• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • BOSTON BETTER BEER BUREAU
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

CASE CLOSED: ROCK ‘N’ ROLL RUMBLE WRAPS IT UP WITH ZIP-TIE HANDCUFFS

Written by NINA CORCORAN Posted May 6, 2015 Filed Under: MUSIC, Notes from the Scene, Reviews

MU_RockRollRumbleZipTie(MichaelZaia)_728

Boston’s annual Rock ’n’ Roll Rumble has been going strong since 1979, but this year shook things up. The 2015 edition saw TT The Bear’s Place open its doors for eight nights to host 24 competing bands once again, letting the room flood with every facet of rock possible, from experimental to folk. Amidst all this, one thing became clear: The youth are ready to be taken seriously. On Friday night last week, one of the bands fighting to overcome the kids finally wound up standing tall as the victor. All rise for local rock trio Zip-Tie Handcuffs.

 

Zip-Tie Handcuffs are exactly who should come to mind when you think of a rock contest. They throw down punk rock riffs in the same vein as Diarrhea Planet, minus the jukebox range of fake intros, all held together by drummer Max Levy’s ridiculously tight, fierce, deafening style. It’s hard to believe a sound that loud comes from a mere three people. Bassist Ian Grinold and guitarist Matt Ford were standing on invisible lava the night they won, shifting their feet and darting about the stage in a frenzy. Veins sprung from their necks as they sang, the two spitting out words with the same goofy spirit of the Beastie Boys, lightening the mood even further by throwing their instruments across the stage to one another to swap parts.

 

Age became apparent when they were almost dethroned by Americana quartet Nemes. Fiddler Dave Anthony and his built-for-Broadway voice seemed to have no end, encouraging the band to uphold their unrelenting energy. Whipping out a cover from The Lion King was bold, but child’s play is rather fitting for adults, too, even during the seriousness of finals. Eternals and Soft Pyramids brought poppy shoegaze to our attention as well, showing some serious stripes that speak beyond their respective ages, as did Raw Blow’s tough post-hardcore riffage. In a city packed with colleges, it should be obvious that the students are studying up, but the Rumble proved many have also been taking notes from local higher-ups outside the classroom.

 

So as Zip-Tie Handcuffs accepted the winners’ crown (decorated with feathers and antlers, natch) from ’90s local giants The Gravel Pit and WZLX Boston Emissions host Anngelle Wood closed the night with parting words, we couldn’t help but think—what’s next? Next year may see the college kids rise even higher, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

 

Until then, rock fanatics.

 

Author profile
NINA CORCORAN
Related posts
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    WHEEL OF TUNES: JULIA HOLTER
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    WHEEL OF TUNES: PANDA BEAR
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    WHEEL OF TUNES: HOP ALONG
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    THE BEST LOCAL EPS OF 2018

Filed Under: MUSIC, Notes from the Scene, Reviews Tagged With: 2015, Anngelle Wood, Boston, Boston Emissions, Dig, DigBoston, Eternals, Folk Rock, Indie Rock, live, Music, Nemes, punk rock, Raw Blow, review, rock, rock 'n' roll rumble 2015, rock n roll rumble, Soft Pyramids, The Gravel Pit, TT the Bear's, WZLX, zip-tie handcuffs

WHAT’S NEW

Trump-Loving Mass Republican Party Freaks Out Over Mar-a-Lago Raid

Trump-Loving Mass Republican Party Freaks Out Over Mar-a-Lago Raid

Governor’s Council Weighs Controversial Parole Board Renomination

Governor’s Council Weighs Controversial Parole Board Renomination

Bay State Gas Providers Pay Up

Bay State Gas Providers Pay Up

State Wire: Mass Needs to Reform Youth Restitution Policies

State Wire: Mass Needs to Reform Youth Restitution Policies

“Pie” by Eric Ferdinand is licensed under CC-BY 2.0

Share and Share Alike: Major Funders Need to Give Equally to All Nonprofit News Outlets

The T Will Stay Broken Because Poor and Working People Are Seen As Expendable 

The T Will Stay Broken Because Poor and Working People Are Seen As Expendable 

Primary Sidebar

Advertisement

FEATURED EVENT

Advertisement

Most Popular

  • The T Will Stay Broken Because Poor and Working People Are Seen As Expendable 
  • Inside the Bay State’s Legendary (and Only) One-Man Brewery
  • Meet the Phantom Behind Greater Boston’s Awesome Food Feed Everybody Gotta Eat
  • Worcester’s Wasteful, Never-Ending War on Police Transparency
  • The “Biggest Masshole In Massachusetts” Is Running For Secretary Of State

Footer

Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Advertise

Customer Service

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial (and for inquiries about internship opportunities): [email protected]