[tonight in cambridge] Rock And Roll Rumble recap @ the Middle East

Got them Rock and Roll Rumble withdrawals? Jonesin' for some Eddie Japan? Heartbroken over the lack of Glenn Yoder in your life? Wondering what Twin Berlin are like undrunk?

These shakes, they hit hard.

Thankfully, we'll all get to come together once again this evening in Cambridge when Rock Shop presents their Rumble Recap at the Middle East. It's like a reunion only informative: Find out how the competitive festival operates, why it rules, and how to get involved in next year's event. Organizer Anngelle Wood will be holding it down, giving new bands tips and scolding old bands for all their fuck ups.

Did you fuck up? Did you play nice? Can you play next year? Who is Gang Green?

Find out tonight!

It gets started around 6pm, and it's hosted by Rock Shop overlords Kevin Hoskins (The Middle East) and Steve Theo (Pirate!).

[live review] Eddie Japan stands with Boston, takes home the 2013 Rock And Roll Rumble

BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER

There was a moment toward the end of Eddie Japan’s set at the Rock And Roll Rumble finale Friday when frontman David Santos introduced “Fight Song” in a manner which pretty much spot on summed up the rollercoaster ride of this year’s annual celebration of Boston area music. “It’s about sticking together,” he said of the soon-to-be-recorded track, “which is what we’ve done for the last month.”

Santos easily could have been talking about his sprawling, baroque-inspired ensemble, or he might have been referencing the cluster of bands that began to duke it out for the Rumble crown on the first Sunday in April. But what he said no doubt encapsulated what our city has made abundantly clear in these past few weeks. “We are Boston,” the (once more) “Mystery-Shot”-fueled revelers at T.T. the Bear’s Place chanted in unison as the champagne was sprayed on Santos and his crew when Eddie Japan was announced the winner; it was another display of unity in what has always been sort of a warm and fuzzy fest despite its competitive moniker.

Anyone who caught even one Rumble night with Eddie Japan on the bill can tell you they were the outfit to beat. With a sound that would fit squarely in any Tarantino flick (“A Town Called Nowhere”) and a sharp-dressed Santos’ moving like Mozzer, they routinely pulled out all the stops. From a pair of female backup singers that were having just as much fun onstage as those in attendance (infectiously so on “This Married Life”) to the final song introduction of a string section to Chris Barrett constantly slaying on trumpet, few had a chance.

That’s not to say there weren’t worthy challengers. Twin Berlin came through the back door as a wildcard for the second time in this year’s Rumble. There was a good degree of buzz that the rooted in Connecticut alt(ish)/punk(ish) rockers would pull the upset of all upsets -– especially after a Monday night semifinals jaw dropper that ended with singer Matt Lopez sprawled out on T.T.’s beer soaked floor with his baby blue guitar exhaustively resting on his chest. There would be none of that Friday, as for the most part the band played it straight, once more silencing those comparisons to the Strokes with an energy that Julian Casablancas and Co. are typically too bored and detached to muster. This is an act that is still in the midst of an upward trajectory; one that shows no signs of wavering.

Glen Yoder & The Western States were slightly reminiscent of last year’s Rumble winner, Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck. Not so much in down home boot-stomping manner (though there definitely was some of that), nor that they both rock what is these days the underutilized ampersand, but more the way that they had the audience in the palm of their hands with the sonic ebbs and flows. There was some languid guitar soloing on “Not the Man For You,” a song which had jarring bursts of instrumentation that were met with eruptive cheers at each turn. Yeah, there was a good deal of that Neil Young vibe going on, and there were also more raucous Americana moments, like the very Wilco-esque “Just Want You To Love Me.” Yoder looked like he was having a blast, and at the end didn’t seem like they were close to being finished -- all the more reason to catch him at the Lizard Lounge at the end of the month.

