Tyler and The Names cap a laugher at The Rockwell on Valentine’s Day 14 February 2025.

The Kayde Hazel Explosion and Evan Ringle implode in the opening slots.

Don’t forget the comedy appetizer! Hot comedy couples Brieana Woodward & Al Christakis, Cam Ohh & Zach Stewart, with Deby Xiadani hosting.

Ace the Quiz, Win the Tix

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Hump Nights

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Ace the Quiz, Win the Tix 〰️ Hump Nights 〰️

Hump Nights

Feb 21

Sensory overload at the Capitol! Bands, arcade, 360 degree visual projection & screening of Scott Pilgrim vs the World.

Feb 23

Matinees are punk rock. Doors at 3PM.

Michael Messina / Troy Caruana / Conor Ryan Hennessy

Mar 5

A triplestack of rock in Rat City, USA.

Mar 7

Always a wild light show with Sons Lunaris.

Mar 8

Punk rock fourstack at Jamaica Plain’s favorite dive.

Mar 14

The 4th Wall celebrates its 16-month anniversary at the Capitol Theater.

Derv Gordon (ex The Equals) / So What / Children of the Flaming Wheel

Mar 20

Just Add Water for a good time.

Mar 25

Moontype over Medford, outta Chicago.

Mar 28

The 4th Wall celebrates its 16-month anniversary at the Capitol Theater.

Apr 6

14th Annual Arlington Jazz Festival, featuring Mike Stern Quintet.

Hump Nights

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Ace the Quiz, Win the Tix

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Hump Nights 〰️ Ace the Quiz, Win the Tix 〰️

Did you buy flowers and chocolate, book a reservation at a gourmet restaurant, and dress your best for a Valentine’s night out? Or did you just throw on whatever, grab a plate of mozzarella sticks, and drain some tallboys at a comedy/music mixer at The Rockwell? I did the latter.

Expensive tallboys, eh? The PBRs were $9, plus tip. What’re we doing here?

Bevvy inflation aside, a witty, gritty night of entertainment awaited you in the deep, dark basement below Davis Square. First comedy, then music.

The new artistic director Deby Xiadani held down the hosting duties, falshing all her improv chops. The premise of the comedy portion was a kind of gonzo Newlywed gameshow, with partners in comedy (and possibly in life) answering questions about each other.

Comedians Brieana Woodward & Al Christakis and Cam Ohh & Zach Stewart took turns making wrong guesses about their partners dreams, hopes, and secret desires.

All four make regular appearances around town. Hump Day News has caught Cam Ohh before at Midway Cafe’s Midway or the Highway, a gangbuster open mic every Sunday night. Check it out.

Evan Ringle (of Watson Park) performed a solo acoustic set. The calm before the storm. Extra points for the deep cut cover “Dues” by Ronee Blakely from Robert Altman’s film Nashville. Maybe one of the “best music films” of all time, and pretty damn high on the “best films” list too.

Holy moly. What hit the audience? I like a band where one or more members spills their beer into the electronics straight out of the gate. It let’s you know where everyone’s head is at and injects an sense of danger into the night.

Like the band name implies, this band takes major inspirational cues from Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, the punk/blue mashup that was heavy on stage antics, dating back to its earlier incarnation as Pussy Galore.

Hard to believe I’ve slept on this band for so long. I did a quick Google search and Ezra Furman had already written them up in 2023. So they’ve been around. Are they mostly a house show band?

So I said in the writeup for my Cambridge Day gig, the Kayde Hazel Explosion tore the room to shreds and Tyler and The Names set the shreds on fire.

It was a sloppy audience by the time the closer took the stage. A punchy Masshole stole Tyler’s cowboy hat off his head before the set got started, and she proposed that he “fight [her] for it.”

That kind of night, all in the name of music, and shedding expectations that Valentine’s Day is supposed to be enjoyed in some standard way while the whole world burns.

Tyler and The Names