Today is the actual anniversary you know;

Today is the actual anniversary you know; Jeffrey pointed this out last night. 1 year ago tonight, the 3 of them gathered in the basement and pounded out what has become for this band a defining cover. This is the song that garnered them their reputation, undeservedly though, as a Phish cover band. This is the song that got them over 100,000 hits on Youtube. This is the song that drew throngs of fans to the Green Tent during Gathering of the Vibes following the piper’s call. YEM has been very good for The McLovins.

1 year later and they are not the same band, they still have their youthful enthusiasm but they now possess a sense of purpose, a new level of professionalism. They are a working band, playing whenever and wherever they can. The band is sharpening its craft, stretching themselves lyrically and musically. This year has seen a whirlwind of activity and change for the guys, they are now armed with an arsenal of originals, show-tested and crowd-proven. They go into the next year fearless, looking to hit that next level and all that requires is the band does what they’ve been doing for the past year. You can see it in their eyes, at every new venue they play that they are taking this seriously.

One of the most important keys to their success, if not the biggest has been their fan support. The online support the band has received proves how the paradigm has changed in the music industry. The McLovins have their destiny in their control, they produce their music, they create and sell their own merchandise, they book their own shows, but all the work they do could mean nothing if it wasn’t for their fan support. The fans are the ones who are buying the cd’s, they’re attending the shows and they’re helping to spread the word to their friends. So last night was a gift, a free concert streamed out so that fans all over the country could see the band live and could get a taste of what we who have the opportunity to see them regularly take for granted. Jake, Jason and Jeffrey are thankful for what this past year has brought them, and most of all thankful for all of you. So here’s some numbers from the last year:

100,000 YEM video views on Youtube
3,000 fans on Facebook
400+ attending the Gathering of the Vibes show
551 helping celebrate the 1 Year Anniversary

So again, thanks to all the Facebook fans, to all who watched them on YouTube and all those on Phantasy Tour who supported the band. We can all look forward to next year because The McLovins have just scratched the surface.

UStream McLovins YEM 1 Year Anniversay Show

The Main Pub 10/10/09

Last night's show was the musical equivalent of downing a 5 hour energy shot with a Red Bull chaser. They played a 60 minute opening set that was compact and precise while still leaving plenty of room to cut loose. Setting up in a non-traditional configuration with Jake on stage right, Jason in the center and Jeff over on the right, they settled in for a loud night. Right out of the gate they opened with the full version of 20 In A 35, the song that they previewed last Saturday night. A bluesy jam with similarities to Virtual Circle, this is more restrained and less frenetic, but still maintained it's ferocity. Deep Monster Trance just digs right in and carries you along, this ode to "Where The Wild Things Are" allows Jake the chance to flex some of his vocal muscle. Sea of Wisdom opens and it's warm and frothy vibe is enfolding after the adrenaline one-two punch of the previous songs. The second half of the song just blossoms and sets up Bri beatifully, this song casts an ethereal air over the set, and the haunting melody carries through the final vocals..



The stage set-up tonight really allows Jeff and Jason to achieve almost a telepathic connection during the show. The two play off each other, both totally aware of what the other is doing, Jake is captain of this trip and is able to view both at the same time, it really is a setup I think that works. Virtual Circle is a kick in the teeth, propelled by a triple attack of guitar, bass and drums.
This is such a fast and powerful song just grabbing you and dares you to keep up. Killing Time heard live is a true dichotomy, starting out with such clean and controlled guitar licks, and by the end just enveloping you in a cocoon of sound while it dissipates into a haze of pure noise. Toward the end of the song I had a moment of deja vu as Jason broke his E string. Jason later explaining the break was in fact due to faulty installation, though I'm sure it was a result of a raging case of "slappn' the bass".




The band really does have an advantage with such a solid bass player, Jason really walks between the worlds playing both leads and rhythm licks throughout their sets allowing real freedom for Jeff and Jake to just branch off and explore knowing that the main groove is safe hands. Finishing up with Purple Trees and with a broken string hanging, the band managed to cram an hour and a half set into 63 minutes, totally owning the stage, blowing away the audience and having the time of their lives. I saw a ton of new faces, and the excitement for this band is building. This show was a textbook example of how The McLovins have really turned a corner. Their age was at one time a novelty, but the band is now no mere teen cover band. The Main Pub set featured 7 original compositions, 3 of which have been written since the second week of August and they have become much tighter musically. When cover songs are performed, they are instead starting points, familiar raiment that the bad dons while still probing musically. The know just what to expect from each other, and when the unexpected does occur, they have proven to be extremely adaptable. They have upped their vocal game a notch or two, and as a group have proven to be prolific and capable in their songwriting. I hate to seem gushy, but this is such a solid band now, they should be convinced they can do anything, and many fans agree with them. A corner has been turned, the path from where they came from may now be out of sight, but the path forward is laid out before them, all they have to do is move forward.