While the judges were deliberating or hitting up the photo booth or enjoying the triumph of yet another year pulling off what often looks impossible, 1985 Rumble veterans The Dogmatics busted out of the Wayback Machine to show the upstarts how it’s done. Touted as special guests for the evening, the Dorchester natives played garage-tinged rockabilly like they had nothing to lose -– which of course they didn’t, fitting right in with the genre blendering that the annual event is renowned.

In the end, it wasn’t a shock that Eddie Japan won the whole thing and landed that damn fine booty which includes loads of studio time, professional photography and even hours of free legal advice, but what shone the brightest this year was the spirit of Boston. No, not that overpriced tourist trap on the Harbor, but the strength and backbone that has gotten us through these recent times of trouble. The music scene here is just one tiny faction of what makes this city tick; it’s loud, it’s bratty, and it gives a shit about one another. And while Eddie Japan took the Rock And Rumble 2013, we all took it to another level in pushing through and marching on.

Sentimental? Probably – but true.

2013 Rumble Revelations // Finals arrive Friday 04.26.13 @ T.T. The Bear's Place

Twenty-one down, three to go. The 2013 Rock and Roll Rumble began 19 days ago, and it feels like an eternity since The Okay Win kicked off preliminary week at T.T. The Bear’s Place in Cambridge. Six prelim shows that highlighted an incredible music scene, two semi-finals gigs that brought that scene closer together, and one postponement that brought a new perspective of community to the entire thing.

Friday night, the Finals arrive, with the Dogmatics in tow as the special guest band (avenging their 1985 Rumble defeat to Down Avenue!), and three acts remaining: the rocket-charged rock quartet Twin Berlin (as the wild card), Americana pop hookage of Glenn Yoder & the Western States (semifinals Night 1 winner) and the multi-cultural retro-rock of Eddie Japan (semifinals Night 2 winner). At this point, Eddie Japan is the lone band remaining who got here without the help of a wild card (Twin Berlin in the semis; Yoder in the prelims) so they’ve got to be the favorites going into Friday.

NOTE: If you can’t attend the Finals, the good people at MediaBoss TV will be live streaming the entire event. Details here.

Before we cast this year’s crown, here are a few Rumble Revelations from this corner of the blogosphere, in no particular order after the finalists:

***

If the Rumble was a High School Yearbook, Eddie Japan would be the faculty section – but true to form, they took everyone to school on the art of performance. Frontman David Santos is a master showman, and every time he belted out a note (in particular on standout "A Town Called Nowhere"), you thought to yourself “Welp, they won this night.” And they did just that twice – and both times by being the opening act. Whether it was Prelims Night 3 or Semis Night 2, the melancholic-yet-impassioned retro-rock of Eddie Japan set a tone early on and raised a baroque bar that was impossible for others to overcome. Chalk it up to experience, or chalk it up to talent.

***

Glenn Yoder’s name may be on the marquee, but his Western States’ secret weapon is guitarist Jeff Katz. Every member of Yoder’s crew is enjoyable to watch on stage (bassist Cilla Bonne will nod in agreement), but in both Rumble sets it felt like Katz was the glue holding Yoder’s otherwise brilliant Americana songs together. And Yoder’s got plenty: “Everything You Want,” Younger Brother,” and “Pretty Little Girl” all refuse to leave your head after hearing them. But when you’re watching this cohesive unit perform a tightly-knit style of alt-county pop, the lead often comes from Katz.

***

Twin Berlin don’t sound like the Strokes. I’ve been guilty in the past of throwing this lazy comparison at the Connecticut rock band (disclaimer: I once managed them), but in watching them twice in this year’s Rumble, there’s an aggression and low-end thunder in their live sets that that NYC rarely ever matched. Matt Lopez still has a bit of Casablancas in his vocal delivery, but the rest of the band (with a sound much larger now as a quartet than when they began as a trio) brings an amphetamine-addled garage rock growl that’s Twin Berlin’s and Twin Berlin’s only. I still say Lopez needs to move to Boston, though.

