Before I get into the meat – the music – of this little article, I want to talk about the Democracy Center in Cambridge, near the Harvard T stop. They explain their overarching mission better than I could, so I’m going to pull a quote from their website:

From where I’m standing, after reading their website, the Showbooking Collective’s zine, and meeting some volunteers, they’re succeeding. I have never seen such an effortlessly cool and supportive space. Maybe it’s because they’re doing so much good, and those who do good are generally great people.

Beyond the Center being the home of the show organizer, the Showbooking Collective, they have several resident organizations using the space, including the Better Future Project, The Black Response, and more.

I wanted to go to this particular show because I saw on the flyer that proceeds were going to the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. My first thought was, “damn, these people know how to organize.” It’s a local nonprofit, it’s important, and it’s active. I’d recommend making a donation. Match mine at least – it was $10.

Technically, the show was part of a two-nighter called the Record Hospital Fest, Spring 23. I’m not reviewing the festival – I only saw half of the first night – but I wanted to tell people about the Center and the Collective, and this is how I’m choosing to do it.

The Center feels like a house because it is one. I’d classify the show as a “house show,” even though it’s a public-ish space. It felt like a home, it looks like a house, it’s a house show. My first worry at house shows is space (just look at any of the Allston venues!), but the Center had enough room for all of us – and for merch.

That said, I wouldn’t say all the things on the back tables were merch. There were a fair amount of pamphlets, some nonprofit swag, and a few informational zines (I snagged one on consent that is stellar), which made for a nice change of pace among the t-shirts. (The t-shirts were still great!)

The first act, Linnea’s Garden, was both fun and brave, a theme that would persist throughout the night. They describe themselves as a glam punk band, and I think they’re right. Their music does have an element of glam, a lot of punk, and most importantly, tasty melodic moments that make their music danceable.

I have to mention that I had a blast listening to their bassist. They were amazing. My only criticism of the set would be the lack of a second guitar, but the bass filled out more of the mids than I thought possible. They disappeared into the night before I could compliment them, but I hope they find this.

I’d still recommend another guitar if only to hear Linnea’s guitar solos pinned to a pretty foundation. But honestly, the group doesn’t really need it.

Since Linnea’s Garden opened, they accompanied the sunset. There are three large windows behind the “stage” so they were backlit for most of their performance, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Both the vocalist, Linnea, and the bassist (either Hands or Ray, I couldn’t figure it out from their website/instagram) were throwing some real rock star shapes. I hope they got some photos.

The next band, soup activists, was a charming solo act who I still don’t know too much about. They don’t have much of a presence online, but the set, though rough, had promise. The vocalist gave us insight into some painful and emotional moments through their songwriting, which is a gift. I think they would benefit from including other musicians to fill out their sound live. A drummer and bassist would be a great place to start.

Because of some bad time management on my part, the last act I saw was Main Era. They blew me away. The set was half performance art, half great musicianship, and it still managed to feel organic. I could tell that it had been thought through – all the creative choices had logical foundations, and most importantly, it was fun to listen to. I know I danced to it.

Their modern and historical samples, which helped them transition from song to song, were strange but felt right. The one that really weirded me out was part of a speech given by George H.W. Bush. (At least I think that’s what it was?) I hadn’t heard his voice in so long that it was like an emotional jumpscare. Effective.

I don’t know – Main Era just scratched an itch for me. I was captivated almost immediately, and the hypnotic lighting they included added a strangely spiritual, almost dissociative element. Not only did it give the crowd something to look at (the musicians faced one another, not the crowd), it left us open to hearing their message(s).

You can find their music on Bandcamp and pretty much everywhere else.

I wish I had been able to stay for Trash Rabbit and Trophy Wife because I KNOW I missed out. As a little apology for not being able to review their live sets, I’ve linked their latest music (as of 5/5):

• Trash Rabbit’s latest release, Rubberneck
• Trophy Wife’s EP Voyeur

I guess the most important thing I have to say about this show is that it was held in a fantastic space and run by amazing people. If you have a chance, go to one of the shows at the Democracy Center. I’ll definitely be back!

Author:
PNT, BLTN Contributor