Harshmallows
Children of the Flaming Wheel at The JungleChildren of the Flaming Wheel observe a sticky celebration at The Jungle on Saturday, 23 September 2023.
Electric Street Queens, Twig, and Bleach The Sky sandwich the fourstack fluffernutter.
What the Fluff?!?! The 18th edition of the festival honoring the invention of marshmallow fluff is a feel-good event that Somerville loves to sink its teeth into. But sometimes the universe conspires against the best intentions.
Take your pick. Human-made ignominy AND natural factors teamed up to stall the day from reaching its highest sugary peak.
Human-made? Credit the MBTA blindsiding Union Square with a last-minute closure of the Union Square extension on the weekend in question. The festival has been humming along for 18 years. Did anyone think to check the calendar before scheduling the service on that weekend? Angry phone calls and emails produced nothing besides a promise to provide shuttle service between stations. Who doesn’t love a good extraneous transfer to start a day of fun?
Natural factors? Rain. Lots of it. It’s hard to draw the outdoor crowds when it’s cold and wet. Even the bartenders at The Independent (one of whom is a superfan of Rong) regretted the weather. They complained that the night was overstaffed to handle numbers that would never materialize. You can’t run into a bar to get out of the rain if you’re not already in the Square. And you’re not leaving the house to come to the Square if the forecast is full of fire & brimstone.
The same goes for The Jungle as The Independent. There was no What the Fluff? late rush of sugar-spiked sickos knocking down the door for hot-blooded rock n roll. Just the usual Saturday night crowd. Enough to fill the room, but not so many that you couldn’t find a free seat against the wall if you looked for one.
By the way, Jalapeño Poppers are officially off the menu. Vaya con Dios, my friend.
Bleach The Sky
Bleach The SkyThe alt rockers Bleach The Sky opened with a set of guitar-powered numbers. You heard all sixteen strings the band had to offer, between two guitars and one bass, at every available turn and twist. 90s alt textures prevailed. The set included covers like Nirvana’s “Breed” and originals like “Hey Again” from their 2020 EP Acid Girl.
Children of the Flaming Wheel
Children of the Flaming WheelGarage punk? Sure. But there’s something more baked into this acid flashback-foursome Children of the Flaming Wheel. Something about the bulky synth, yellow overalls, fuzzed-out riffs, and blue dungarees produced energy that equalled MC5. If not in aggression, then at least in terms of hallucinatory vision and potential sweat stains.
Electric Street Queens
Electric Street QueensSpeaking of energy, Electric Street Queens have a human-sized subatomic particle as their fronter. You know, a quark, muon, or gluon that moves so fast it can be in two places or more at the same time. The four piece band kicks out a nice proto punk vibe that makes for an easy listen. Check out “What You Really Want?” When it comes to the live show, though, everyone knows what gets the bread buttered, and it’s not the wigs.
Twig
TwigNo wigs were harmed in the filming of Twig. This is full head o’ hair thrashrock with strong metal overtones. Whatever hard rock you need fed into your earholes to get the head banging, this four piece will deliver. It’s high end Viper Room-type roadhouse rock, elevated with keen visual flair. Did they play tracks from their 2020 self-titled EP? We’re not saying they didn’t. Shades of Sons Lunaris.
Photo Gallery