***

Other random thoughts from my disheveled notebook...

Whitcomb’s Sean Libby is one tough motherfucker. See here. And speaking of Whitcomb, the Portland, Maine band’s new record could be one of the best New England metal releases of 2013. A great starting point for any potential new fan would be the ceremonial “To A Skull.”

The Daily Pravda need to tour the UK. Enough Allston, Somerville, Cambridge; time for London, Manchester, Liverpool.

The Amanda FacePalmer shot is intoxicating, but leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Ruby Rose Fox might be the biggest name in Boston by this time next year.

White Dynomite’s fluffy white feathers became the herpes of this year’s Rumble. They remained everywhere long after the rock dudes packed up and left.

Unofficial survey of That One Relatively Unknown Band Blowing People’s Minds: Connecticut’s Suicide Dolls, who continue to impress everyone that watches them (at least among my circle of peoples).

Best cover: Lifestyle during their semis set with Ad Frank’s “Winterthru.” But wait, is it a cover when the guy you’re covering is also in your band? I dunno, but it was still way cool. Just like the video.

I’m not sure I can recommend the Mystery Shot at the TTs bar. Apologies to all I forced that one on.

Watching the news broadcast live from Watertown late Thursday night after Lifestyle’s semi-finals set was a very surreal experience. Being in Central Square that night will be something I won’t soon forget.

What else I won’t forget is the camaraderie and cohesion shared among participating bands and scensters this Rumble season. Every night felt like a special gathering, every night felt like you were in the right spot. And T.T. The Bear's Place was a great host; for every Rumble night, and on Tuesday, April 16, when a trio of bands previously eliminated from the Rumble (The Field Effect, Endation, and Ruby Rose Fox), performed at a spontaneous benefit alongside Mean Creek, Earthquake Party, and others to raise money for Mass General Hospital.

Good luck to Eddie Japan, Glenn Yoder & the Western States, and Twin Berlin. May the best band win.

When we all wake up Saturday, we’ll be already counting down to next year (our very early pick for 2014: Allston's Color Channel Hey, the Rumble loves Allston bands, right?).

Rumble Semifinal Night 2 re-scheduled to Monday, April 22 @ T.T. The Bear's Place

There were many cancelled and postponed events last night around Boston, and for good reason. Around the time a decision needed to be made on whether or not to host a show, party, event, whatever, Boston was engaged in a citywide lockdown. And while the situation resolved itself around 9:30 pm, leading many out into the streets to "celebrate," by then it was too late to reverse decision and suddenly open shuttered businesses. One of the first shows to announce postponement yesterday was the Rock N Roll Rumble, whose semifinal Night #2 was set for T.T. The Bear's Place in Cambridge.

Most of us were not yet settled emotionally from the night before, Thursday evening, where news of an MIT incident started circulating during the Daily Pravda's set, and things culminated after Lifestyle's headlining performance with the entire room watching the news broadcast, live from Watertown, on the TTs bar television. The 7-11 that was involved in the madness is a few blocks from the venue, but I really don't think anyone at the Rumble knew exactly what was going on. I walked outside to Brookline Street at one point, I think just before Lifestyle, and there were choppers over Central Square. It was an insane night.

The winner was announced after the last band played, I think just before 1am, but I'm unsure how many people heard it: Glenn Yoder & the Western States took home the prize, and deservedly so. Guitarist Jeff Katz stole the entire evening with his efforts, and roots-rock gems like "Pretty Little Girl," "Everything You Want," and "Younger Brother" (one of my favorites from any '13 Rumble band) showed why Yoder's Western States could win the whole thing. All are off his recent LP< Javelina.

But now that the dust and panic has settled, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Rumble is one of the first events to announce their new rescheduled date for Night 2, keeping the rock moving forward: Night 2 of the semis will go down Monday, April 22. Same bat-channel.

