It’s that time again. There’s no Mel Gibson (nice) or fighting to the death on flying harnesses (a shame, for sure), but Boston’s guitar-fueled version of Thunderdome—the Rock ’n’ Roll Rumble—is back again for its 36th year. Twenty-four bands enter. One band leaves … you get the idea.
In the role of “Auntie Entity” is organizer Anngelle Wood, who announced the roster on her show Boston Emissions on 100.7 WZLX on Sunday evening. With the Rumble kicking off preliminary rounds on April 12 at TT the Bear’s Place, it’s time to get familiar with the hopefuls looking to score a spot in the finals on May 1.
The roster is as follows: Yale, Massachusetts, Soft Pyramids, Drab, The Rare Occasions, Mercury on Mars, Duck & Cover, The Warning Shots, Murcielago, Zip-Tie Handcuffs, The Static Dynamic, Band Without Hands, Protean Collective, Le Roxy Pro, Mister Vertigo, Dan Webb and the Spiders, New Look Ghost, Dirty Bangs, Nate Leavitt Band, Nemes, Eternals, Salita, and Raw Blow.
You’ll be learning much more about these bands as the Rumble gets underway, but here’s a few points of reference to get you started.
Drab – The noisy Boston-via-Northampton three-piece are reissuing a remastered version of their first LP next week, in case you need some research material ahead of their Rumble showing.
Zip-Tie Handcuffs – The trio talked to us about their brand of “stoner-punk” last November; their style, which “makes you zone out and think at the same time,” promises to help get your buzz going.
Band Without Hands – The Somerville-based hybrid electro-rock crew were finalists in last fall’s Full Scene Ahead Rompetition, meaning they’ll be eagerly gunning for the top spot here.
Mister Vertigo – Expect the eclectic band to break out some tracks from their forthcoming new 11-song LP Dreaming on the Left Side.
Psychic Dog – A few important points from the band’s bio. “We are people who enjoy playing music.” Cool, got it. “We’re not that brave and we’re not that stupid.” Nobody said you were stupid, but OK. “We once stole our lunch from a Seagull.” OK, now we’re interested.
ROCK N ROLL RUMBLE. STARTS SUN 4.12. TT THE BEAR’S, 10 BROOKLINE ST., CAMBRIDGE. 617-492-2327. 8PM/18+/$8. FACEBOOK.COM/RACKANDROLLRUMBLE
