Jean Paul Jean Paul lay down the boogie on Friday, 7 July 2023.

The Electric Aces always bet on black in the headlining slot.

The bartender rings the bell in real life, not on Youtube.

Did you know there was a bell behind the bar at Midway Cafe?

If you didn’t, you probably could have guessed. Most medium- to small-sized bars have some sort of noisemaker behind the counter, especially dives. It’s good for getting the customers’ attention at last call and ushering the crowd out the door.

On Friday night, though, the bell had another use. At the close of Jean Paul Jean Paul’s set, the bartender rang the bell to call for an encore. Is that normal usage?

You don’t get many encores for sets at small clubs these days. Even at the bigger clubs and venues it’s not the given it used to be. Probably for the better. Encores are great when the crowd is great, eating up the performance. But if the reception was just whatever, let’s call it a night.

Maybe a little grumbling from the following band, checking their watches in the back gallery? The late headlining slot just got later. Ah well, rock n roll taking its toll.

Jean Paul Jean Paul

The Boston-based alt-rockers Jean Paul Jean Paul sound in peak form for their Day Two appearance at Nice, A Fest.

At the Midway Cafe they performed as a six-piece, bringing with them almost as many guitars. Lots of guitars! The usual complement of electric guitars, plus an acoustic strummer for the lead vocalist.

All that six-string energy let the band explore all sorts of terrain in the history of rock n roll. Shades of southern rock with some Allman Brothers-type guitar sustains. Shades of the Clash with some hurky jerky punk fronting. Shades of Mighty Mighty Bosstones with some fist-pumping crowd stirring. Shades of Hallelujah The Hills with songs that build, build, build into anthemic choruses that ripple through the room like the wave at Fenway Park. Shades of Sublime, Phish, and a half dozen other memorables. Shades of shades, as in sunglasses.

You’d love to see this band play your next house party, but the Midway Cafe is a close second.

Jean Paul Jean Paul reported that a new album was on the way, so you probably heard a few fresh tracks on the night. Shout out to the tambourine guy smashing the instrument on his head. Extra points or the bartender ringing the bell.

The Electric Aces

The Electric Aces bring the hard rock with all the cigarettes, gasoline, and leather-clad imagery in its proper and rightful place.

The four-piece is a relentless and unapologetic purveyor of music where the frontperson takes swigs of whiskey between songs and maybe sneaks out the back for a quick bump or two.

No such shenanigans on display Friday night, but extra points for the Susan the Streetwalker anecdote. Take that one to heart!