 2015 that’ll always stick in my mind. Here are my Top 10 Providence Shows of the year: 10.) Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls @ Fete Music Hall 12/15 When this show got announced a few months ago you could sense the anticipation. And no wonder — Turner and his band of Sleeping Souls delivered with an energetic show that captivated a sold out crowd in the ballroom of Fete Music Hall. It was also their first ever show in Rhode Island. A performance that lasted over 2 hours included some of his newer material “Get Better” and “Josephine” along with the classics “Peggy Sang The Blues,” “Reasons Not To Be An Idiot” and “I Still Believe.” Boston pop punks Rebuilder and The Homeless Gospel Choir, the folk punk project of Pittsburgh based musician Derek Zanetti, opened up the night to set a vibrant tone for an extremely enjoyable show. 9.) Sebadoh @ The Met 6/6 Ever since my early college days I’ve been a huge fan of Lou Barlow whether as the bassist for ’80s alternative rock legends Dinosaur Jr. or sharing songwriting duties with Jason Loewenstein in the lo-fi indie rock act Sebadoh. It was an absolute pleasure seeing Sebadoh play again; they always manage to bring a unique kind of intensity when they play live. You also had Cleveland geek punks Total Babes and Providence emo trio Twin Foxes on the bill for a well rounded night of great music. There was a little over 100 people in attendance and for a big room like The Met it provided for an up close experience that you rarely get. 8.) Jared Paul Get My Ghost Record Release @ Firehouse 13 10/16 A great example of how much of a comeback the hip-hop scene has made in Providence was Jared Paul’s release show for his first full length Get My Ghost this past October. Medusah Black showed once again why she is a force to be reckoned with through her lyrical delivery that’s always on point. The Funk Underground flat out impressed me with their incredible stage presence and organic electricity. They’re a band that I’m amped to see what they do in 2016. Paul gave his heart and soul into a performance that included “$8 Smoothie,” “Five Or Five Thousand” and “Down With The Bank Kings.” The packed house was into it all from start to finish and the feeling was contagious. 7.) Elder @ AS220 3/6 Ben Barnett and the crew over at Armageddon Shop on Broadway put on an insane metal show at AS220 in March. You had New Bedford progressive fuzz metal gods Elder headlining a bill that attracted so many people that AS220’s performance space was nearly over capacity. Magic Circle from Boston were incredible, very reminiscent of Dio and Iron Maiden. Seattle’s Mos Generator stayed true to their roots with a sludgy sound that had me in awe. After everything ended I was simply amazed, truly one of the best metal shows I’ve been to in a while. 6.) Atlantic Thrills Vices Album Release @ Dusk 12/5 With a local show of this magnitude you knew going in that it was guaranteed to be a blast. It was a garage rock extravaganza in celebration of Atlantic Thrills’ second album, Vices, with Pyramid, Eric & The Nothing and Neutrinos providing a stacked bill. Atlantic Thrills concluded a raucous set with back- to-back renditions of Bad Company’s “Feel Like Making Love” and Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild.” There was also a giant papier-mâché whiskey bottle that got obliterated and left shreds all over the small venue on Harris Avenue. Complete bedlam was abundant that evening and it was something truly incredible to witness. 5.) B. Dolan Kill The Wolf Album Release @ The Met 7/11 Another testament of Providence’s hip-hop scene coming back was B. Dolan’s release show for his fantastic full length Kill The Wolf at The Met this past July. An all-local star-studded lineup with hardcore punk legends Dropdead, thrashy math punks Ask The Dead, the immensely talented Roz Raskin and Dolan’s compadre Sage Francis shared the stage. One moment I will never forget would be when B. Dolan was performing “Jailbreak” and The Silks’ Tyler-James Kelly joined in on the chorus that was originally recorded by the late Dave Lamb from Brown Bird. It was one of a handful of nights throughout the year that brought the entire Providence music scene together. 4.) Providence Garage Fest @ AS220 11/14 The main event as part of a weekend party in November curated by Shybluespaceman’s John White, the Providence Garage Fest was a wild show that had kickass band after kickass band performing. Punk rock act Gavage was celebrating the release of their self-titled debut album. The Worried played a down and dirty rock set that blew minds all over the room. St. James & The Apostles from Philadelphia brought a bit of soul and Party Pigs concluded the night. I hope Mr. White does it again next year because the first Providence Garage Fest was a treat to experience. 3.) Roz and The Rice Cakes Close Encounter 7” Release @ Providence Public Library 6/19 Indie pop trio Roz and The Rice Cakes always have a habit of doing things out of the ordinary and the release show for the 7″ single “Close Encounter” was no different. It took place in the auditorium of the Providence Public Library on Empire Street and the setting was very quaint. You had the Classical High School Jazz and Rock Band starting the festivities off with a slew of covers. Psychedelic Austin, Texas shred masters Megafauna shocked and amazed everyone in attendance. Roz Raskin, Casey Belisle and Justin Foster then proceeded to put everyone in a trance and make them dance. It was a very fun show and it’ll be cool to see more live music at the library’s auditorium next year. 2.) A Tribute to David Hemingway @ Columbus Theatre 10/2 One of the low points for the Providence music scene this year was the loss of long time drummer David Hemingway due to cancer. During a sad time for a lot of people who played with “Handsome Dave” and/or were friends with him, the community came together for a show featuring a lot of Hemingway’s closest friends at the Columbus Theatre. Emotional performances from Dan White and Sasquatch & The Sick-A-Billys highlighted the night, but what will always stick with me from that show was the a cappella rendition of Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me In Your Heart” by Seamus Weeden and Jesse Smith from Smith & Weeden. All the proceeds went to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; it was a spectacular night celebrating the life of one of Providence’s finest. 1.) St. Vincent @ Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel 3/8 It’s crazy when you go to a show to see someone you’ve hardly ever heard of and after it all ends it immediately becomes one of the best shows you’ve ever seen in your life. That’s what happened when I saw the enigmatic St. Vincent at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in March. The way she carried herself on stage was impeccable and her techniques on guitar put me in a state of astonishment. “Huey Newton,” “Rattlesnake” and “Strange Mercy” made me an instant fan. Opening act Jenny Hval provided a mellow mood as well. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen (easily in my top five of all time) and that’s why it’s the best show I saw in Providence in 2015. With a year like 2015 for live music in Providence, 2016 looks like it could be even better. You’re going to have to go out and see for yourself. Top 20 Albums Of 2015 (Because 10 Wasn’t Enough) There’s a lot to be said for music in 2015. It was a year of consistently great albums from both the independent and mainstream. A few acts came out of nowhere to deliver masterpieces while a few vets released some of their best work in years. As we reach the second half of the 2010s we see music reflecting on the tumultuous times — youth are using art to combat their feeling of alienation and being cast aside. 2015 was a year of poignancy and profundity on countless levels and it was reflected in the music. It also was a year of prodigies and wunderkinds reaching their potential, and here are my Top 20 Albums of 2015, because 10 wasn’t enough. 20.) The Battery Electric – The Heart and The Thrill (Little Dick Man) A bunch of wildmen from Asbury Park, New Jersey, who fuse Misfits-esque punk, ’70s heavy metal and vintage Motown soul, The Battery Electric are bound to give a shock to your system with their second full length, The Heart and The Thrill, that came out in March.