It'll feature previous Rumble prelim night winners Eddie Japan, Camden, and the New Highway Hymnal; wild card band Twin Berlin; and a new twist due to scheduling. There was a show already planned for Monday at TTs, but coincidentally, the headliner is a Rumble alum and efforts have been combined.

Here's word from Anngelle Wood:

In an effort to make good on the date as soon as possible, and fit it in before the scheduled Finals on Friday, April 26, we are pleased to announce that we will resume the Semifinals this Monday night!

We worked it out and TT the Bear's was able to come up with a timely resolution. Randy Black (who is a 1982 Rumble winner with his band Limbo Race!) and his band the Heathcroppers have been invited to do a special opening set. Many thanks to Randy, as well as Brendan Boogie and the Broken Gates and Tsunami of Sound, for graciously allowing us to have their previously scheduled night. Thank you, Richard Bouchard, thank you, Kevin Patey, thank you Bonney Bouley. We really appreciate it.

Due to the special circumstances of changing dates and out of state travel, the wildcard band Twin Berlin has been moved from the first slot to the last. Rather than upset the entire night even more, I made the decision to swap the two bands. Probably another first for the Rock 'n' Roll Rumble history books.

Please support all of these bands - for their graciousness, for their flexibility, and for their understanding.

Here's the night's lineup:

8:45pm - Special opening set by Randy Black and the Heathcroppers

9:30pm - Eddie Japan

10:15pm - The New Highway Hymnal

11:00pm - Camden

11:45pm - [Wildcard] - Twin Berlin

Whitcomb guitarist overcomes hospitalization to shred the Rumble, plus other thoughts on a drunken, naked, and hair-cutting Night 4

Growing up in the late ‘80s and early 90s, I always tended to love the first song on a cassette’s Side B. It always felt like the best barometer for that album, the band’s real choice to kickstart a string of songs, as opposed to the first track on Side A, which likely was a single selected by the label in order to move units.

With that in mind, the Rock And Roll Rumble kicked off its Side B last night at TT The Bear’s, the second half of preliminary week that continues tonight with a Friday night explosion lineup of White Dynomite, the Suicide Dolls, the Field Effect, and Coyote Kolb.

And it was an explosive re-start with several theatrical subplots: Mount Peru applying a sweet intelligence to crafty roots rock in the opening slot, making us all feel a bit smarter; an eventually victorious Lifestyle attempting to create an electro-pop dance party at a rock fest, showing off veteran pop poise, and charismatic frontman Sean Drinkwater even cutting off his mullet mid-set; and Twin Berlin’s buzzsaw closing tilt, where singer/guitarist Matt Lopez led his ripper garage rock band in stripping down to their underwear (we saw Lopez's bare white ass at the end) and even sharing a between-song kiss with his guitarist. It was definitely the first man-on-man snog of this year’s Rumble, and hopefully won’t be the last.

Oh, then there was the brown-paper-bagged Mystery Bottle at both bars, birthing $3 shot all night (down from $4). I likely drank most of it.

But none of these Thursday night subplots were more impressive and endearing than Whitcomb guitarist Sean Libby holding it down on stage roughly 48 hours after being released from Maine Medical with pneumonia and pericarditis, a serious condition that brings severe chest pain and inflammation around the pericardial sack around the heart. (Vanyaland, MD: I’m not a doctor, but I did stay at a Rock and Roll Rumble last night.)

Last weekend, Libby started to feel ill, coming down with a bronchial infection, fever, chills, and headache. By Monday he was in the hospital.

“I caught a bad cold, and it turned into pneumonia,” Libby told Vanyaland after Whitcomb’s towering metal set, which the TTs stage could barely contain. While his Portland, Maine, bandmates were aggressively blanketing the stage, with Motherboar’s Kenny Irwin joining them at one point for a double-vocal assault, Libby remained still in the far left corner.

“It had no affect,” Libby said of his illness. “I was a bit lightheaded at first at practice. At one point we weren’t sure if we were going to cancel [our Rumble appearance], I thought if I was feeling like this on stage I wasn’t sure. But we really wanted to come down here. We ran through our set twice last night, and by the second time I was feeling better. I woke up this morning and felt a lot better.”

