`Miller High Life as drumkit at State Park Bar`

Black Beach doubles up the brews at State Park Bar on Sunday, 9 April 2023.

Kathy Snax, Puppy Problems, and Holiday Music sandwich the four-stack bill.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

High Life is the champagne of beers.

The two ancient proverbs joined hands on Sunday night at the subterranean faux-dive dive in the bowels of One Kendall Square.

A twelve-pack of High Life bottles was securing the drum kit in place for half the show. Then the Black Beach drummer kicked the bass a tad too hard, dislodging the kit.

The solution? Another twelve-pack of High Life bottles. Naturally.

The champagne of beers is truly a beer for every occasion. And Miller High Life is union-made to boot.

Lest you think the “champagne” tag is just a lark, the beer is actually designed to sport more effervescence than your average foamy brew. Credit the higher level of carbonation.

Quick hits:

Overheard: “Leonardo DiCaprio is the greatest act of his generation.” The dude will not abide.
Extra points for Sebadoh’s “Soul and Fire” on the house playlist before the show.
Tried the Chicken-Fried Oysters. Good, but kind of a spare plate for $16. All that local bio-tech money at the doorstep is making menu prices at One Kendall Square untenable.

Kathy Snax

Is it ‘Snacks’ or ‘Snax’? Either way the frontwoman for Adult Learners found herself fronting the four-piece Kathy Snax on Sunday. The familiar set of keys were at her fingertips, augmented by an additional mezzanine level of synth to give her a real proggy, rocky kind of setup. The local giggers turned out melodic indie rock numbers with some sweet wah wah action. Shout out to the cool looking hollow body electric bass.

Puppy Problems

The three-piece Puppy Problems introduced drama into the set by becoming the incredible shrinking band. First, three members, kicking out classic 4-chord indie rock numbers. Second, two members, ditching the drummer to go all strings: bass and electric guitar. Finally, whittled down to one woman on an acoustic busking a solo ballad.

Black Beach

Black Beach has been orbiting Boston for shows since February, hitting Brockton, Providence, Cambridge, and more. If you’re around Plymouth on May 6th you can catch them at Mayflower Brewery. That’s pilgrim country.

Expect the three-piece to offer pitch perfect, no wave, post punk vibes. There was no brass adventurism like we saw at their 2022 Nice, A Fest set. Instead, the band hewed to a minimalist aesthetic. Barely any pedals…

It’s commonplace to look down at the feet of guitarists around Boston and see a massive pile of effects equipment to juice the sound. People love to spend money on these gewgaws, which, in sum total, end up costing more than the guitar they’re playing.

Dollars and cents aside, sometimes all the options these pedals give you bewilder and perplex the songwriting. Black Beach compositions are immaculate and uncluttered like a good Franz Kline painting. Direct and to the point is how they sound best. Shades of a more roadhouse Horse Lords, minus the microtonalism.

Shout out to the bass drum melodrama with an innocent bystander and a case of High Life to the rescue.

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Holiday Music

You want holiday music? Check out #xmas4eva at Hump Day News. Not kidding. We’ve got more holiday music than you can handle. But it’s only Christmas-adjacent. We’re planning to expand into Hanukkah and Kwanzaa for the upcoming holiday season.

Until then Holiday Music is a nice option. The three-piece made merry in the closing set with the drum kit firmly held in place by two 12-packs of High Life bottles and one guitar amp.

That’ll do her.