Electric Street Queens sizzle at Midway Cafe on Saturday, 12 August 2023.

Dyr Faser, The Humanoids, and Loretta sandwich the four-stack bill.

Woof. This heat. New England is lolling through the dog days of summer. At least we have Hump Nights.

No, we don’t suffer through climate change hellscape temperatures like Texas or Arizona, but we have our own blend of August misery.

There’s a lingering humidity in the air that you can’t shake. Even indoors with AC. It feels like you’re never dry, never clean, never comfortable.

Fruits and vegetables spoil quicker. More flies gather around the garbage. Food doesn’t taste as good. Jokes don’t seem as funny. A psychological malaise settles over the landscape.

Maybe you get a parking ticket too? And then your car breaks down right after. And while you’re waiting for the tow truck another parking cop comes around to ticket your broke-down car a second time in the same day?

That’s August.

Loretta

Loretta opened with a corroded glampunk set. The four-piece hails from Boston, and they recorded an EP in 2019 with an individual named EZ Bake. EZ Bake: “Let’s take it from the top again – and make those strings sing to me!” Shades of Hammered Saint, Thee Fightin Fish, and Bikini Kill.

The Humanoids

Some bands don’t know who they are or what they want to sound like. The Humanoids have their self-identity locked up, even if we might struggle to describe it. Kind of a greaser metal vibe? The frontman goes for the metal howl in the upper register, cavorting among the clouds with Axl Rose and Rob Halford. Extra points for the matching black denim vests emblazoned with the band insignia.

Electric Street Queens

What just hit the Midway Cafe?

Electric Street Queens blew up the stage on Saturday night. The four-piece donned bozo wigs and trotted out a ripping set of proto-punk. Glam-flavored, goofball high energy punk.

The frontwoman bounced around the room like a ping pong ball on amphetamines. Major Amyl and the Sniffers vibes.

The sidetable by the women’s bathroom doubled as a satellite platform for about half-a-minute until Coco A Go-Go hopped on a fan's shoulders and rode him back to the main stage. Wowzers.

Dyr Faser

The art-damaged three-piece Dyr Faser spun out a closing set of psychedelic indie rock. The slideshow was in full effect, draping the venue in gonzo arabesques. No, you weren’t seeing double. The frontstage duo of Eric Boomhower and Amelia May were rocking two flying V guitars. It’s a type of guitar that is often associated with tense, uptempo ax acrobatics, though the Boston trio probably performed the most laidback set of the night.

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