Rumble organized Anngelle Wood told me earlier in the evening that she and the band didn’t want Libby’s illness to have a “sympathy vote” factor with the judges.

But during their 30-minute performance, an odd sound-clash table-setter for Lifestyle’s synthpop, it didn’t matter. Whitcomb’s loud, engaging set was a showcase for what the band does up in Maine, where they take the poems and words of 19th century writer James Whitcomb Riley and create musical themes and storylines set to metal.

Whitcomb confidently previewed new record The Conqueror, out April 20, and one of the EP’s tracks, the magnetic “To A Skull,” was one of the best of the night. They’ll no doubt dust it off again either at next week’s semis (if they secure a wild card slot), or May 11 at their record release party at the Asylum in Maine. They’re also at Ralphs’s in Worcester on June 1.

An A to Z guide to the preliminary week of the 2013 Rock And Roll Rumble, tonight through Saturday @ T.T. The Bear's Place

***

The Rock and Roll Rumble returns tonight for its 34th annual dance, bringing together 24 bands from around New England and allowing them to be part of a friendly competition that beneath the surface is just one big music festival. In joining some other recent Rumble previews that are definitely worth your attention (nice work Allston Pudding and the Boston Herald), here is the Vanyaland A to Z guide of what’s in store for the week ahead at T.T. The Bear’s Place in Cambridge, beginning tonight and wrapping up the preliminary week on Saturday, April 13.

***

A – A is for Anngelle Wood. The tireless host and organizer of the Rumble has brought it back from the brink of extinction. Her local music show, Boston Emissions, airing every Sunday night on WZLX 100.7 FM, is required listening for what's going on around town. There's a Rumble pre-party tonight around 8pm, so let's raise a glass to all who help put this thing together.

B – B is for Blackbutton (Night 3, April 9). The rock trio's single “Still Kids” is the type of song you’d hear at 3am on MTV sometime in the early ‘90s, right after an Afghan Whigs video. And then you’d wake up the next day and go to Strawberries or Sam Goody to buy the entire CD for $16.99.

C – C is for Cancer Killing Gemini (Night 1, April 7), Camden (Night 2, April 8), and Coyote Kolb (Night 5, April 12). A trio of C bands this year, and they run the sonic spectrum from the galactic post-industrial of CKG, Camden’s speedball indie brat-pop, and the MTV-show-approved burnt-in Americana of Coyote Kolb, which is a nice dark horse pick to play three Rumble shows this spring. Also: C U at TTs, rite?.

D – D is for The Deep North (Night 2, April 8) and the Daily Pravda (Night 6, April 13). Both bands are known for an ambitious, big-room sound, and are both led by dynamic vocalists, from the towering prom-wave belt of the Deep North’s Rebecca Frank to the Bowiean glam-glide of David Jackel of the Daily Pravda.

E – E is for Endation (Night 2, April 8) and Eddie Japan (Night 2, April 9). Despite being the lone duo in this year’s Rumble, Endation stand to make perhaps the most noise, their sludgy creature-rock might be enough to let the people downstairs at the Middle East hear what’s going on up at TTs for a change. Meanwhile, the crooning Japans have enough smooth modern rock seduction to not only win their night, but convince us to wake up in their bed come morning.

F – F is for The Field Effect (Night 5, April 12). The most fuckable band in Boston is the likely odds-on favorite to win the whole thing, but their rock value plummeted 43% with the recent shuttering of WFNX. Both panties and boxers worn inside TTs and along Brookline Street will disintegrate by the minute-mark of standout guitar-pop gem “Ogunquit, ME.”

G - G is for Group of Death. Every year there’s one preliminary night that could masquerade as the Finals, a stacked four-band bill that puts aside musical diversity for one night and fills the role as simply a killer rock show. And this year, it’s Night 2 on Monday, April 8: The aforementioned Endation, Camden, and the Deep North, as well as...

