Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys serenade the summer at the Sinclair on Saturday, 22 July 2023.

Sapling, Astral Bitch, and Dropbear go on a surfing safari in the opening slots.

Let’s learn about The Sinclair!

Or, let’s try to learn about The Sinclair. How about a little “History of…” section in addition to the FAQ? You know, for local history buffs.

The venue was opened by The Bowery Presents (Bowery Ballroom, Terminal 5) in 2012 after being “plagued” by delays.

Apparently the music-cum-food concept was born out of necessity, bowing to local liquor laws that forbid serving booze without food.

According to singer and guitarist Ross Livermore in a Virgin Atlantic airplane magazine blurb, the staff are “humble.”

You can cram a little over 500 people in the place. Credit the tiered layout, from the pit upwards to various balconies, for creating a space that puts the audience in close contact with the stage without feeling crowded. Cozy in a good way.

Is the name The Sinclair related to the Sinclair Cambridge calculator? Who knows – we asked the venue, we’ll see what they say.

And what was the building’s use and function before it became a music venue? Or was it built from scratch? Hard to believe that any building gets built from scratch in a neighborhood that hails from the 17th century.

Whose bones are buried beneath the stage?

Dropbear

When we last caught Dropbear it was in the backroom of the Silhouette Lounge. The five-piece was described as a “blown-out nu-gaze” band.

Who knows what that means, but at the very least they should be making loud sounds and staring at their shoes once in a while. In the tight confines of the Allston dive, where else to stare?

The legs were a bit more limber on the spacious stage of The Sinclair. Dropbear took advantage of the extra square footage, working the dais, and enjoyed the buffed up sound system as well. The layered guitar attack came through the PA with all the shine and sparkle of a newly-minted chainsaw.

If you caught the slideshow in back, you saw (and heard) a few rotating plugs for their debut EP Spiralized.

Astral Bitch

If CREEM magazine was still a thing, Astral Bitch would be on the front cover. The four-piece have that kind of louche grit. The four-piece gave off a Joan Jett, L7, and Thin Lizzy glow.

Oh wait, CREEM magazine is a thing again! And it’s putting on shows in Brooklyn? Let’s get some CREEM-sponsored shows in Boston, and get Astral Bitch on the bill.

Talk to us, Boy Howdy, we’ll help set it up!

Sapling

What’s in that magic treasure box at the side of the Sapling stage? All kinds of noisemakers. Plus a scary clown on the exterior. That’s a toybox that no child wants to share a bedroom with.

Or, that’s a toybox with which no child wants to share a bedroom?

The three-piece crafts hummable rock n roll jammers with a sense of humor and plenty of gewgaws.

Not many bands can deliver a lyric like “the irony is palpable” with hard rock attitude. But we were in Harvard Square, after all, so water finds its level.

Shout out to the theremin. An instrument that’s notoriously finicky and difficult to play, it served as a centerpiece for one, maybe two, songs. What’s more, the crowd was hungry for more! It’s a theremin crowd.

Extra points for the power drill closer.

Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys

Every time Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys perform, it feels like the headlining slot of an outdoor summer music festival. Even when you’re indoors. Even when it’s not summer. Even when it’s not a festival.

What is it about this collective?

They’ve got that E Street Band energy. That Parliament Funkadelic energy. That party-in-a-bottle energy, which just fills up the room like a thousand confetti guns firing off at once. (Though apparently The Sinclair is a no-go on confetti guns? Or is it a “Sure, fire off whatever you like, but you’re sticking around to clean up after” situation?).

Coors is known as the “banquet” beer. No one knows what that’s supposed to mean, but if you called Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys a banquet band, it’d make sense. You’re never there for just the music – you’re there for the party.

And who was there? You knew who was headlining before you even walked through the door, because this band draws a certain crowd with a certain aesthetic. Hard to pinpoint the look, but the title of the band’s recent single “Goth Beach” is not a bad starting point.

Onstage and off, Walter Sickert and Mary Widow “explored the space” while the Army of Broken Toys piled up the hype on the dais. It’s a celebration, beaches!

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