This year's Providence Payback was by far the most incredible yet. This was the third year in a row that the Payback has been going on. Fortunately for me I got to help out with some things so I got some 'behind the scenes' stuff that you don't all necessarily need to know about! =)
Night #1, Thursday: For weeks I have been anticipating this weekend, and here it finally is. I arrived at the Met Cafe a tad early (3:30!) and Tom Buckland, aka T-Buck, was nice enough to let me in. The Crowns' soundcheck was great, and they played all of their new songs for me! =)
The doors opened at 8 pm and I got right up front center stage, where I usually am. The show started at around 8:30 with The Brunt of It, a very loud punk band from Newport, RI. There weren't too many in attendance yet, so these poor guys didn't get too much of a reception. They played a few songs I recognized, I've seen them once before. Their set lasted about half an hour.
Next up were the Brass Monkeys, a great 7-man, 3-horn ska band from Boston. I love these guys, they really know how to get the crowd going. They're pretty well known in this area so people began to skank up the dance floor! More and more people were arriving now. TBM's set lasted about 40 minutes and up next were the Speed Devils.
The Speed Devils are a 3-man band from Boston that I had been dying to see. I was highly impressed at the energy of these boys! The lead singer, also the acoustic bassist, is very entertaining. They play a mix of psychobilly and surf and I was a little upset that I couldn't afford this cd!
The Big Bad Bollocks were the last band before the Crowns. They are also from Boston and they got a very big reception from the now-wide-awake-and-kicking audience. The lead singer busted out 2 different accordions during the set! Their music was all about being drunk and the crowd responded to it well! I didn't like them much but had to smile when he began singing to me =).
By this point the crowd was thirsty for the Crowns! They came on around 11:30 and opened up with a new one called "Losing Streak". A great opener, the crowd responded immediately and you all know the boys love audience feedback! They seemed to have had a lot of pent-up energy because they haven't played for their hometown crowd in over 3 months. They ripped holes in the wall that first night (not literally...). Mr. Dennis Kelly came up onstage to play another new one with the band called "Prayin' Hands". This is a nice slow country number, and Dennis kicks it playing the steel guitar! Jason had a beer in his hand during this song which went well with the whole scenario. Thursday night's show ended with the Crowns coming out for a three-song encore, blasting into some older tunes. The crowd left satisfied, very hot and hungry for what else they had in store!
Night #2, Friday: Got there a little early again, helped out some more. Tonight they opened the doors a little later, around 8:30. (Right up front center stage, yet again!) Tonight's first band was Demonspeed from New York. Unfortunately for them, Providence crowds seemingly have a hard time with bands that are new to them, so as good as Demonspeed was, I felt they didn't get the recognition they well deserved. Their bassist was on crutches but still played nonetheless, sitting on a stool onstage. Very good set and I think at the end the crowd started warming up to them!
Next on the bill were the Pull-tabs, from right here in Providence. A very exciting country/rockabilly band including Dennis Kelly on steel guitar/guitar. Ricky, the lead singer, played acoustic guitar which got tonight's crowd going. He also broke out a mandolin for a few songs which sounded awesome! If you're from around here and dig their scene then I suggest you check them out!
The L.U.V.'s, also from Providence, hit the stage. A very interesting "glam-rock" 5-piece band complete with a skinny-minny girl dressed in a very short skirt and what looked like 'lollipops'. She danced around and enticed the crowd and also played keyboard on a few numbers. The audience dug it! The lead singer is a student at Rhode Island College, so says an inside source.
Boston's very own The Allstonians 10-man band were up next. Another Providence favorite, they got quite a welcoming! Half the band was hidden on that very small stage but they skanked the place up and got everyone sweating. A lot of audience participation with this band!
Seems that night that the Crowns were a little nervous about playing their new stuff again, but they had no reason to be because the crowd ate it up! Once again Dennis came up and played "Prayin' Hands" with them. One of their new songs is called "Headin' Out the Door" and it features The Swinger on backup vocals. "Do the Devil" was included in all three Crowns sets but Friday night the audience seemed to have missed it, as they yelled louder than ever before! 'Blood, Sweat and Grease' was flying all over the place, as was a few bottles of water that Jason tossed to the audience to keep 'em cool and happy! No encore tonight but it was a rockin' set anyway!
Night #3, Saturday: Tonight I got to hand out the gift bags which were handed out each night. Included in some were stickers, keychains, t-shirts, gift certificates, and matches. Sorry to the people who didn't get a t-shirt or two, we ran out!
Tonight's show started at 9:00 with The Ducky Boys from Boston. A well-liked punk band that actually got the crowd moshing from the first beat of the drums! I'm not familiar with this group but I must say they know where their fan base is big, and it sure is here. Their set was supposed to be only half an hour, but Jason, kind soul that he is, after hearing the crowd chanting when the Ducky Boys were finished, let them go on for another couple of songs. Brownie points for Kendall!!
Taking the stage next was Clowns for Progress, a punky-poppy 3 man band from New York City and also a new favorite of mine! (sorry marilyn!) They do a cover of Neil Diamond's "Cherry Cherry", a song about Las Vegas and they also dedicated a song to Jack! What nice boys they were, and the kids in attendance that night responded to them well.
Another New York band called The Frantic Flattops were up next. Another band for all the rockabilly lovers out there! I must say I loved 'em! Their music is full of energy and they had a surprise guest play with them-Tony "The Face" Brien from Hi-Fi and the Roadburners. Now you all know how much I love him! He played a few songs with them and that sax got the audience's feet movin'!
Skinnerbox, the night's last ska band took to the stage and got down to some serious skankin'. A disturbance in the crowd distracted me from this band for awhile but those who knew Skinnerbox were in all their glory. The set lasted a little under an hour and it seemed like they had just began when they finished!
Now for our own Amazing Crowns. The boys were a little tired from the previous nights, but they never once let on! Tonight was a little different for the song "The Ride". The Crowns played it Thursday and Friday, but tonight, a special treat-Paul Slifer and Dennis Kelly from Boss Fuel, the originators of "The Ride" came up onstage and united with the Crowns on this one! Paul was very animated, at one point even crowd surfing! The new songs were hotter than ever tonight, they ran into "Mr. Fix It", a song with an awesome garage-y sound to it; "Halos Above Our Horns"; "Losing Streak"; and "Blue Light". The crowd was even beginning to pick up some of the words and boy was Jason loving it! The encore tonight was quick but furious and intense!! The audience collectively danced-not moshed!-all night and obviously had a jammin' great time!
All in all these were the best shows I've ever seen the Crowns play, we know how much they love us here in Providence! The introduction to some new bands was great and seeing some bands that I haven't seen in awhile was sweet too! So many memories were created these three nights for so many people, and I know we can hardly wait till the next Providence Payback! See ya'll next year!! =)
Check out this review in the new issue of RaskalZine!!!
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