H – H is for Herra Terra (Night 2, April 8). The techni-color electronicore rocket-ride that is a Herra Terra performance should woo the judges and leave them dizzy. But with only a 15 minute set up between bands, there’s also a chance the Central Mass band performs only two songs before the time their slot time ends at 11pm. So many plugs, so much gear, but with nothing going to waste.

I – I is for the Indefinite Article. Remember that time in 2007 when a white-boy rap-rock group brought a few hundred of their “Indef”-t-shirt-wearing friends to Harper’s Ferry and horrified a whole music scene all the way to the finals, only to be stopped by a classic rock beard-train called Township? Yeah, that happened.

J – J is for Jack Burton vs David Lo Pan (Night 6, April 13). Yeah yeah, the Rumble is a festival, we know, but it's, by birthright, also competition and these dudes already have a Vs in their name. Diversity rears it’s beautiful head when the metal onslaught of JB vs DLP is sandwiched by the very-different-sounding Parks and Ruby Rose Fox on Saturday night. Tune in for the latest episode of When Allston Metal Dudes Invade Cambridge and Stand At The TTs Bar Waiting For Brian E King To Stop Melodi-Fucking Their Denim Jackets, this weekend only in the Rumble!

K – K is for Kenmore Square. The now Disney-fied Comm Ave artery 'hood housed the first two Rumbles at the Rat (that long-gone Boston club that anyone who was there will never let you forget about) in ’79 and ‘80 before moving nearby to the Metro and Spot for the next few years. It then grew so big it hit the Orpheum in 1985, when the legendary O Positive took part and somehow didn’t win it all. Dafuq is that about?

L – L is for Lifestyle. All the kids traded in their guitars for keyboards a few years ago, but oddly Lifestyle is the lone synth-pop representation this year (CKG and Herra Terra do have electronic strains, but fall more on the rock side of the rainbow). Even more odd is Sean Drinkwater’s break between Rumbles: his “other band,” Freezepop, was a semi-finalist in 2001 (won by Bleu). A dozen years between Rumbles, that’s gotta be some sort of record, right? I’m sure some message board knows the answer to this.

M – M is for Mount Peru (Night 4, April 11). There will be a full day-and-a-half of rest before the easy-breezy Americana pop of Mount Peru open Thursday’s slate, and Thom Valicenti’s slide-away songwriting acumen found on last year’s Your Kingdom’s Come Undone EP might be enough to sway the judges early on. It’s also worth noting that Mount Peru’s Mary Flatley also plays in Cat Sounds. #meow.

N – N is for The New Highway Hymnal (Night 1, April 7). Yes, they are on my record label, Vanya Records. Yes, their noisy psych-punk is awesome. Otherwise they wouldn’t be on my label. Duh.

O – O is for The Okay Win (Night 1, April 7). Last year, the Grownup Noise had the opening slot on Night 1 of the Rumble, but had to bail due to a last minute “injury” to one of their members. This year’s the Okay Win have the honor of leading everything off, so we’ll toss them in a padded room and escort them to Cambridge tonight so theuy don’t get hurt. Could there be a Grownup Noise curse? What if all the opening bands sustain injuries and can’t play from here on out? Will there be a spot waiting for them at Capt. Carlo’s? If the Okay Win do get on stage unscathed, the chances of success are good for this indie-folk group; there’s even a sweet Larry Bird reference in their ode to the 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, “Good Hustle, Vol. 1.” So if any of the judges tonight are older than 35, that might be tough for the other bands to overcome.

P – P is for Parks (Night 6, April 13). With the first slot on the last night, we’re wading in deep Rumble waters before we get to the pop brilliance of Brian E. King. But that’s no matter. I hate predictions, but the perfect sunshine pop of Parks could (should, would?) win the whole fucking thing. At least they’ll make people smile and hold hands before Jack Burton Vs David Lo Pan punch us all in the balls right afterwards. Yay Rumble.

