If life was a horror movie, this night may have been called "Jason's Revenge". Last time we talked, Killing Time had just ended and everyone’s ears were still buzzing.. a slow, deep groove now began to form, a reggae-ish beat and Milktoast Man made it’s debut. The song echoes some familiar Police-like vibes but it is definitely reggae ala-The McLovins. A nice solid beat with popping guitar interludes as Jake and Jason team on vocals. This tune makes for a nice chill, a cool-down after the aural assault of Killing Time. Jason and Jeff were real standouts on this, the two of them almost sharing leads while breaking off clean and sharp runs. Next Jason starts hammering out the first few bars of Break On Through , the crowd keys in on what’s being played and start screaming their approval.. This song is done as a very clean cover with not a lot of additional flourish, Jason’s bass and lead vocals pretty much shaping the sound.
Jake intros another new song “Tokyo Tea” which made it’s Youtube debut a week or so ago, by invoking the fact that “Basslovin has shown up”. This is a deep funk jam, led by a furious bass line that pulls you along, Jeff plays a complimentary guitar lead, knocking out some just soaring solo work, the whole thing held together by Jake’s frenetic drumming. As soon as the song ends, Jason says “And now here’s something completely different..” as he again handles lead vocals while snapping out a deep bass riff while Jake just pounds out the beginning of Seven Nation Army. Jeff pulls out a slide (!) and the band just rips this cover apart. If anything it’s almost more frantic than the White Stripes original. Jeff’s slide work is a glassy wonder as he glides up and down the neck, Jake just burying his pedals into the stage, this song was such a treat. Virtual Circle is next and is easily the cream of the newer songs, quick and desperate, with a terminal velocity, moving at break neck speed. Bri – In Memory Of closes the show a fitting end for a night like this with a dedication to Nash, a friendly PT regular.
This is another example of what the right room can do for this band. The energy of the crowd and the closeness of the quarters combine for an intimate experience that is shared between band and audience. This was a milestone show for the guys, they played 4 new songs this night, they debuted 2 originals and 2 new and very different covers songs. As if that weren’t enough, the five song run of Milktoast Man, Break On Through, Tokyo Tea, Seven Nation Army and Virtual Circle feature Jason’s strongest bass-work in recent memory and he nailed lead vocals on 2 of these songs and shared vocals on another 2. This is a band that is growing fast, they’re evolving right before our ears. Just when you see one of them has upped his game, the other 2 respond in kind, their on-stage communication is sharp and precise, their musical instincts are just fearless. I just can’t wait until Friday night and the Boston show, who knows what's coming next.
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