Thats right Basement played Hardcore Stadium with a few friends. Booked very last minute by the guys from Triple B records/Stupid Idiot Production and sold out rather quickly, this show was like stepping into a time machine back to 2010, maybe even the 90's!
Fiddlehead
Genre: Emo/Indie/Punk FFO: Rites of Spring, The Hated, Jawbreaker
Fiddlehead opened the show last night with what I think was probably their best performance yet. Best known for be fronted by Patrick Flynn (FREE, Sweet Jesus, Wolf Whistle, ex-Have Heart) and even having Alex Henery from Basement on guitar, Fiddlehead play their own brand of 90's style sad music in the vein of the bands above. Personally, for a place where bands use their own equipment and no sound guy, Fiddlehead sounded very clear with their twinkly guitar parts and Flynn's sad almost seemingly crying voice. Throughout the set Flynn would speak to the crowd , one thing that caught my attention was the words " Who is at the elks lodge for the first time?" I would say based on the reaction it was 40% of the crowd. For the most part he spoke about the venue, saying things like"I first came here when I was 17, which was, way way long ago" but most importantly he said " This is a place for the youth to express themselves". Patrick Flynn being a regular at the venue has experienced a lot whether it was in the spotlight or not. Overall the crowd reaction seemed to be impressed by the music and Mr. Flynn's inspirational words which will hopefully have a positive effect on the band in the near future. A great experience all together. Fiddlehead have a new LP coming soon and a 7" currently available on Lockin' Out records.
https://fiddleheadma.bandcamp.com/releases
Ovlov
Genre:Indie/emo FFO: Dinosaur Jr., American Football
Now I'll be honest this one is a tough one for me to review because I'm not familiar with the band and listened to a few songs the day before, but anyway Ovlov was next in line for the show. Personally I wasn't to impressed by the band's style but every now and then I'll hear a riff that sounded really cool. The influence was tough to pinpoint but it seemed there were plenty of songs influenced by Dinosaur Jr. but in some cases, dare I say, a little shoegazing. What amazed me however was at certain points Ovlov seemed to have problems with their equipment, primarily one of the guitars. First it stopped working and the vocalist decided to lengthen his part (basically just going oooo oooo ooo) for a few seconds until it became elaborate.Not sure if it was for comedic effect or not but props to him for his improv skills. It happened a few more times but the band proceeded without stopping and eventually the guitar was working once more mid-song and the guitarist actually finished through with the rest of the band. It probably wasn't the best show they played but Ovlov definitely earned my respect for the stunts they pulled.
https://ovlov.bandcamp.com/
Basement
Genre: Emo/Punk/ Alternative Rock FFO: Sunny Day Real Estate, Nirvana, Braid
Basement. The band everyone was waiting for. I remember one of my friends calling me while I was at work and telling me they were playing Hardcore Stadium and I almost fainted out of excitement, considering they sold out the Royale the past two or three times they played it. As soon as the members walked out, the crowd already ran as close as they could to the stage. As Patrick Flynn said during his bands set "They sell out arenas and tonight they are here!" so as you can guess it got rowdy. Of course everyone had the mindset that Basement will probably never play here again, they gave their all, crowd surfers everywhere, moshing for every song (even the really sad ones), and of course sing-a-longs. The crowd was singing so loud you could barely hear Vocalist Andrew Fisher's voice. There was even a point where Fisher took the case of water left for them and the other bands and gave it to the crowd to pass water bottles around and surely enough they made it pretty far down. as some can recall, Basement have played RAD skatepark in Mendon, MA in the past and I'm sure it was just as crazy but with less people. Something I think people neglect to remember (including myself at the time) is the fact that there is no sound guy, no sound check, no professional sound whatsoever, just a band using their own equipment th way they know how, and a band as experienced as Basement definitely kept it clear to the point where you can close your eyes and feel like your still seeing them at the Royale. Overall I'd say it was a very one of a kind and memorable experience and I wish I could personally thank every member of the band for even considering playing a venue that small when they could have easily played somewhere bigger and sold it out just as fast.
https://basement.bandcamp.com/
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