Mamalarky? Thanks, Biden!
MamalarkyLos Angeles’ Mamalarky toured through O’Brien’s Pub in Allston on Monday, 7 November, the night before the 2022 midterm elections. Raavi and Park National opened in support.
Two years ago Joe Biden campaigned on a “No Malarkey” platform. No one quite knew what “malarkey” was. It meant something like “meaningless talk” or “nonsense.” Where did the word come from and why was Joltin’ Joe brandishing the colorful term like Corn Pop’s razor blade? Some have speculated the word is of Irish origin, which would dovetail nicely with Biden’s genealogy. Others have rejected the Irish hypothesis as unlikely based on available evidence. We may never know the origin for sure, but we can at least survey the first two years of the Biden presidency and rate the Malarkey level.
On the one hand, Biden has produced:
The COVID-19 relief package. No Malarkey!
The infrastructure law. No Malarkey!
The climate-and-health bill. No Malarkey!
On the other hand, Biden dropped the ball on:
The voting-rights-and-election-reform bill. Malarkey!
15$ federal minimum wage. Malarkey!
Aggressive gun control measures. Malarkey!
Codifying Roe v. Wade. Malarkey!
The crowd in O’Brien’s Pub would have especially appreciated a more robust response to the student loan crisis. The partial relief feels like a half measure that delivers less than what was promised on the campaign trail.
Yet the President is only the head of one branch of government, the Executive. The “No Malarkey” Express can’t unilaterally determine the law of the land, which is why everyone in the pub will need to vote in the midterm elections to help determine the landscape of lawmakers at the state and local level.
Park NationalDid Park National vote Biden? If they did, it was their first time voting in a presidential election. Two members of the four-piece band still sported under-21 Xs on the back of their hands.
The Boston-based pop punkers brought a cyclone of energy to the stage, dealing out uptempo ditties composed in the key of emo. Most of the songs were about angst and anguish, but they all seemed to be enjoying themselves, so god bless catharsis.
Park National reported that they have a new album coming out in December. No malarkey!
If you summered in Somerville you might have caught Raavi at Nice, A Fest. The four-piece gigs regularly on the NYC-BOS circuit. Hump Day News previously wrote up a track off their EP It Grows On Trees.
RaaviAt the time the raging rock n roll solo on “The Neighbors” convinced us that Raavi was a closet headbanger.
The band can get heavy, sure, but their set on Monday night disconfirmed the headbanging hypothesis. The crowd at O’Brien’s was greeted with a more thoughtful selection of songs that built up steam with sparkling melodies and jammier elements, instead of throwing down the devil horns.
Or maybe Raavi just didn’t want to bite the head off a chicken in front of her mom, who was in attendance. Extra points for the fifth string on the bassist’s bass. No malarkey!
MamalarkyHeadliner Mamalarky closed the night with a jazzy and jammy set of pitch perfect art rock. The Los Angeles four-piece is in the middle of touring their new album Pocket Fantasy.
Guitarist and vocalist Livvy Bennett has a playful singing style that bobs and weaves on the upper register like an Aldous Harding. A solid rhythm section and keyboard interventions elevated the pop songs into more art-damaged, hip-shaking territory. The ensemble performance was tight.
Mamalarky remarked that their last Boston-area gig was at the Lilypad, a jazz venue that takes its piece of the indie rock pie when the mood strikes. In comparison to the chic art gallery interior of the Lilypad, O’Brien’s Pub looks like a hangout for incels. But don’t judge a book by its cover, judge a venue by its show calendar. With acts like Mamalarky rolling through, O’Brien’s Pub is doing just fine. No malarkey, plenty of Mamalarky!
