There are many rules to being a band’s true fan. First, you’re only allowed to own a band’s apparel if you own more than two of their albums, your favorite song must be a rare one (preferably a B-side from an obscure, out-of-print 7-inch) and your favorite album by the band in question is one they don’t really play much live anymore. All of these rules hold true for me here.
The Bouncing Souls are a strange band to be in love with. On one hand, their older catalogue contains some of the most heartfelt, simple, and resonating punk songs ever written. Their newer stuff? Well, it just pales in comparison and, with each new album, the Bouncing Souls feel inclined (as they should be) to dilute their set lists with the newer, more unpopular, material.
So, what’s a fan like me to do? You go check out the Bouncing Souls on their For All The Unheard tour, where they are playing their entire catalogue (two albums at a time) over four nights. Hands down, Hopeless Romantic is not just one of their most underrated albums, but one of the most underrated punk albums of all time. It is that album which proves the Bouncing Souls can write slower, strong, drawn out songs that breathe and build to a climax – but they just don’t play too any of its songs anymore.
Thanks to Kate, I’m on stage, behind the band, in the hot and sweaty basement of The Middle East waiting to sing along to every word and finally get a chance to see songs I never thought I would see played live. I’m here on night two of their four-night stand, so the band’s self-titled album also gets a chance to shine in its entirety. While Hopeless Romantic is their breakaway album, Bouncing Souls' self-titled release is probably the most varied and the band flawlessly makes it through the entire track list in probably less time than the studio album takes to play. This, of course, is due to drummer Michael McDermott's relentless drumming which is as impressive and elaborate live as it is on tape. While the self-titled set proves to be a crowd-pleaser (of course), the Hopeless Romantic set is nothing short of a miracle on stage. It’s hard for me not to sing along to the album whenever I play it in my car but, live, it’s hard not to lose control and try to hog the microphone. The band makes it through some of my favorites like “Fight to Live,” “Bullying the Jukebox,” “You’re So Rad” and “The Whole Thing” beautifully and, just as soon as it started, the set is over. Everyone is soaking wet (the pipes on the ceiling are dripping from the humidity) and no matter how much cold water Bryan Kienlen let me steal from him, the heat is almost unbearable – yet we all want more.
When the lights go on, I run to catch the last train home, with the set list rolled up in my hand. As unorthodox as it is for a band to play an album front to back in its entirety live, I have to say I couldn’t be happier that I went. After all, it’s a once in a lifetime chance; and fans should keep this in mind.
Artist:
www.bouncingsouls.com/
www.myspace.com/bouncingsouls
www.facebook.com/bouncingsouls
www.twitter.com/bouncingsoulsnj
Photos:
Bouncing Souls – Cambridge, MA – 06/23/11
Tour:
The Bouncing Souls' current tour continues. For a list of upcoming shows, click here .