"I pulled back on the roadway,
and shifted into overdrive"

Cafe 939 Boston, Ma. 10/03/09

The moon was nearly full last night in Boston as The McLovins came to town and howled. Playing their Boston debut at the fantastic Cafe 939, the band played a blistering set in front of a very receptive crowd. Cafe 939 is a music venue and coffeehouse run by students of Berklee College of Music, with capacity about 200, this state of the art room has high end sound and premium lighting equipment. For their first performance in Boston, they picked a perfect room to play. Coming on stage right on time, Jeff broke into the opening riff of Shakedown Street, and the die for the evenings performance had been cast. Not satisfied with covering this tune, they chose to re-interpret it, stretching the chorus, adding a flurry of solos and bringing the crowd to a frenzy. In the hands of a musically less talented band, this would have been a fine encore and the fact that the band chose this song to open the show showed just how savvy they are becoming. Bri followed, an intensely personaly and moving song, the haunting lyrics and vocal performance just mesmerizing the crowd. Cissy Strut, dedicated to loyal fan Steve H, was also re-worked and turned into a showpiece for the band, allowing each member to break out solos and re-making the song their own. One of their newer songs Stencils Of A Landscape is a clean and stylized song, first time with vocals and is a brisk but meandering tune that flows right into Sea Of Wisdom. At this point the band was just completely in the moment, with a solid rhythm propelled by Jason and Jake, synchronized and mirroring each other and Jeff's transportive guitar work combined to make this song shine. This was the spot in the show when I realized we were witnessing something magical. Jake is usually an enthusiastic drummer but tonight it was bedlam, with his Octopus t-shirt and new McLovin's drum head, he was just a force of nature, forging a percussion assault. Jason is less flashy, more focused and deliberate though tonight he was just manic, rising to the ocassion and answering each challenge from Jeff and Jake with a rumbling response and anchoring the audio attack..



At this point I'd like to commend the sound of this venue. Lauren Caso is the Production Manager for Cafe 939 and was meticulous during the sound check and her attention to the sound contributed to what has to be the finest McLovins performance I've seen yet. This is a loud band and they frequently overwhelm smaller venues with their clamor, however Lauren and her crew staged a remarkably clean and forceful show. As evidence of this, Killing Time put the sound system to the test, brutal and intense culminating in a shower of sheer force and sound. Guillotine Machine continued the punishing pace of show, with soaring solos and a pummeling rhythm. Rhyme and Reason has been missing from recent sets and made a welcome reappearance bringing a chill and melancholy vibe to the show. Although tempering the pace it also boosted the emotional tenor and it was the perfect cool-down to the set. Now another new song reared it's head, Deep Monster Trance which has managed to live up to it's name. Inspired by "Where The Wild Things Are" this is a worthy addition to the stable of musical allusions they've created as big, beefy and wild as it's name. Dynne stretches it's muscle, spotlighting the theme of force of noise and sound on life, bringing another brilliant climax and leaving the audience just spent. The band jumped next into YEM, choosing to bend and tweak the song though still hitting all the marks that a good cover should hit. The peak of the song finds the three engaged in a sonic free-for-all, ending only when Jeffrey breaks a string on his guitar. After a quick triage, Jeff leaves the stage to tend to his wounded instrument.


This leaves Jake and Jason to break into an impromptu debut of a song they've been working on this week, a bluesy composition stretched to a 5 minute thrash fest. Jason and Jake were explosive as they flex some jazzy musical muscle. Jason, normally stoic just shined during this song. Jeffrey returns to the stage and they rip into Virtual Circle, the first of four (!) new songs they've written in the last six weeks. Giving this torrid tune everything they have, it's speed oppressive as it ballistically hammers through a series of peaks to a final, smashing end. Purple Trees spotlights a series of band introductions and a penultimate climax to the show. Conundrum ends the night, shifting between swing cool and jammy exuberance, a fitting end to truly remarkable show.


Mention also has to be made for the performance of the opening act Vassal. Led by a friend of the band who now attends Berklee, Lucas Bickford. A quartet featuring Lucas and Brit Ness on guitar, Nick Coletti on bass player and percussionist Connor Grant, Vassal played a dreamy jazz and funk infused set. Among a selection of originals, they also covered Pat Metheny and also a couple John Schofield tune. This was their set list: Prelude >>> Blue, Untitled 1 (Funk Tune), Untitled 2 (Jazzy Tune), A Go Go (John Scofield), The Red One (Pat Metheny), Untitled 3 (Progish Tune), Everyone's Party (Metheny/Scofield). Lucas and Brit shared lead duties during the night, each with their own unique tones. Though just starting to perform live, this is a combination that worked and I would love to see them perform again.

Check out Vassal online - VASSAL


I feel The McLovins shine in these more intimate rooms, they are always loud as hell and in these settings they can just cut loose. Soon enough they won't be able to play these smaller venues, so we have to savor what we have now while we have it. Saturday night's show was just lightning in a bottle, raw and ripping from start to finish, and it'll be one I plan on revisiting over and over.