Q – Q is for Quit. As in, end your set when your time slot is up. There’s a fucking schedule here, everyone gets their 30 minutes to show off their songs, and the musical diversity of the lineups means there’s very little gear sharing and all different kinds of shit to be loaded on and off the stage. Don’t be a dickhead. That’s like, the only rule, outside of “Don’t cover the Dropkicks.” No one likes dickheads.

R – R is for Ruby Rose Fox (Night 6, April 13). A darkhorse candidate to advance, the neo-soul stylings of the Double-R-F will at least cleanse the room of JB vs DLP’s trail of sweat and metal mucus on Saturday. A lounge act with greater urgency, Ruby Rose Fox’s gripping vocals possess the same type of allure as those of Johnette Napolitano.

S – S is for Supermachine (Night 3, April 9), the Suicide Dolls (Night 5, April 12). Only a pair of S bands in this year’s dance, and neither are from Massachusetts. Small Stone Recordings’ Supermachine hail from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and add some balls to this years class, tossing in some added stoner rock vibes that the judges tend to love. Meanwhile the Suicide Dolls trek up from the Great Highway Buffer State of Connecticut to drop a fireball of glitter-punk perfect for a Friday night spent looking for a fight.

T – T is for Twin Berlin (Night 4, April 11). Yes they sound a lot like the Strokes, and yes they won some weird competition that let them record something and play dress-up in Los Angeles with Travis Barker of Blink 182. But at their best, Twin Berlin are a full-frontal guitar-rock band with enough hooks to last a season of Wicked Tuna. Shame the drummer is a Flyers fan, though.

U – U is Upset. Why are predictions silly? Because every year the winner is a band no one saw coming. You called Vermont’s Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck in advance last year? Prove it and I’ll let you write for Vanyaland. This year’s field, maybe more than ever before, is anyone’s game. There’s a compelling case for all 24 bands, which, now that I type this out, means there won’t be such a thing as an “upset” this year. But I’m not thinking of another “U” blurb so whatever.

V – V is for Velah (Night 1, April 7). And it rhymes with Stella. Or stellar if you’re from New England, and that’s just what Jen Johnson’s new band is. The singer with an enchanting voice that could soothe the mind of an amphetamine addict returns to the Rumble, which she played along with Velah drummer Mike Latulippe while in Static of the Gods back in 2011. A grand band with an opulent rock and roll sound fir for both dreams and nightmares.

W – W is for Whitcomb (Night 4, April 11) and White Dynomite (Night 5, April 12). The two W bands are face-kicking battle-beasts of boozy rock and roll: Maine’s Whitcomb douse Thursday’s fun slate with some major-league riffage, while Allston garage rock overlords White Dynomite take an intoxicated cheetah, dress it up in a fancy white suit, and train it to shit racket-roll bile all over Friday’s friendly slate.

X – X is for the Sex Execs. They lost to Til’ Tuesday in the 1983 Rumble, which also featured the Del Fuegos, Prime Movers, Mickey Bliss, Salem 66, Digney Fignus, Jerry’s Kids, and the Mike Viola Alliance.

Y – Y is for Glenn Yoder & the Western States (Night 3, April 9). The perfect-voiced Yoder has the chops to make a run, and as mentioned before, the judges tend to like the whole Americana thing these days (see Cask Mouse and Bow Thayer last year). But Yoder and his Western States have enough zing and zip to woo the rock-leaning decision-makers as well. Also, Glenn Yoder is dreamy as fuck.

Z – Z is for the Zzzzzzzz. Because we’ll all need some sleep after six great shows in seven short days.

Predictions:

Just kidding predictions are lame. That said, here it goes: Parks wins it all, with Glenn Yoder & the Western States and the Field Effect playing in one hell of a final party on Friday, April 26.

Or not.

Doesn’t matter.

Let's have fun. Boston rules.