Allston Is Better Than Or Equal To Flavortown
Crimelapse capped a four-stack lineup at the Silhouette Lounge on Monday, 6 February 2023.
The Peasants, Indoor Friends, and Lobohombre stirred the soup at #TheSilShows.
If you like the street fare episodes of Anthony Bourdain travel shows, then you like the food offerings available in Allston Ferret City. The neighborhood does not necessarily have the best ingredients. No one’s calling themselves ‘gourmet.’ But the breadth and depth of cuisine options, combined with a munchies-level desire to please, makes Allston a special sort of place to satisfy your hunger.
On this episode of As the Sil Turns, Bill the Bartender held court at the Silhouette Lounge with a counter full of foodies keen on describing their prized repasts.
One patron brought in a bagful of La Mama’s takeout, which prompted everyone to ask after the “Pizza and More” pitstop that recently recovered after a three-alarm fire that burned through a row of eateries. You could smell the smoke all the way from the Living Hour show at O’Brien’s Pub and beyond. Bill was thankful La Mama’s was back – it’s got a Cuban sandwich that’s worth a look.
Another patron wheeled out his ‘99 Restaurant’ app to find all the local locations on his favorite “classic pub food” chain restaurant. Bill the Bartender was suitably impressed by the marriage of food and handheld technology. Together the pair checked off locations they had eaten at: Quincy, Salem, several Woburn locations, and more.
“Popeyes is the shit,” Bill offered. Who would disagree? He also likes TGI Fridays, “but you know what I love?”
What do you love, Bill?
“Olive Garden. I’ll eat Fettuccine Alfredo all day.”
A final patron started to wax poetic about Tavern In The Square, but mostly to half-tell a story about getting kicked out of it. No one got kicked out of the Silhouette Lounge on Monday night. It was popcorn, hot dogs, beer, shot, rock n roll, and good vibes all around.
The Peasants
Rock n roll veterans The Peasants pack a three-piece punch. Shades of classic rock of all stripes run through a garage rock filter. The thrust of Black Sabbath. The propulsion of Bad Religion. The chutzpah of AC/DC. The heady blues of Pink Floyd. Extra points for the Mr. Music t-shirt.
Indoor Friends
When we last saw Indoor Friends, the five-piece was flaunting the electric ukulele sound at Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain.
The band did not disappoint at Silhouette Lounge, breaking out the uke later as a kind of side dish. But the main dish of the night was abundant servings of pop rock.
Shades of 90s guitar textures mixed with the economy and verve of 80s bubblegum numbers (think: The Bangles).
Indoor Friends played a sampling of originals and covers, including Green Day’s “Basket Case.”
Lobohombre
Lobohombre was celebrating its one-year anniversary as a band. The frontman recalled the magical moment when the soon-to-be band members met in a dark Burlington parking lot.
Which Burlington? Cursory research reveals there are Burlingtons in the following states: New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and more. It’s a sneaky popular town name.
When Lobohombre isn’t hanging out in parking lots, the three-piece delivers high-energy pop punks with occasional hardcore sprints. A chunk of the vocals are Spanish-language, but the “motherfucker” exclamations are always in English.
Crimelapse
Closer Crimelapse polished off a night at #TheSilShows with a set of pop punkery. The frontman digs deep with a cowboy shirt and gatorskin amp. The Boston-based three-piece makes music to eat popcorn to. Extra points for the PILE t-shirt on the drummer.