Another
of my recent “post redundancy blues” musical discoveries, this band, and
probably my favourite of the lot; let’s face it, with a name like Modern
Baseball, I should like them! An intriguing write-up in a freebie mag picked up
after the Titus Andronicus show, and a checkout of some fine YouTube clips
(including the superb joyous amphetamine rush of current single “Wedding
Singer”) prompted me to pick up the Philadelphia natives’ current album “Holy
Ghost”, and glad I was of it! A superb set of short, snappy blasts of shiny
punky powerpop (or powerpoppy punk, whatever), with crunchy, galloping guitars
and garbling, angsty emo-lite lyrics delivered variously in an impassioned,
Dashboard Confessional style, or an almost Philistines Jr. laconic drawl, it’s
fast becoming a 2016 favourite. A possible Transatlantic cousin of similar
recent discoveries, Durham’s Martha, then, and like that lot I resolved to
catch Modern Baseball “live” at the earliest possible chance. Just missing out
on an apparently sold-out Electric Ballroom gig (wow, this band really have passed me by), I was however quick
to jump on tix for this post-Reading Festival show, before this one sold out
too!
Hit
the road just before 5, encountering slow but moving traffic around Newport for
once, and parking up at 7 behind the Grand Halls of Learning where my friend
Craig (unavailable for this one) works, after a tea stop. A wander around to
the Clwb revealed a queue and doors not yet open, so I popped into the adjacent
Castle Emporium, where, ironically, a young band were playing a half-formed and
unrehearsed but spunky and enthusiastic grungy rock set in a pop-up space.
After 4 or 5 numbers, I excused myself and joined the large queue for Clwb entry
at 8. Up the metal stairs to this claustrophobic and brick-lined room, which
was smaller than I remembered – we’re 4 flights up but it feels like
underground!
Grabbed
a table space at the back to rest my knee as the place filled up rapidly with
the young Mobo (!) massive, then openers Vicky Speedboat joined us at 8.30 for
a solid set of yelping slacker/ grungy laze rock which featured a splendid
yearning emo-rock opener with nice harmonies, then went a little sludgy proto
HM in parts, but was overall played with honesty and openness. A song about a
lost night in Newport, during their last sojourn to Wales, was the best of a
good opening set. A subsequent chat with VS drummer Sean at the merch stand revealed
he was actually the Modern Baseball sticksman pulling a double shift tonight!
The Winter Passing were up in short order thereafter; an Irish band with a
nuanced dual vocal attack from a brother and sister pairing, played over a
poppier US 90’s alt-rock soundtrack, their occasional quiet/ loud dynamics
recalled later period Magnapop, and some strutting riffery also resembled Veruca
Salt. They closed out with their best number, “Daisy”, an insistent, soaring
slab of powerpop with some fine bratty female vocals. Nice work!
I
wandered down the front, extreme stage left, as the boys set up, then took the
stage prompt at 10 to the introspective title track from the current “Holy
Ghost” CD. We knew what to expect then, as they launched headlong into the
brilliant galloping circular riff of “Wedding Singer”, and the kids went
batshit crazy. An incendiary start, with momentum maintained by the muscular,
undulating and building “Note To Self”. The reason for the two disparate vocal
styles then became apparent, with the first 2 numbers being vocally dispatched
by the laconic, bespectacled Jake, whilst his more bookish, baby-faced
co-guitarist Brendan delivered the more impassioned vocals, particularly on
older numbers such as “Fine, Great” and the wry, chant-along “Weekend”. “Tears
Over Beers” was an early highlight, a cowpunk gallop with a gauche yet witty
lyric, after which Brendan exhorted the crowd to “take two steps back – this
guy’s [down the front] knees are killing him!” (Not me, someone else!)
The
set varied between old and new material, and the distinction became evident;
whilst the older material has a naïve, powerpoppy charm, recalling early Weezer
or the excellent Surfer Blood in its insistent hookiness (evidenced by this
knowledgeable young crowd singing along for much of the gig), for me the “Holy
Ghost” songs represent a quantum step forward, being punchier, more immediate
and dynamic, and could be the material which catapults them to a wider audience
– their “Bleed American”, perhaps? The Hold Steady stream-of-consciousness of
the nonetheless concise “Mass” was great, featuring an unexpected soaring
harmony from kinetic and constantly-beaming bassist Ian, and “Re Do” broke out
after a slow start into a frenzied gabble. A plug for the “Head Above The
Waves” mental health charity revealed them as thoughtful and considerate human
beings as well as a potentially great band in the making, and the set finale,
the excellent, chiming and slow burn-to-crescendo “Just Another Face” was
dedicated by Brendan to Vicky Speedboat mainman Will, with, “gee golly gosh, he’s
such a wonderful person!” A moshpit-tastic “Your Graduation” was the encore punctuation
to a splendid set of enthusiastically delivered US emo-powerpop rock, after
which Sean kept a pre-set promise and delivered his set-list to me on his way
offstage. Chap!
Hung
around awhile afterwards, catching breath, thanking Sean for his integrity, being
complimented on my Hold Steady t-shirt by Jake, and quickly chatting Mets
baseball with bassist Ian (the only baseball fan in Modern Baseball! What’s up
with that???!!!), before being ushered out by the bouncers, which necessitated
a lengthy but ultimately fruitful wait outside for the final signature on my
set-list from Brendan (who found it funny I referred to his bandmates as “your
colleagues”…). Car at midnight, and home at 1.10 after a swift drive home on a
clear motorway, reflecting on the performance. Great stuff from this young and
still-developing band Modern Baseball; in gig terms, this was a loud moon-shot,
a Green Monster-clearing home run!
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