Concert Review: No Age (Wellesley)

Picture Credit: Pitchfork Media

Bands: Lemonade, The Beets, and No Age
Venue: Wellesley College
Date: April 2, 2009

Introduction: When the three amigos and Paul arrived at Wellesley College we searched for nearly a half hour for the music center. Slowly, but surely we reached the place we were seeking (I had to run, not cool). So, we asked to step inside, but of course we have penises and it was an all girl school, clearly not our turf. We were instructed that entrance could only be granted, if we knew someone that attended the college. Well, we did not, but with our impeccable boyish charm we were able to coax the sweet girl at the door to let us in. The show cost a mere five singles. An excellent deal by any standard.

Act One: Lemonade
Excellent dance rock meets hard rocking noise pop. This trio rocked out for sure. All three members were highly energetic, especially the drummer; it appeared as though he would smash his entire set at any second. Now, with all that being said, I don't want to confuse readers, they are extremely poppy, but in a very endearing way. I hope to hear more of them in the future.

Act Two: The Beets
Not the Beets that Doug and Skeeter adored, but rather an early Black Lips meets Beat Happening kinda group. They meshed garage rocky, bluesy, noisy sounds (Black Lips) with 60s pop and somewhat callow musicianship (Beat Happening, but perhaps better musicianship than Beat Happening). They weren't as good as the first act and certainly nowhere near the next act lol, but they were overall entertaining and clearly talented. I heard some hooks beneath the noise. Some flaws were the start stop thing that occurred at the beginning of the first number and most of the songs sounding alike.

Act Three: NO AGE!!!
Simply said, one of the top five greatest bands out there today. Glen, Ben, and I had the magnificent pleasure of chatting with the dynamic duo at various junctures throughout the show. We stood right between Dean's drum set and Randy's amps and hopped up and down, raising our arms straight in the air relentlessly as soon as they opened with "Teen Creeps," a tune I personally requested to Randy Randal. I hopped back and forth between the mosh pit and the front where it was a bit tamer. The crowd (30 , give or take) shared in our enthusiasm and loved each song. Along with TC, they played such classics as "Neck Escaper," "Every Artist Needs A Tragedy," "Eraser" "Miner," "Keechie," "Cappo," "Here Should Be My Home," "Ripped Knees," "Sleeper Hold," "Brain Burner," and two new songs. Unfortunately, the band did not play their triumphant anthem, "Everybody's Down," but what are you going to do? There was no stage and perhaps Randy thought it would be too much of hassle to find some way to do his signature crowd surfing at the end of the song. Oh well, it was still a fabulous show. Can't complain.

Conclusion: Small Venues make the best shows! Not an absolute, but an experienced truth. As I said before, fabulous. My second favorite concert ever! and I'm sure it ranks fairly high for Glen and Ben. Grade: 10/10. I strongly recommend No Age to those who have not seen them, fan or non fan.

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Editors Note: Definitely the second best show I've seen. The up-close and personal nature of the show contributed to its awesomeness. The fact that the group traveled out of their way to put on a show for a relatively small number of college students is simply impressive. The showmanship of Randy Randall and Dean Allen Spunt is second to none. - Glen